The present invention relates to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, containing a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing, the machine comprising filling means configured to feed filling material into the casing, and further comprises closing means arranged downstream the filling means, for closing the casing in a closing region. A housing is provided, enclosing at least the closing region, comprising at least a front wall and a first side wall, wherein the front wall is arranged at least substantially parallel to a longitudinally extending axis of the filling means, and further comprises an opening which can be closed by a movable door element, movable between an open position, allowing access to the closing region and a closed position, covering and blocking access to the closing region. The side wall faces the filling means and further comprises a movable housing element, movable between at least an open position and a closed position, wherein the movable housing element comprises an opening for passing through the sausage-shaped products, and wherein the movable housing element enables access from a side of the first side wall to the closing region when in the open position; and wherein the movable housing element covers and blocks access to the closing region when in the closed position.

The present invention relates to a method for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, containing a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing, on a clipping machine having a control unit for controlling the clipping machine, the method comprises the steps of feeding the filling material in a feeding direction into the tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing stored on a filling tube and being closed at the front end by a closure means, like a closure clip, gathering the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing by gathering means arranged downstream the filling tube, for forming a plait-like portion thereto, and placing and closing at least one closure means on the plait-like portion for closing the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing. The method includes the steps of starting the production process, automatically capturing at least one value of at least one parameter of the clipping machine and setting the captured value as the target value for said parameter in the further production process. The present invention further relates to a clipping machine on which the inventive method may be executed.

A method is provided for equipping at least one filling tube of an apparatus for filling tubular cases with a gathered tubular case. The method includes opening at least one gripping element of a case gripping device, feeding a gathered tubular case into a region of the at least one gripping element of the case gripping device, and closing at least one gripping element for fixing and axially centering the case. The method also includes moving the filling tube and the gripping device relative to each other towards each other for introducing the filling tube into an interior space of the case, partially opening at least one gripping element, and moving the filling tube and the gripping device relative to each other towards each other, such that the filling tube entrains the case and the case is guided by the gripping elements.

An apparatus for filling tubular cases with a pasty material, such as gathered sausage skin casings with sausage meat, is provided. The apparatus includes at least one filling tube, which is rotatable and drivable about its longitudinal axis and on to which a case which can be filled with the material can be pulled, a receiving portion at which the filling tube is rotatably received, and a drive unit for driving the filling tube. The apparatus advantageously includes a magnetic coupling for making and breaking an at least force-locking torque transmission between the drive unit and the filling tube, which has a drive rotor and a driven roller that is displaceable relative to the drive rotor in the longitudinal direction of the filling tube. Thus, the positioning during filling is reliable and performed with simplified structure. A filling machine including the apparatus is also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, containing a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing, on a clipping machine having a control unit for controlling the clipping machine, the method comprises the steps of feeding the filling material in a feeding direction into the tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing stored on a filling tube and being closed at the front end by a closure means, like a closure clip, gathering the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing by gathering means arranged downstream the filling tube, for forming a plait-like portion thereto, and placing and closing at least one closure means on the plait-like portion for closing the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing. The method includes the steps of starting the production process, automatically capturing at least one value of at least one parameter of the clipping machine and setting the captured value as the target value for said parameter in the further production process. The present invention further relates to a clipping machine on which the inventive method may be executed.

A method is provided for equipping at least one filling tube of an apparatus for filling tubular cases with a gathered tubular case. The method includes opening at least one gripping element of a case gripping device, feeding a gathered tubular case into a region of the at least one gripping element of the case gripping device, and closing at least one gripping element for fixing and axially centering the case. The method also includes moving the filling tube and the gripping device relative to each other towards each other for introducing the filling tube into an interior space of the case, partially opening at least one gripping element, and moving the filling tube and the gripping device relative to each other towards each other, such that the filling tube entrains the case and the case is guided by the gripping elements.

An apparatus is provided for filling tubular cases with a pasty material, in particular gathered sausage skin casings with sausage meat. The filling apparatus includes at least one filling tube on to which a case which can be filled with the material can be pulled, a receiving portion receiving a first end of the filling tube, a casing braking unit which is associated with the oppositely disposed second open end and which can be brought into operative connected relationship with the case which has been pulled over the filling tube, and a support device arranged at the receiving portion for the filling tube. The support device has at least one support portion which is variable in spacing relative to the receiving portion and which is adapted to be brought into contact with a gathered case on the filling tube for receiving transverse forces.

An apparatus for filling tubular cases with a pasty material, such as gathered sausage skin casings with sausage meat, is provided. The apparatus includes at least one filling tube, which is rotatable and drivable about its longitudinal axis and on to which a case which can be filled with the material can be pulled, a receiving portion at which the filling tube is rotatably received, and a drive unit for driving the filling tube. The apparatus advantageously includes a magnetic coupling for making and breaking an at least force-locking torque transmission between the drive unit and the filling tube, which has a drive rotor and a driven roller that is displaceable relative to the drive rotor in the longitudinal direction of the filling tube. Thus, the positioning during filling is reliable and performed with simplified structure. A filling machine including the apparatus is also provided.

An apparatus is provided for filling tubular cases with a pasty material, in particular gathered sausage skin casings with sausage meat. The filling apparatus includes at least one filling tube on to which a case which can be filled with the material can be pulled, a receiving portion receiving a first end of the filling tube, a casing braking unit which is associated with the oppositely disposed second open end and which can be brought into operative connected relationship with the case which has been pulled over the filling tube, and a support device arranged at the receiving portion for the filling tube. The support device has at least one support portion which is variable in spacing relative to the receiving portion and which is adapted to be brought into contact with a gathered case on the filling tube for receiving transverse forces.

The present invention relates to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, by filling a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing with filling material and closing said filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing. The clipping machine includes a filling tube through which the filling material is fed into said tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing which is stored on said filling tube, a casing brake assembly arranged on the filling tube for limiting the movement of the tubular packaging casing at least while being filled, gathering means for gathering said filled tubular packaging casing and for forming a plait-like portion thereto, and a clipping device for applying at least one closure means, like a closure clip, to the plait-like portion formed on the filled tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing in a closing region. The clipping machine further comprises a housing defining at least a front wall, a rear wall, and two side walls of the clipping machine, for enclosing at least the clipping device and the gathering means. The housing includes at least one housing element arranged in the front wall of the housing for covering at least the closing region, wherein the at least one housing element is coupled to the clipping machine by a linking device including a shifting mechanism for reversibly shifting the housing element relative to the clipping machine, in a shifting direction, for granting access to the closing region of the clipping machine.