Casing holding device for an apparatus for filling tubular cases

Abstract

Casing holding device for filling tubular cases with a pasty foodstuff material. A casing brake, in a portioning position, is in contact with a case drawn on to a filling tube and produces a pressing force between case and filling tube. An adjusting device is configured for moving the casing brake between the portioning position and a casing change position in which the casing brake is uncoupled from the filling tube. The adjusting device has a guide linkage which has a plurality of links and which is adapted for the casing brake in at least a first phase of the movement out of the portioning position into the casing change position to be moved substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube and to be pivoted in at least a second phase of the movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

Claims

1. A casing holding device for an apparatus for filling a case with a pasty foodstuff material, the casing holding device comprising a casing brake having a portioning position in which the casing brake is placed in contact with the case drawn onto a filling tube and produces a pressing force between the case and the filling tube; and an adjusting device for moving the casing brake between the portioning position and a casing change position in which the casing brake is uncoupled from the filling tube, the adjusting device having a guide linkage which has a plurality of links and which is adapted for the casing brake, in at least a first phase of the movement out of the portioning position into the casing change position, to be moved substantially axially relative to a longitudinal axis of the filling tube and to be pivoted in at least a second phase of the movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

2. The casing holding device of claim 1 wherein the guide linkage comprises a four-link linkage adapted to move the casing brake on a predetermined curved path with a substantially straight path portion and a curved path portion.

3. The casing holding device of claim 2 wherein the guide linkage includes a stationary frame, a first rotary joint, a second rotary joint, a third rotary joint, a first crank arm and a second crank arm that are respectively movably pivoted to the stationary frame by the first rotary joint, and a coupling portion connecting the first crank arm and the second crank arm respectively with the second rotary joint and the third rotary joint.

4. The casing holding device of claim 3 further comprising: a holding portion mounted to the casing brake, the casing brake fixedly connected to the coupling portion of the four-link linkage by the holding portion.

5. The casing holding device of claim 4 wherein the holding portion has a cantilever arm and a head plate for the casing brake, the head plate extending in the portioning position approximately perpendicularly to the cantilever arm.

6. The casing holding device of claim 4 wherein the guide linkage is arranged in a coupling region of a cantilever arm which has a first stationary arm portion and a second arm portion movable relative to the first stationary arm portion by means of the guide linkage.

7. The casing holding device of claim 6 wherein a respective coupling part is provided at mutually facing ends of first and second arm portions, and each coupling part includes a plug coupling provided for transmission of a drive movement to the casing brake mounted to the holding portion.

8. The casing holding device of claim 3 wherein the adjusting device has a lever mechanism connected to the guide linkage as an actuating unit for the guide linkage.

9. The casing holding device of claim 8 wherein the lever mechanism is connected to the first crank arm, the second crank arm, or the coupling portion of the guide linkage.

10. The casing holding device of claim 8 wherein the lever mechanism has a first lever arm and a second lever arm that are movably interconnected, the first lever arm is arranged with one end pivotably at a stationary rotary mounting, and the second lever arm is connected with its free end rotatably to the coupling portion.

11. The casing holding device of claim 8 further comprising: a manually actuable hand lever, wherein the lever mechanism is rotationally coupled at its drive side to the manually actuable hand lever.

12. The casing holding device of claim 11 wherein the lever mechanism includes a toggle lever clamp for arresting the guide linkage in the portioning position of the casing brake on the filling tube.

13. The casing holding device of claim 12 further comprising: a spur gear transmission arranged between the lever mechanism and the manually actuable hand lever.

14. The casing holding device of claim 1 wherein the adjusting device is adapted to be manually actuable for movement of the casing brake, and the guide linkage is adapted to move the casing brake at least substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

15. An apparatus for filling a case with a pasty material, the apparatus comprising a filling tube on to which the case can be drawn, the filling tube being mounted drivably and rotatably about a longitudinal axis; and a casing holding device including a casing brake and an adjusting device, the casing brake having a portioning position in which the casing brake is placed in contact with the case drawn onto the filling tube and produces a pressing force between the case and the filling tube, the adjusting device for moving the casing brake between the portioning position and a casing change position in which the casing brake is uncoupled from the filling tube, the adjusting device having a guide linkage which has a plurality of links and which is adapted for the casing brake, in at least a first phase of the movement out of the portioning position into the casing change position, to be moved substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube and to be pivoted in at least a second phase of the movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: a frame structure; and a cantilever arm coupling the casing holding device to the frame structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the cantilever arm is oriented approximately parallel to the filling tube.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: a twisting-off device for driving the casing brake; and/or a filling hopper for receiving the pasty material; and/or a conveyor pump for conveying the pasty material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a filling apparatus or filling machine for producing a string consisting of a foodstuff material with a casing holding device according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the casing holding device according to the invention as shown in FIG. 1,

