Abstract: The present invention concerns a suspension apparatus (1) for hanging up and transporting at least one sausage string (2) including a transport device (6) for transporting the at least one sausage string (2), that has at least one carrier hook (8) for carrying the sausage string (2), the hook being movable along a path of movement (10) by means of a guide and drive device. The apparatus further includes a spreading device (14) arranged stationarily relative to the transport device (6) for spreading the sausage string (2). The spreading device has at least one spreading element (16) which is arranged adjacent to the path of movement (10) of the carrier hook (8) and which in operation acts on the sausage string (2) carried by the carrier hook (8) in such a way that the sausage string (2) is spread.

Abstract: A device for the transportation of elongate sausages exhibiting a curvature, the device having a first conveying device including two circulating conveyor belts or belt conveyors spaced apart from one another laterally, each having studs for randomly receiving the sausages. An end portion of a sausage can be received in two adjacent studs in each case. A free space is provided beneath the conveying belts or belt conveyors at least sectionally along the conveying path, in order to facilitate a swing-through of the sausages mounted on the conveyor belts or belt conveyors in the peripheral region so that they hang in the free space with the curvature facing downwards, said device has a lead component into which a sagging sausage runs, by which it is pivoted up in the direction of the conveying plane, and having a second conveying device for receiving the upwardly pivoted sausage.

Abstract: A sausage suspension member undergoes primary pivoting whereby an opening portion with an inner link of a sausage placed thereon is moved about a pivot axis laterally inwardly, and after the primary pivoting the sausage suspension member undergoes secondary pivoting whereby the opening portion with the inner link placed thereon is moved about the pivot axis laterally inwardly so as to move the opening portion with the inner link placed thereon laterally inwardly away from a stick in a state of being inserted between the inner link and an outer link.

Abstract: A device for transferring sausage-shaped products, carried out of a clipping machine and provided with loop-shaped suspension elements, to a product receiving element, said device containing: a guide bar along which the suspension elements can be guided in the direction of transport by means of conveyor elements, and a front and a rear bearing assembly for the guide bar, the bearing assemblies having a right-hand and a left-hand bearing unit that are each disposed in pairs laterally from the guide bar. It is further provided that the front and rear bearing assemblies form drivable positive guidance mechanisms for the suspension elements.

Abstract: A gripper system for gripping and transferring a smoke stick introduced into sausage loops or into other products suspended on hooks in loops or in pairs. For the simple and proper gripping and transferal of a smoke stick a smoke stick is first lifted to remove the products from the hooks with at least two grippers, wherein the grippers grip the smoke stick between the hooks, wherein the grippers hold and fix the smoke stick during removal. The smoke stick and the products suspended from it are then aligned by rotation of the smoke stick about its longitudinal axis. The smoke stick is then transported to a smoke stick depository, wherein the smoke stick is fixed in the grippers and then deposited on a smoke stick depository.

Abstract: A smoking rail feed means as well as a method of accurately positioning a smoking rail in sausage loops or in loops of other products suspended from a hanger, and having, for improved insertion of the smoking rail into the loops, a smoking rail support, on which the smoking rail rests, at least partially, and oriented in the direction of the hanger. The smoking rail support is adapted to be displaced such that the smoking rail is transferred substantially in the longitudinal direction from the smoking rail feed means to a pick-up area of the hanger, in which the loops are arranged for being picked up.

Abstract: A gripper system for gripping and transferring a smoke stick introduced into sausage loops or into other products suspended on hooks in loops or in pairs. For the simple and proper gripping and transferral of a smoke stick a smoke stick is first lifted to remove the products from the hooks with at least two grippers, wherein the grippers grip the smoke stick between the hooks, wherein the grippers hold and fix the smoke stick during removal. The smoke stick and the products suspended from it are then aligned by rotation of the smoke stick about its longitudinal axis. The smoke stick is then transported to a smoke stick depository, wherein the smoke stick is fixed in the grippers and then deposited on a smoke stick depository.

Abstract: An apparatus for suspending a sausage (6) from a stick (7) includes an endless circulating body (3) provided with hooks (4) stick supporting members (10) for supporting the stick at a position below the hooks, a pair of stick-supporting-member actuating devices (11) for moving the stick supporting members toward or away from the stick, and a stick transferring device (104) for transferring the sausage suspended from the hooks onto the stick while removing the stick from the stick supporting members, and for concurrently supplying an ensuing stick onto the stick supporting members.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hanging loop for sausages or the like which is made of a meltable loop thread whose free ends are fused and tied together into a fisherman's knot. The invention also relates to an arrangement of these knotted hanging loops which are fastened on a carrier strip and in such a way that partial loops project from both sides of the carrier strip and such that the hanging loop knots are located in the proximity of the location where the hanging loops are fastened to the carrier strip. The invention also relates to a method for producing the hanging loop in which the loop thread is firstly arranged into a loop and ties into a knot. Afterwards, the loop thread projecting from the knot and outside the loop is cut away using a high temperature such that the loop thread ends produced thereby are attached by melting.

