Townsend Engineering Company

Stork Townsend Inc.

Dec International, Inc.

Michael S Simpson

Steven P Hergott

David S Hamblin

Vincent L Basile, Ii

Brent M Veldkamp

Kenneth Leon Lebsack

Wendell J Holl

David C Nordby

Daniel J Cody

Stephen H Cate

Marcellinus Franciscus Ottow

Jay D Thomas

Daniel W Pfeffer

Craig A Smiens

Rudolf P T Enklaar

James Linden Myers

Kenneth B Arnote, Jr

Liansuo Xie

Andrew W Maddux

Rudolf Pt Enklaar

Marcelinus Franciscus Ottow

Rudolph P Enklaar

Kenneth B Arnote

David J Cody

An improved processing assembly having a meat emulsion pump connected to a stuffing horn. The stuffing horn positioned to fill casings with meat emulsion which form a strand of processed meat that is received by a twister, then a linker, and subsequently deposited on a conveyor.

Meat processing assembly

A by-pass control system for a meat injection system has a variable speed pump that transports fluid to a meat injection machine. Excess fluid is transported to a by-pass control valve. The valve has a moveable piston disposed therein that separates the valve into a fluid chamber and an air chamber. The piston moves back and forth based on the relationship between fluid pressure and air pressure. Sensors are disposed within or through the lid or the valve to sense the position of the piston. A controller is connected to the sensors and the variable speed pump and adjusts the speed of the pump based on the position of the piston.

Automatic by-pass control system for meat injection machine and method of using same

A method of filling a natural hollow elongated casing with meat emulsion involves placing a natural casing on an elongated meat emulsion stuffing tube having a meat emulsion discharge end, closing an extended end of the natural casing over the discharge end of the stuffing tube so that meat emulsion exiting the discharge end will push the natural casing longitudinally by pumping meat emulsion through the stuffing tube for expansive discharge into the natural casing at a sufficient volume and velocity to provide the primary energy within the natural casing to move the natural casing forwardly off of the discharge end of the stuffing tube. The casing is extended through a hollow chuck (). A resilient brake element () in the chuck is extended around the casing to impede its longitudinal movement. A thrust collar () is slidably mounted on the stuffing tube and is intermittently manually pushed against the casing to limit the length thereof but is insufficient to create compression pressure thereon. An apparatus for filling a natural casing has a thrust collar on the stuffing horn () for pushing the natural casing longitudinally, and a casing hopper () that can be pivoted from a forward operating position to a rearward inoperative position.

Method and means for filling natural casing sausages

A method for filling a natural hollow elongated casing with meat emulsion that involves placing a natural casing on an elongated meat emulsion stuffing tube and longitudinally pumping meat emulsion through the stuffing tube for expansive discharge into the natural casing at a sufficient volume and velocity to provide the primary energy within the natural casing. The method also involves providing a casing hopper that can be pivoted from a forward operating position to a rearward inoperative position.

A method of filling a natural hollow elongated casing with meat emulsion involves placing a natural casing on an elongated meat emulsion stuffing tube having a meat emulsion discharge end, closing an extended end of the natural casing over the discharge end of the stuffing tube so that meat emulsion exiting the discharge end will push the natural casing longitudinally by pumping meat emulsion through the stuffing tube for expansive discharge into the natural casing at a sufficient volume and velocity to provide the primary energy within the natural casing to move the natural casing forwardly off of the discharge end of the stuffing tube. The casing is extended through a hollow chuck. A resilient brake element in the chuck is extended around the casing to impede its longitudinal movement. A thrust collar is slidably mounted on the stuffing tube and is intermittently manually pushed against the casing to limit the length thereof but is insufficient to create compression pressure thereon. An apparatus for filling a natural casing has a thrust collar on the stuffing horn for pushing the natural casing longitudinally, and a casing hopper that can be pivoted from a forward operating position to a rearward inoperative postion.

A meat injection machine has a frame, and a vertically movable head thereon. A horizontal conveyor is on the frame, and a plurality of injector needles are positioned over the conveyor. A plurality of vertically disposed needles are on the conveyor. Means are provided for connecting the needles to a source of fluid. The modules are in longitudinal and lateral staggered positions over the conveyor.

Meat injection machine

A method for determining the number of loops of linked sausages for deposit on a smokestick includes; preparing an elongated strand of stuffed sausages; dividing the strand of sausages into a plurality of sausage links; determining the desired number of looped sausages to be prepared; depositing the linked sausages into the determined loops and depositing the loops on a plurality of adjacent hooks on a moving conveyor; intercepting the deposit of linked sausages on adjacent hooks when the predetermined number of linked loops of sausages have been deposited in the predetermined number of loops on the hooks to provide a visible variation in the configuration of linked sausages on the conveyor; and repeating the foregoing steps to create another group of sausages similar to the group of sausages created by the foregoing steps.

