Teepak, Inc.

Thomas W Martinek

Alfred D Story

Harold H Martinek

George M Wilmsen

Willard T Wilson

This relates to apparatus for effecting the closing of one end of a shirred casing strand. A strand is to be automatically presented to a previously developed closer in alignment therewith and under a preselected pressure. A transfer device is provided for receiving a doffed strand, transferring the strand transversely and then moving the strand longitudinally so that an end of the strand engages the closer. A gripping mechanism is provided which includes a pair of jaws having opposing clamp elements of a generally V-shape or angle cross section. The two jaws are simultaneously movable either together or apart and are urged apart by compression springs. A fluid cylinder actuated linkage urges the jaws towards closed positions. By varying the closing force, the clamp members can be first moved to a preset spacing providing a receptacle into which a doffed strand of a predetermined size may be readily slid. Then by increasing the the pressure of the cylinder, the strand may be sufficiently tightly gripped to prevent relative movement during the closing operation. The closer members are separated to release a closed strand at the end of the closing operation. By varying the pressure to the cylinder in the receptacle forming stage of the clamping members, the size of the receptacle may be adjusted in accordance with variations in size of casing strands to be handled. A control system for the automatic operation of the transfer device in conjunction with the closing device is provided.

Sausage casing automatic closing method

An apparatus for controlling the size of a casing filled with emulsion in an automatic stuffing machine includes a drag member between an outer surface of the stuffing horn and an inner surface of the casing sleeved over the stuffing horn. The drag member has a drag surface. A pressurized fluid system expands the drag member so that the drag surface contacts and exerts a force against the inner surface of the casing in opposition to movement of the casing on the stuffing horn as it is being filled and expanding radially outwardly. A control circuit controls the expansion of the drag member to vary the force applied by the drag surface against the casing inner surface to control the radial expansion of the casing as it is being filled with emulsion. The control circuit may include a feedback system from the portion of the casing expanding radially outward to control the expansion of the drag member in response to casing size.

Size control system for automatic sausage stuffing

An improved apparatus and process is disclosed which is adopted for controlled displacement of chunk, sectioned and formed meat products during a forced meat encasement process. More particularly, the improved apparatus and method of the instant invention provides a truncated internally conical extending meat former apparatus disposed between the filling nozzle and stuffed casing of a meat casing machine to control the relative displacement of meat which is forced through a filling nozzle into a meat casing to a predetermined arrangement.

Meat former apparatus

This relates to apparatus for effecting the closing of one end of a shirred casing strand. A strand is to be automatically presented to a previously developed closer in alignment therewith and under a preselected pressure. A transfer device is provided for receiving a doffed strand, transferring the strand transversely and then moving the strand longitudinally so that an end of the strand engages the closer. A gripping mechanism is provided which includes a pair of jaws having opposing clamp elements of a generally V-shape or angle cross section. The two jaws are simultaneously movable either together or apart and are urged apart by compression springs. A fluid cylinder actuated linkage urges the jaws towards closed positions. By varying the closing force, the clamp members can be first moved to a preset spacing providing a receptacle into which a doffed strand of a predetermined size may be readily slid. Then by increasing the pressure of the cylinder, the strand may be sufficiently tightly gripped to prevent relative movement during the closing operation. The closer members are separated to release a closed strand at the end of the closing operation. By varying the pressure to the cylinder in the receptacle forming stage of the clamping members, the size of the receptacle may be adjusted in accordance with variations in size of casing strands to be handled. A control system for the automatic operation of the transfer device in conjunction with the closing device is provided.

Sausage casing automatic closing system

This relates to a die assembly for extruding tubular casing films wherein there are counter-rotating die members. One of the die members is mounted for shifting relative to its base under the influence of hydrodynamic pressures of the flowing extrudate so as to be self-centering relative to the other die member. This provides for a high shear cylindrical area leading into the die orifice which is of uniform thickness and which will provide for uniform fiber orientation due to the zero runout of the rotating dies.

Zero runout counter-rotating film extruder

This relates to the formation of sausage casings formed of a fibrous tube by penetrating the tube or web with viscose. A specific coating and extrusion die is provided together with a statement of the discovery that where there is laminar flow the penetration of the viscose is not controlled by the orifice size per se, but by the relative application of the viscose with respect to a column of viscose passing through the same orifice at the same rate.

Fibrous casing extrusion

A shirring head wherein there are a plurality of shirring wheels spaced about the circumference of a shirring mandrel and so mounted that the shirring wheels may be individully driven in unison with one another while at the same time the faces of the shirring wheels opposing the shirring mandrel extend substantially continuously about the shirring mandrel. The shirring wheels are carried by a supporting head which is mounted for rotation so as to rotate the shirring wheels about the axis of the shirring mandrel in addition to the rotation of the shirring wheels about their own axes. A differential drive is provided wherein the speed of rotation of the shirring wheels is modified in accordance with the speed and direction of rotation of the supporting head. The differential drive provides for an input to the drive for the shirring wheels from the drive for the supporting head.

Six-wheel spinning shirring head

This relates to the encasing of shirred casing strands for the purpose of maintaining the shape thereof during soaking and subsequent to the soaking until such casing strands are applied to a stuffing horn. Each casing strand is encased in an overwrap casing which is applied in tubular form and preferably is in the form of netting. The overwrap casing is shaped at least at one end of the casing strand to define closure panels by twisting the overwrap casing at that end of the associated casing strand so as to reduce the diameter of the overwrap casing and to facilitate the reverse folding of the overwrap casing. The opposite end of the overwrap casing may be closed in a similar manner or by a simple gathering of the material of the overwrap casing and the application of a conventional clip. This abstract forms no part of the specification of this application and is not to be construed as limiting the claims of the application.

Overwrap casing and method of applying same

This relates to a machine for shirring tubular films such as those used for sausage casings and the like. In accordance with this disclosure, the films are continuously fed onto a mandrel where they are opened from their flat state and then are fed at a selected rate through a shirring head. The shirred casing is then gripped and advanced in a manner so as to control the density thereof and to impart a spin thereto as desired.

Continuous shirring and spinning apparatus for casings

This relates to a machine for shirring tubular films such as those used for sausage casings and the like. In accordance with this disclosure, the films are continuously fed onto a mandrel where they are opened from their flat state and then are fed at a selected rate through a shirring head. The shirred casing is then gripped and advanced in a manner so as to control the density thereof and to impart a spin thereto as desired. The shirred casing, while being spun, is gripped by a pair of cooperating units and a leading portion of the shirred casing is separated at predetermined spacings into individual strands which are then fed along the mandrel individually and are compressed and doffed from the mandrel into a strand handler which then presents each strand to an end closer and thereafter deposits the closed strand on a receiving tray.

Continuous shirring and spinning machine for casings

A hollow shirred casing stick is provided having the terminal pleats of one end thereof twisted into a cylindrical configuration which is implanted within said hollow stick to form an end closure. The end closure may be formed by twisting successive terminal pleats into the bore of the stick about a rotating mandrel advanced thereinto. A device is provided for forming the closure including a rotating and translating mandrel having retractable pickup means and gripping means, whereby a cylindrical closure may be formed thereabout, and the mandrel withdrawn, without disturbing the closure formed.

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Covington, IN, United States of America

Thomas W Martinek