FI104613B - Sausage filler - Google Patents

Description

104613

Sausage Filling Machine. - Ear Stop Mask.

Separated from the present application by division 873037, the application relates to a sausage filling machine according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known in the art to extrude meat emulsion material into a shell at the same time as extruding another material, such as chili or cheese, to form a frankfurters stuffed with incoming material or the like. Attempts are being made to use this technology for modern sausage filling machines, such as is generally disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,600,198. 3.115.668, however, have not achieved the success required to apply this method to the requirements of high-speed mass production.

For example, recent attempts to apply this technique to fill Frankfurter sausage or the like with a spice or condiment are described in U.S. Pat. 4.569.101 and 4.570.298. However, it appears that the inventions of these patents do not provide a free flow of the material used and consequently damage the used material. Similarly, these and other patents. : Roadside equipment is complex in structure, not robust enough for mass production requirements, and difficult to clean.

In addition, prior art devices have difficulty controlling and coordinating the simultaneous extrusion of two materials into the shell material.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide -; '. mixing pump mechanism for sausage filling machines and the like, · * jii. ' using dual pumps for dual extrusion and where the pumping functions of these two pumps can be closely coordinated and controlled, • · 104613 2

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mixing pump mechanism for sausage filling machines and the like, wherein the two pumps have one power source.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mixing pump mechanism in which the pumping power of one pump can optionally be adjusted with respect to the second pump.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mixing pump mechanism in which two pumps are operated on the same common drive shaft and the pumping power of the other pump is optionally adjustable with respect to the other pump and wherein the rotational speed of the common drive shaft maintains the relative pumping powers of both pumps.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mixing pump mechanism in which the dual pumps are capable of supplying pumped material to the ends of inner and outer filling hubs concentric without damaging the pumped material.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mixing pump mechanism in which the entire device can be easily cleaned and /; wherein the pump structure and means for feeding the pumped material to the ends of the concentrically arranged filling horns are * * simple to fabricate and structurally stable.

These and other objects of the invention are obvious to those skilled in the art.

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The mixing pump mechanism is located near the inlet ends of the · · ·: V concentric inside and outside filling hoses or • ·>: tubes. First pump mechanism: communicates with and from the source of a conventional meat emulsion. driven by a vertical transmission shaft. This transmission shaft extends into the housing of the second pump, which is mounted ** 'in the vicinity of the housing of the first pump, and preferably on it. a 104613 3 le. The drive shaft of the first pump housing drives the pump mechanism in the housing of the second pump.

Both pumps have inlet and outlet ports for transferring material to be pumped. The outlet openings of each pump discharge the pumped material into a block element that slides to receive the ends of two concentricly located inner and outer filling horns. The pumped material from the housing of the second pump feeds the pumped material to the end of the inner filling horn and the pumped material from the first pump feeds a meat emulsion or the like to the end of the outer filling horn.

The housing of the upper pump or the second pump includes a pumping mechanism similar to a wing pump. The pumping power of this pumping mechanism is optionally controlled by turning the position of the second pump housing relative to the housing of the first pump.

To achieve the objects of the invention, the sausage filling machine according to the invention is characterized by the features set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sausage filling machine with! · /; a mixing pump mechanism according to the invention and a · · · .1. * filler hose connection; Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation view of the essential components of the machine of Fig. 1;

M1: Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the two-pump apparatus taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

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Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of two pumps with the upper pump housing shown in sectional view showing the pump mechanism therein;

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 but showing the upper pump housing in an adjusted position relative to the position shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a partial sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Fig. 8 is an exploded view showing a detailed structure of a plug or plug element partially supporting a concentricly mounted inner and outer filling horns.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a conventional sausage filling machine, the essential parts of which are substantially disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,600,198. 3115668. Such machines typically include a frame 12 and a plurality of legs 14. The pump unit 16 is mounted on the upper portion of the frame 12 and is normally operated by a transmission mechanism (not shown) mounted inside the frame. The filling horn assembly 18 is reciprocally operably connected to the pump assembly. The chuck 20 supports the outer end of the chute 18, and provides a rotational motion for the casing located on the chute extending into the chuck.

The conventional binding device 21 is located on the backside of the seat unit 20 • · ·. **. The outlet horn 22 is mounted by a binding mechanism • · ·; V for receiving backs of sausages or Frankfurters. A conventional conveyor 24 is disposed on the back of the drain horn and is adapted to receive a bound product from the drain horn. All of the foregoing parts are typical of modern sausage filling machines and do not form part of the present invention.

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The lower pump 25 includes a lower pump housing 26 which is fixed to the body 12 by any conventional method. The lower pump housing 26 has an outlet 28, shown in broken lines in Figure 3. This pump housing also has an inlet port connected to a non-shown source of meat emulsion or the like.

