Devices for shaping portions of minced meat such as steaks, meatballs etc.

1. Device for producing shaped portions of minced meat, such as minced meat steaks or meatballs, characterised in that it comprises:

a mincing machine providing a stream of minced meat, said stream of minced meat having a size determined in function of the portions to be produced;

conveying means with an endless belt, for transporting said stream of minced meat exiting from said mincing machine;

means for cutting said stream of minced meat into portions, and

lateral shaping means acting simultaneously on both sides of said stream of minced meat to shape the contour of said portions.

2. Device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said means for cutting into portions of said stream of minced meat are provided upstream said shaping means.

3. Device according to claim 2 , characterised in that said cutting means consist of a passage for said stream of minced meat formed by two endless belts with superposed transversal cleats that approach each other vertically from upstream to downstream, in such a way that said cleats tighten progressively two by two on said stream of minced meat by pinching it until it is cut.

4. Device according to claim 1 , characterised in that it furthermore comprises vertical shaping means co-operating with said lateral shaping means to give the portions the thickness required.

5. Device according to claim 1 , characterised in that said lateral shaping means are indented or recessed blocks advancing symmetrically on each side and immediately above a shaping transporting belt, being part of said conveying means for said stream of minced meat that from upstream to downstream approach each other so as to touch to form shaping cavities with their indents or recesses and with said shaping transporting belt.

6. Device according to claim 4 , characterised in that said vertical shaping means are pushers arriving above said shaping transporting belt, between said lateral shaping blocks, and which advance with them in a synchronised way.

7. Device according to claim 5 , characterised in that said lateral shaping blocks are mounted on the first and second endless loop arrangements set horizontally and symmetrically on either side of said shaping transporting belt.

8. Device according to claim 6 , characterised in that the pushers co-operating with said lateral shaping blocks are mounted on a third endless loop arrangement set above said shaping transporting belt and between said first and second endless loop arrangements, and advancing with them in a synchronised way.

9. Device according to claim 5 , characterised in that said lateral shaping blocks are mounted in a same endless loop arrangement set above said shaping transporting belt, the endless loop arrangement including two identical endless chains in parallel carrying transversal runners on which said lateral shaping blocks are mounted in a sliding manner.

10. Device according to claim 9 , characterised in that said pushers are also mounted in the same endless loop arrangement as said lateral shaping blocks.

11. Device according to claim 9 , characterised in that said lateral shaping blocks include a slit in their lower wall by which they are mounted in a sliding manner on their respective runner, the latter being a flat bar and proceeding to the cut-off of said stream of minced meat into portions.

12. Device according to claim 11 , characterised in that said lateral shaping blocks each have two indents on either side of a central point, in such a way that the shaping cavities are each formed between two consecutive pairs of lateral shaping blocks facing each other, said blocks being mounted in a sliding manner two by two opposite each other on a transversal runner.

13. Device according to claim 10 , characterised in that said pushers are bracket-carried by beams each of which being mounted above a runner and fixed to it by lateral end plates that are themselves fixed to the links of two chains in parallel of an endless loop arrangement.

14. Device according to claim 13 , characterised in that the pushers constituting the vertical shaping means have a supplementary run to evacuate the portions positively from said shaping cavities.

15. Device according to claim 5 , characterised in that said shaping blocks comprise recesses in their internal face and a slight chamfer on the sides of each recess wherein each cavity formed when two opposite recesses come together remain communicating on each side with an interstitial space.

16. Device according to claim 11 , characterised in that said shaping blocks are double, each including two recesses on each side of their sliding slit.

17. Device according to claim 16 , characterised in that each block has an overlap part overhanging a recess and above its other recess, a cut-out defining an external surface complementary to the internal surface of the overlap part allowing interlocking sliding contact between these two surfaces when the two blocks approach each other face to face.

18. Device according to claim 5 , characterised in that said shaping blocks include recesses wherein the base of each recess is constituted by a cup set on the end of sliding struts the said cups having the function of maintaining the formed meatballs in a centered position when the shaping cavities are opened.