Abstract: In a plastic clip which serves to close sausage casings, bags or the like and consists of two interlockable parts (1, 10), at least one part (1) consists of an elongate frame, which has side bars (2), which have a large height in relation to their wall thickness. The side bars (2) are provided with central recesses (4), into which the end of the wrapper, which end has been gathered to form a tip, can be inserted. The other part (1; 10) together with the first part encloses the wrapper and that has been gathered to form a tip. At least the other part (1; 10) is provided with a projection, which consists of a rib (13), which extends parallel to the side bars and protrudes into the interior (5) of the frame. That projection deflects the tip in wave shape and applies pressure to the tip at the same time.

Abstract: In U-shaped closing staples for bags and flexible tubes, which staples are made of strip material and consist of a crosspiece (7) and two legs (4) and in which the leg ends of the staple have been bent off outwardly to constitute a connecting web (2), by which the staple is severably included in a train (1), the severing of each staple from the train (1) will result at the severing location in the formation of burrs, which protrude beyond the strip width of the staple and may result in damage to the closed wrapper and to other wrappers. An apparatus for closing bags and flexible tubes by means of such closing staples comprises a closing punch (9), which acts on a die (8) and is formed in its active surface (29) with a groove (10), which has the same width as the closing staple and has a depth which is smaller than the total thickness in which the legs are subjected to the closing operation.

Abstract: In the packaging of foodstuffs in flexible tubular sheaths made of plastic, natural guts or netting and closed by closing staples by means of closing machines, it is often desired to include in the closing staple a tag, which bears the inscription required for the package. Besides, such a tag is required to be able to be provided with a sufficient inscription and should have a portion which can be gripped by the closing staple. For that purpose a tag strip 1 is provided, which for its feeding is centrally provided with a continuous perforation line in the feeding direction and which between the tags 5 has a sufficiently long portion 4 which is narrower to such an extent that said portion when it has been severed from the preceding tag can be engaged and embraced by the closing staple 7.

Abstract: In U-shaped closing stables for bags and flexible tubes, which staples are made of strip material and consist of a crosspiece (7) and two legs (4) and in which the leg ends of the staple have been bent off outwardly to constitute a connecting web (2), by which the staple is severably included in a train (1), the severing of each staple from the train (1) will result at the severing location in the formation of burrs, which protrude beyond the strip width of the staple and may result in damage to the closed wrapper and to other wrappers. In order to avoid that, the width of the strip adjacent to the leg ends (6) over a portion (3) of the legs (4) and over the connecting web (2) is reduced approximately parallel on both sides so that the leg ends (6) which have been bent off outwardly uniformly engage the legs (4) on the outside within the width of the strip and there is no burr protruding beyond the width of the strip. An apparatus for closing such staples is also provided.

Abstract: In processes and apparatuses for closing packaging sheaths made of flexible material, particularly tubular bags, by means of a U-shaped closing clip 4, the end portion 5 of the packaging sheath which is to be closed is gathered and is introduced into a receiving space 7 between the guideways 2 for the two legs of the closing clip 4 and for a closing punch 3 and by means of said punch is closed on a female die 9 at the end of the clip-guiding guideway 2, the problem arises that particularly with bags having a highly fluid content it is complicated to feed the gathered end portion 5 of the packaging sheath to be closed laterally to the clip-guiding guideway 2 and is particularly difficult to remove the closed bag.

Abstract: A work piece of irregular or random outer contours is geometrically determined in its position in a given three-dimensional coordinate system before any supporting and clamping of the work piece. This determination of a precise geometrical work piece position is accomplished with the aid of three and only three flat plane work piece seating surfaces forming part of three spheres having a segment cut off to form the respective flat plane seating surface. The three spheres are held in three spherical sockets which define three pivot points for the respective sphere. The pivot points are fixed in the three-dimensional coordinate system and hence define a first reference plane relative to which the geometrical work piece position is determined. Any subsequent supporting and/or clamping of the position determined work piece does not disturb the position determination.