The pump 25 is a conventional gear type metering pump including rotatably driven gears 30 on the shaft 32. The lower pump housing 26 may have a removable cover 33 which is secured in place by any suitable means.

The upper pump 34 includes an upper pump housing 36 having a circular hole 38 formed in its lower central portion.

A central bore 40 is formed in the upper portion of the hole 38. The grooved upper end portion 42 of the shaft 32 extends upwardly through the bore 38 and ends in the central bore 40.

The pumping mechanism of the pump 34 includes a cylindrical hub 44 having a plurality of vanes 46 radially and slidably disposed in radially formed slots in the hub 44 (not shown). The recesses 48 are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the hub 44 and receive movably cylindrical rings 50 spaced from the groove portion of shaft 32 ... 42. The outer surfaces of the rings 50 engage the inner lower parts of each wing 46.

• »• • • • • • •! Two bolts 52 project through curved slots 54 extending vertically through slots M · · into the upper pump housing 36 and these bolts are threadedly secured to cover 33. This housing is: * · *: pivotally mounted to the lower pump housing 26 by bolts 56, “· i threaded to cover 33.

»M · v *” · As shown by the dashed lines in Figures 4 and 5, the upper pump 34 includes a suction port 58 communicating with the suction fitting 60 and this housing also has an outlet port or port. 62 which is adapted to be connected to the passage 64 of the removal material (see Fig. 2).

the upper pump 34 is a conventional wing pump. Its pumping power may be varied by rotating the pump housing 36 horizontally with respect to the lower pump housing 26. This is accomplished simply by loosening the bolts 52 and 56. Figure 5 illustrates a position where the pumping power of the upper pump 34 is 0. In this position, the rings 50 and blades 46 are disposed centrally and symmetrically about the vertical axis of shaft 32. Figure 4 shows how the upper pump housing 36 is rotated slightly anticlockwise with respect to the lower pump housing 26. Figure 4 shows the upper pump in a position where the pumping power is at its maximum. Also, the structure of the upper pump 34 is conventional and does not form part of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the mounting block 66 is secured to the other side of the pump housing 26 of the lower pump 25 by some conventional method. The fitting block 66 has a first inlet 68 which communicates with the inner material compartment 69 (Fig. 7). The second inlet 70 is connected to the outlet 28 of the lower pump housing 26. The inlet 70 terminates with the inner material compartment 72.

The longitudinal bore 74 extends through the mounting block 66 as shown in Fig. 7. Drilling 74 extends to both materials

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V * through trays 69 and 72. Suitable annular grooves are formed around bore 74 on opposite sides of tray 69 and adjacent to tray: * · *: 72 to receive sealing rings 76.

The cylindrical plug or plug 78 is slidably fitted to the bore 74. The plug 78 has an opening 80 which extends completely. f I · • ««

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104613 through it and is adapted to communicate with the material tray 69 during the pumping operation.

The longitudinal bore 82 (Fig. 7) is formed at the inner end of the plug 78 and communicates with the hole 80. The smaller diameter inner horn 84 is rigidly secured to the outer end of the bore 82 (Fig. 7). The other end of the larger diameter outer horn 86 extends into and partially through bore 74 adjacent to the material tray 72 and terminates with the slot 72. A pair of longitudinal strips 88 extend longitudinally from the outer horn 86, through the slot 72, and similarly attached to slits 90.

The outer horn 86 (sometimes referred to as a filling tube or filler horn) is conventional in design, except for the tabs 88. It extends conventionally and slidably from the pump to the socket unit 20. It can be slidably retracted from the socket unit and pulled over or the retaining element 94. The inner horn 84 is concentricly housed within the outer horn 86. As shown in Figure 2, the outer end of the horn 84 may extend slightly over the outer end of the horn 86, although this arrangement is not strictly necessary for double extrusion.

* · * · • ♦ • «« • 1 ».! .1 Marker 94 (Fig. 2) can be placed outside the upper pump housing • · · *> f · 1 36. As will be explained below, the trace f · · '· 94 may be oriented so that it is aligned with one of the traces 96 (Fig. 4), several of which are located on the lower pump ·· · - | V on the upper surface 33 of the lid 33 of the housing 26.

• · · «· · ♦ · #; When using the device, the position of the upper pump housing 36 can be adjusted as desired as described above to adjust the pumping power of the upper pump 34 • 4 I f <• «1 ·« · I · · i · «· 8 104613. The markers 94 and 96 may be used so as to assist the user of the device to lock the upper pump housing 36 to a particular desired position. The power unit j of machine 20 is then actuated conventionally to cause the shaft 32 to rotate. This causes the pumping mechanism of both pumps 25 and 34 to be actuated. Typically, cheese, chili or some other seasoning or condiment is operably connected to the upper pump inlet 58. Similarly, a conventional meat emulsion feed is provided to the lower pump inlet.

