Patent ID: 6932688

Claim:
An apparatus for automatically stuffing a tubular food casing with food product, the apparatus comprising: a stuffing horn through which food product flows into a tubular food casing the stuffing horn including an input end interconnected with a pressurized source of food product; a clipping device for closing with a clip the food casing after being stuffed, the clipping device comprising a slot for guiding the clip and an entry into the slot, wherein the entry comprises an aperture in the clipping device; a tape holding lengths of flexible string having end portions secured together to form flexible string loops, and a source of compressed gas adapted to direct a flow of gas onto a string loop, the tape being directed toward the clipping device and the compressed gas impinging on the string loop so that the string loop is transferred into the entry and into the slot in the clipping device so that a first portion of the string loop protrudes through the entry into the slot while a second portion of the string loop is held simultaneously to the tape, wherein the entry is positioned in the slot and the tape is positioned relative to the entry so that when the food casing is being closed with the clip, the clip draws the loop to the casing and holds the loop between the clip and the food.