Patent ID: 8157623

Claim:
A sausage casing gripping apparatus for use with gathered concertinaed sausage casings and a sausage filling machine, comprising: first and second gripping elements and an intermediate space between the first and second gripping elements, the first and second gripping elements being movable relative to each other and configured to grip the concertinaed sausage casing by a reduction of the intermediate space, the first and second gripping elements further configured to release the concertinaed sausage casing by an expansion of the intermediate space; a drive device for moving the first gripping element; a first lever element coupling the drive device to the first gripping element; a second lever element, wherein the first and second lever elements are coupled to both the first and second gripping elements; and a mounting between the first lever element and the first gripping element, the mounting allowing relative movement between the first lever element and the first gripping element.