The present disclosure relates to a displacement element pair for dividing a sausage strand, conveyed between the displacement elements, into individual sausages, each displacement element having at least one wing with a first wing section and a second wing section between which an outwardly widening, in particular V-shaped cutout is formed, both the first and the second wing section having a laterally curved pocket or an opening. The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding apparatus for dividing a sausage strand.

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 portioning device is provided for forming portions from elongate casings stuffed with food mass, in particular for forming sausages from alginate casings stuffed with sausage meat. The portioning device 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 and projecting laterally from the conveyor member. It is proposed that at least one of the crimping members has such a shape, on its functional area that in the conveying area at least partially faces an opposite crimping member, that corrugations, creases and/or folds extending substantially parallel to the conveying direction, in particular, are formed in the constricted portion of the casing, thereby producing a desirable shape for the portions separated.

Portioning devices and methods for portioning and conveying elongate casings stuffed with a mass. Circulating conveyor belts are arranged adjacent to each other for conveying the stuffed casings. Each conveyor belt has a conveying area which in operation is moved in a conveying direction, and a return area, wherein the stuffed casing is introduced between the conveying areas of the two conveyor belts and can then be conveyed in the conveying direction. At least one divider is arranged on each conveyor belt and projects laterally from the conveyor belt. The dividers of the adjacent conveyor belts cooperate in the conveying areas in such a way that the stuffed casing is constricted. The divider has a constriction portion for engaging with the stuffed casing and which extends, in operation, substantially at a slant relative to a plane defined as perpendicular to the conveying direction.

The disclosure relates to a device for constricting and/or separating a sausage strand moving in direction of transport with two separating devices which in relation to sausage strand are disposed opposite one another, each comprising: a disk mounted to be rotatable about a first axis, a disk arranged thereabove mounted to be rotatable about a second axis with an axis spacing from first axis, at least two connecting elements, at least one of which comprises a displacement element,

where a first end of respective connecting element is mounted to be rotatable in first disk at a respective distance r from first axis and a second end in second disk is mounted to be rotatable at same distance from second axis, where connecting elements are guided such that at least one displacement element, during its rotation about first axis, is always aligned at a predetermined angle relative to direction of transport.

The disclosure relates to a device for constricting and/or separating a sausage strand moving in direction of transport with two separating devices which in relation to sausage strand are disposed opposite one another, each comprising: a disk mounted to be rotatable about a first axis, a disk arranged thereabove mounted to be rotatable about a second axis with an axis spacing from first axis, at least two connecting elements, at least one of which comprises a displacement element, where a first end of respective connecting element is mounted to be rotatable in first disk at a respective distance r from first axis and a second end in second disk is mounted to be rotatable at same distance from second axis, where connecting elements are guided such that at least one displacement element, during its rotation about first axis, is always aligned at a predetermined angle relative to direction of transport.

Portioning devices and methods for portioning and conveying elongate casings stuffed with a mass. Circulating conveyor belts are arranged adjacent to each other for conveying the stuffed casings. Each conveyor belt has a conveying area which in operation is moved in a conveying direction, and a return area, wherein the stuffed casing is introduced between the conveying areas of the two conveyor belts and can then be conveyed in the conveying direction. At least one divider is arranged on each conveyor belt and projects laterally from the conveyor belt. The dividers of the adjacent conveyor belts cooperate in the conveying areas in such a way that the stuffed casing is constricted. The divider has a constriction portion for engaging with the stuffed casing and which extends, in operation, substantially at a slant relative to a plane defined as perpendicular to the conveying direction.

Method and apparatus for twist linking tubular casings for stuffing tubular casings is disclosed. A method for twist linking tubular casings includes twisting a tubular casing such that the number of twists per portion or per group of portions is varied during the processing of a tubular casing. An apparatus for twist linking tubular casings, which is configured to twist the tubular casings to form portions having a variable number of twists per portion or per group of portions, includes a control unit configured to perform the disclosed method for twist linking tubular casings.

A sausage cutting apparatus 10 comprises a plastics base plate 36 defining a flat support base for a sausage rope to be cut, first and second cutting assemblies 38,42 including a number of cutting devices 40, a drive system for displacing the cutting devices and a guide rails 72 for guiding the displacement. The cutting assemblies 38, 42 are located at opposite sides of a feed path for the sausage rope and each includes a continuous flexible toothed belt 46 to which the cutting devices 40 are connected. The carrier belts 46 are mounted on the guide rails. The guide rails project upwardly from the support base and include arcuate guide surfaces along which the carrier belts are slidingly displaced, defining sequentially convergent and divergent cutter paths along which associated cutting devices are displaced inwardly for severing the sausage rope and thereafter away from one another for releasing severed sausage portions.

An apparatus is provided for dividing up tubular cases which are filled with a pasty material such as sausage meat. The dividing apparatus includes two circulating transport elements arranged on mutually opposite sides of the case, and the transport elements respectively include one or more dividing elements and a plurality of guide parts, and at least one drive device for the transport elements. The dividing elements are so arranged at the transport elements and are so guided along the case that only one pair of dividing elements can be simultaneously brought into engagement with the case. The dividing apparatus can create various lengths of filled cases with minimal complexity.