Method and closing device for producing sausage-like products

Butchering – Sausage making – Linking

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C452S048000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06217436

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a method for producing sausage-like products with a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing, where the (unilaterally closed) packaging casing is first of all filled with filling and is subsequently crimped, then there is produced a neck portion of the desired length, which is free from filling, and the neck portion free from filling is finally closed by setting and closing at least one closure clip. The invention also relates to a closing device for producing sausage-like products with a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing comprising means for crimping the packaging casing, means for producing a neck portion free from filling by spreading the crimping means, and means for setting and closing closure clips.
It is known to package for instance sausage meat for edible sausages or cement and sealing compounds in tubular films or bags. This is done in a known manner (DE-OS 27 30 603) in that the tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing is filled with filling by a filling machine. At the end of the filling operation or shortly before the same, the filling machine emits a pulse by means of which a closing operation is initiated. The same starts with the filled packaging casing being first of all crimped to form a short neck by closing two pairs of crimping shears. Subsequently, the two pairs of crimping shears are axially moved apart (spread) in longitudinal direction of the sausage (and displace filling which is present at this point), so that between the two pairs of crimping shears there is obtained a neck of the desired length, which is free from filling. Thereupon, a lower clip lever with a die in which two open closure clips are disposed swivels below the neck portion free from filling, whereas at the same time an upper clip lever with a stamp swivels towards the closure clips from the top and closes the same. The neck has then been closed by two closure clips disposed one beside the other and can possibly be cut through between these two closure clips. After the closing operation the machine parts involved therein move back to their starting position, and a new working cycle starts with the filling operation.
The pairs of crimping shears and the clip lever are mechanically coupled with each other, e.g. by shafts, cam plates or the like, so that their movements are forcibly coordinated during the closing operation.
Proceeding from this prior art it is the object underlying the invention to increase the productivity during the production of sausage-like products with tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing.
In accordance with the invention, the solution of this object consists in a method as described above, where the partial operations of closing including crimping the packaging casing, of elongating the neck obtained as well as of setting and closing the closure clip can at least partly be controlled independent of each other.
The gist of the invention consists in omitting the rigid forced coordination of the movements when closing the packaging casing in favor of a flexible control or regulation of the individual movements adapted to the respective product. It is thus possible to ensure that the spreading operation e.g. in the case of raw sausages or sealing compound and cement sausages takes place more slowly and in a controlled way, whereas the setting and closing of the closure clips takes place much quicker than has so far been common practice. In this way, the productivity during the production of such products is increased considerably.
An advantageous variant of the method is characterized in that the partial operations of closing are controlled by product-specific programs. In this way, the movements of the machine parts involved in the closing operation can be stored in a program for each product, so that these movements can easily be recalled for the production of the respective product. The product-specific properties, on which depend the movements stored in the program, are for instance the kind of filling and the kind of packaging casing material, the final diameter and the final weight of the finished product, and the kind of closure clips used.
In accordance with the invention, the solution of the object furthermore consists in a device as stated above, where the means for crimping the packaging casing, the means for elongating the neck, and the means for setting and closing closure clips can at least partly be controlled independent of each other. The device originates from the same basic idea as the method mentioned above and can accordingly be used for performing this method. The device thus creates the conditions for a considerable increase in productivity during the production of sausage-like products. The means for crimping the packaging casing and for forming a neck portion free from filling by spreading the crimping means, which are provided in the device, can be the known pairs of spreadable crimping shears. Suitable means for setting and closing closure clips are the known clip levers provided with stamp and die.
The device preferably includes a control unit with which the means for crimping the packaging casing, the means for elongating the neck obtained (by spreading the crimping means), and the means for setting and closing the closure clips are connected for a variably coordinated actuation.
The control unit is preferably programmable such that it can be fed with product-specific programs in which the optimum movements for the respective product are stored. In this way, the device can easily be adapted to the respective product to be produced without conversions, by a simple change of program.
In a preferred embodiment of the device, the means for crimping the packaging casing, the means for elongating the neck, and the means for setting and closing closure clips have electric motors as controllable driving elements. Particularly suitable electric motors are linear motors or synchronous motors. By using electric motors as driving elements, the entire control of the closing operation can be effected electrically or electronically.
An alternative embodiment of the method is characterized in that the means for crimping the packaging casing, the means for elongating the neck, and the means for setting and closing closure clips have hydraulic elements as controllable driving elements. A common advantage of hydraulic elements and of the aforementioned electric motors is the fact that their movement can exactly be controlled at any time, so that not only the beginning of the individual movements, but also the respective movement itself can exactly be predetermined.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 4438545 (1984-03-01), Kupcikevicius et al.
patent: 4709450 (1987-12-01), Stanley et al.
patent: 4796332 (1989-01-01), Stanley
patent: 4847951 (1989-07-01), Kollross
patent: 5087463 (1992-02-01), Raudys et al.
patent: 5405288 (1995-04-01), Stanley
patent: 2730603 (1979-01-01), None
patent: 196 01 720 (1996-08-01), None
patent: 0000821 (1979-02-01), None
patent: 2109219 (1983-06-01), None

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