# US 2026/0231964 A1 · Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing Sausages > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0231964 A1 - Document ID: US20260231964A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/474,954 - Filed: 2024-04-09 - Published: 2026-08-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-04-13 - Assignees: Freddy Hirsch Group AG - Applicants: Freddy Hirsch Group AG - Inventors: Hermann August Schultz; Heindrich Fritz; Jacobus Martin Laubscher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260231964A1 ## CPC - A22C 11/0245: {Controlling devices} - A22C 11/10: Apparatus for twisting {or linking} sausages {(subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages, involving displacement of contents B65B9/12, by applying pressure and heat successively B65B51/26)} - A22C 13/0003: {Apparatus for making sausage casings, e.g. simultaneously with stuffing artificial casings (enclosing material webs being formed into tubes in situ around filling nozzles B65B9/20)} - A22C 2013/0023: {coextruded together with the food product} - A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00) ## Abstract A method and apparatus 10 for manufacturing sausages comprising a meat filler and a settable alginate gel casing paste forming a circumfused casing layer on the filler surface of the filler, includes a rotatable coextrusion head 12 for coextruding the filler and the casing paste so as to form a continuous sausage rope which is twisted and formed into sausage portions. The filler and the casing paste are fed to the coextrusion head via meat pump 28 and gel pump 32. A fixing solution for setting the casing paste is fed via a pump 34 onto the extruded casing paste as it is discharged from the coextrusion head. Two continuous belts 36.1 and 36.2 grip and pull the sausage rope from the coextrusion head while holding the sausage rope against rotation. Time intervals for formation of voids and twist between sausage portions, are controlled by a controller 38 to take place immediately after extrusion while the casing material is in a partially set state and prior to full solidification and setting of the casing material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for manufacturing sausages, including: a rotatable coextrusion head for coextruding a sausage filler paste mass and a settable casing paste material so as to form a continuous sausage rope wherein the casing paste material sets over a predetermined period of time on the surface of the sausage filler paste mass to form a circumfused casing layer on the surface of the sausage filler paste mass; a first pumping device for feeding the sausage filler paste mass to the coextrusion head; a second pumping device for feeding the casing paste material to the coextrusion head; a third feed device for feeding a fixing solution onto the extruded casing paste material; a conveyor for gripping the sausage rope for pulling the sausage rope from the coextrusion head while holding the sausage rope against rotation; and a controller which is operable at predetermined time intervals after coextrusion of the filler paste mass and the casing paste material and prior to complete setting of the casing paste material, to control a speed of the conveyor relative to a feed rate of first pumping device such that the sausage rope is pulled at a speed greater than the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass so as to stretch the sausage rope at regions defining voids in the sausage rope; and simultaneously cause the extrusion head to rotate in order to form a twist in the sausage rope at said regions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable, at or near commencement of each time interval, to generate control signals for: reducing the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass until a feed of the sausage filler paste mass is stopped; causing the extrusion head to rotate; and reducing the speed at which the sausage rope is pulled from the extrusion head until a predetermined reduced speed is achieved. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable, near at or near an end of each interval, to generate control signals for: increasing the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass until the speed of the sausage filler paste mass returns to the expulsion speed prior to commencement of the interval; slowing and ceasing rotation of the extrusion head; and increasing the speed at which the sausage rope is pulled from the extrusion head until the speed of the sausage rope returns to the speed prior to commencement of the interval. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to provide for a pre-void formation time delay at the commencement of the interval, by controlling a feed rate of the first pumping device and the speed of the conveyor such that the feed rate of the first pumping device is reduced a predetermined time period prior to reducing the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to provide for a post-void formation delay, wherein prior to the end of the interval, by controlling a feed rate of the first pumping device and the speed of the conveyor such that the feed rate of the first pumping device is increased prior to an increase in the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 6 A method for manufacturing sausages including: using a rotatable coextrusion head, coextruding a sausage filler paste mass and a settable casing paste material so as to form a continuous sausage rope wherein the casing paste material is extruded directly onto the sausage filler paste mass where the casing material adheres to the sausage filler paste mass and sets over a predetermined period of time to form a circumfused casing layer on the surface of the sausage filler paste mass; gripping and pulling the