APPARATUS FOR CLOSING PASTY-SUBSTANCE-FILLED TUBULAR CASINGS, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE APPARATUS

Abstract

An apparatus for closing pasty-substance-filled tubular casings to form products, in particular for closing sausage-meat-filled casings is disclosed. The apparatus includes a filling tube with an outlet opening, having a brake and having clipper blades, which can be moved toward one another in a direction transverse to a filling direction, and which includes a measuring device, which establishes the caliber of the products in a contactless.

Claims

1. An apparatus for closing pasty-substance-filled tubular casings to form products, comprising a filling tube with an outlet opening, having a brake and having clipper blades, which can be moved toward one another in a direction transverse to a filling direction, and which comprises a measuring device, which establishes a caliber of the products in a contactless manner.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises at least a transmitter, a detector and an evaluating device.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is arranged downstream of the outlet opening and upstream of the brake, in relation to the filling direction.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is arranged downstream of the brake and upstream of the clipper blades, in relation to the filling direction.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is arranged downstream of the clipper blades, in relation to the filling direction.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein, for the purpose of determining the caliber, the measuring device determines the diameter of the gathered casing.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the measuring device determines the caliber of the pasty-substance-filled casing.

8. A method for operating the apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which an operation of filling the casing with a pasty substance is interrupted when the clipper blades are moved out of a closed position P.sub.closed, in which they assume a minimum distance apart from one another and have displaced the pasty substance introduced into the casing, in the direction of an open position P.sub.open, in which they assume a maximum distance apart from one another, wherein the operation of filling the casing with the pasty substance is begun again when the clipper blades have reached a position P.sub.actual, in which their distance apart from one another is at least equal to the caliber established by the measuring device, and the position P.sub.actual is reached at a point in time before the open position P.sub.open.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closing pasty-substance-filled tubular casings is closing sausage-meat-filled casings.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail hereinbelow with the aid of drawings, in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 shows the schematic and perspective illustration of a filling device and of a downstream closing device;

[0019] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration from FIG. 1;

[0020] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1;

[0021] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail from FIG. 3;

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a further-enlarged sub-view from FIG. 3;

[0023] FIG. 6 shows a perspective and schematic illustration of a first exemplary embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 7 shows the side view according to FIG. 6;

[0025] FIG. 8 shows a perspective and schematic illustration of a second exemplary embodiment;

[0026] FIG. 9 shows the side view according to FIG. 8;

[0027] FIG. 10 shows a perspective and schematic illustration of a third exemplary embodiment;

[0028] FIG. 11 shows the side view according to FIG. 10;

[0029] FIG. 12 shows the illustration according to FIG. 6 with operation of the measuring device indicated;

[0030] FIG. 13 shows the view as seen in the direction of arrow XIV according to FIG. 12;

[0031] FIG. 14 shows a sub-illustration from FIG. 13; and

[0032] FIG. 15 shows the view as seen in the direction of arrow XVI according to FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] That arrangement of an installation for producing sausages which is illustrated in FIG. 1 is sufficiently known. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged illustration from FIG. 1; FIG. 3 shows a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1; FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail from FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 shows a further-enlarged sub-view from FIG. 3.

[0034] Referring to the figures, sausage meat is introduced into the filling machine 20 via a hopper 20.1. As shown in the figures, the filling tube 1 of said filling machine introduces the sausage meat into the casing 10.1, which is arranged on the filling tube 1 upstream of a brake 2, in this case the casing brake, in a gathered state to form a length of casing. The casing 10.1 is filled up against the brake 2, and the sausage produced is drawn off in the filling direction F, counter to the force of the brake 2, and guided away via a transporting device (not illustrated specifically here).