The use of these two pumps provides the flow of meat emulsion to the material tray 72 of the attachment block 66 and further to the end of the outer horn 86. The strips 88 extending across the material compartment 72 have little or no interference with this flow.

Simultaneously, the material material is pumped from the upper pump 34 through the channel 64 and further into the inlet 68 of the mounting block 66. This material flows into the hole 80, from there to the longitudinal bore 82 and further to the end of the inner horn 84.

, V: The flow of meat emulsion to the outer horn 86 is generally represented by arrows 98 in Figure 6. Similarly, the flow of gauze material to the end of the inner horn 84 is generally represented by arrows 100 in Figure 6.

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Since both pumps 25 and 34 operate on the same shaft 32, their pumping operation is always precisely coordinated.

Because the pumping power of the upper pump 34 can be controlled, the flow of ·· ·: material can also be precisely controlled. Immediately ··· “....

ί ^ ί 5 when the pumping power of the upper pump 34 is set to the desired flow, the pumping power of the two pumps remains constant t 1 ', 1 precisely coordinated even though the rotation speed of shaft 32 i 1 I 4 • «f 9« •> 4 « «« ·

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4 1 9 104613 changes.

The pumped material of the present invention has substantially free flow properties, so that the material is not damaged during movement. The structure according to the invention is simple, robust and easy to clean. For this reason, it can be stated that the invention achieves at least the above-mentioned purposes.

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Claims (7)

10 104613 A sausage filling machine (10) comprising a first dosing pump (25) having an inlet and an outlet, a second 5 dosing pump (34) having an inlet and an outlet, a source of fluid meat material connected to an inlet of a first pump (34) a source of heat material, a filling horn assembly (84,86) mounted on the machine (10), wherein said filling horn assembly includes an outer filling horn (86) having an open front end forming an outlet and having an inner end forming an inlet opening (10); concentricly within and extending radially therethrough from the outer filling horn (84) to form a chamber space between the inner and outer filling horns, the inner filling horn (84) having an open front end forming an outlet and an open inner end forming an inlet opening; different additional material receiving openings (69,70) connected respectively to the outlet openings of the first (25) and second pump (34), wherein the inner end of the inner filling horn (84) communicates with the material receiving opening (69) and the external filling horn (86). the inner end being connected to the first material receiving port (70) connected to the pump (25) and the actuators 20 including a single drive shaft (32) extending to said first (25). and a second (34) pump for driving them. • · · »« • · · • «« • · Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the mounting block * «I (66) has a horizontal bore (74) extending therethrough, a plug element (78) having a diameter of substantially the same as the bore (74). ) and one end t of which extends into the bore near a material receiving port (69) connected to the other pump (34) by a transverse bore * * * * in the plug element (78). (80) near one of the material receiving openings (69), a longitudinal bore (82) at said one end of the plug element (78), which is in communication with the · ·: v. 30 in the transverse bore (80), the inner end of the inner filling horn (84) being fitted to the longitudinal bore (82) and the inner end of the external filling horn (86) communicating with the material receiving port (70) connected to the first pump (25). 104613 11 Machine according to Claim 2, characterized in that said outer end of the outer filling horn (86) has at least one longitudinal strip (88) which extends in the longitudinal direction and is attached to said one end of the plug (78). Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the pumping power of the second pump (34) can be optionally adjusted. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that at one end of the outer filling horn (86) there are two spaced apart 10 longitudinal strips (88) extending longitudinally and secured to said one end of the plug (78), wherein the strips (78) (88) is disposed adjacent to the second material receiving port (70) such that material from the second material receiving port (70) can project into the outer filling tube (86) by flowing through the space between the tabs (88). 15 Machine according to Claim 5, characterized in that the diameter of the inner filling horn (84) is smaller than the inside diameter of the outer filling horn (86) and. . the inner filling horn (84) extends through the space between the tabs (88). • · · • · '1 · · J • · Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that at least one longitudinal strip (88) extends at one end of the outer filling tube (86) and is attached to said one end of the plug (78), wherein the strip (78) The · (88) is positioned near the second material receiving port (70) such that the outer filling horn (86) can receive the pumped material from the first v: 25 pumping mechanism (25) as the material flows around the strip (88) to the outer: filling horn (86). • · Il · .... .... «« «I I I I I Il Il Il • Il • • Il Il Il 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12 10 10 12 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 12