Abstract:
A method and apparatus for cutting sausages squeezes the meat inside the casing by a crimping wheel to move the meat emulsion away from the linking point to provide sufficient casing to close the ends of the proposed links and to prevent bursting of the casing. This is accomplished by passing the unlinked sausage strand over a crimping wheel to crimp the proposed linking points, reshaping the sausage strand at the linking points, and then subsequently cutting the precrimped link points.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the production of sausages, care must be exercised in cutting a strand of sausage into links. If the casing for the sausage is damaged or fractured during the cutting operation, the meat emulsion in the core of the strand will escape and the adjacent sausages will be destroyed. This is particularly true in a strand formed by a coextrusion process where the casing is not a separate disposable casing material, but is a coagulated layer of edible material. 
     It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus to precrimp a strand of sausage at the proposed link points prior to cutting to pre-condition or pre-shape the link points for readiness for the cutting process. 
     It is a further object of this invention to pre-shape the proposed link points for the sausage strand to relocate the meat emulsion at those points to relieve the sausage pressure on the casing that is to be cut. 
     These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A method and apparatus for cutting sausages squeezes the meat inside the casing by a crimping wheel to move the meat emulsion away from the linking point to provide sufficient casing to close the ends of the proposed links and to prevent bursting of the casing. This is accomplished by passing the unlinked sausage strand over a crimping wheel to crimp the proposed linking points, reshaping the sausage strand at the linking points, and then subsequently cutting the precrimped link points. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the machine of this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale elevational view of the portion of FIG. 1 outlined by the line  2 — 2 ; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale side elevational view of the crimper wheel; 
     FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the crimper wheel as seen from the left-hand side of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a crimper element; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale sectional view of the crimper wheel and cutting and conveying assembly as viewed from the right-hand side of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale sectional view taken on line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged scale perspective view showing the crimping element and its relation to bars on the cutting and conveying assembly; 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged scale plan view of FIG. 8 with a sausage strand being compressed; and 
     FIG. 10 is a reduced scale sectional view taken on line  10 — 10  of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The precrimping machine  10  is best shown in FIG. 1, and includes a frame  12  to which is secured a conventional horizontal continuous belt conveyor  14 . A horizontal shaft  16  is supported by the frame above one end of conveyor  14  and is rigidly secured to wheel  18 . Shaft  16  is connected to a suitable source of rotational power (not shown). Wheel  18  has an outer periphery  20  (FIGS.  1  and  6 ). 
     As best shown in FIG. 6, a pair of cam grooves  22  and  24  are formed in the outer periphery  20  of wheel  18 . The cam grooves are primarily in parallel relationship between the six o&#39;clock and twelve o&#39;clock positions of the wheel  18  as seen in FIG.  1 . However, the cam grooves  22  converge towards each other between the twelve o&#39;clock and eight o&#39;clock positions as viewed in FIG. 1 whereupon they extend away from each other between the point of maximum convergence back to their relatively parallel position between the eight o&#39;clock and six o&#39;clock positions as viewed in FIG.  1 . The purpose of the converging portions of the cam grooves  20  and  24  will be discussed hereafter. 
     As best shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of conveying and cutting assemblies  26  are mounted on the outer periphery  20  of wheel  18 . The assemblies  26  are radially spaced a distance substantially equal to the length of the sausage links to be treated by the machine  10 . Each assembly  28  has downwardly extending cam elements  28  that extend into the cam grooves  22  and  24 . The assemblies include a subframe  30 , (FIG. 6) which has opposed cutting elements  32  slidably mounted thereon. The cutting elements include elongated parallel bars  34  (FIGS. 6 and 8) which are slidably positioned with respect to each other (FIG.  8 ). The spacing of the cam grooves  22  and  24  determine the relative positions of the cutting elements  32 . As seen in FIG. 6, which shows an assembly  26  at a twelve o&#39;clock position of wheel  18  as shown in FIG. 1, the cutting elements are completely separated in a non-cutting disposition. As previously discussed, the cam grooves  22  and  24  begin to gradually converge between the twelve o&#39;clock and eight o&#39;clock positions which gradually cause the cam elements  28  to converge and to slide the cutting elements  32  towards each other where the cutting edges  35  are completely superimposed upon each other so as to sever the portion of a sausage strand dwelling therebetween. This takes place at the eight o&#39;clock position. After a sausage strand is cut at the eight o&#39;clock position, the cutting elements begin to separate because the cam grooves  22  and  24  begin to gradually resume their parallel relationship. The cam elements  28  follow this path of the cam grooves  22  and  24  between the eight o&#39;clock and six o&#39;clock positions so that at the six o&#39;clock position, the assemblies  26  resume their full open positions as typically shown in FIG.  6 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a bracket  36  is pivotally secured to frame  10  and rotatably supports shaft  37  upon which the crimping wheel  38  is mounted (FIGS.  1  and  6 ). Crimping wheel  38  includes a pair of parallel spaced plates  40  (FIG. 6) which are fixedly secured to parallel tooth plates  42 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the tooth plates  42  create a track  43  for a sausage strand to dwell within. A plurality of spaced teeth  44  are an integral part of tooth plates  42  and help define the track  43  for the sausage strand. The teeth  44  have spaces  45  therebetween (FIG.  3 ). 
