Automatic machine for binding products in accordance with a pre-established sequence
OwnerYves Pujolinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic machine for forming "capstan knots" on casings for products such as sausages includes first and second stations, wherein the casings are advanced through the first station and a continuous strand for tying the capstan knots is advanced through the second station. The strand is displaced in the second station to form a strand surrounded area which receives an empty portion of one of the casings and is closed about the empty portion to form the capstan knot. The strand is cut after the knot is formed.
Claims8
An automatic machine for making "capstan knots" around casings filled with products such as sausage, bologna, or the like, wherein the casings have spaced, empty portions around which the "capstan knots" are formed, and wherein the he machine includes on a supporting frame, a knotting station;
- means for continuously supplying a strand of material for forming the capstan knot on the knotting station;
- means for continuously advancing the casings past the knotting station, and means for severing the casings through the empty portions thereof;
- the improvement characterized by:
- means for providing a continuous length of the strand to the knotting station;
- first means for gripping the strand at one location on the frame;
- second means for gripping the strand at another location on the frame;
- means for moving the second gripping means through the knotting station in a rectilinear direction while pulling the strand through the first gripping means to tension the strand;
- means at the knotting station for displacing portions of the strand laterally of the rectilinear direction to form upstream and downstream loops, each of which has a leading and trailing leg;
- means at the knotting station for displacing the upstream loop and downstream loop laterally of one another;
- means for displacing the trailing leg of the upstream loop in the upstream direction to define a strand surrounded area;
- means for inserting the empty portion of a severed casing into the strand surrounded area formed by the displaced strand;
- means for pulling the strand to collapse the stand surrounded area about the empty portion of the casing and to tighten the strand about the empty portion to form the "capstan-knot";
- and
- means for severing the strand after the capstan-knot is formed.
An automatic machine for making capstan knots from a strand of material about a casing for products, wherein the products are distributed in rectilinear, spaced relation within the casing to define longitudinally spaced empty portions in the casing, the automatic machine comprising:
- a first station for forming the capstan knots about the casing with the strand;
- means for providing a continuous length of the strand to the first station;
- means for displacing the strand at the first station to form a strand surrounded area;
- a second station for handling the casing, the second station being displaced from the first station;
- means for positioning the casing with one of the empty portions thereof presented at the first station;
- means for moving the empty portion into the strand surrounded area;
- means for pulling the strand to collapse and tighten the strand surrounded area about empty portion so as to form the capstan knot;
- casing severing means for severing the casing through the empty portion;
- and
- means for severing the strand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.