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US 2006/0040602 A1Published application
Shirred casing
AssigneeVisko Teepak Belgium NV
InventorsAlan Stall, Dennis Simerly, Keith Watts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shirred fibrous food casing defines a shirred stick formed from a tubular fibrous casing, The shirred stick includes an average outside diameter at least 120% of the average inflated diameter of the deshirred casing. Additionally, the shirred stick includes an average inside diameter of at least 70% of the casing inflated diameter and a pleat pitch defined as the distance between adjacent apexes of major pleats measured on the casing after the shirred stick is deshirred.
Claims34
An article comprising:
- a shirred fibrous food casing defining a shirred stick, the shirred stick formed from a tubular casing having an inflated diameter, the shirred stick being substantially tubular and having a helical pleat ridge about a longitudinal axis of the casing in a deshirred state;
- a shirred stick outside diameter being at least 120% of the casing inflated diameter, wherein the outside diameter is the average diameter of the outside of the shirred stick along the longitudinal axis;
- a shirred stick inside diameter being at least 70% of the casing inflated diameter, wherein the inside diameter is the average diameter of the inside of the shirred stick;
- and
- a pleat pitch, wherein the pleat pitch is defined as the distance between adjacent apexes of major pleats when the casing in the shirred stick is deshirred.
2 more elements
An article comprising:
- a shirred fibrous food casing defining a shirred stick, the shirred stick formed from a tubular casing having an inflated diameter, the shirred stick being substantially tubular and having a helical pleat ridge about a longitudinal axis in a deshirred state;
- a shirred stick outside diameter of at least 115% of the casing inflated diameter, wherein the outside diameter is the average diameter of the shirred stick along the longitudinal axis;
- a shirred stick inside diameter of at least 80% of the casing inflated diameter, wherein the shirred stick inside diameter is the average diameter of the inside of the shirred stick;
- and
- a pleat pitch, wherein the pleat pitch is defined as the distance between adjacent major pleats when the shirred stick is deshirred.
2 more elements
A method for shirring a casing comprising:
- feeding an unshirred fibrous casing through at least one feedroll onto a mandrel at a feedroll velocity, wherein the mandrel has a longitudinal axis and a mandrel diameter, and wherein the feedroll velocity is measured along the longitudinal axis of the mandrel;
- inflating the casing about the mandrel, wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis that substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel during shirring, and wherein the mandrel diameter is between about 60% and 70% of the casing inflated diameter;
- directing the unshirred casing into a shirring head, the shirring head including:
- a plurality of shirring rolls disposed in a substantially uniform displacement circumferentially about the mandrel;
- and
- a plurality of shirring teeth disposed about the perimeter of each of the shirring rolls, the shirring teeth including a root proximate to the mandrel and adapted to rotate in the direction of the casing travel as the casing is directed into the shirring head, wherein the shirring rolls rotate at a shirring roll velocity, the shirring roll velocity measured at the tooth root when one of the plurality of the shirring teeth is proximate to the mandrel;
- and
- pulling the casing into a shirred stick with the shirring teeth, the shirred stick including a shirred stick outside diameter at least 120% of the casing inflated diameter, and wherein the shirred stick is shirred at an overshirr of less than about 105%.
5 more elements
A method for shirring a casing comprising:
- feeding an fibrous casing through at least one feedroll onto a mandrel at a feedroll velocity, wherein the mandrel has a longitudinal axis and a mandrel diameter, and wherein the feedroll velocity is measured along the longitudinal axis of the mandrel;
- inflating the casing about the mandrel to wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis that substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel during shirring, and wherein the mandrel diameter is between about 70% and 75% of the casing inflated diameter;
- directing the unshirred casing into a shirring head, the shirring head including:
- a plurality of shirring rolls disposed in a substantially uniform displacement circumferentially about the mandrel;
- and
- a plurality of shirring teeth disposed about the perimeter of each of the shirring rolls, the shirring teeth including a root proximate to the mandrel and adapted to rotate in the direction of the casing travel as the casing is directed into the shirring head, wherein the shirring rolls rotate at a shirring roll velocity, the shirring roll velocity measured at the tooth root when one of the plurality of the shirring teeth is proximate to the mandrel;
- and
- pulling the casing into a shirred stick with the shirring teeth, the shirred stick including a shirred stick outside diameter at least 120% of the casing inflated diameter, and wherein the shirred stick is shirred at an overshirr of less than about 115%.