Abstract: A parting-off apparatus used, e.g., to part off individual sausages from a tubing, which is continuously filled with sausage meat, comprises displacing members (9, 10; 19, 20), which can be rectilinearly moved in mutually opposite directions and have triangular cutouts (11; 21), which constrict the tubing so as to form a constricted portion therein and in that region displace the filling material in the tubing. The displacing members (9, 10; 19, 20) are periodically driven by means of a control disc (4), which is periodically driven to rotate in one sense and which has the configuration of a circular ring and has an axis of rotation (2) which coincides with the axis of the tubing and of the opening (12) defined by the displacing members.

Abstract: To apply a length of flexible tubing to the filling pipe 5 of a multiple-spout head 6 for making a casing section 4, which is closed at one end and is to be processed further on a combined filling and closing machine, a carrying element 2 having a tubular end portion 12 is used, which is carried by a tubing feeder 1 operated to feed the tubing 3, which has been withdrawn from a roll 8 of tubing. To apply the length of tubing to the filling pipe, the carrying element 2 is moved axially into engagement with the end portion 13 of the filling pipe. Gripping elements 19 are provided to retain the length of tubing on the carrying element 2.

Abstract: Plural sausage hanger loops are connected onto a hanger strap by the thread from which the loops are formed, this connection being at a junction where the thread overlaps itself, the overlapping thread portions also being joined together at this junction.

Abstract: In apparatus for closing tubular wrappers with U-shaped closing clips, wherein two spaced apart closing clips are simultaneously pushed onto the die and are closed there around the gathered end of the wrapper, and wherein the closing clips are supplied to the two clip-guiding passages from magazine means, it is desired to permit a loading of the closing clips for both guiding passages from only one side. The closing clips (b) required for closing the wrapper are delivered to both clip-feeding passages (7) from a single magazine rod (1) and an intermediate member (4), which constitutes an extension of the magazine rod (1), is provided between the two clip-guiding passages (7) so that two additional closing clips (6) are delivered from the magazine rod (1) when the two punches (3) are retracted and each clip-closing passage (7) is thus supplied with a new closing clip (6).

Abstract: In the making of sausages wherein a continuous web of plastic sheet is supplied and formed into a tubular wrapper about a filling tube, the wrapper is filled with sausage meat, and the filled tubular wrapper is intermittently closed to form sausages, the improvement which comprises controlling the filling and closing steps in dependence upon the amount of unfilled formed tubular wrapper waiting to be filled. An apparatus therefor is provided, including a stop displaceable longitudinally along the filling tube against a spring, the stop actuating certain switches as it moves back and forth along the filling tube, the switches controlling the supply of plastic sheet, filling supply and closing of the sausages.

Abstract: In apparatus for closing tubular wrappers with U-shaped closing clips, which are individually supplied to a clip-guiding passage 3, particularly in such apparatus having a vertical working stroke, it is desired to permit the use of such apparatus not only for processing closing clips 6 which have a profile width conforming to the inside width of the clip-guiding passage 3 but also for processing closing clips 8 having a smaller profile width. This object is accomplished in that such closing machines are provided with a driver 2 having a shank 4 which is tapered in thickness toward the forward end face 5 of the driver on that longitudinal side which faces the clip-feeding passage 7 so that the thickness of the driver 2 at its forward end face 5 does not exceed 85% of the full thickness of the shank 4. FIG. 2.

Abstract: When sausage casings closed at one end are filled and closed on a combined filling and closing machine in the making of sausages which in their final shape have a non-circular cross-section, the sausage casings are filled to less than their entire volumetric capacity because, e.g., a rectangular cross-section has a larger perimeter than a circular cross-section having the same area. In order to exclude air from the unfilled portion of such sausage casings as far as possible and to permit the processing of small and large sausage casings and the filling of sausage meat into a sausage casing consisting of a continuous tubing, part of the sausage casing is initially filled with the intended quantity of sausage meat. The displacing shears of the closing machine are then almost completely closed. Thereafter the filled sausage is compressed by means of pressing jaws before the sausage casing is closed.