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 show views of the casing holding device in various operating positions with respect to a filling tube of the filling apparatus,

(5) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the casing holding device according to the invention, and

(6) FIG. 6 shows a superimposed view of the dividing apparatus for representing the curved path implemented by means of the guide linkage according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a machine for producing a string consisting of a foodstuff material, in particular a filling machine 100 for filling tubular cases like for example synthetic and/or natural sausage skins. Provided on the filling machine 100 is a filling hopper 102 for introducing the foodstuff material to be processed. A conveyor pump (not shown in detail) is arranged within the filling machine 100. The material to be processed is conveyed by means of the conveyor pump in the direction of an extrusion head 104 and a filling tube 106 arranged rotatably on the extrusion head.

(8) Arranged on the filling machine 100 is a casing holding device 1 including a casing brake 2 which in operation of the filling machine 100 is in contact with a case drawn on to the filling tube 106, and produces a pressing force between the case and the filling tube. The casing brake 2 is carried by way of a holding portion 4, by means of which the casing brake 2 is held in a predetermined orientation relative to the filling tube 106. The casing holding device 1 further includes an adjusting device 6 for moving the casing brake 2. The adjusting device 6 is adapted to move the casing brake between its portioning position at the end of the filling tube 106 and a casing change position in which the casing brake 2 is uncoupled from the filling tube 106, along a predetermined path. The adjusting device 6 includes a guide linkage 8 (see FIG. 2) which has a plurality of links and by means of which the casing brake 2 is moved in at least a first phase of a movement out of the portioning position into the casing change position substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube, and is pivoted in at least a second phase of the movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube.

(9) The guide linkage 8 in the embodiment illustrated here is actuated by means of a handle 10. The handle 10 in the present embodiment is in the form of a hand lever. In particular after a case which has been drawn on to the filling tube 106 and which can be filled has been processed the casing brake 2 is moved out of contact with the filling tube by means of the hand lever 10 in order to push a fresh gathered case on to the filling tube 106 for filling thereof.

(10) FIG. 2 shows the casing holding device 1 according to the invention with its adjusting device 6 as a detail view, thereby to illustrate the mode of operation thereof more clearly. The holding portion 4 with the casing brake 2 which in particular is carried rotatably thereon has a cantilever arm 12 extending preferably parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106. Arranged at the free end of the cantilever arm 12 is a head plate 14 extending approximately perpendicularly to the cantilever arm. Provided on the head plate 14 is a rotary mounting 16 for the casing brake carried movably thereon. The casing holding device 1 is arranged with its cantilever arm 12 on a frame structure 108 of the filling machine 100. The filling machine 100 has a twist-off device (not shown in detail) for driving the casing brake 2.

(11) As can further be seen from FIG. 2 the guide linkage 8 is in the form of a multi-link linkage, in particular a four-link linkage 18. The four-link linkage 18 is adapted to move the casing brake 2 between the portioning position A and the casing change position B on a predetermined curved path 20 (FIG. 6). The curved path 20 shown in FIG. 6 includes a substantially rectilinear path portion 20′ and a curved path portion 20″. The guide linkage 8, in the present case the four-link linkage 18, includes at least one stationary frame 22, two crank arms 24, 26 pivotably movably connected to the frame by way of a first and a second rotary joint 23.1, 23.2 and a coupling portion 28 connected to one of the crank arms 24, 26 by way of a third and a fourth rotary joint 23.3, 23.4. The casing brake 2, in particular a part of the holding portion 4 for the casing brake 2, is fixedly connected to the coupling portion 28 of the four-link linkage 18. The linkage 18 with its four rotary joints 23.1-23.4 is actuated manually by means of the handle 10. Upon actuation of the hand lever 10 a portion of the cantilever arm 12, the head plate 14 and the casing brake 2 perform a substantially translatory movement in the first phase of movement. It is only in the second phase of movement that the casing brake 2 is pivoted by means of the crank arms 24, 26 inclined at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106.

