Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
  • A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
  • A22C17/00—Other devices for processing meat or bones
  • A22C17/14—Working-up animal intestines ; Treatment thereof for the manufacture of natural sausage casings; Apparatus for cutting intestines; Machines for pulling intestines to pieces

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method and a device for continuously shaping natural casings.
• the casing industry prepares natural casings for fields of activity such as cured meats. Sheep casings are more particularly sought after, these coming directly from slaughterhouses.
• the preparation consists in cutting each hose to keep only the useful part, that is to say the one whose diameter, or size, corresponds to the intended use and which is free from defects. It is then understood that, only a short length of the hose is used, and this implies many consequences.
• the object of the present invention is a method and a device for shaping natural casings which significantly reduce the loss of casings, which have a constant modifiable size, of a length such that it decreases the frequency of changes of cones.
• the method comprises cutting at least one natural casing according to, substantially at least one of its generatrices, to form a strip of constant width, a winding of said strip around an axis with partial covering of the strip so as to produce a hose of constant diameter.
• the method is characterized in that the winding is in a helix.
• a device for implementing the method is characterized in that it comprises an expandable mandrel with free end, means for feeding strips of hoses, mounted movable in translation parallel to said axis.
• the device further comprises means for receiving the formed hose, mounted free in rotation, coaxially with the mandrel, in the extension thereof.
• FIG. 1 a view in longitudinal section of the device according to the invention
• the device 10 for continuously shaping natural casings essentially comprises a frame 12, an expandable mandrel 14, receiving means tion 16 of the formed hose and supply means 18 of hose bands.
• the frame 12 resting on the ground, has a substantially U-shaped longitudinal section and comprises a first branch 20 and a second branch 22. It further comprises an intermediate branch 24 disposed substantially in line with the free end of the expandable mandrel 14.
• the expandable mandrel 14 is mounted on the first branch 20, substantially at its upper end, by means of a bearing 26 in which the hub 28 which supports the expandable mandrel itself rotates.
• the free end of this hub 28 supports the mandrel tube 32, the wall of which is provided with perforations such as 34, l end 30 of this tube carrying a male end piece 36, itself comprising at its free end a housing 38.
• the mandrel tube 32 is fixed in the hub 28 which has a channel 40 intended to allow the passage of a fluid introduced by the power outlet 42, and distributed through an annular groove 44.
• an envelope 46 impervious to the fluid flowing in the mandrel tube, and itself connected at its ends to those of the actuator tube so as to constitute an inflatable envelope.
• This envelope has a variable diameter depending on the pressure, but constant over its entire length.
• the receiving means 16 comprise a bearing 48 mounted in the second branch 22 so that the bearings 26 and 48 are coaxial.
• These means of reception essentially comprise a reception tube 50 opening out on either side of the branch 22. Opposite the first branch 20, the tube 50 extends, from the second branch 22, over a distance such that the sum of the lengths of the receiving tubes 50 and of the mandrel 32 is substantially equal to the distance separating the two branches 20 and 22.
• the free end of the receiving tube 50 is provided with a sealed end piece 52 whose free end is of a shape complementary to that of the housing 38 so as to be able to cooperate with the latter.
• the wall of this tube 50 is, moreover, provided with perforations 54 intended to ensure the passage of a fluid from the interior of the tube 50 to the exterior thereof.
• the rear end of this tube 50 is provided with a nozzle 56 comprising a peripheral groove 58 in communication with a supply outlet 60 so as to ensure the passage of the fluid from this supply outlet to the interior of the tube 50 and to distribute it through the perforations 54.
• This end piece 56 is fixed in an end piece 62 to which it is secured, but free to rotate.
• This part 62 is connected to a jack 64 so as to make it movable in translation along the longitudinal axis of the tube 50.
• This jack is secured to an annex branch 66 of the frame 12.
• These receiving means 16 are supplemented by tamping means 68 which comprise two motors 70 and 71 driving in rotation, in counter-rotary manner, a pair of grooved rollers 72, the radius of this groove corresponding substantially to the radius of the tube of reception 50.
• Clamping means (not shown) allow the rollers to be pressed onto the hose so as to eliminate slippage at the roller-hose interface.
• Clamps 73 ensure, in the closed position, the rotation blocking of the hose formed on the receiving tube 50.
• these packing means 68 are arranged on a plate 74 which is integral with a carriage 76, movable in translation along the guide tubes 78 and driven by a ball screw 80, as shown in FIG. 3.
• the means 18 for supplying bands of hoses comprise a wrapping carriage 82, as shown in detail in FIG. 2.
• This wrapping carriage 82 is movable in translation along the guide tubes 84 and driven by a ball screw 86.
• the tubes 84 are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel 14 and these guide tubes extend from the first branch 20 to the intermediate branch 24.
