Butchering – Sausage making – Linking
Patent
1996-02-12
1998-11-10
Little, Willis
Butchering
Sausage making
Linking
A22C 1110
Patent
active
058335250
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming a chain of sausage links from a tubular casing filled with a food emulsion, and further to a chain of sausage links produced by the apparatus and method of the invention. The invention also relates to an apparatus for arranging a longitudinal chain of sausage links in hanging loops.
Sausage links are produced by pinching and/or twisting a tubular casing filled with a food emulsion. The casing may either be extruded with the emulsion or a preformed casing may be filled with emulsion. Individual sausages may be formed using a method and apparatus such as described in European Patent Nos. 69544 and 139333. In the disclosed apparatus a number of forming arms are radially mounted on a circular plate and are capable of being moved into an open or closed position as they are rotated around a stationary shaft upon which is mounted a pair of cams. There are cam followers associated with each of the forming arms to move the forming arms to open and close in a manner determined by the shape of the cam. Stuffed sausage casing is fed tangentially to the apparatus and is received into the space defined by a pair of open forming arms and, as the forming arms are carried around the centre line of the plate, the cams force the forming arms together forming individual sausage links. Once a sausage is formed, the cam is shaped to move the arms closer together to sever the casing between the individual sausages.
If it is desired to form a chain of sausage links it is preferable that adjacent links are rotated about their longitudinal axis relative to one another to form twisted casing portions between the links and thus better maintain the integrity of the individual links. Sausage linking apparatus suitable for this purpose is manufactured by Famco, the Famco sausage linkers incorporating splined rollers or belts which produce the twist between the links by turning adjacent links in opposite directions. The roller mechanism and the pincher assemblies, which hold the sausage and form the link shapes, are both attached to a continuous roller chain. The roller mechanism engages a horizontal rack and is driven by the movement of the chain along the rack.
The chain of sausage links produced using the Famco apparatus is generally sufficient for producing links which will, for example, be laid out in a shallow tray for storage and sale, as the friction between the tray surface and between adjacent links prevents the links from untwisting. However, if the links are to be cured or smoked, for example, the links are typically hung in loops; in this arrangement, the twisted casing portions between the links tend to unwind resulting in the integrity of the individual links being lost.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for forming a chain of sausage links which is less likely to unwind.
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for forming a chain of sausage links from a tubular casing filled with a food emulsion, the apparatus comprising conveyor means including a plurality of pinching means for closing on the casing to form individual links and a plurality of twisting means for rotating the filled casing about a longitudinal axis relative to adjacent links to form twisted casing portions between the links, characterised in that the twisting means are arranged to rotate a first set of a plurality of adjacent links in one direction and a following second set of adjacent links in an opposite direction.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a chain of sausage links from a tubular casing filled with a food emulsion, the method comprising the steps of: pinching the casing at spaced intervals to form individual links; and rotating the filled casing about a longitudinal axis relative to adjacent links to form twisted casing portions between the links, characterised in that a first set of a plural
REFERENCES:
patent: 1545813 (1925-07-01), Clos
patent: 2356099 (1944-08-01), Swoboda, Sr.
patent: 2663982 (1953-12-01), Conti
Brink Frederikus Johannes
Hanlon Allan James
Lynch Tom Saddler
Norwood Derek Samuel David
Schipper Jan
Devro plc
Little Willis
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