A transfer plate having metering openings is slidably mounted between a pressurized meat source and a plurality of hollow transfer pins within which heaters are mounted. An air cylinder unit is coupled to momentarily jog the push bars, and a second fluid cylinder motor means is interconnected to the supporting bed to simultaneously jog the bed and then wipe the meat patties from the ends of the pins. Alternatively, an air chamber is mounted on top of the meat chamber connected by air tubes to bottom openings in the meat chamber. The metering plate selectively aligns the filled openings with the air tubes to positively force the patties onto the bases. The meat patties may also be transferred by rapidly moving the pins downwardly into engagement with a resilient means which stops the pins in spaced relation to the bases to cause the meat pattie to transfer under the inertia forces.
An apparatus for metering and distributing meat in a desired pattern onto pizzas includes a conveyor for advancing the pizzas and at least one metering and distributing head for the meat above the advancing pizzas on the conveyor. The metering and distributing head comprises a housing including a meat supply station, a meat distributing station having distribution tubes, a metering station having metering pistons and an air supply station, and a movable core in the housing movable between first and second positions. In the first position, the movable core communicates the air supply station with the distributing station for distributing metered portions of meat in a desired pattern onto the pizzas and the metering pistons are retracted to receive meat in the metering station from the supply station. In the second position, the metering pistons are advanced to project metered portions of the meat from the metering station to the distributing station for distribution during the next operating cycle. The core, metering pistons and air supply are operated in timed relation through a complete operating cycle when a pizza appears under the metering and distributing head and repetition of the operating cycle is prevented until another pizza appears under the metering and distributing head.
The present invention is a stripping apparatus for a machine that provides a filling in the interior of an article, such as a cake, continuously conveyed through the machine. The machine includes a filling manifold to which filling needles are rigidly attached. The filling manifold is raised and lowered to inject the needles into and retract them from the articles while moving synchronously with the articles. The stripping apparatus substantially prevents relative lateral movement between the articles and stripper bars that contact the articles. The stripping apparatus includes a stripper frame, carrying the stripper bars, that is slidably mounted to the machine frame by slide blocks. Scissors-links that link the slide blocks to the filling manifold synchronize the movement of the stripper bars with the movement of the filling manifold.
A device for manufacturing annular shaped products is achieved by forming a recess which extends about a plate-shaped part of a slide which is connected with the surrounding part of the slide with the aid of a few connecting ribs. The thickness of the plate-shaped part is at least substantially equal to the thickness of the slide part surrounding the recess and the height of the connecting ribs is less than said thickness. The undersides of the ribs are at a level above that of the underside of the slide part surrounding the recess. An expelling member is provided with hanging limbs separated from one another by slots in a manner such that the hanging limbs fit in the holes between the connecting ribs. The connecting ribs can fit in the slots.
A pizza screen manufacturing apparatus (10) having a folder (24L), crimper (24R), and flattener (26) to manufacture a pizza screen from a single sheet of screening by double folding over the peripheral edge in order to produce a product that evenly distributes heat through out the bottom surface of a pizza for even cooking thereof.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a rotary sauce dispensing apparatus for applying a sauce on a receiving surface such as a pizza dough. In one embodiment, a system for producing a flow of a sauce to a dispenser comprises a rotating table configured to support and rotate the receiving surface thereon around an axis generally perpendicular to the receiving surface for receiving the sauce, and a sauce dispensing member having a dispensing outlet disposed above the rotating table to dispense the sauce on the receiving surface disposed on the rotating table. The sauce dispensing member is movable between an edge position above an outer edge of the receiving surface and a center position above a center of the receiving surface. A sauce pumping device is configured to deliver a flow of the sauce to the sauce dispensing member. A controller is coupled with the sauce pumping device and configured to control a sauce flow rate of the flow of the sauce to the sauce dispensing member based on a rotational speed of the rotating table and a speed of movement of the sauce dispensing member between the edge position and the center position.