[0035] The closing apparatus 40 has two clipper blades 3.1, 3.2, which are coupled to one another and driven counter to one another. Said clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 move in the vertical direction from a fully open position P.sub.open, which is illustrated in the figures, into a closed position P.sub.closed, which is not illustrated specifically and in which the casing 10.1 is pinched together. The clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 are each of two-part design. The two parts 3.1.1, 3.1.2 and 3.2.1, 3.2.2 can be moved relative to one another in horizontal direction (filling direction F), as a result of which the sausage meat introduced into the casing 10.1 is displaced. One or two clips are then placed on said thin casing string in order for closed sausage ends to be formed. If appropriate, the casing string can be severed between the two clips to produce individual sausages 10, which are no longer linked to one another and can be transported away from the clipper mechanism 30.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows three possible arrangements of the measuring device 4 (as represented within the circled area). A first arrangement is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. Downstream of the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2, as seen in the filling direction F, a light-emitting transmitter 4.1 is arranged above the sausage 10 and a receiver 4.2 is arranged beneath the sausage 10, said receiver detecting the light beams which strike it. The evaluating unit 4.3 can determine the caliber K of the sausage 10 from the locations where there are no light beams striking the receiver 2. The caliber K is the diameter D of the sausage 10.

[0037] FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate a second arrangement of the measuring device 4. The transmitter 4.1 and the receiver 4.2 are arranged between the casing brake 2 and the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2, as seen in the filling direction F, and thus detect the caliber K of the sausage 10 exiting from the filling tube 1.

[0038] A third arrangement of the measuring device 4 is illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. The transmitter 4.1 and the receiver 4.2 are arranged upstream of the casing brake 2 and thus establish the diameter of the gathered length of casing, said diameter being greater than the caliber K of the sausage 10 and being dependent on the diameter of the casing 10.1 and the thickness thereof. These known data can be used in the evaluating device 4.3 to calculate, in dependence on the desired length of the sausage 10, the diameter D of the latter and thus the caliber K thereof.

[0039] FIGS. 12 to 15 illustrate schematically the operation of determining the caliber K of the sausage 10 as a result of the light beams being emitted from the transmitter 4.1 and received by the receiver 4.2. When the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 are moved from their fully open position P.sub.open into the fully closed position P.sub.closed, and from the latter position back into the fully open position P.sub.open, an operating cycle of the closing apparatus is performed. Within this operating cycle, it has to be ensured that there is no sausage meat exiting from the filling tube 1 if the opening 3.3 of the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 is smaller than the caliber K of the sausage 10, because this can result in the casing 10.1 tearing. The period of time over which an operating cycle of the closing apparatus 40 is performed is constant because it is dependent only on the speed at which the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 are driven. Since this period of time is constant, it is possible to calculate the point in time at which the opening 3.3 of the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 reaches the size of the caliber K during the closing movement, and the latest point in time at which the filling operation then has to be stopped, and the point in time at which the opening 3.3 again reaches the size of the caliber K during the return movement of the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2, and the filling operation can be resumed without any risk of the casing 10.1 being damaged, because the string of sausages can pass through the opening 3.3. This therefore means that the filling operation can be begun again when the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 have reached a position P.sub.actual, which is reached at a point in time before the open position P.sub.open. This position actual is P.sub.dependent on the caliber K established.

[0040] The above-described operation of establishing the caliber K takes place at the beginning of sausage production. The operating of filling the casing 10.1 is terminated when the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 are moved out of their fully open position P.sub.open into their closed position P.sub.closed, and begins again only when the fully open position P.sub.open has been reached again. This ensures that a sausage 10 of any caliber K reliably passes through the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2. Once the caliber K has been established, the operation of filling the casing 10.1 can be controlled correspondingly such that the filling operation, if appropriate, is terminated only when the clipper blades 3.1, 3.2 are moved from their fully open position P.sub.open into their fully closed position P.sub.closed, and the filling operation begins again before the fully open position P.sub.open has been reached again.

[0041] It is also possible for the caliber K established to be indicated on an indicating device of the closure apparatus, so that said value can be entered into the filling apparatus by an operator. There is no need for said value to be fed directly to the control means of the filling device.

[0042] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.