(12) As FIGS. 3 and 4 further show the adjusting device 6 has a lever mechanism 30 which is connected to the guide linkage 8 and which is interposed between the guide linkage 8 and the hand lever 10 of the adjusting device 6 as a kind of step-up transmission. The lever mechanism 30 represents a drive connection between the hand lever 10 and the movable crank arms 24, 26 or the coupling portion 28 of the guide linkage 8. As FIG. 4 shows the lever mechanism 30 has two lever arms 32, 34 movably connected together. A first lever arm 32 is arranged with an end at a stationary rotary mounting 36 and is supported pivotably in particular by way of the rotary mounting 36. The second lever arm 34 is coupled with one of its ends rotatably to the first lever arm 32 and with the opposite end is pivotably connected movably at a further rotary mounting 36′ on the coupling portion 28.

(13) In the embodiment illustrated here a toggle lever clamp is provided by means of the lever mechanism 30, thereby providing a self-locking function for the adjusting device 6. Accordingly the casing brake 2 is automatically arrested or fixed on the filling tube 6 by the guide linkage 8 in the portioning position A (FIG. 3). The casing brake can therefore not move of its own accord out of the portioning position A on the filling tube 106. In the illustrated embodiment the toggle lever clamp acts against an abutment on the adjusting device 6. In an embodiment which is not shown here a transmission in the form of a spur gear transmission is used for the transmission of force between the lever mechanism 30 and the hand lever 10. The spur gear transmission serves for the simplified transmission of force and in the present case involves a change in the direction of movement between the hand lever 10 and the first lever arm 32 of the lever mechanism 30, which are pivoted in opposite directions. Preferably as shown in FIG. 4 the central axis of the casing brake 2 is at a set angle β in the region of about 30° to 70° relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106 in the casing change position.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the casing holding device 1 according to the invention, which shows the two-part configuration of the cantilever arm 12 and the arrangement of a drive train 38 for implementing the twisting-off movement at the casing brake 2 within the cantilever arm 12. The cantilever arm 12 has a coupling region 40, by means of which the cantilever arm 12 is subdivided into a stationary first arm portion 42 and a movable second arm portion 44. The drive train 38 extends in the form of a drive shaft along the cantilever arm 12. Provided in the coupling region 40 of the cantilever arm 12 are two coupling parts 46, 48 which can be brought into engagement with each other and which subdivide and couple the drive train 38.

(15) In an embodiment not shown here the coupling parts 46, 48 at their mutually facing ends have interengaging latching elements to provide a positively locking connection between the coupling parts 46, 48. A kind of plug coupling is produced by means of the coupling parts 46, 48. In the embodiment shown here at least one of the coupling parts 46, 48 is arranged displaceably in the axial direction within the first or second arm portion of the cantilever arm. This provides a compensating movement upon coupling and uncoupling of the coupling parts 46, 48. In the illustrated embodiment transmission of the drive movement from the drive train 38 to the casing brake 2 is effected by means of a drive belt 50 which is guided over a belt pulley 52 on the drive train 38 and a drive pulley 54 on the casing brake 2.

(16) FIG. 6 shows the various operating positions of the casing holding device in mutually coincident relationship, namely the portioning position A in which the casing brake co-operates with the free end of the filling tube 106 and the casing change position B in which the casing brake is uncoupled from the filling tube 106. The Figure also shows the curved path 20 of the casing brake 2, which can be produced by means of the guide linkage, with its substantially rectilinear path portion 20′ and the curved path portion 20″ of the casing brake 2.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(17) 1 casing holding device 2 casing brake 4 holding portion 6 adjusting device 8 guide linkage 10 handle 12 cantilever arm 14 head plate 16 rotary mounting 18 four-link linkage 20 curved path 20′, 20″ path portion 22 frame 23.1 first rotary joint 23.2 second rotary joint 23.3 third rotary joint 23.4 fourth rotary joint 24, 26 crank arm 28 coupling portion 30 lever mechanism 32, 34 lever arm 36 rotary mounting 38 drive train 40 coupling region 42, 44 arm portion 46, 48 coupling part 50 drive belt 52, 54 pulley 100 filling machine 102 filling hopper 104 extrusion head 106 filling tube 108 frame structure A portioning position B casing change position