5 more elements
A method for shirring a casing comprising:
- feeding an fibrous casing through at least one feedroll onto a mandrel at a feedroll velocity, wherein the mandrel has a longitudinal axis and a mandrel diameter, and wherein the feedroll velocity is measured along the longitudinal axis of the mandrel;
- inflating the casing about the mandrel wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis that substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel during shirring, and wherein the mandrel diameter is between about 75% and 80% of the casing inflated diameter;
- directing the unshirred casing into a shirring head the shirring head including:
- a plurality of shirring rolls disposed in a substantially uniform displacement circumferentially about the mandrel;
- and
- a plurality of shirring teeth disposed about the perimeter of each of the shirring rolls, the shirring teeth including a root proximate to the mandrel and adapted to rotate in the direction of the casing as the casing is directed into the shirring head, wherein the shirring rolls rotate at a shirring roll velocity, the shirring roll velocity measured at the tooth root when one of the plurality of the shirring teeth is proximate to the mandrel;
- and
- pulling the casing into a shirred stick with the shirring teeth, the shirred stick including a shirred stick outside diameter at least 120% of the casing inflated diameter, and wherein the shirred stick is shirred at an overshirr of less than about 120%.
5 more elements
A method for shirring a casing comprising:
- feeding a fibrous casing through at least one feedroll onto a mandrel at a feedroll velocity, wherein the mandrel has a longitudinal axis and a mandrel diameter, and wherein the feedroll velocity is measured along the longitudinal axis of the mandrel;
- inflating the casing about the mandrel, wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis that substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel during shirring, and wherein the mandrel diameter is between about 80% and 85% of the casing inflated diameter;
- directing the unshirred casing into a shirring head, the shirring head including:
- a plurality of shirring rolls disposed in a substantially uniform displacement circumferentially about the mandrel;
- and
- a plurality of shirring teeth disposed about the perimeter of each of the shirring rolls, the shirring teeth including a root proximate to the mandrel and adapted to rotate in the direction of the casing as the casing is directed into the shirring head, wherein the shirring rolls rotate at a shirring roll velocity, the shirring roll velocity measured at the tooth root when one of the plurality of the shirring teeth is proximate to the mandrel;
- and
- pulling the casing into a shirred stick with the shirring teeth, the shirred stick including a shirred stick outside diameter at least 115% of the casing inflated diameter, and wherein the shirred stick is shirred at an overshirr of less than about 130%.
5 more elements
A method for shirring a casing comprising:
- feeding a fibrous casing through at least one feedroll onto a mandrel at a feedroll velocity, wherein the mandrel has a longitudinal axis and a mandrel diameter, and wherein the feedroll velocity is measured along the longitudinal axis of the mandrel;
- inflating the casing about the mandrel, wherein the casing has a longitudinal axis that substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the mandrel during shirring, and wherein the mandrel diameter is between about 85% and 90% of the casing inflated diameter;
- directing the unshirred casing into a shirring head, the shirring head including:
- a plurality of shirring rolls disposed in a substantially uniform displacement circumferentially about the mandrel;
- and
- a plurality of shirring teeth disposed about the perimeter of each of the shirring rolls, the shirring teeth including a root proximate to the mandrel and adapted to rotate in the direction of the casing as the casing is directed into the shirring head, wherein the shirring rolls rotate at a shirring roll velocity, the shirring roll velocity measured at the tooth root when one of the plurality of the shirring teeth is proximate to the mandrel;
- and
- pulling the casing into a shirred stick with the shirring teeth, the shirred stick including a shirred stick outside diameter at least 115% of the casing inflated diameter, and wherein the shirred stick is shirred at an overshirr of less than about 140%.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.