Patent ID: 6080055
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: A22C

Abstract:
An apparatus for removing casings from elongated casing-enclosed sausage sticks, comprising:a) an indexing conveyor for receiving casing-enclosed sausage sticks;b) inflating mechanism for inflating the casing-enclosed sausage sticks;c) casing end cap removal mechanism for removing casing end caps from the casing-enclosed sausage sticks;d) casing slitting mechanism for slitting the casings;e) casing removal mechanism for removing the casings from the casing-enclosed sausage sticks; andf) staging mechanism for positioning the casing enclosed sausage sticks in the indexing conveyor; said staging mechanism comprising:an accumulator conveyor having a discharge end;an infeed pusher positioned under the discharge end of the accumulator conveyor, the pusher movable between a retracted position and an extended position; andthe indexing conveyor positioned below the pusher, the indexing conveyor having a first slot and a second slot, the second slot positioned forward of the first slot, wherein when the pusher is in the extended position, the index conveyor positions empty first and second slots and the pusher moves to the retracted position allowing first and second casing-enclosed sausage sticks to fall with the first stick going into the first slot with the second stick on top of the first stick and when the pusher moves to the extended position, the second stick is pushed into the second slot.