Abstract: The invention relates to a gathered tubular film (12), especially consisting of artificial sausage skin, which is concertinaed to form a tubular caterpillar-type element. Until now, in order to gather as large a length as possible of the tubular film (12) to form a tubular caterpillar-type element of a certain length, methods have involved increasing the compression of the tubular caterpillar-type element. The aim of the invention is to achieve the same objective by providing a tubular caterpillar-type element having an outside diameter which is at least 10% larger than the outside diameter of the tubular film (12). In order to achieve this, the tubular film (12) is caught at certain points by suction nozzles on the gathering tool, and is pulled radially outwards.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gathered tubular film (12), especially consisting of artificial sausage skin, which is concertinaed to form a tubular caterpillar-type element. Until now, in order to gather as large a length as possible of the tubular film (12) to form a tubular caterpillar-type element of a certain length, methods have involved increasing the compression of the tubular caterpillar-type element. The aim of the invention is to achieve the same objective by providing a tubular caterpillar-type element having an outside diameter which is at least 10% larger than the outside diameter of the tubular film (12). In order to achieve this, the tubular film (12) is caught at certain points by suction nozzles on the gathering tool, and is pulled radially outwards.

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: A tubular shirred formation (34) is covered by a previously shirred tubular net (38), which is held ready on a supply drum (36), with one end (42) closed and, with axial insertion, the tubular shirred formation (34) is covered, and then the other end is closed off. To simplify the device and to avoid an axial expansion of the tubular shirred formation (34) before packing, its axial insertion into the closed tubular net (38) and the covering of the tubular shirred formation take place while the tubular shirred formation is still seated on the shirring tube (16). Before covering the tubular shirred formation (34) is compressed further by pushing its front end against a stop (64) which is fixed in the axial direction.

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 method and apparatus are disclosed for forming a vent hole in an end closure in the form of a twisted plait on a hose-type packing wrapper, especially a sausage skin, shirred to form a caterpillar with an unshirred wrapper section (34). A first elongated winding element (46) is introduced into the packing wrapper 940) to behind the first shirring folds. Subsequently, the unshirred wrapper section (34) is seized along an axial surface line by a second elongated winding element (48) of a length shorter than that of the first winding element (46) which is moved radially towards the latter. Thereupon, the winding elements (46, 48) are actuated in rotating manner and, at the same time, are axially advanced. The twisted plait is thus generated from the free end of the winding elements (46, 48) in a manner progressing to the rear. At the end, by retraction of the winding elements (46, 48), a vent channel or hole remains in the twisted plait.

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: The packing of a tubular casing segment which has been shired together into a hollow cylindrical shirring formation occurs in a tubular net of such configuration that first, with the shirring accomplished with the aid of an abutment which is movable on the shirring tube, a certain initial segment of the tubular casing length is allowed to be left unshirred. Following termination of the shirring, the shirring tube is withdrawn with the abutment from the tubular shirring formation, and the unshirred tubular casing length segment is narrowed down or swaged and is sealed. Finally the sealed tubular casing length tip is inserted with force into the shirring and together with the shirring is thrust through a cylindrical carrier, in which a tubular net is recovered which is sealed to the tubular shirring. This is turned inside out with the thrusting through of the tubular shirring and surrounds this part along its entire length.

Abstract: A device for automatically calibrating sausages (18) produced on an automatic sausage filling apparatus (10), from whose filling pipe a casing material (14) of limited elasticity is drawn by a separating device (20) with adjustable braking force, characterized according to the invention in that the separating device (20) is fitted with a drive (32, 34, 36, 38, 40) for adjusting the braking power thereof and that in front of the mouth of the filling pipe is arranged a measuring instrument (42) for continuously measuring sausage calibre and for producing sausage of consistent size, which can be brought to a control unit (58) for comparison with a reference calibre for the sausage in order to produce a regulated size for the adjustment drive. The device according to the invention also resolves large and frequent variations in the volume which is a function of the sausage caliber by maintaining the produced sausages at a constant filled weight.

Abstract: The process and device for the fixture of suspension elements, particularly suspensions loops, to sausages by means of sealing components, e.g. clamps. The sausage sheath is be restricted by a binding tool (12) which can be set to three positions. The binding tool (12) is open in the initial position between two sausage filling processes so that a suspension loop (16) can be fed through the opening (48). During the sausage filling process an intermediate position is adopted in which one part (54) of the binding tool holds the suspension loop (16). The binding tool (12) is closed in the shape of a ring at least during the filling procedure for large calibers of sausage. Subsequent to the filling process the binding tool then executes the binding movement.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing sausages shirrs tubular material and positions it on a stuffing horn for filling with forcemeat at a filling station. Transfer means may convey the shirred material to another location at which the stuffing takes places. The filled tubular material may be formed into linked sausages.

