Patent ID: 7172781

Claim:
A meat injection machine, comprising, a longitudinal movable conveyor surface on the machine; a fluid injection station on the machine for injecting fluid into a meat product on the conveyor surface; a second station on the machine downstream of the fluid injection station; means at the second station for applying compressive pressure to the injected meat and for penetrating the meat with a plurality of projecting elements to create a plurality of fluid conduits in the injected meat wherein the compressive pressure forces fluid out of the injected meat through the fluid conduits when the projecting elements penetrate the pockets of fluid; wherein the projecting elements are needles and the compressive force is applied to the meat by a smooth circular wheel; and wherein the means for applying the compressive pressure and the plurality of projecting elements are positioned such that there is compressive pressure on the meat when the plurality of projecting elements penetrate the meat to create the plurality of fluid conduits.