Apparatus for cutting stuffed sausage casing

An apparatus for cutting linked stuffed sausage casing into individual lengths in the area of a linkage, which apparatus comprises:

• a. a passage for guiding a chilled casing to a cutting zone in said apparatus, said chilled casing being stuffed with sausage meat and linked at predetermined points along its length to define individual sausage lengths therebetween;
• b. a rail guide positioned above said passage and lateral herewith;
• c. a carriage assembly mounted on said rail guide and slidably moveable thereon along the direction of said passage, said carriage assembly including a forked blade tangentially pivoted thereon with respect to said passage;
• d. means for advancing said carriage assembly along said rail guide towards said cutting zone, said forked blade being positioned in the path of said chilled casing when said blade is pivoted in the fully downward position whereby said forked blade may be wedged over a linkage on said chilled casing and pull said casing towards said cutting zone when said carriage assembly advances towards said cutting zone;
• e. means for withdrawing said carriage assembly from said cutting zone, said forked blade being pivoted forward and upward out of the way of said casing when said carriage assembly is so withdrawn;
• f. a cutting blade in said cutting zone and means for raising said cutting blade to cooperate with said forked blade when said carriage assembly is in said cutting zone to thereby cut said chilled casingin the area of said linkage.