Abstract: A method for injecting fluid into meat products comprises taking a plurality of hollow fluid injection needles having sharpened discharge ends, and connecting the needles to a source of pressurized liquid; penetrating the sharpened ends of the needles into the product and thence withdrawing the same while discharging fluid into the product and vibrating the needles for a period of time while they are within the product to enlarge the size of a penetration hole within the product caused by the penetration of the needles to a size greater than the size of the needles to create at least a partial space around the needles to permit fluid from the needles to migrate into the spaces around the needles. The needles have a roughened outside surface.

Abstract: A method for injecting fluid into meat products comprises taking a plurality of hollow fluid injection needles having sharpened discharge ends, and connecting the needles to a source of pressurized liquid; penetrating the sharpened ends of the needles into the product and thence withdrawing the same while discharging fluid into the product and vibrating the needles for a period of time while they are within the product to enlarge the size of a penetration hole within the product caused by the penetration of the needles to a size greater than the size of the needles to create at least a partial space around the needles to permit fluid from the needles to migrate into the spaces around the needles. The needles have a roughened outside surface.

Abstract: A method for injecting fluid into meat products comprises taking a plurality of hollow fluid injection needles having sharpened discharge ends, and connecting the needles to a source of pressurized liquid; penetrating the sharpened ends of the needles into the product and thence withdrawing the same while discharging fluid into the product and vibrating the needles for a period of time while they are within the product to enlarge the size of a penetration hole within the product caused by the penetration of the needles to a size greater than the size of the needles to create at least a partial space around the needles to permit fluid from the needles to migrate into the spaces around the needles. The needles have a roughened outside surface.

Abstract: A machine for injecting fluid into a meat product has a frame and a meat injection station on the frame. An elongated conveyor is mounted on the frame for carrying a meat products towards and through the injection station. A motor is on the frame for operating the conveyor. A meat injection head on the frame is located at the injection station and includes a plurality of downwardly extending fluid injection needles. A fluid reservoir is mounted on the frame and is connected to a pump, with the pump also being connected to the needles. The motor is connected to a power train for moving the needles into and out of a meat product while it is being moved through the injection station by the conveyor. A bypass control circuit is on the frame and is connected to the pump and the reservoir for diverting fluid moving towards the needles from the pump in the reservoir when the needles are out of the meat product.

Abstract: A method and means for creating a casing on a sausage making machine involves the method steps and apparatus wherein a strip of thermoplastic casing material is wound on a rotating hollow sausage stuffing horn. The casing material has side edges forming a series of contiguous helixes of casing material with the side edges of one helix overlapping the side edges of an adjacent helix. A source of heat is applied on at least a helical portion of the adjacent overlapping edges of adjacent helixes to cause the overlapping side edges adjacent the source of heat to fuse together to create a hollow casing. The source of heat is applied to only a short helical path superimposed only over a corresponding helical segment of the overlapping side edges of adjacent helixes.

Abstract: The bottom of the clamp in a blade assembly has an elongated truncated tapered recess that receives the blade of similar shape. The blade has a vertical rearward edge. When the blade is placed in the recess of the clamp, an opening exists between the rearward edge of the blade and the rearward wall of the recess. To remove the blade an ice pick or similar tool is inserted in the space in the recess between the rearward edge of the blade and the vertical wall at the rearward end of the recess to pry the blade out of the recess.

Abstract: The bottom of the clamp in a blade assembly has an elongated truncated tapered recess that receives the blade of similar shape. The blade has a vertical rearward edge. When the blade is placed in the recess of the clamp, an opening exists between the rearward edge of the blade and the rearward wall of the recess. To remove the blade an ice pick or similar tool is inserted in the space in the recess between the rearward edge of the blade and the vertical wall at the rearward end of the recess to pry the blade out of the recess.