     Crimper elements  46  are rigidly mounted between plates  40  (FIGS. 4,  5  and  6 ). The crimper elements are closely spaced from the bars  34  as indicated by the space  47  shown best in FIGS. 6 and 7. The crimper elements have arcuate leading and trailing edges  48 , and a center portion  49  (FIG. 10) which cooperates with the bars  34  (FIG. 8) to effect the crimping force on a sausage strand as the crimping elements move over the bars  34  when a sausage strand is positioned within track  43 . It should be noted that the crimper elements  46  are located within the spaces  45  in between teeth  44 . 
     A conventional endless belt conveyor  50  is positioned adjacent frame  12  and has an upper end  52 . Conveyor  50  serves to move an elongated unlinked strand  54  of sausage material to a location essentially above crimping wheel  38 . As will be discussed more fully hereafter, the strand  54  is converted into a plurality of links  56  (FIG. 2) created at linking points  58  (FIG. 6) which are the points of compression in the strand  54  created by the coaction of crimper elements  46  and bars  34  (FIGS. 7,  8  and  10 ). When the cutting elements  32  are superimposed upon each other at the eight o&#39;clock position as discussed above, the links  56  are cut at the linking points  58  to create a plurality of cut links  60  (FIG.  1 ). 
     A torsion mechanism  62  for adjustably changing the downward pressure on crimping wheel  38  is comprised of a link  64  which is rigidly secured to the shaft  37  supporting the crimping wheel (FIG.  6 ). A second link  66  is coextensive with link  64  and is rigidly secured thereto in any convenient way. A resilient but relatively stiff rubber insert  68  is secured in any convenient way to the free end of link  66 . The rubber insert  68  is inserted within bore  70  of plug  62  and is rigidly secured to the plug  72  by pin  73 . An arm  74  is rigidly secured to the free end of plug  72  and extends outwardly therefrom to be adjustably secured to frame  12  by adjustable socket  76  mounted on post  78  which in turn is rigidly secured to frame  12  (FIG.  1 ). The adjustable position of arm  74  with respect to post  78  determines the amount of torsion or twist that is applied to the rubber inserts  68  which in turn determines the amount of downward force applied to the shaft  16  and the crimper wheel  38 . Thus, the downward pressure of the crimping wheel  38  can be adjusted in the manner indicated to effect different crimping pressure of the crimping elements  46  on bore  34 . 
     In operation, the conveyor  50  is actuated to cause the unlinked strand  54  of sausage material to be threaded into the track  43  of crimper wheel  38  in a tangential direction as best shown in FIG.  1 . The strand  54  is then directed between the crimping wheel  38  and one of the conveying and cutting assemblies  26  so that the crimper elements  46  registering with the bars  34  (FIGS. 8 and 10) can compress or crimp the sausage strand at a linking point  58  as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. By precrimping the strand  54  in the manner described, the sausage emulsion  80  within casing  82  is relocated to form a substantially rounded end  84  at each side of the linking point  58 . This is done without cutting the linking point  58  and without breaking the casing  82 . Thus, the precrimping sets the stage for the linking point to be cut in the manner described above at the eight o&#39;clock position of the wheel  18  as previously described. This avoids the possibility of rupturing the casing during the cutting position which might be the case if the cutting assemblies merely severed a full diameter of sausage strand  54 . 
     Thus, from the foregoing, it is seen that this invention will achieve at least all of its stated objectives.