GB987603A - Improved method and apparatus for preparing sausages - Google Patents

Abstract

987,603. Preparing sausages. ARMOUR & CO. Oct. 31, 1962, No.41242/62. Headings A2B and A2D. Sausages are prepared by encasing comminuted meat in a cylindrical mould, passing an electric current through the meat to coagulate protein in the meat and rolling the formed cylindrical sausage while directing thereon a heated gaseous medium to form a skin on the sausage. Comminuted meat or meat emulsion is cooked in cylindrical moulds 15 within a rotatable unit equipped with electrodes for passing a current through the comminuted meat, to form cylindrical sausages which are then rolled along plates 28 and 29 by a chain conveyer 30 equipped with transverse pusher bars 33 provided with forwardly extending ribs 34 for pushing the sausages. The formed sausages 16 are subjected during the rolling to a water wash at 90-100‹F. from a shower 18 for removing extraneous coagulation products such as protein, fat and water, a blast of hot air, preferably smoke-containing, between the conduits 21a and 21b, the application of aqueous dye (if desired) or hot wash water from a shower head 35, drying as by hot air in compartment 23 and air chilling in compartment 24; the sausages are then delivered by conveyers 25 and 26 to a packing unit 27. Alternatively, smoke may be applied after the sausages have been dyed and dried. For the air blast, the sausages are preferably impinged with sheets or ribbons of smoke-containing air at a temperature of from 150‹ to 250‹F. travelling at thirty feet per second or more (1,200-2,220 cubic feet per minute); directed along the axial direction of the sausages, the heated air travelling at such high velocity is effective in forming the skin upon the cylindrical sausages to provide a smooth, even covering. Figs. 3 to 6 (not shown) depict various arrangements of plenum chamber; certain of these require that the plate 28 be perforated. In the dyeing operation, hot aqueous dye at about 160‹F. is discharged on to the sausages from the shower head 35 and the overflow is collected in a container below for re-circulation; the plate 28 may be perforated to facilitate the collection of dye. The aqueous dye preferably contains an excess of vinegar above that ordinarily employed e.g. between 3.5 and 6 pints of vinegar per 100 U.S. gallons of water. Hot wash water at the same temperature is employed if dying is not desired. The term "sausage" covers all products comprising ground meat, such as beef, ham, veal, pork products, and frankfurters, bologna, luncheon loaf and other cooked sausage products. Specification 987,602 is referred to.