Abstract: A meat skinning machine has a frame with an elongated skinning blade mounted thereon. The skinning blade has an elongated cutting edge. An elongated gripper roll is rotatably mounted on the frame adjacent the blade for pulling the meat product to be skinning into operational contact with the cutting edge of the blade. A plurality of rows of teeth extend longitudinally on the outer surface of the roll with each row of teeth terminating in a cutting edge. The foregoing structure is conventional. A plurality of secondary teeth are formed on the cutting edges of the rows of teeth to facilitate the gripping of a meat product. The secondary teeth are smaller than the teeth in the rows of teeth. The cutting edge of the blade is comprised of a plurality of serrated teeth.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying liquid smoke to the outer surface of an extruded sausage strand has a frame with an elongated stationary outer tube thereon. A rotatable tube is concentrically mounted within the outer tube. Power components are on the frame for extruding a meat emulsion through the inner tuber while it is rotating, and for winding a strip material into a casing on the outer tube wherein the formed casing slides and rotates as it progresses down the stationary tube to receive meat emulsion from a discharge end of the inner tube. A fluid, such as liquid smoke, is introduced between the rotating casing and the rotating strand of meat, which rotate in the same direction and at the same speed to prevent any turbulence from developing in the meat emulsion. A meat strand linker creates the extruded strand into links. A conveyor takes the link strand to a heating station for cooking.

Abstract: A machine for injecting fluid into a meat product has a frame and a meat injection station on the frame. An elongated conveyor is mounted on the frame for carrying a meat products towards and through the injection station. A motor is on the frame for operating the conveyor. A meat injection head on the frame is located at the injection station and includes a plurality of downwardly extending fluid injection needles. A fluid reservoir is mounted on the frame and is connected to a pump, with the pump also being connected to the needles. The motor is connected to a power train for moving the needles into and out of a meat product while it is being moved through the injection station by the conveyor. A bypass control circuit is on the frame and is connected to the pump and the reservoir for diverting fluid moving towards the needles from the pump in the reservoir when the needles are out of the meat product.

Abstract: A method of applying liquid, such as liquid smoke to the outer surface of an extruded sausage strand, involves locating a rotatable inner tube within a stationary outer tube; rotating an elongated casing on the stationary outer tube, and advancing the casing longitudinally over a discharge end of the inner tube; simultaneously rotating the inner tube within the outer tube and extruding a meat emulsion strand in a rotatable direction out of the discharge end to move the rotating meat emulsion into the rotating casing; and introducing a fluid material on the inside of the casing material for deposit on a strand of meat emulsion being discharged from the discharge end of the inner tube. The casing material is of the non-osmosis type. The casing and discharged meat emulsion rotate in the same direction at the same speed.

Abstract: A machine for injecting fluid into a meat product has a frame and a meat injection station on the frame. An elongated conveyor is mounted on the frame for carrying a meat products towards and through the injection station. A motor is on the frame for operating the conveyor. A meat injection head on the frame is located at the injection station and includes a plurality of downwardly extending fluid injection needles. A fluid reservoir is mounted on the frame and is connected to a pump, with the pump also being connected to the needles. The motor is connected to a power train for moving the needles into and out of a meat product while it is being moved through the injection station by the conveyor. A bypass control circuit is on the frame and is connected to the pump and the reservoir for diverting fluid moving towards the needles from the pump in the reservoir when the needles are out of the meat product.

Abstract: A safety glove for use with a meat cutting machine that has a gripping roll and an elongated skinning blade utilizes a glove shell having hollow thumb and finger elements, and a hand compartment. The glove is comprised of a flexible insulation material and has a battery and wireless signal transmitter mounted thereon. First and second wires extend from the battery and the transmitter and these wires are wound around each other and have a layer of insulation on the outer surfaces thereof. The wires are embedded in close proximity to each other within the glove shell by virtue of being wound around each other so that if the glove is cut with an electroconducting instrument, such as the blade of the skinning machine, the wires will be electrically connected together.

Abstract: A meat skinning machine has a supporting surface with a discharge edge adjacent the surface of a toothed gripper roll, with an elongated skinning blade spaced from and opposite to the discharge edge. A curved deflector plate is located downstream from the blade and curves upwardly and rearwardly to cause a chunk of meat departing the blade to move upwardly and rearwardly for redeposit on the supporting surface. A method of skinning a meat product with a gripper roll and a blade by moving a skinned chunk of meat upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the blade after departing the blade for purposes of skinning another surface of the meat chunk.

