A device for separating individual sausages (12), which are separated from one another by twist points (15), at a cutting point (5), wherein a sensor (6) for detecting the twist point (15) is connected upstream of the cutting point (5), wherein, upstream of the cutting point (5), there is positioned at least one further sensor (7) which runs parallel to the sensor (6) and which is located closer to the cutting point (5) than the sensor (6), wherein the sensors (6, 7) each generate an infrared light shell.

A sausage cutting apparatus 10 for cutting an extruded length of sausage into smaller sausage portions includes first and second cutting assemblies located at opposite sides of a feed path. The cutting assemblies include flexible toothed belts 38 driven by toothed pinions, to which a number of longitudinally-spaced cutting device 30 are fixedly attached. The apparatus includes a drive system for synchronously driving the belts 38 and a guide system for guiding displacement of the cutting devices into and out of meshing engagement with one another for cutting the length of sausage. Each cutting device includes a cutting blade defining a domed cutting face at an inner side thereof. The cutting devices are displaced along arcuate cutter paths during meshing engagement of the cutting blades wherein the cutting faces of opposing pairs of cutting blades mesh with a slight interference fit in a conjugate meshing action.

A sausage cutting apparatus 10 for cutting an extruded length of sausage into smaller sausage portions includes first and second cutting assemblies located at opposite sides of a feed path. The cutting assemblies include flexible toothed belts 38 driven by toothed pinions, to which a number of longitudinally-spaced cutting device 30 are fixedly attached. The apparatus includes a drive system for synchronously driving the belts 38 and a guide system for guiding displacement of the cutting devices into and out of meshing engagement with one another for cutting the length of sausage. Each cutting device includes a cutting blade defining a domed cutting face at an inner side thereof. The cutting devices are displaced along arcuate cutter paths during meshing engagement of the cutting blades wherein the cutting faces of opposing pairs of cutting blades mesh with a slight interference fit in a conjugate meshing action.

A cutting machine includes a cutting device and a co-operating conveyor device for conveying food products in a conveying direction. The conveyor device includes at least one conveyor unit having a conveyor belt which is guided by at least one deflection roll and which comes into contact with the food products in the contact area and having at least one guide means for guiding the conveyor belt. The at least one guide means has a first support portion for supporting the conveyor belt at a first height and a second support portion for supporting it at a second height, these heights being spaced apart in a direction extending perpendicularly to the conveying direction, and at least one recess arranged between the first height and the second height, in which the conveyor belt can give way at least partly due to contact with a food product.

The invention relates to a method and device for producing portions from a strand (B), in particular for the production of sausages, comprising at least one pair of opposing clamps (1, 1) that can be moved towards one another by actuating means, from an open position to a closed position in order to clamp the strand. Each clamp comprises clamping means (2, 2, 3, 3) that can he maneuvered by the aforementioned actuating means (70, 9; 70, 9) in order to clamp the strand onto a central strand segment, and subsequently to clamp the strand onto side strand segments on each side of the central segment.

A separating device is provided for separating portions of elongate casings filled with food mixture, in particular sausage portions of alginate casings filled with sausage meat. The separating device includes two circulating transport elements; at least one crimping element, each having a fastening section, a crimping section, and a counter holder. According to the invention, the counter holder is flexible such that it applies a preloading force to the crimping element arranged on the opposite transport element to improve the separating effect of the crimping elements.

Clipper assemblies include a clipper body with a die support holding at least one clip die; and a knife cylinder with a downwardly extending rod, the knife cylinder attached to the clipper body above the clip die. The clipper assemblies also include a knife plate having a body with a perimeter with a first portion pivotably attached to the rod and a second portion pivotably attached to the clipper body below the clip die. The knife plate holds a knife which extends outward from a side of the knife plate a distance between about 1-2 inches, at an angle of between 80-110 degrees (measured from a line drawn parallel to the side from which the knife extends outward from). In operation, the knife is configured to either: (a) move upward to cut respective clipped packages or (b) move downward to cut respective clipped packages.

A separator is provided for separating portions from elongate casings stuffed with food mass, in particular for separating sausages from alginate casings stuffed with sausage meat. The separator includes two circulating conveyor members spaced apart from one another and drivable by at least one drive element, and at least one crimping member arranged on each conveyor member. It is proposed that the legs of a crimping portion of the crimping members are curved on their side facing an adjacently arranged second crimping member in operation, such that the stuffed casing is first constricted in a constriction region with displacement of the food mass and then severed, producing a desirable shape for the portions separated.

A method and a device provide portions of pasty food mass provided in a casing, in particular small sausage portions. In the device, at least a drive of a suspension machine or a drive of a looper horn or a portioning belt drive of a portioning apparatus is controlled by a controller. The controller assures that a defined number of portions is transferred from the portioning apparatus to a first hook of the suspension machine by looper horn at the beginning of a production phase.

The present invention relates to a system for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, by filling a filling material into a tubular packaging casing, the system includes a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products. The clipping machine comprises a filling tube assembly having at least a first filling tube for feeding the filling material into the tubular packaging casing stored on the filling tube and closed at its first end, at least a first casing brake assembly, associated with the first filling tube, for applying a braking force to the tubular packaging casing while being pulled-off from the first filling tube, and a control unit for controlling at least the clipping machine. The system further includes a removal assembly for removing at least a portion of the tubular packaging casing from the at least first filling tube. The present invention relates to a method for removing a portion of a tubular packaging casing from an at least first filling tube of the clipping machine.