Method and apparatus for determining the number of looped sausages for deposit on a smokestick

An apparatus for producing and processing a strand of sausage or foodstuff has a sausage producing machine which produces a linked strand of sausage for deposit of loops of the strand on the hooks of a continuous conveyor. The conveyor picks up the loops of the strand at a loading station immediately adjacent the discharge end of the machine, and conveys the loops to a processing station for smoking or the like. The conveyor then moves the loops to an unloading station for removal of the strand from the conveyor, whereupon the conveyor downstream of the unloading station returns to the loading station to pick up additional product. A conveyor take-up mechanism is located immediately downstream from the loading station to permit the conveyor to cease movement at the loading station (while the casing on the machine is being replenished) while the conveyor can continue movement in the processing area. Sensors and controls interconnect the machine and the conveyor to coordinate the operational functions of each. A method of producing and processing a strand of sausage or foodstuff involves producing a linked strand of material, depositing linked loops thereof on the hooks of a moving conveyor, controlling the coordinated activity of the production of the product with the movement of the conveyor; moving the product to and through a processing station, and thence to an unloading station, while periodically stopping the movement of the conveyor and the operation of the machine while continuing the movement of the conveyor through the processing area.

Method and means making and conveying an extruded sausage strand

A conveyor for moving the strand from a sausage making machine has J-hooks extending downwardly from a continuous chain conveyor. The conveyor picks up the loops of the strand at a loading station immediately adjacent the discharge end of the machine, and conveys the loops to a processing station for smoking or the like. The conveyor then moves the loops to an unloading station for removal of the strand from the conveyor, whereupon the conveyor downstream of the unloading station returns to the loading station to pick up additional product. A conveyor take-up mechanism is located immediately downstream from the loading station to permit the conveyor to cease movement at the loading station (while the casing on the machine is being replenished) while the conveyor can continue movement in the processing area. Sensors and controls interconnect the machine and the conveyor to coordinate the operational functions of each. A method of producing and processing a strand of sausage or foodstuff involves producing a linked strand of material, depositing linked loops thereof on the hooks of a moving conveyor, controlling the coordinated activity of the production of the product with the movement of the conveyor; moving the product to and through a processing station, and thence to an unloading station, while periodically stopping the movement of the conveyor and the operation of the machine while continuing the movement of the conveyor through the processing area.

Method and means for conveying and processing an extruded sausage strand

An automatic control for terminating the filling of a sausage casing on a sausage casing machine has a sensor on the machine to detect when the rearward end of a telescopic casing is closely adjacent the discharge end of a meat stuffing tube. The sensor is connected to the meat emulsion pump for stopping the pump under such conditions. A timer or pulse counter is associated with the computer on the machine to 'measure' when the rearward end of the casing substantially reaches the discharge end of the stuffing tube. The timer or counter is operatively connected to the power system for rendering the machine inoperative after a predetermined amount of time or pulses. The sensor and timer are connected to the above stated respective components through a computer so that the computer can automatically compensate for the operating time of the second cycle to accommodate for speed changes imposed on the power system in the second cycle. The method involves locating the sensor at the above designated positions to permit the sensor to shut down the pump and to trigger the timer to subsequently shut down the machine automatically.

Automatic control for terminating the filling of a sausage casing, and

Method and means for making and conveying an extruded sausage strand

A meat encasing machine has a looper horn, linking chain and conveyor which, prior to production, have home positions which are determined. A pulsed signal is generated as the looper horn rotates and is transmitted to an amplifier from an encoder on the servo motor for the looper horn and the conveyor. The output pulse signal is then reduced in frequency so that it can be read by a PLC. The PLC counts the pulses in the signal and can determine the relative position of the looper horn based on the count and can therefore minimize the rotation of the looper horn in the home position at the beginning of each new cycle. The meat encasing machine may also be controlled such that the linking chain, looper, and conveyor have no direct mechanical or electrical interaction between each other. By driving the components with separate servo motors, each can be precisely controlled in the desired ratios with respect to each other.

Meat emulsion pump control system for meat encasing machine, and method

A sausage making machine (10) has a meat pump, (22), a twister with a chuck 30 to rotate a strand of sausage, a linker (32) to create links in the strand of sausage, a conveyor (38) with movable hooks to grasp loops in the sausage strand. Four separate motors (22A, 30A, 32A, 38A) are operatively connected to the pump (22), twister (30), linker (32) and conveyor (38), and the motors (22A, 30A, 32A, 38A) are all connected to and controlled by a computer (44) control having a memory with the operating parameters of the separate components. The method of operation involves imposing the operational parameters on the memory of the computer (44) to permit the computer (44) to control and coordinate the components (22A, 30A, 32A, 38A).

Method and means for linking sausage

A meat encasing machine has a looper horn, linking chain and conveyor which, prior to production, have home positions which are determined. A pulsed signal is generated as the looper horn rotates and is transmitted to an amplifier from an encoder on the servo motor for the looper horn and the conveyor. The output pulse signal is then reduced in frequency so that it can be read by a PLC. The PLC counts the pulses in the signal and can determine the relative position of the looper horn based on the count and can therefore minimize the rotation of the looper horn in the home position at the beginning of each new cycle.

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Norwalk, IA, United States of America

Michael S Simpson