Abstract: An apparatus and method for ballooning and peeling the casing of a cooked meat stick such as cured pepperoni. Prior to peeling the casing from the meat stick, a needle pierces the casing and air is then injected through the needle and between the casing and the meat kernel therewithin so as to ballooningly separate the casing from the meat kernel. A gripper, preferably using jaws, grip one end of the casing and hold the casing to a casing drum. The casing is split longitudinally by a knife, and, as the casing drum rotates, the casing is wound onto the casing drum and forcibly pulled from the cooked meat stick. After the casing has been fully wound onto the casing drum and thus removed from the meat stick, the gripping jaws release the casing and a casing ejector slides the wound casing from the casing drum.

Abstract: Apparatus for skinning the casing from a chain of encased frankfurters. The apparatus has a plurality of carrier wheels which conveys the frankfurter chain in a sinuous path to provide at least a pair of stressing stations where the casing is stressed first on one side and then the other. Knives are located at the stressing stations which slit the casing on opposite sides thereof.

Abstract: A unit for being positioned between an outlet conveyor and an inlet conveyor having a steam source coupled thereto. The unit includes a body machined out of metal or the like. The body has a passageway with an inlet end for being coupled to the outlet port of the inlet conveyor and an outlet end for being coupled to the inlet port of the outlet conveyor. The body has a vacuum port communicating with the passageway for being coupled to a vacuum source for allowing steam to be sucked from the passageway therethrough. A gate is machined out of plastic or the like and attached to the body for movement between an opened position in which the passageway through the body is opened and a closed position in which the passageway through the body is closed at a point between the outlet end of the passageway and the vacuum port.

Abstract: A gate valve having seal members adapted to allow fluid to flow between the upstream seat and the valve housing when the fluid is flowing or attempting to flow in a forward direction, or between the downstream seat and the valve housing when fluid is flowing or attempting to flow in a backward direction, to allow the pressure exerted by the fluid against the upstream and downstream seats and the gate to be substantially equalized while still preventing fluid from incorrectly flowing through the valve.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in transporting peeled frankfurter casings or the like from a typical frankfurter peeling device or the like to a station such as a garbage dump or the like where the casings are to be finally deposited. A vacuum source creates a vacuum to pull the peeled casings through a conduit which extends from the peeling device, over the garbage dump or the like, and to the vacuum source. The apparatus is adapted to divert the peeled casings from moving through the conduit towards the vacuum source to falling from the conduit to the garbage dump or the like when the casings pass over the conduit.