Abstract: A method for determining the number of loops of linked sausages for deposit on a smokestick includes; preparing an elongated strand of stuffed sausages; dividing the strand of sausages into a plurality of sausage links; determining the desired number of looped sausages to be prepared; depositing the linked sausages into the determined loops and depositing the loops on a plurality of adjacent hooks on a moving conveyor; intercepting the deposit of linked sausages on adjacent hooks when the predetermined number of linked loops of sausages have been deposited in the predetermined number of loops on the hooks to provide a visible variation in the configuration of linked sausages on the conveyor; and repeating the foregoing steps to create another group of sausages similar to the group of sausages created by the foregoing steps.

Abstract: This invention relates to an arrangement of a plurality of individual, closed sausage suspension loops, which are held beside each other by a belt, so that from each side of the belt a partial loop protrudes, where the first partial loop is designed for being inserted in a closing member for the end of the sausage, and in the second partial loop a smoking skewer or the like can be introduced, and which is characterized in that the sausage suspension loops (14) of uniform and flat shape consist of an elastic plastic material in the form of a strand and are dimensionally stable, and that the first partial loop (22) comprises two mutually parallel portions (24, 26) of the plastic strand, which are connected with each other by a vertically extending transverse portion (28) of the plastic strand.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for making and transferring natural skin sausages formed in coherent chains to a smoke stick. To design a device of this type in such a manner that it is suited for automatically or semiautomatically transferring chains of natural skin sausages to a smoke stick, the filling tube has arranged downstream thereof a transportation device to which the natural skin sausages are transferred with the aid of a transfer chute which is provided with an access space for an operator's hand.

Abstract: Tubular casing with a food filling is linked and hung by a rotatable hanging stick having an array of notches or grooves (18) extending along the length of the stick at its perimeter. The grooves (18) are generally V-shaped but the trough has straight parallel sides and a curved bottom. The straight tubular casing is simultaneously gripped and formed or necked into a pigtail by the grooves (18) and links are formed between pigtails. The loaded stick is suitable for hanging in a smoke house.

Abstract: A device and method for automatically arranging a flexible casing of food on a support is disclosed. The device includes a rotating barrel assembly having hinged doors which rotate inwardly to reduce the effective perimeter of the barrel assembly. The barrel assembly includes a vacuum port for releasably securing one end of the food casing to the barrel assembly. In operation, the food casing is attached to the barrel assembly, the barrel assembly is rotated and advance laterally along a horizontal support as the food casing is coiled about the barrel assembly. The food casing is deposited on the support by raising the support, moving the doors inwardly, and withdrawing the barrel assembly laterally.

Abstract: A food processing system (10) includes a first conveyor (12) having sprocket driven chains (14 and 16) extending along a loading run (26) and a return run (28) at a loading station (80). A support bar (52) extends transversely between the chains (14 and 16), and has a first movable hook (62) and a second stationary hook (64) mounted thereto. A food stick (74) for supporting a food product (76), such as a string of hot dogs, has a leading end (72) engageable with the movable first hook (62) for manually pushing the first hook along the support bar, and a trailing end (82) engageable with the stationary second hook. A second conveyor (102) at a transfer station (114) has spaced parallel sprocket driven chains (104 and 48) for transporting the food stick (74) and food product (76) to a processing station for cooking, smoking, chilling, etc.

Abstract: A process and device are disclosed for hanging sausage chains in loops. Successive hooks that move in an essentially horizontal transport plane engage and carry sausage links at twist points located between predetermined adjacent links. Twist points are engaged at an interception point of the hook defined by a portion of a first member disposed perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the hooks. Each engaged twist point is then rotated about an approximately vertical axis in a predetermined direction of rotation over an angle of about 90.degree.. After this rotation, the engaged twist points are disposed on a prong at the outer end of the hook. The prong and two adjacent spreading elements extend in the direction of transport and serve to support adjacent links without allowing them to touch. The suspended links are thereby supported in a spiral loop which is then placed over a smoking skewer.

