Patent ID: 7566471

Claim:
A method of producing individual items of a food product comprising the steps of: a. providing a fill plate having a fill plate working surface with at least one longitudinal groove therein and at least one fill slot; b. providing a breather plate having a breather plate working surface with at least one longitudinal groove therein, and with patterns of small holes in the working surface that communicate with said at least one breather plate longitudinal groove; c. providing a mold plate having at least one row of transverse cavities and at least one vent hole; d. sliding the mold plate to a fill position where said at least one row of mold plate cavities is aligned with said at least one fill plate fill slot; e. filling said at least one row of mold plate cavities with food product and displacing air in the cavities through the breather plate patterns of small holes into said at least one breather plate longitudinal groove; and f. flowing the displaced air from said at least one breather plate longitudinal groove through said at least one mold plate vent hole and said at least one fill plate groove to the atmosphere.