sausage rope from the coextrusion head while holding the sausage rope against rotation; and at predetermined time intervals after coextrusion of the filler paste mass and the casing paste material and prior to complete setting of the casing paste material, forming individual sausage portions in the sausage rope by pulling the sausage rope at a speed greater than a speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass so as to stretch the sausage rope at regions defining voids in the sausage rope; and simultaneously causing the extrusion head to rotate in order to form a twist in the sausage rope at said regions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, which includes, at or near commencement of each time interval: reducing the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass until a feed of the sausage filler paste mass is stopped; causing the extrusion head to rotate; reducing the speed at which the sausage rope is pulled from the extrusion head until a predetermined reduced speed is achieved. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, which includes, at or near an end of each time interval: increasing the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass until the speed of the sausage filler paste mass returns to the expulsion speed prior to commencement of the interval; slowing and ceasing rotation of the extrusion head; increasing the speed at which the sausage rope is pulled from the extrusion head until the speed of the sausage rope returns to the speed prior to commencement of the interval. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, which includes providing a first pumping device for feeding the sausage filler paste mass to the coextrusion head; providing a second pumping device for feeding the casing paste material to the coextrusion head; providing a third feed device for feeding a fixing solution onto the extruded casing paste material; and providing a conveyor for gripping the sausage rope for pulling the sausage rope from the coextrusion head while holding the sausage rope against rotation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method as claimed in claim 6, which includes a pre-void formation time delay wherein, at the commencement of the interval, a feed rate of the first pumping device is reduced a predetermined time period prior to reducing the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 11 The method as claimed in claim which includes a post-void formation delay, wherein prior to the end of the interval, a feed rate of the first pumping device is increased prior to an increase in the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller is operable, near at or near an end of each interval, to generate control signals for: increasing the speed of expulsion of the sausage filler paste mass until the speed of the sausage filler paste mass returns to the expulsion speed prior to commencement of the interval; slowing and ceasing rotation of the extrusion head; and increasing the speed at which the sausage rope is pulled from the extrusion head until the speed of the sausage rope returns to the speed prior to commencement of the interval. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controller is operable to provide for a pre-void formation time delay at the commencement of the interval, by controlling a feed rate of the first pumping device and the speed of the conveyor such that the feed rate of the first pumping device is reduced a predetermined time period prior to reducing the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controller is operable to provide for a post-void formation delay, wherein prior to the end of the interval, by controlling a feed rate of the first pumping device and the speed of the conveyor such that the feed rate of the first pumping device is increased prior to an increase in the speed of the conveyor, while the extrusion head is caused to rotate. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for manufacturing sausages, including: a rotatable coextrusion head for coextruding a sausage filler paste mass and a settable casing paste material so as to form a continuous sausage rope wherein the casing paste material sets over a predetermined period of time on the surface of the sausage filler paste mass to form a circumfused casing layer on the surface of the sausage filler paste mass; a first pumping device for feeding the sausage filler paste mass to the coextrusion head; a second pumping device for feeding the casing paste material to the coextrusion head; a third pumping device for feeding a fixing solution onto the extruded casing paste material; a conveyor for gripping the sausage rope for pulling the sausage rope from the coextrusion head while holding the sausage rope against rotation, the conveyor having a first end and a second end; a drive motor disposed to rotate the rotatable coextrusion head; and a pipe having a first end in fluid communication with the third pumping device and a second end; wherein the rotatable coextrusion head includes a central passage in fluid communication with the first pump, an annular die cavity disposed radially outward of the central passage and defining an annular gap about the central passage; wherein the second end of the pipe is adjacent the annular gap of the rotatable coextrusion head. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first pumping device comprises a hopper with meat filler paste, the second pumping device comprises a hopper with casing paste, and the third pumping device comprises a tank with calcium chloride fixing solution. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the conveyor comprises two opposed continuous belts extending away from the rotatable extrusion head, wherein the first end of the conveyor is adjacent the rotatable extrusion head.