MXPA00011637A - Method and means for filling natural casing sausages - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of filling a natural hollow elongated casing with meat emulsion involves placing a natural casing on an elongated meat emulsion stuffing tube having a meat emulsion discharge end, closing an extended end of the natural casing over the discharge end of the stuffing tube so that meat emulsion exiting the discharge end will push the natural casing longitudinally by pumping meat emulsion through the stuffing tube for expansive discharge into the natural casing at a sufficient volume and velocity to provide the primary energy within the natural casing to move the natural casing forwardly off of the discharge end of the stuffing tube. The casing is extended through a hollow chuck (100). A resilient brake element (160) in the chuck is extended around the casing to impede its longitudinal movement. A thrust collar (200) is slidably mounted on the stuffing tube and is intermittently manually pushed against the casing to limit the length thereof but is insufficient to create compression pressure thereon. An apparatus for filling a natural casing has a thrust collar on the stuffing horn (16) for pushing the natural casing longitudinally, and a casing hopper (46) that can be pivoted from a forward operating position to a rearward inoperative position.

Description

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FILLING SAUSAGES WITH NATURAL WRAPPING DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Sausages have traditionally been made by filling the natural intestines of sheep, for example, with the sausage meat product, so that the natural stuffed wrapping was formed in joints for the cooking by the consumer. In more recent times, sausages are made predominantly by introducing an emulsion of meat in an artificial casing in which the sausage material is wrapped through the link and preliminary cooking so that the casings are detached from the sausage before being sold to the client. Machines for making sausages with artificial casings have a high volume capacity (up to 30,000 sausages per hour). Efforts have been made to use these high speed machines with natural wraps. However, due to the nature of the natural wraps that include their relatively shorter length and their non-uniformal diameter, modern sausage coating machines have not achieved the volume and capacity with natural wraps as they did with artificial wraps. . It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and machine for filling natural casings that is economical, relatively quick and easy to achieve compared to the previous modes for filling natural casings. A further object of this invention is to provide a method and machine for filling natural casings wherein the pressure of the meat expands the natural casing and pushes the casing forward as the meat emulsion is discharged from a hollow horn for conventional filler material . A further object of the invention is to provide a machine and method for filling a natural envelope wherein the filled envelope passes through a hollow mandrel with an elastic brake therein which prevents movement of the envelope from the tube of filling material and wherein the elastic brake creates a balance between the forward pushing meat on the casing and the brake retaining the casing to create the desired filling or the volume of the resulting sausage. A further object of this invention is to provide a flexible or elastic brake in a hollow mandrel through which the filled shell moves in a rotatable torsion head that not only produces a longitudinal drag on the shell to resist movement towards in front of it, but also provides a radial rotating course that helps rotate the envelope and thereby facilitate the twisting of the same as the envelope filled with sausage moves to s ^ s ^^^ gí ^ ^^^^^ É ^ tmeimitt taiitíSáí '- ^ »M ^« * te «saaagte« through the link chains. A further object of this invention is to provide a follower or abutment ring on the tube of filler material upstream of the natural casing which is manually and intermittently driven against the back side of the natural casing which provides a slight force to prevent the natural envelope adheres to the tube even though it does not serve to move the natural tube casing, since this is achieved by the impulse of the meat emulsion that fills the casing. This force is insufficient to cause the extraction pressure between the follower and the torsion head. A further object of this invention is to provide a method and a machine that will allow easy conversion of the machine from the natural wrapping operation to the artificial wrapping operation. A further object of the invention is to provide a wrapping fastener and a wrapping hopper on a sausage making machine that can be moved away from the wrapping filling station at times to accommodate the natural wrapping mode for the machine. Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for filling a natural casing having the ability to change the filling tube of the full stroke as with the artificial casings to a partial stroke for use with the natural casings. A further object of the invention is to provide a method and machine for filling natural wraps which has a stop ring that can be controlled manually by the operator, or an automatic follower that will duplicate the manual operation by providing a series of intermittent pulse and release actions to move the non-shirred envelope forward. A further object of the invention is to provide a method and machine for filling natural casings wherein the water is present in various stages of the operation to prevent the natural casing from becoming dehydrated and to maintain its very soft, foldable and slippery character. A further object of the invention is to provide a method and machine for filling natural wraps that uses a cooling turban as part of the rotating torcer. These and other objects will become apparent to those with experience in the art. A method for filling a natural hollow elongated shell with a meat emulsion that involves placing a natural shell in a tube of elongated meat emulsion stuffing material having a meat emulsion discharge end, which closes an extended end of the meat emulsion. natural wrapping on the discharge end of the tube & "Filling material so that the meat emulsion leaving the discharge end will push the natural envelope longitudinally by pumping the meat emulsion through the tube of filling material for the expansive discharge of the natural envelope to a volume and sufficient speed to provide the primary energy within the natural envelope to move the natural envelope forwardly away from the discharge end of the stuffing tube. The envelope extends through a hollow mandrel. A The elastic brake element in the mandrel extends around the casing to prevent its longitudinal movement. A stop ring is slidably mounted on the filler tube and is manually pushed intermittently against the housing for limit the length thereof although it is insufficient to create compression pressure in it. An apparatus for stuffing meat emulsion into a natural or artificial elongated casing having (a) a casing filling station that includes a tube of filler material for supporting a casing to be filled with meat emulsion, (b) a casing hopper for serving as a container for a plurality of shirred artificial casings mounted on the machine adjacent to the casing filling station for the supply of shirred artificial wraps for assembly on the ^^^ ^^^^ ore ASFE 3 £ ^ ** í í ^^^^^ _ ^^^ tube filler, and (c) means on the machine for moving the casing hopper away from its position adjacent to the wrapping filling station when the natural wraps are placed in a tube of filling material in the wrapping filling station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of * a coating machine sausage prior art shows the general relationship of the major components of the sausage making machine of this invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the prior art machine of Figure 1 taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 2A and 2B show the wrapping hopper of Figure 2 in the anterior and posterior positions respectively; Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the machine of Figure 2 using conventional shirred casings; Figures 3A and 3B are enlarged scale perspective views of the conventional components of a sausage coating machine after the natural casing is placed on the shaft for the filling material; Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the mandrel; and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 5 during the wrapping process. A sausage coating machine 10 (Figure 1) has a structure 12, and a conventional meat emulsion pump 14 connected to a source of meat emulsion. A rod for the filling material 16 is slidably and operatively connected to the pump 14 and is movable longitudinally by the air piston 17 contained in the housing 18 (Figure 1). A follower rod 20 is also slidably mounted on the pump 14 parallel to the rod 16 and has an actuator 22 on an end slidably mounted on the rod 16. The follower rod 20 is fed by the air piston 24 located in the housing 18. An elongated pouch wrap 26 is conventionally mounted on the shank 16. The front end of the shank 16 conventionally terminates in the wrapper station 27 (Figure 3) adjacent the bent housing 28 which has a hollow rotary mandrel 29. that receives a wrap filled with carre 26 and the tour before the wrap filled with meat moves on the conventional string machine 20 (Figure 4,5). The chains 31 of the string making machine 30 are rotated by a motor 34 through arrows, engagingZi ^ M ^^ - ZZ £ &7 ^ - ^ - ^:, ^ Z ^; & What are the right bands? The conventional mandrel 120 (Figures 4,5) in the housing 28 is rotated by a motor (not shown) through suitable gears and arrows. The string machine 30 is placed inside the housing 36 (Figure 1). The foregoing components are all conventional and well known in the art (see US Patent No. 3,115,668) and are controlled by computer control 38 (Figure 1). The string of sausages 40 exits the finished machine 10 through the shaft 42 and the drill string is deposited on the