Abstract: For cyclically charging the filling tube of a sausage stuffing and closing machine with ready-for-stuffing tubular casing lengths, a tubular casing material flatly wound upon a supply roll is first withdrawn, opened and, in respectively one section length, drawn upon a support. Thereupon the drawn-on casing section is divided off the material cord and, along with the support, is placed ahead of the charging tube for conveyance thereto while at the same time, a new casing section is drawn onto another support to repeat these working steps in permanent alternation of the two supports. The invention resides in that each support after being placed ahead of the charging tube along with the casing section drawn thereonto is pushed in the same direction in which the drawing onto the support was performed beforehand, onto the charging tube up to the stopping means, whereupon the support is advanced in the same direction, pulled out of the retained casing section and, finally, removed laterally.

Abstract: A method for producing sausages comprises shirring tubular material and positioning it on a stuffing horn. The shirred material on the stuffing horn is stuffed with meat product to form sausage products which may be linked.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for the continuous automated manufacture of sausage wherein tubular material for sausage casing from a supply source is axially shirred by shirring means into shirred sections, of continuously measured length; the shirred sections are stuffed with force meat into divided up and closed off portions with the amount of tubular material utilized being continually measured; and, the entire process is controlled and activated by sensing means, memory means, comparator means and means responsive to such sensing, memory and comparator means, to maximize utilization of shirred casing and to avoid stuffing into a void.

Abstract: A process of stringing link sausages (112) produced on automatic stuffing machines, on curing or cooking sticks with the aid of suspension elements (34) which, after stuffing, upon sealing of the filled sausage casing lengths, singly will respectively be fed to a sealing clamp and tied thereby, in accordance with the invention resides in that the suspension elements (34), when fed to the sealing clamp, will be seized by a guiding element (106) and advanced by the latter with the sausage tied thereto, onto the curing or cooking stick. An apparatus for carrying into effect this process is provided with a gripping means (106) adapted to be introduced into the suspension element in the form of a suspension loop (34), simultaneously with the constricting tool (76) of a clamp setting mechanism, which gripping means forms part of a guiding means for transferring the suspension loop (34) with the sausage (112) tied thereto, to a floatingly supported curing or cooking stick.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a method of opening, axially shirring and dividing off tubular casing material, especially synthetic casing for the sausage manufacture, to form tubular folds or corrugations, and of subsequently conveying the same to a processing location such as, especially, the charging tube of a sausage stuffing machine, with the shirring being performed by pushing forward the tubular casing material against stop means. In accordance with the invention, the said stop means will be put into operation only after the beginning of the advancing movement at a point located in spaced relationship behind the starting end of the tube and is then moved back in accordance with the length increment of the corrugation in the shirring direction.

Abstract: When making sausage as a sliced product such that, first, a tubular packing sheath, which has been slipped over a filling tube until it reaches its closed end, is filled with ground meat through the filling tube up to a predetermined length and is then tied up and closed at the other end and the completed sausage arising therefrom, after proper intermediate treatment accompanied by a removal of the sausage tips, is further cut into slices, a closing piece, which is flat on one side at least, is introduced according to the invention together with the ground meat into the packing sheath at the beginning and end thereof, and is of a size slightly smaller, if at all, than the cross section of the filling tube and which, after the intermediate treatment, is again removed together with the sausage tip. By using such a process, the losses of ground meat in the sausage tips are drastically reduced without impairing the optical quality of the packed sausage slices.

Abstract: A method for producing link sausages wherein a casing is moistened just prior to shirring, shirred, transferred while in moistened condition to a stuffing tube, stuffed and linked.

Abstract: A method and device to close an open end of a length of shirred casing material. A shaft mounted on a housing is moved against the said opened end to engage the same and then turn about its axis to tighten an end portion of the casing material onto the shaft means. The shaft is then retracted, pulling some additional casing material outwardly from the shirred casing material until substantially no portion of the shaft means remains inside of the shirred casing material and the shaft no longer maintains pressure against the casing material. Then, the shaft is again turned in the same first direction to form a double walled twist, the free end of which wanders into the shirred casing material. When the twist has reached a predetermined length the turning movement in this first direction is stopped, and a further rod coaxial with the shaft pushes that twist fully into the interior of the shirred casing material, thereby tearing the tightened end of the casing material from the shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing link sausages first shirs previously unshirred tubular material and then conveys the shirred tubular material to a stuffing horn at which it is filled with forcemeat. A first station has the shirring structure. A transfer structure conveys the shirred material to another location at which the stuffing takes place. The filled sausages are closed off and conveyed away.