Butchering – Sausage making – Sausage link handling
Patent
1991-02-11
1992-04-14
Little, Willis
Butchering
Sausage making
Sausage link handling
A22C 1100
Patent
active
051043491
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to an apparatus for separating straight sausages from a string by means of a moving endless scissor structure of which the separate scissors convey the string along, constrict it and separate it, having removal means underneath with a moving conveying surface which collects and removes the sausages.
It is known in practice to separate sausages, especially shorter sausages, from a string of sausages by constricting the string at the correct mutual distances with scissors and then cutting it through. The scissors are situated on an endless moving system, for example a so-called crimping wheel having a horizontal axis and the sausages are separated in a lowermost zone of said wheel. In this process, a collecting dish is able in each case to receive a falling separated sausage, which dish then opens in order to drop the sausage onto the moving conveying surface, normally a conveyor belt.
Said conveyor belt runs somewhat more rapidly than the scissors (the circumferential speed of the crimping wheel) in order to obtain some distance between successive sausages. Situated above the conveyor belt are raised edges or walls, which may or may not move concomitantly and which may or may not be flexible, between which a small trough is formed in order to keep the falling sausage in the correct position on the conveyor belt.
Somewhat further downstream on said belt, the sausages are transferred to another conveyor belt, in which process a sensor detects the passage of a sausage on the first conveyor belt and actuates lateral displacement means such as blowing means in order to displace sausages laterally in a regular pattern so that they move further on said other conveyor belt in two or three rows, small troughs on said conveyor belt again being able to receive the sausages indisplaceably.
Passing sausages can be detected with light and a photo cell.
This known system has all kinds of disadvantages. As a result of its higher speed, the conveyor belt has created distances between the sausages, which are not exactly equal.
This imposes high requirements on the detection apparatus and the coupling thereof to the lateral displacement means.
The following problems furthermore occur. Modern sausages are often formed by extruding a layer of collagen material around a meat string, in which process the collagen material sets (solidifies) relatively slowly and forms a casing for the meat material to replace the previously standard sausage skins composed of natural or artificial guts. The still not completely set collagen material is capable, during smooth constriction by the scissors, of being joined to itself and to the meat material in such a manner that, during the subsequent cutting through by the scissors, the sausages are well sealed and do not have to be tied up separately.
In the stage of separation from the string, however, such sausages are very vulnerable before the casing has set sufficiently downstream of the apparatus for forming, separating and removal. The blowing means for distributing in rows must therefore not blow too strongly against them, just as mechanical means for distributing in rows must not exert high forces on the sausages. In the known lateral displacement means described, however, it is difficult to keep the lateral forces on the sausages sufficiently low, while the sausages are already unfavourably loaded in the collecting dishes and while falling on to the somewhat faster conveyor belt.
Such an apparatus is furthermore complicated and not very compact.
The object of the invention is therefore to avoid the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide a removal apparatus for sausages which meets all the requirements of reliable operation, simplicity of construction and compactness. In this connection it is pointed out that the invention is suitable in particular, but not exclusively, for use in making short sausages such as small sausages 2 to 4 cm long such as are more and more in use and for use in the case of small sausages with a collagen layer as the casing of the meat con
REFERENCES:
patent: 1545586 (1925-07-01), Kruse
patent: 2651808 (1953-09-01), Burnett et al.
patent: 3296657 (1967-01-01), Moekle
patent: 3971101 (1976-07-01), Townsend et al.
patent: 4129923 (1978-12-01), Hoegger
patent: 4671042 (1987-06-01), Moekle
Little Willis
Stork Protecon B.V.
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