A twisting apparatus comprising a loading device intended to load a food product into a casing, and a braking device, is described. The loading device comprises two tubular filling bodies, or filling tubes, intended to support the casing and a twisting device intended to rotate each filling tube about its axis, and a movable frame or carriage able to support the loading device. The twisting apparatus includes a rotation unit intended to cause rotation of the loading device and angularly displace the two tubular filling bodies with respect to the braking device. Also provided is a displacement drive member connected to said movable frame or carriage so as to move with an approaching and separating displacement, or to-and-fro movement, the two tubular filling bodies away from and towards the braking device. The rotation unit includes a rotation drive member fixed to said movable frame or carriage and is able to be moved by said displacement drive member together with the loading device. The displacement drive member is also configured to move the loading device with respect to an entry member for supplying the product.

A one-piece adaptor that fits directly onto the output end of a nozzle of a sausage stuffer, to quickly, inexpensively and easily facilitate the application of natural casings onto the stuffer nozzle without the use of any additional, complicated, specialized equipment.

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.

A filling apparatus for and method of filling gathered tubular cases is provided. The filling apparatus includes a filling tube onto which a gathered tubular case can be pushed, and a moveable receiving portion which accommodates a first end of the filling tube and which is adapted to move the filling tube into a charging position in which the case can be put on to the filling tube and into a filling position in which the case can be filled. The filling apparatus also includes a pushing-on device which is moveable axially relative to the filling tube longitudinal axis for pushing the case on to the filling tube in the charging position, an axially moveable entrainment ring arranged on the filling tube, and a sensing device for ascertaining the position of the entrainment ring and/or the pushing-on device.

A filling apparatus for and method of filling gathered tubular cases is provided. The filling apparatus includes a filling tube onto which a gathered tubular case can be pushed, and a moveable receiving portion which accommodates a first end of the filling tube and which is adapted to move the filling tube into a charging position in which the case can be put on to the filling tube and into a filling position in which the case can be filled. The filling apparatus also includes a pushing-on device which is moveable axially relative to the filling tube longitudinal axis for pushing the case on to the filling tube in the charging position, an axially moveable entrainment ring arranged on the filling tube, and a sensing device for ascertaining the position of the entrainment ring and/or the pushing-on device.

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.

A twisting apparatus comprising a loading device intended to load a food product into a casing, and a braking device, is described. The loading device comprises two tubular filling bodies, or filling tubes, intended to support the casing and a twisting device intended to rotate each filling tube about its axis, and a movable frame or carriage able to support the loading device. The twisting apparatus includes a rotation unit intended to cause rotation of the loading device and angularly displace the two tubular filling bodies with respect to the braking device. Also provided is a displacement drive member connected to said movable frame or carriage so as to move with an approaching and separating displacement, or to-and-fro movement, the two tubular filling bodies away from and towards the braking device. The rotation unit includes a rotation drive member fixed to said movable frame or carriage and is able to be moved by said displacement drive member together with the loading device. The displacement drive member is also configured to move the loading device with respect to an entry member for supplying the product.

An automatic stuffing machine for food products, which comprises a base framework that supports at least one forming die of the product to be stuffed and a pusher adapted to cause the translation of the formed product through a stuffing tube; the machine has at least one tube changer body that supports at least two stuffing tubes and is actuated to move in order to bring, in each instance, one of the stuffing tubes to a working position, in which it is located substantially at the area of action of the pusher; furthermore elements are provided for removable joining between the forming die and the stuffing tube in the working position which are adapted to pass from an active condition, in which they provide a connection between the forming die and the stuffing tube in the working position, to an inactive condition.

A filling tube assembly of a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products, like sausages, by filling a filling material into a tubular packaging casing, the filling tube assembly comprising: a revolver plate, which is rotatable about a rotation axis, at least a first filling tube and a second filling tube each having a central axis, wherein the filling tubes are mounted on the revolver plate, at least a first casing brake assembly and a second casing brake assembly, wherein the first casing brake assembly is connected to the first filling tube and the second casing brake assembly is connected to the second filling tube, and a drive device for rotating the revolver plate including the filling tubes about the rotation axis, wherein the central axis of the first filling tube and the central axis of the second filling tube define an angle larger than 0, preferably between 15 and 75, and more preferably between 30 and 60.