Adjustable sizing device for tubular food casing
AssigneeTeepak, Inc.
InventorThomas R. Stanley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Casing material is paid out from the stuffing horn of a food emulsion extrusion system to stuff a food emulsion product. The casing material is drawn over a sizing means which provides varying degrees of sizing and hold back force to the casing material as it is paid out. The degrees of sizing and hold back force are adjustable while the casing is being stuffed with extruded food emulsion. New casing material may be loaded onto the stuffing horn over the sizing means without removal of any element of the sizing means from the stuffing horn.
Claims12
A food stuffing apparatus for tubular casings, which comprises:
- (a) food casing filling horn means with a food inlet end, a food outlet end and a cylindrical shaft intermediate to said inlet and outlet ends, and pump means for extruding a foodstuff through said food casing filling horn means,
- (b) a stationary food casing sizing means and an adjustable food casing sizing means telescoped over said cylindrical shaft of said food casing filling horn means for expansion of unfilled tubular casing loaded thereon, both said stationary food casing sizing means and said adjustable food casing sizing means having means for engaging and peripherally expanding said tubular casing with movement of said adjustable food casing sizing means, and
- (c) means for shirring said tubular casing onto said food casing filling horn means and over said food casing sizing means without disassembly or removal as said tubular casing is loaded onto said food casing filling horn means.
A method of stuffing a tubular food casing, which comprises the steps of:
- (a) providing a stuffing apparatus for tubular food casing comprising a filling horn, pump means for extruding a foodstuff through said filling horn, a stationary casing sizer head and an adjustable casing sizer head, said casing sizer heads telescoped over said filling horn and positioned transverse to the longitudinal axis of said filling horn;
- (b) rotating said adjustable casing sizer head to substantially align it with said stationary sizer head;
- (c) shirring a tubular food casing onto said filling horn as said casing is loaded onto said filling horn, and over said casing sizer heads without disassembly or removal, and
- (d) rotating said adjustable casing sizer head sufficiently for both said stationary casing sizer head and adjustable casing sizer head to engage and peripherally expand said casing on said filling horn as a foodstuff is extruded into said casing to withdraw empty casing from said filling horn.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.