Abstract: An end-cutting and stripping station for removing casings from sausages is disclosed. The station comprises a carousel having end-cutting units spaced around its perimeter. The carousel is connected to a conveyor, each unit receiving a sausage as the conveyor advances. Each unit includes a sausage support and a carriage slidably mounted below the support. An actuator is connected between the carriage and the carousel. As the actuator retracts, sensor fingers on the carriage slidingly engage a sausage on the support. When the finger tips reach the bottom end of the sausage, the fingers move inwardly, actuating a control valve and halting the carriage. A casing cutter is then actuated to cut off the lower end of the casing above the finger tips. As the conveyor exits the carousel, a pair of stripper bars positioned below the conveyor engage the tops of the sausages and force them out of the casings.

Abstract: A sausage transfer station is disclosed for transferring sausages from a rack where they are hung by respective string loops in a plurality of rows to a main conveyor. The transfer station includes an unload conveyor for advancing the rack forward, a selectively pivotable unloader shaft oriented transversely to the unload conveyor, and a transfer conveyor having a leg parallel to the unloader shaft and an apex proximate the main conveyor. The unloader shaft has a plurality of unloader fingers extending transversely outward therefrom. The unloader fingers engage the string loops of a row of sausages to push them off of the rack and then drop them onto respective fingers of the transfer conveyor. The sausages are carried by the transfer conveyor to the apex proximate the main conveyor where they are transferred to hooks on the main conveyor.

Abstract: An improved floor drain assembly (10) is provided which includes an upright inlet section (12) presenting a waste inlet (30) and an outlet section (14) terminating in a discharge end (16). The assembly (10) includes an oblique first wall (26b) below the inlet (30) for diverting waste materials towards the end (16); a second oblique wall (82) spaced from the wall (26b) and a third wall (28a) intermediate the walls (26b, 82) complete an in-line trap (18). The inlet (30) is equipped with a grate (46) and a perforate filter (50). The wall (26b) serves to forcefully divert waste material through the assembly (10) to minimize clogging problems.

Abstract: A conveyor apparatus (10) is provided having a conveyor frame (12) and an overlying, shiftable conveyor belt (14). The frame (12) includes elongated side members (48, 50) supporting a series of transversely extending, axially spaced metallic supports (22) each equipped with openings (56) therein. A series of synthetic resin slide bars (16-20) are received within associated support openings (56), and are maintained in place by keepers (24) attached to corresponding supports (22). The slide bars (16-20) are preferably formed of aligned segments (16a, 16b, 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b). The slide bars (16-20) bridge the spaced apart supports (22) and thus become belt-supporting structural members in the frame (12). The support openings (56) are preferably slightly larger than the associated slide bars (16-20), so as to permit passage of cleaning fluid between the adjacent slide bar and support surfaces.