Abstract: A process and an apparatus for the production of chain-like or concatenated foodstuff products. A pasty filling material is conveyed by a filling pump through a filling tube which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, and introduced into a tubular case or skin which partially surrounds the filling tube. The filled skin is fed to a portioning device having a plurality of dividing elements. The filled skin is engaged by two dividing elements which are disposed in opposite paired relationship and acted upon by a clamping force. A torque is applied to the skin by the filling tube so that the filled skin is caused to rotate at least in a portion between an exit opening of the filling tube and the portioning device and is locally prevented from rotating by application of the clamping force by the dividing elements, so that a twist-off location is produced. At a location spaced from the twist-off location, a further twist-off location is produced on the filled skin, to produce portioned sausages.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for conveying and individually separating sausages or other elongate foodstuff products, wherein the sausages are fed by a conveyor device (46) to a separating apparatus (8) with a separating tool. A sensor (64) which is responsive to the conveyor device (4) and which preferably cooperates with the drive motor of the conveyor device (4) or with the movable conveyor elements (36) of the conveyor device (6) produces a signal which represents a measurement for a current position of a movable conveyor element (36) of the conveyor device (6) and thus for a current position of one or more constriction or twist-off locations in the chain of sausages, and that the signal is fed to the separating apparatus (8) in order to control the drive motor (13) in such a way that the severing tool separates the sausages in the region of a twist-off location.

Abstract: What is described is an apparatus for stuffing casings or similar receptacles with paste, in particular with sausage meat or other foods in the form of paste, using a portioning means (16) that stuffs adjustable portions of the paste through a stuffing horn (14) into a casing (62) of a pre-defined caliber or caliber group, wherein said casing is pulled portion-wise during stuffing from a casing holder (casing brake 24). A guide tube (26) is disposed after and as an extension to the casing holder (24), the internal diameter of said guide tube 26 being approximately the same as the smaller outer diameter of the pre-defined casing caliber and/or the pre-defined casing caliber group, such that the guide tube 26 has a coating of lubricant on its inner surface and that the casing is pulled into and through the guide tube 26 in the process of being stuffed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for filling casings for a machine for filling sausage casings, with a filling pipe (14) driveable and rotatable around its longitudinal axis (12), onto which pipe a casing (8) fillable through the filling pipe (14) is pulled, and a casing take-along apparatus (30) that is rotatable simultaneously with the filling pipe (14) for rotating the casing (8). According to the invention, the casing take-along apparatus (30) is arranged so as to be axially movable relative to the filling pipe (14) and, for transmitting a torque, is coupled to the filling pipe (14) in an essentially interlocking manner.

Abstract: A casing holding device for a machine for filling and twisting off sausages includes a filling tube rotatable along its longitudinal axis, onto which a slug can be pulled, and which, on its free end, is equipped with an output opening for the output of sausage fill, and a casing brake which is equipped with a braking ring which surrounds the free end of the filling tube and which essentially rests against this under contact pressure, and a clamping member to secure the slug to the filling tube so as to rotate the slug with the filling tube.

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: The invention concerns a vane pump for conveying bulk substances, in particular meat pastes, having a housing (4) with an inlet (6) and an outlet (10) for the bulk substance. Disposed inside the housing (4) is a rotor (14) displaying a rotatably-journaled, central driving element (16) and several moving vanes (20a to j), which are arranged on the central driving element, in its direction of rotation (C), one behind the other and at an angle to the direction of rotation (C), and commonly surrounded by a limiting wall (24) of the housing (4) running about in the direction of movement (C) of the vanes (20a to j), with the limiting wall (24) forming conveying chambers for picking up (accommodating) bulk substances and, with rotation of the driving element (16), being moved in sequence past the inlet (6) and the outlet (10).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for intermittently dispensing a flowable foodstuff such as a sausage material into a container, e.g. a sausage casing, in portions of a predetermined size. A conveyor dispenses the foodstuff into the container and is deactivated when a quantity of the foodstuff has been placed into the container which is slightly less than the desired portion. After deactivation a small terminal mass of the foodstuff continues to flow into the container and the terminal mass represents the remainder to bring the dispensed foodstuff up to the desired portion. During each operating cycle the terminal mass is measured and this measurement is used during the next operating cycle to determine when the conveyor should be deactivated so that the next terminal mass brings the just dispensed portion up to the desired level.

Abstract: A sausage loop forming machine that includes a series of hooks of novel configuration on an endless horizontal conveyor. The operation of the conveyor is controlled by a novel sensor that senses the number of sausage joints which pass the sensor, thereby controlling the number of sausage links in the loop formed on each hook, i.e., the size of the loop on each hook. A rotating wheel feeder mechanism cooperates with the conveyor and the sensor to supply continuously a link sausage chain in vertical fashion to the conveyor's hooks.

Abstract: A tube-like socket is provided in a machine for stuffing sausage and the like. A nozzle is swingably or pivotally mounted for swinging movement between operating position in which a sausage tubing feeds between the socket and nozzle, and idle position away from the socket. A hook-like structure is pivotally converted to the mounting mechanism for the nozzle such that it projects through the nozzle with the nozzle in idle position and automatically feeds sausage tubing through the nozzle as the nozzle is swung to operating position.

Abstract: A rotary cell pump is provided for the conveying of sausage stuffing and the like. The pump has a stationary hub and a stator surrounding the hub in concentric relation therewith and an eccentric rotor. The rotor divides the pump into an inner pumping chamber for the sausage mix and an outer pump chamber forming an air pump to evacuate air from the sausage mix.