Teepak, Inc.

Keith A Watts

Scott J Rossi

Douglas K Meeker

The invention comprises a shirred food casing strand comprising tubular film food casing compressed along a longitudinal axis of the tubular film to form a compressed pleated strand. The strand has an internal longitudinal bore defined by sidewalls formed from said compressed tubular film. The bore has a first open end and the strand is provided with an end closure proximate a second end of the bore and which closes said bore proximate said second end. The end closure comprises a portion of said tubular film compressed within said bore proximate said second end. The compressed film portion has a vent therethrough. The compressed film portion tightly circumferentially contacts the walls of said bore at the location of the end closure and is hollow at one end of the compressed film portion and has an essentially flat surface at another end of the compressed film portion opposite the hollow end, said flat surface facing the first open end of said bore. In a preferred embodiment, the vent is defined by radially twisted tubular film and the balance of the end closure is formed from tubular film compressed along its longitudinal axis in the absence of significant radial twisting. The invention further comprises a method for manufacturing the hybrid end closure within a shirred tubular food casing strand.

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Oak Brook, IL, United States of America

Keith A Watts