• This wrapping carriage 82 carries, at its upper part, a supply coil 88 on which the hoses are wound in a strip.
• the axis of rotation 90 of this supply reel is inclined relative to the axis of rotation of the inflatable mandrel 14.
• Tension rollers 92 are interposed on either side of the strip during its unwinding, between the output of the feed reel and the mandrel.
• the device 10 further comprises drying means 94 shown in detail in FIG. 2, which include a hot air source 96 of the hot air gun type and a distribution ramp 98, substantially semi-cylindrical, the longitudinal axis of which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the mandrel 14. These drying means 94 are rele Vables by means of the jack 100 whose rod acts directly on the hot air distribution manifold.
• the means of distribution 101 of binder 102 comprise a thermostated reservoir 104 provided with a flow orifice 106, oriented towards the strip and situated between the supply coil 88 and the mandrel 14, so as to allow the flow of the binder on the strip hose.
• the hoses are cut according to two generators to leave a band of constant width remaining from each hose, which is joined at another end by its end to form a band of great length and constant width which is wound on a reel.
• This coil is placed on the wrapping carriage 82 of the device 10.
• the envelope 46 is inflated to the desired diameter, the primer of the strip hose is introduced through the tension rollers, then moored on the envelope to start the shaping operation.
• the tube 50 of the receiving means cooperates in rotation with the tube 32 of the mandrel under the effect of the extension of the jack 64.
• the drying means are put in place by extension of the jack 100, then started.
• the collagen in temperature is distributed and, simultaneously, the motor-variator 30 is started and the ball screw 86 is driven by the motor-variator 87.
• the rotation of the mandrel 14, combined with the advance of the wrapping carriage, causes the hose to wind helically around the envelope of the man drin.
• An initial offset allows a partial superimposition of the hose on itself and the bonding of the superimposed parts previously coated with collagen, the drying being obtained by the distribution of hot air by means of the distribution ramp.
• the wrapping carriage triggers a sensor (not shown) which causes the mandrel, the carriage, the heating to stop simultaneously, as well as that of the distribution of collagen.
• rollers 72 being in the separated position, air is continuously introduced into the tube 50 and the envelope 46 is deflated.
• the hose formed is transferred from the mandrel to the receiving tube 50 until its end is introduced between the rollers, the plate 76 being near the second branch 22.
• the rollers are pressed against the hose and, by starting the motors 70 and 71, they transfer the hose from the mandrel to the reception tube by sliding, an operation which is facilitated by the air introduced into the hose using the perforations in the reception tube.
• the plate 76 moves away from the second branch so as to allow the hose to be packed down.
• the clamp 73 blocks the hose on the tube 50 to avoid any relative displacement of one relative to the other.
• the carriage 82 is brought back to the right of the free end of the jack and the previous cycle is repeated until the coil is empty, except priming steps on the mandrel and manual transfer of the hose formed between the rollers which are only necessary in the first cycle.
• the jack 64 is actuated to translate the tube 50 along its axis through the bearing 48.
• the endpiece 52 is detached from that of the tube 32 of the mandrel and the hose can be recovered, between the mandrel and reception tubes, by a storage means (not shown), after sliding of the hose formed out of the receiving tube 50.
• the method and device of the invention make it possible to obtain a natural hose of great length, of constant diameter, folded and packed over a short length, directly usable in an embosser, for example.
• Cutting and re-reeling are carried out discontinuously in the example presented, but a person skilled in the art can directly supply the device 10 with tubular tape made upstream of this device.
• the advantage of the discontinuous operation is to proceed with the cutting site and re-reel of the strip hose. Only the coils are transported, which eliminates unnecessary transport of waste. Thus, the place of shaping of the casing can be distant from the place of slaughter, which is a non-negligible additional advantage of the invention.
• the hose bands can also be coated in a thin layer and entirely with a binder such as gelatin.
• a water distribution nozzle interposed between the coil and the expandable mandrel, makes it possible to moisten the strip and restore the gelatin to its bonding properties.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9368650

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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Family Cites Families (11)

• 1988
  • 1988-07-21 FR FR8809888A patent/FR2634353B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1989
  • 1989-07-07 WO PCT/FR1989/000360 patent/WO1990000861A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1989-07-07 EP EP19890908196 patent/EP0429473A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1989-07-07 AU AU38780/89A patent/AU3878089A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1989-07-21 ES ES8903015A patent/ES2014916A6/es not_active Expired - Fee Related

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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