Automatic sheet dispensing mechanism for hand-fed patty machine

摘要

A sheet dispensing mechanism employs an open bottom sheet dispenser positioned beside a molding device, molding articles which are cyclically ejected and driven vertically downwardly along an article ejection path, with the bottom sheet shingling out against an oblique baffle. A pair of rotatable indexing rollers with a high coefficient friction member on the periphery of each roller penetrate the open bottom of the dispenser to press the single sheets against the baffle, thereby allowing the indexing rollers to frictionally drive only the end sheet in the direction of the path. A spring biased articulated nip roller assembly downstream of the dispenser accelerates the indexed sheet to intersect the ejection path of the article simultaneously with ejection of the article. A proximity switch senses the arrival of the food portion at the article ejection station to initiate one cycle rotation of the indexing rollers to index the bottom-most sheet of the stack.