Abstract: In a device for positioning and clamping workpieces in three dimensions which are to be machined and comprising positioning members and clamping members, the improvement wherein the positioning members and clamping members for defining a first plane comprise spherical members each having a flat surface for engaging a workpiece and a spherical seat for each spherical member, each member being capable of limited rotational movement in its seat.

Abstract: A filling apparatus for filling tubular casings with pasty material, comprising a filling tube provided with a discharge opening 6, a cover- or lidlike closure member 5 which is mounted in front of the discharge opening of the filling tube, means for moving the closure member between a first position in which it closes the filling tube discharge opening and a second open position in which it permits discharge of the material to be packaged, web means 8, 20 connecting the closure member to the filling tube in such a manner that the material to be packaged is radially deflected into the casing between the discharge end and the closure member, a shell tube 12 surrounding the filling tube and having its forward edge formed as a knife edge 13, and means 14 for axially displacing the shell tube in the filling direction so that in its final position the shell tube constitutes a peripherally extending closure for the discharge openings of the filling tube.

Abstract: In a device for closing a U-shaped clip about the gathered end of a wrapper and comprising a housing carrying a clip-closing die and, a punch pivotally mounted on the die to move from inoperative to clip-closing position in cooperation with the die, the improvement which comprises (a) a wedge shaped opening provided in one end face of the housing, the opening widening adjacent the apex to form a space for receiving the gathered end; (b) two gathering arms pivotally mounted on the housing on opposite sides of the wedge-shaped opening so that, upon pivoting, a gathered end within the opening is caused to enter the receiving space; and (c) a gathering nose on the punch; the punch being pivoted, only after the gathering arms have been closed, so that the nose engages and further compacts the gathered end against the die whereupon the punch applies the clip about the gathered end, the clip being closed by the die.

Abstract: In an apparatus for closing about the mouth of a filled sausage casing a closure clip 8 having two legs, the apparatus including a plate 1 provided with a clip guideway 6,7, means on the plate for gathering the casing 2,3, a closure die 17, a punch 9 for advancing a clip through the guideway about the gathered casing and against the die to cause the clip to be closed about the casing, and means 16 for introducing a loop 15 of flexible material so that the loop is locked to the sausage casing by the closure of the clip, whereby the sausage may be hung by the loop, the improvement wherein said loop introducing means comprises means for forming loops from a length of flexible material, and holder means 14 for successively engaging each loop and operatively associated with the punch so as to advance the loop as the punch and clip advance and to bring the loop into such position intercepting the guideway that one leg of the clip passes through the loop, whereupon the holder means is retracted and the clip proceeds

Abstract: The invention relates to convoluting a doubled, unknotted length of thread about a clip which is closed about the gathered mouth of a tubular wrapper such as a sausage casing to form a loop by which the sausage can be hung. The clip secures the loop to the casing and the weight of the sausage merely makes a tighter grip.

Abstract: In a U-shaped clip made from strip material and intended to close bags and flexible tubes, said clip comprising a web connecting two limbs having outwardly angled end lugs, the improvement which comprises forming the surface of the clip which is to engage a bag so as to provide elevated and depressed zones to grasp the bag more securely. The elevated and depressed portions can be established by forming longitudinal beads on the inside of the clip along the web and limbs or by forming longitudinal grooves on such inside.

Abstract: In the filling of artificial casings with comminuted material to form sausages, comprising pretreating a casing with a warm aqueous fluid, and thereafter filling said pretreated casing with said comminuted material while said casing is gathered in bellows form on the filling tube of a filling machine, the improvement which comprises effecting said pretreatment while said casing is on said filling tube. An apparatus therefor is provided whereby the fluid can be applied to the inside and/or outside of the casing.