chain of hooks of conventional conveyor 44 (Figure 1). A wrapping hopper 46 has tapered side walls 48 and an inclined bottom 50 (Figure 2) which causes shirred casings 26 therein to migrate downward to a lower opening 52. Hopper 46 is pivoted at 54 (Figure 2). ) to any convenient lateral support 56. It is also mounted on the plate 58 which is pivotally mounted on the plate 60 on a vertical axis of the pin 61 to be rotated from the anterior opening position of Figure 2A to fill the shirred envelopes to a rear position not operated of Figure 2B when not in use. A removable trabedo pin 62 extends between the plates 58 and 60 to selectively lock the hopper 46 in a previous position or His? , later. A PLC 66 is mounted on the machine 10 to program and coordinate the components of the machine. The PLC will control the pump 14, the rotation and the longitudinal movement of the rod 16, the position of the hopper 46, and the operation of the mandrel 120, the machine for making strings 30 and the conveyor 44. A sensor or stop 67 (Figs. 3-5) adjacent to the twister 28 will cause the functions in the filling station 27 to cease when the wrapper 220 is full. A rotating mandrel 100 (FIGS. 5 and 6) has a cylindrical body portion 120 with a longitudinal central hole 140. An elastic brake element 160 is deposited within the central portion of the hole 140. The brake 160 has a central hole 180. through which the shaft for the filling material 16 extends with a natural envelope 220 therein. The brake 160 provides a longitudinal drag on the natural envelope as described above. The location of the brake 160 in the mandrel 100 may vary from one end to the other. It may be integral with the cylindrical housing 120 or it may be a separate material that is fixed in any convenient manner to the internal center hole of the mandrel. The friction applied to the natural casing by the brake 160 prevents only the free flow of the natural casing from the tube surface 25 of filler material, although insufficient to prevent ,. ^, ^^^^. - ^^^^ ^ • - .- ^ ..- .. y. .. • ^^ ^ t ^, ^^^ ^ .. ^ -.... ^^ ^^ ^^ ^ ..... .. aa movement of the natural casing from e 1 tube filler material provided by the energy of the meat emulsion discharged from the filling material tube L into the interior of the natural envelope. When it is desired to change the machine 10 from the conventional shirred packing casings to the natural packing casings, the locking pin 62 is released and the hopper 46 is rotated around the pin 61 from the previous position of Figure 2 3 to the position not operated from Figure 2A so that it is < out of the way for the process of filling n, itural wrappers. The stop ring 200 is slidably mounted on the stuffing tube 16 (FIGS. 3 and 4) behind the natural wrapper 220. The ring 200 is manually or automatically driven intermittently against the wrapper insufficiently to create the pressure of extrusion or compression therein while facilitating normal forward movement of the wrapper in the stuffing tube beyond normal movement caused by the energy of the emulsion entering the shell. The longitudinal displacement of the tube 16 is typically shortened by the PLC 66 when the natural casings are being filled. The hopper 46 can be raised, articulated, or mechanically moved by sliding to move it out of the direction to f. the natural wraps.

Therefore it is observed that this machine achieves at least all its established objectives. ag ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^

Claims (24)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for filling a natural hollow elongated envelope with a meat emulsion, characterized in that it comprises placing a natural envelope on a tube of elongated meat emulsion filling material having a meat emulsion discharge end, closing an extended end of a natural envelope over the discharge end of the filling material tube so that the meat emulsion leaving the discharge end will push the natural envelope longitudinally by pumping the meat emulsion through the filling material tube for the expansive discharge into the natural envelope at a volume and speed sufficient to provide the primary energy within the natural envelope to move the natural envelope forward outside the discharge end of the filling material tube, slidably mounting a stop ring on the tube of filling material behind the natural envelope, and drive Intermittently, the stop ring against the wrapper is insufficiently formed to create the extraction or compression pressure on the bundle although it facilitates the normal forward movement of the wrapper on the stuffing tube beyond the normal movement of the wrapper. caused by the energy of the emulsion that enters the envelope.
2. 2. The method of compliance with the claim H ^^^^^^^^^ 2 ^^^^^^^^^^^ 3 ^ ^^^^^^ j * ^ i ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ feagEg 1 , characterized in that the water is applied to the natural wrapper before placing the wrapper on the stuffing tube to make the wrap hydrate: e, it is kept soft, foldable and slippery to avoid the adhesion of the wrapper to the tube of filling material.
3. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the front end of the tube of filler material extends through a hollow mandrel, placing an elastic brake element in the mandrel 10 around the tube of filler material for coupling the natural envelope in order to prevent the longitudinal movement of the natural envelope on the tube of filling material. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a rotating link assembly is located downstream of the discharge end of the stuffing tube to link the filled natural shell with the meat emulsion and to prevent longitudinal movement of the natural envelope from the filler tube. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a meat pump is employed to pump the meat emulsion through the tube of filler material, wherein the front end of the tube of filler material extends through of a hollow mandrel, by placing an elastic brake element in the mandrel around the rnMM ** ^^ ** ^ * ^^ »- ^. ^ ...,., ~ ^«. "... ...« aflUii ^ .. ^, .. ^. ^^., _., ^ , ^^^^ tube to produce the coupling of the natural envelope in order to prevent the longitudinal movement of the natural envelope on the tube of filler material, wherein a rotary link assembly is located downstream of the discharge end of the tube. filler tube for linking the natural envelope filled with the meat emulsion and for preventing longitudinal movement of the natural envelope from the filler tube. The method according to claim 10 22, characterized in that a stop ring is slidably mounted on the tube of filling material behind the natural envelope, intermittently pushing the stop ring against the envelope insufficiently to create a compression extraction or pressure therein while facilitating the forward normal movement of the envelope over the tube of filling material beyond the normal movement of the envelope caused by the energy of the emulsion entering the envelope. 7. A method for filling a natural hollow elongate shell 20 with a meat emulsion, characterized in that it comprises providing a wrapping filling station that includes a tube of filling material to support the shell to be filled with the meat emulsion , providing a wrapping hopper adjacent to the wrapping filling station 25 to serve as a container for a ^ * ^^^^^^^ .-- W tíií ?? íl? _ HKMA ^. . rA- ^ at. ^, ^^ ^ plurality of shirred artificial wrappers for supplying shirred artificial wrappers for mounting on the stuffing tube, and moving the wrapper hopper away from its position adjacent to the stuffing station of wrapping when the natural wraps are placed on a tube of filling material in the wrapping filling station. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that a PLC is provided and detects when the casing hopper is in its position adjacent to the casing filling station in order to control the longitudinal movement of the casing material tube. filling, to hold the stuffing tube in a non-automatic extension mode, to retain a follower 15 connected to the stuffing tube in a retracted position, and to keep the wrapping hopper in its position adjacent to the filling station. wrap stuffing. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that a natural envelope is placed on the tube of filling material with the tube of filling material that is in a partially retracted position to locate a discharge end of the material tube. of filling upstream of the filling station of the envelope; operate the PLC to cause the filling material tube to extend through a mandrel and to cause a meat pump to start pumping meat through a tube of filler material when the position of the tube of filler material through the mandrel is detected, and to initiate the rotation of the mandrel and tube of material from filling and to initiate the operation of link chains and a conveyor located downstream of the envelope filling station; manually advancing the tracker and detecting its arrival in a position adjacent to the twisting mechanism containing the mandrel, and causing the PLC to stop the operation of the wrapping filling station. 10. A machine for filling meat emulsion into elongated natural or artificial casings, characterized in that it comprises a casing filling station that includes a tube of filling material to support a casing to be filled with meat emulsion, a hopper of wrapping to serve as a container for a plurality of shirred artificial wraps mounted on the machine adjacent to the wrapping filling station for the supply of shirred artificial wraps for mounting on the stuffing tube, and means on the moving machine the wrapping hopper away from its position adjacent to the wrapping filling station when the natural wraps are placed on a tube of filling material at the station ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for moving the wrapping hopper includes means for pivoting the wrapping hopper away from the wrapping filling station. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for moving the wrapping hopper includes means for raising the wrapping hopper, pivoting the wrapping hopper, and thus lowering the wrapping hopper to move the wrapping hopper. away from the wrapping filling station. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the tube of filler material is movably mounted longitudinally on the machine and the means is associated with the tube of filler material to allow the adjustment of its longitudinal movement. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the adjustment of the longitudinal movement of the filling material tube is comprised of a mobile resistive stop, or a pneumatically controlled sensor control means. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one sensor is located in the machine to detect when the wrapping hopper is in its position adjacent to the wrapping filling station.; the sensor that is operatively connected to a PLC to control the longitudinal movement of the filling material tube and to maintain the filling material tube in a non-automatic extension mode, to retain a follower connected to the filling material tube in a retracted position and to keep the wrapping hopper in its position adjacent to the wrapping filling station. The machine according to claim 15, characterized in that a natural casing is placed on the tube of filler material with the tube of filler material in a partially retracted portion and with a discharge end that is upstream of the station of wrapping of wrapping; the PLC which is driven and adapted to cause the tube of filler material to extend through a mandrel, and to cause a meat pump to start pumping the meat through the tube of filler material when the position of tube of filler material through the mandrel is detected, and to initiate the rotation of the mandrel and the tube of filler material, and to start the operation of the link chains and a conveyor located downstream of the wrapper filling station; a detector on the machine adjacent to a twisting mechanism containing the mandrel to detect the manual advance of the tracker in the vicinity of the sensor to send a signal to the PLC to stop the operation of the ** ßtm m * ± ^^. ^, wrapper filling station. 1 . A sausage machine for filling natural casings, characterized in that it has a horn for the meat filling material to receive a hollow natural casing with a slidably mounted stop ring on the stuffing tube to push a natural casing longitudinally on the tube of filling material. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stop ring is manually pushed intermittently against the envelope. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for moving the wrapping hopper includes means for horizontally pivoting the wrapping hopper away from the wrapping filling station. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for moving the wrapping hopper includes the means for slidably moving the wrapping hopper away from the wrapping filling station. The machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the means for moving the wrapping hopper includes means for pivoting the wrapping hopper 180 ° away from the wrapping filling station. ^? ^? i ^ L ^. ^? . ... 22. A method for filling a natural hollow elongated shell with a meat emulsion, characterized in that it comprises, placing a natural shell on a tube of elongated meat emulsion filling material having a meat emulsion discharge end, which closes a extended end of the natural envelope over the discharge end of the filling material tube so that the meat emulsion leaving the discharge end will push the natural envelope longitudinally by pumping the emulsion 10 of meat through the tube of filler material for the expansive discharge into the natural envelope at a volume and speed sufficient to provide the primary energy within the natural envelope to move the natural envelope forwardly off the discharge end 15 of the filling material tube, wherein the leading end of the filling material tube extends through a hollow mandrel, and placing an elastic brake element in the mandrel around the filling material tube to provide the coupling of the natural envelope for 20 prevent the longitudinal movement of the natural envelope in the tube of filling material. 23. A machine for stuffing a meat emulsion into elongated natural or artificial casings, characterized in that it comprises a filling station of 25 wrapping that includes a tube of filler material for supporting a casing to be filled with meat emulsion, a casing hopper to serve as a container for a plurality of shirred artificial casings mounted on the machine adjacent to the casing filling station for the supply of shirred artificial casings for mounting on the filler tube, means on the machine for moving the wrapper away from its position adjacent to the wrapper station when the natural wrappers are placed on a filler tube at the filler station. wrapper filling, wherein the leading end of the stuffing tube extends through a hollow mandrel and an elastic brake element in the mandrel around the stuffing tube to provide the coupling of the natural wrapper to prevent the longitudinal movement of the natural envelope on the tube of filling material. 24. A machine for filling emulsion of meat in elongated natural or artificial casings, characterized in that it comprises, a wrapping filling station that includes a tube of filling material to support a casing to be filled with meat emulsion, a hopper of wrapping to serve as a container for a plurality of shirred artificial wraps mounted on the machine adjacent to the meat filling station ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡^ ^ Ss & for the supply of shirred artificial wraps for mounting on the stuffing tube, means on the machine for moving the wrapping hopper away from its position adjacent to the wrapping filling station when the natural wraps are placed on a stuffing tube in the wrapping filling station and a stop ring slidably mounted on the stuffing tube behind the natural wrapping to intermittently push against the wrapping insufficiently to create an extraction or compression pressure therein, although it facilitates the normal forward movement of the envelope over the tube of filler material beyond the normal movement of the envelope caused by the energy of the emulsion entering the envelope. . > ^ y.