Abstract: Three parallel auger shafts having identical flighting thereon disposed on axes equally spaced from each other to provide a central axis equidistant from the axes of the augers. An elongated strand of extruded meat product is moved through the central axis thereof so that when the flighting on the augers meet at a common point, the diameter of the strand is compressed to create a link in the strand. In a second embodiment of the invention places the three augers in a rotatable assembly with the augers rotating about their own axes as well as the central axis. A third embodiment utilizes a casing control element on the inlet end of each auger to cooperate with the nozzle or horn through which the extruded material is being delivered whereupon the control elements rotate the casing material and control the expansion of the casing material to its full diameter as the meat emulsion flows into the casing.

Abstract: A method for introducing liquid smoke or the like to the interior surface of a stuffed sausage made on a sausage stuffing machine involves placing a liquid on at least a portion of the exterior surface of a stuffing horn of such machine, placing an enclosed casing on the stuffing horn, and simultaneously moving the casing towards an open end of the stuffing horn and extruding meat emulsion from the stuffing horn into the casing whereby the liquid will be deposited on the interior surface of the casing before the meat emulsion is extruded into the casing. An apparatus for applying liquid to the interior of a casing or a sausage encasing machine as an elongated hollow stuffing horn having an inlet end, an outlet end and an exterior surface. A pump is connected to the stuffing horn for moving meat emulsion through the stuffing horn in a direction towards the outlet end. An elongated groove appears in the exterior surface of the stuffing horn.

Abstract: A chuck for a meat encasing machine has an elongated body having an inlet end and a discharge end. The body has an elongated hollow bore extending therethrough and an exterior cylindrical surface. A plurality of radially extending flutes are in the bore of the body for purposes of grasping and imparting rotational motion to a filled meat casing. An annular groove extends around the exterior cylindrical surface of the body member. A resilient O-ring is mounted in the groove and slightly projects outwardly from the groove to frictionally engage a socket into which the chuck is inserted.

Abstract: A sausage encasing machine has an improved looper horn thereon mounted to be in communication with the horizontal flow path of encased linked sausages being discharged from the machine. The looper horn is mounted on a looper horn adapter which rotatably secures the horn for rotation with respect to the machine about a rotational axis that extends downwardly from the looper horn adapter. The looper horn is connected to a suitable source of rotational power. The geometry of the adapter and the looper horn causes the horn to be rotated from a substantially horizontal position of maximum elevation through a circular continuous arc which is located below the position of maximum elevation whereby the strand will never have to be moved in an upwardly inclined direction as it passes through the looper horn. The looper horn is U-shaped in cross section and thereupon has an elongated side opening having a discharge axis.

Abstract: A skinning machines having a gripping roll, a skinning blade, a power unit for rotating the gripping roll, and a safety circuit responsive to manual contact of the machine operator with danger zone of the skinning machine. A clutch is provided to the skinning machine is operatively connected to the gripping roll and the power source for the gripping roll. A brake is connected to the safety circuit and the gripping roll. The clutch is normally operative, and the brake is normally inoperative, whereby the brake will stop the rotation of the gripping roll when the safety circuit is activated to overcome the operative condition of the clutch. The brake includes a coiled spring that tightens on a hub connected to the gripping roll when the safety circuit is actuated. The safety circuit includes a solenoid device that releases the spring to tighten on the hub when the safety circuit is actuated.

Abstract: A chuck for a meat encasing machine has an elongated body having an inlet end and a discharge end. The body has an elongated hollow bore extending therethrough and an exterior cylindrical surface. A plurality of radially extending flutes are in the bore of the body for purposes of grasping and imparting rotational motion to a filled meat casing. An annular groove extends around the exterior cylindrical surface of the body member. A resilient O-ring is mounted in the groove and slightly projects outwardly from the groove to frictionally engage a socket into which the chuck is inserted.