Method and means for stuffing natural casings with sausage emulsion

Abstract

A method of stuffing natural casings with emulsion involves slidably mounting a collar element on the stuffing tube of the machine adjacent an end of the stuffing tube opposite to the discharge end thereof. The collar is slidably advanced towards the discharge end of the tube to telescope the casing into a shirred condition while leaving a non-shirred portion downstream thereof. The non-shirred portion of the casing is progressively advanced while the casing is filled with emulsion from the tube. A sensor is placed in the proximity of the non-shirred portion of the casing to detect whether shirred or non-shirred casing is present. The sensor is connected to a controller so that the collar will be advanced to slide the casing material on the tube when the non-shirred casing is detected, and the advance of the collar is stopped when shirred casing material is detected. A machine includes the foregoing components to accomplish the method.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of stuffing natural casings with emulsion, comprising,
 taking a length of hollow natural casing material, 
 inserting into the casing material an emulsion stuffing tube having a first end and a discharge end for extruding emulsion into a casing on the outer surface of the stuffing tube, 
 slidably mounting a collar element on the stuffing tube adjacent an end of the casing material nearest the first end of the stuffing tube, 
 slidably advancing a first end of the casing material on the tube in a direction towards the discharge end of the tube to telescope the casing into a shirred condition along a first portion of the casing material, while leaving a non-shirred portion downstream of the shirred portion, 
 progressively advancing the non-shirred portion of casing off of the tube and filling the same with emulsion from the discharge end of the tube, 
 placing a sensor in the proximity of the non-shirred portion of the casing to measure the distance between the sensor and the casing to detect whether shirred or non-shirred casing is present, 
 connecting the sensor and a collar advancement means to a controller so that the collar will be advanced to slide the casing material on the tube when the non-shirred casing is detected, and stopping the advance of the collar when shirred casing material is detected; and 
 controlling the movement of the collar with a signal sent from the sensor to the controller in response to a change in diameter of the casing such that the signal advances the collar when a non-shirred diameter of the casing is detected by the sensor and stops or slightly retracts the collar when a shirred diameter of the casing is detected by the sensor. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is one from the group of ultrasonic or optical. 
     
     
       3. A machine for stuffing natural casings with emulsion, comprising,
 an emulsion stuffing tube on the machine having a first end and a discharge end for extruding emulsion into a casing on an outer surface of the stuffing tube, 
 a collar element slidably mounted on the stuffing tube adjacent an end of the casing material nearest the first end of the stuffing tube, 
 means for slidably advancing a first end of the casing material on the tube in a direction towards the discharge end of the tube to telescope the casing into a shirred condition along a first portion of the casing material, while leaving a non-shirred portion downstream of the shirred portion, to progressively advance the non-shirred portion of the casing off of the tube and to fill the same with emulsion from the discharge end of the tube, 
 a sensor in proximity to the non-shirred portion of the casing to detect whether shirred or non-shirred casing is present, 
 the sensor and a collar advancement means connected to a controller so that the collar will be advanced to slide the casing material on the tube when the non-shirred casing is detected, and to stop the advance of the collar when shirred casing material is detected. 
 
     
     
       4. The machine of  claim 3  wherein the sensor is one from the group of ultrasonic or optical.