Patent ID: 8191467

Claim:
A system for producing food products from starch-containing raw materials which are subjected to pressure and heat with one or more pressure-molding apparatuses, each of the pressure-molding apparatuses comprising: (a) at least one heatable mold cavity comprising a stationary mold element having an interior peripheral wall about the cavity; (b) at least one punch movable into and out of the cavity and driven by a double-action hydraulic cylinder operatively connected to the punch; and (c) a central oil pressure generator system comprising one or more axial piston pumps of the variable displacement type including a swashplate allowing a stepless variation of oil flow including continuous pressure control and compensation for keeping oil pressure constant irrespective of operatively used oil, central pressure oil generator system further comprising an oil tank for receiving return oil from the hydraulic cylinder by the return line, wherein the hydraulic cylinder comprises a manifold directly mounted onto a head portion of a cylinder body, the manifold has connections with a feed line of pressure oil and a return line of operatively displaced oil, the manifold houses a plurality of oil circuit channels and actuable valves designed for selectively and instantly applying hydraulic oil pressure for a given time duration to an upper or lower piston compartment of the hydraulic cylinder, thereby simultaneously moving a cylinder piston over a desired stroke length in a direction required for pressure-baking the starch-containing raw materials.