Abstract: A meat comminuting machine has a cutting unit which includes at least one stationary perforated plate and a mobile associated cutter head arranged on a driving shaft, which is driven by a driving motor, and a device for an axial displacement of the driving shaft which supports the cutter head in dependence of the loading of the driving motor.

Abstract: To achieve automatic removal of a sausage link string 6 from a feeding device 3, 4 and to attain a delivery to curing rods 11, hooks 7 are supported at a revolving moving chain 8 to be rotatable in their longitudinal axis and to be pivotable transversely to the chain longitudinal direction. By means of appropriate control devices in the form of a rotary lever 18 which coacts with a control edge 20 and a disk 23, and a block-shaped guide link 19, which rests upon a guide rail 21, the hook 7 is moved into its different positions. Herein the hook 7 is in its lowermost pivoting position during reception of the individual loops of the sausage link string 6, and the bent-over hook end 16 is oriented towards the front in conveyance direction and grips a loop from beneath.

Abstract: An apportioning apparatus, particularly for dispensing discrete metered quantities of comestible material, such as sausage meat, wherein a cutter is first moved parallel to a surface surrounding a nozzle outlet from which the comestible material is dispensed and wherein after cleanly cutting through the dispensed material emerging from the nozzle outlet, the cutter is advanced in a direction away from the nozzle outlet surface in order to effect a clean cutting process with the cutter then being returned to its initial position to commence a further cutting operation. The cutter is mounted to be driven and guided by an articulation mechanism which includes a power cylinder device and metering gear pumps operate to dispense the comestible material through one or a plurality of outlet nozzles at which the material is cut.