Patent EP-0040013-A3 (EP)
IPC: A22C13/02
Filed: 1981-04-24
Abstract: This relates to a machine for shirring tubular films such as 
those used for sausage casings. The films are continuously 
fed onto a mandrel where they are opened from their flat state 
and then are fed at a selected rate through a shirring head. The 
shirred casing is then gripped and advanced in a manner so as 
to control the density thereof and to impart a spin thereto as 
desired. The shirred casing, while being spun, is gripped by a 
pair of cooperating units and a leading portion of the shirred 
casing is separated at predetermined spacings into individual 
strands which are then fed along the mandrel individually and 
are compressed and doffed from the mandrel into a strand 
handler which then presents each strand to an end closer and 
thereafter deposits the closed strand on a receiving tray. A 
mandrel clamp assembly supports the mandrel and intro­
duces liquid and air into the mandrel, and includes a sealing 
sleeve and a mandrel positioning pin. A control shaft is 
formed in sections and each shaft section other than a starting 
section is supported by a single bearing. Adjacent ends of the 
shaft sections are formed with projecting half-circular cross-­
sectional portions which are overlapped and then are 
clamped together by a radially expanding wedge device dis­
posed within a sleeve encircling the shaft portions. An 
apparatus is provided for treating a separated strand of shir­
red casing. The strand is fed along the mandrel and a stop 
member is positioned transversely of the mandrel adjacent a 
free end thereof, after which the trailing end of the strand is 
engaged by a shaping device which, as it advances toward the 
stop to compress the strand, is oscillated or rotated also to 
dress the trailing end of the strand. When the stop is opened, 
the same member is used to doff the strand from the mandrel. 
The control shaft controls the timed operation of various 
components of the machine. The control shaft is driven by a 
primary drive unit of the machine through a quick change gear 
unit and an adjustable drive connection so as to vary the 
functions of the machine primarily for the purpose of varying 
the lengths of strands of shirred casing produced by the 
machine. There is a drive mechanism of the rack and pinion 
type wherein the length of the rack is less than the required 
travel and there are plural drive pinions which singly and then 
sequentially engage the rack. The drive pinions may be driven 
in any manner, but when a variation in speed is desired in 
addition to reciprocation, it has been found that a cam type 
drive will provide the desired mechanical movement. The rack 
may be beneficially used to effect the controlled movement of 
a shirred casing strand along a mandrel. A gripper-separator 
unit separates continuously shirred casings into individual 
strands. The gripper is provided with hold back blades which 
engage the shirred casing while the separator is provided with 
like blades which engage the shirred casing substantially in 
the same plane as the gripper blades. The separator is then 
rapidly moved away from the gripper so as to snap the casing 
at the point of engagement by the blades. Suitable drives are 
provided for separately reciprocating the gripper and the 
separator and various drives are provided for positioning the 
blades. When the casing is being spun, the separator and the 
gripper are spun in unison therewith.