Casing and method for forming a rippled meat product

A casing for forming a rippled meat product, comprising:

• a generally tubular stockinette fabric comprising knitted threads;
• and
• a restrictive structure comprising a plurality of circumferential loops integrally knitted with said stockinette fabric and spaced from one another by a longitudinal spacing, each of said circumferential loops having exactly one longitudinal connection connected to an adjacent one of said circumferential loops.

A casing for forming a rippled meat product, comprising:

• a generally tubular stockinette fabric comprising knitted threads and having a first radial stretch capacity;
• and
• a restrictive structure having a circumference and comprising a plurality of circumferential loops integrally knitted with said stockinette fabric and spaced from one another by a longitudinal spacing, said restrictive structure having a second radial stretch capacity less than said first radial stretch capacity, said restrictive structure having a drawing means for decreasing said longitudinal spacing in response to an increase in pressure exerted radially outwardly from within said stockinette fabric but said restrictive structure being devoid of longitudinal connections between said circumferential loops over at least two-thirds of its circumference.

A casing for forming a rippled meat product, comprising:

• a generally tubular stockinette fabric comprising knitted threads;
• and
• a restrictive structure comprising a plurality of circumferential loops integrally knitted with said stockinette fabric and spaced from one another by a longitudinal spacing, each of said circumferential loops having a circumference and a plurality of longitudinal connections connected to an adjacent one of said circumferential loops, each longitudinal connection disposed within a region of a circumferential loop constituting about one third of said circumference, another region of said circumferential loop constituting about two-thirds of said circumference being devoid of any longitudinal connections.

A casing for forming a rippled meat product, comprising:

• a generally tubular stockinette fabric comprising knitted threads;
• and
• a restrictive structure having a circumference and comprising a plurality of circumferential loops integrally knitted with said stockinette fabric and spaced from one another by a longitudinal spacing, said restrictive structure having a drawing means for decreasing said longitudinal spacing in response to an increase in pressure exerted radially outwardly from within said stockinette fabric but said restrictive structure being devoid of longitudinal connections between said circumferential loops over at least two-thirds of its circumference.

A casing for forming a rippled meat product, comprising:

• a generally tubular stockinette fabric comprising knitted threads;
• and
• a restrictive structure comprising a helical thread integrally knitted with said stockinette fabric, said helical thread defined by a plurality of circumferential loops spaced from one another by a longitudinal spacing, each of said circumferential loops having a longitudinal jump for decreasing said longitudinal spacing in response to an increase in pressure exerted radially outwardly from within said stockinette fabric.