Conveyor chain and system for looped sausage products

Abstract

A conveyor chain for linked sausages has a plurality of spaced first hook carriers with second hook carriers pivotally secured thereto between pairs of the first hook carriers. A generally J-shaped hook having an elongated shank is secured to each of the first and second hook carriers by one of the ends of the shank. A roller bearing is rotatably mounted on that end of the shank on only the shanks depending from the second hook carriers. The roller bearings engage teeth on a sprocket wheel spaced to operatively drivingly engage only the shanks depending from the second hook carriers. The conveyor chain is continuous in nature and movably extends through an enclosed smoke compartment for subjecting the loops of linked sausages to the smoke material, either of a liquid nature, or natural smoke. The compartment has a series of spaced rotatable members, some of which are sprockets which engage and drive the chain, and others which are rotatable members having a circular bearing surface extending therearound to engage laterally extending bars on the chain opposite to the hook members. The sprocket members are disposed in a horizontal plane and the rotatable members with the bearing surfaces are disposed in a vertical plane.