39 rockwell c it becomes approximately 60 65 rockwell c the material is applied in a thickness to facilitate a surface which cuts the food product upon movement of a stripper plate the material goes from 1 1000 th an inch to about 10 1000 th of an inch with the chrome a cutting hemisphere into bottom of plate with a cylinder a stripper plate is interposed in the fill passage immediately adjacent to the fill plate the stripper plate is movable in a direction transverse to the mold plate between the fill and discharge locations the stripper plate has a multiplicity of fill openings aligned one for one with the fill orifices in the fill plate when the stripper plate is in fill position a stripper plate drive is synchronized with the mold plate drive such that the movement of the stripper plate facilitates the cutting of the meat product which was pushed through the fill plate by the food pump the stripper plate drive moves the stripper plate to its discharge position in each mold cycle before the mold plate moves appreciably toward the discharge location the stripper plate drive maintains the stripper plate in the discharge position until the mold plate cavity is displaced beyond the fill orifices the fill paths can be in a direction to the front or rear of the machine all fill paths consist of a hemispherical shape which is intersected by a cylindrical shape at an angle less or equal to.