Abstract: A product hanger apparatus for hanging products such as meat products during processing through a processing chamber, the processing chamber incorporating a conveyor for conveying products through the chamber, and a controller for controlling the processing conditions within the chamber, the hanger apparatus having, support bars secured to the conveyor at spaced intervals, to span the width within the processing chamber, the support bars defining a pre-determined length having two ends, product hangers defining a pre-determined length having first and second ends, attachment means on said product hangers, so that they may be connected to the support bars at either end, and, a plurality of spaced apart needle members extending from the product hangers normal thereto, whereby individual pieces of product may be engaged by the needle members, and the hangers may be suspended from the support bars within the processing chamber, with the products spaced apart from one another side-by-side along the hangers.

Abstract: A storage rack and linker for an elongated meat strand has a pair of spaced parallel plates with a plurality of elongated parallel bars extending there between. The parallel plates are comprised of two overlapping plate elements, one of which has a series of radially extending slots therein, which overlap some arcuate slots in the other of the plate elements.Each of the bars is equipped with a cutting mechanism which is adapted to engage linked products draped around the parallel bars for severing the linked products from each other at an appropriate time during their creation. Each rack has a drive element on one end and a drive socket on the other so that racks can be nested with each other for rotational purposes, but can easily be removed from each other for storage or transporting purposes.

Abstract: A process and device for the input and carrying away of smoking rods or cooking rods to and from a station for the automatic suspension of sausages provided with loops on a rod which in turn is tightly chucked at one end works as follows: the rods are first brought out of a storage area one after the other in horizontal arrangement into a readiness position. Then one rod is tightly chucked there and is fed by a horizontal movement to the loading station; finally the loaded rod is picked up at both ends and fed in the same direction as before to a holding station, in which a number of loaded rods are collected for transfer by being moved onto a smoking or cooking wagon. The process is carried out nearly without dead time, and is accomplished by an operator who remains for the most part independent of the filling and suspending cycle.

Abstract: In the suspending method, a signal of a value proportional to the amount of movement of the conveying device for conveying a chain of products is generated, and suspending members are controlled on the basis of that signal in such a manner as to suspend the chain of products for each desired number of links to be suspended. Meanwhile, the suspending apparatus has a signal generating device for generating a signal of a value proportional to the amount of movement of the conveying device for conveying the chain of products. A suspending device is connected to a controlling device for controlling the movement of the suspending members, and on the basis of that signal the controlling device causes the suspending members to move in such a manner as to suspend the chain of products for each desired number of links.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding a chain of connected sausages and for suspending the sausages in the form of loops on a smoking rod in which the outlet end of the feeding means is located above the path described by the transport hooks and the end of the transport belt, which supports the sausage loops, extends in laterally staggered relationship with respect to the feeding means. Further the transport belt revolves in an approximately horizontal plane and the transport hooks are in each case attached to a downwardly directed supporting arm approximately vertical to the plane of the transport belt, the transport hooks branching off laterally from the supporting arm and being directed obliquely upwardly at an acute angle.

Abstract: A process for the mechanized suspended on smoking or cooking rods of individual sausages produced in an automatic filling installation with teardrop-shaped suspension loops fastened to their ends is characterized in that following the picking up by a first pair of conveyor elements from the discharge area of the filling pipe the teardrop-shaped suspension loops are raised up and are simultaneously flared, whereupon the flared teardrop-shaped suspension loops are picked up by a second pair of conveyor elements, are moved away over the smoking or cooking rod which is chucked at one end and finally are placed on the point provided for that purpose on the smoking or cooking rod.

Abstract: A process for the input and carrying away of smoking rods or cooking rods to and from a station for the automatic suspension of sausages provided with loops on a rod which in turn is tightly chucked at one end works as follows: the rods are first brought out of a storage area one after the other into horizontal arrangement in a readiness position. Then one rod is tightly chucked there and is fed by a horizontal movement to the loading station; finally the loaded rod is picked up at both ends and fed in the same direction as before to a holding station, in which a number of loaded rods are collected for transfer by being shoved onto a smoking or cooking wagon. The process is carried out nearly without dead time, and is accomplished by an operator who remains for the post part independent of the filling and suspending cycle.

Abstract: A method is provided for closing an end of a tubular food casing in such a way that the end so closed is made suitable for use as a hanger for the casing. In one embodiment, an end of a food casing is formed into a rigid loop suitable for hanging the casing. In a second embodiment, a die cut hole is made in a uniquely formed end of a casing, enabling the casing to be suspended by a hook inserted through the hole.