Devro-teepak, Inc.

Teepak, Inc.

Teepak Properties, LLC

Mark D Kelley

Thomas R Stanley

Mark L Fox

Thomas Ralph Stanley

Ronald S Kearby

David L Wright

Peter A Corpeny

Jerry Edward Armstrong

James Allen Snider

Mark Lee Fox

Philip W Davis

Thomas D Weston

Richard S Glass

A clipping device is provided for closing stuffed food casing with a clip and an apparatus is provided for causing a taped, holding string loops, to be directed toward the clipping device for closing an end of the food casing so that a string loop is transferred directly from the tape into an entry into a channel in the clipping device. The clip draws the loop to the casing and holds the loop to the food casing. The stuffing apparatus preferably also includes a novel readily cleanable food flow cut-off valve. A punch and clip anvil is provided to apply clips bent around the casing in essentially mirror image helixes. An extending and retracting conveyor is provided to remove stuffed food product from the vicinity of the clipping device after stuffed food casing is closed.

Apparatus for automatically stuffing food casing

A method for stuffing food product into a tubular food casing at a predetermined linear rate of movement of stuffed food product, closing the stuffed food product to segregate the stuffed food product into links while the stuffed food product continues to move at said predetermined rate. The invention also includes an improved food product stuffing machine which stuffs food product into a tubular food casing at a predetermined linear rate of movement of stuffed food product, a closing device which applies closures to the stuffed food product to segregate the stuffed food product into stuffed food product links while the stuffed food product continues to move at said predetermined rate. After clipping, means is provided for returning the closing device to an original position to repeat the operation after another desired length of casing is stuffed.

Zero time clipper

A splice for regenerated cellulose tubular food casing. The splice includes a splicing tape comprising a regenerated cellulose film coated on at least one surface with a polyvinylidene chloride polymer (saran) and having a film thickness of 0.002 to 0.01 inches. The splicing tape is perforated to remove from ten to thirty percent of the area of the film. The removal of material from the splicing tape provides an elongation at break of at least twenty percent at a tensile force of between 500 and 1250 psi in a direction transverse to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the casing. The break force in that direction should be at least 100 psi greater than the force required to obtain the desired elongation. To form the splice, the splicing tape is wrapped around and sealed at the coated surface to a leading end of a first regenerated cellulose tubular food casing and a trailing end of a second regenerated cellulose tubular food casing wherein the ends are proximate each other.

Methods and materials for splicing tubular food casings

A method for removing a splice at a location on a tubular food casing product applies a tape to the food casing proximate the position of the splice, which tape has metallic properties. At least one of the metallic properties is detected when the tape reaches a particular location during movement of the casing. The splice is removed in response to the detection of the tape. Apparatus for removing a splice from a tubular food casing product employs a detector for detecting the tape when the tape reaches a particular location during movement of the casing; and employs a casing cutting apparatus for removing the splice which is activated in response to detection of the tape.

Method for detecting a position on a product

In a method for the continuous automated manufacture of stuffed food casings containing imprinted labels, wherein tubular material for the casings from a supply source is axially shirred into sections and the sections are stuffed with food emulsion into divided off portions, the improvement comprising measuring linear motion of the casing as the portions are filled with food emulsion; inputting the measured motion to a programmable logic controller; within the programmable logic controller, calculating an approximate distance between eye-mark bars separating the individual portions, where the calculation is based upon a known distance between eye-mark bars; based upon the calculated approximate distance and the measured motion, selectively sensing eye-mark bars which separate individual casings while ignoring printed label material between eye-mark bars; and, clipping individual sections of the casing closed at precise locations in response to the sensing of eye-mark bars to accurately position the labels between end-clips secured to ends of each of the portions.

Method and apparatus for aligning labels on shirred food casings

Product discharge section of a stuffing apparatus for partially filling food casings is equipped with a device for uniformly distributing and reshaping meat emulsions and other foodstuffs from a rounded configuration to other desired shapes, such as loaf style products for use in preparing turkey loaf, ham loaf, etc. Lower receiving conveyor means transport partially filled casings downstream to a wedge shaped slot defined by the lower conveyor and height and angle adjustable overhead belt which during passage extrudes the flowable meat product upstream toward the filling horn for uniformly apportioning and shaping the product before cooking, smoking or other processing. Methods and apparatus are especially useful in eliminating the need for shaping by hand, or use of loaf shaped molds.

Apparatus and methods for preparing loaf shaped sausage products in

A method for stuffing a tubular food casing to reduce trapped air in the finished product. The method comprises placing a shirred stick of food casing on a stuffing horn having an exit end through which food product flows into the casing, withdrawing a leading end portion of the casing over the exit end of the horn, closing the leading end portion, sealing the casing against the horn, drawing a vacuum within the tubular food casing, conducting food product through the exit end of the stuffing horn into said tubular food casing while maintaining the vacuum to stuff a portion of the food casing while withdrawing more casing over the exit end of the stuffing horn, and closing the food casing behind the stuffed portion of the food casing. The invention further includes an apparatus comprising a stuffing horn having an exit end through which food product flows into the casing, means for sealing the casing against the horn, means for drawing a vacuum within the tubular food casing and means for conducting food product through the exit end of the stuffing horn into said tubular food casing while maintaining the vacuum to stuff a portion of the food casing while withdrawing more casing over the exit end of the stuffing horn.

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Kansas City, MO, United States of America

Mark D Kelley