Automated pepperoni casing end-cutting and stripping station

A sausage casing end-cutting unit for making a transverse cut in the casing of a sausage such that the sausage may be removed from the casing through said transverse cut;

• said end-cutting unit comprising:
• a) a frame member;
• b) a sausage support connected to said frame member for supporting a sausage;
• c) a carriage slidably mounted to said frame member;
• d) a pair of sensor fingers pivotally mounted to said carriage and extending outwardly from said carriage toward said sausage support, each said sensor finger including a lever arm extending outwardly from the respective sensor finger toward the other of said sensor fingers, each said lever arm including a pin receiver, each said sensor finger having a tip;
• e) a pin mutually received by each of said pin receivers;
• f) a first linear actuator connected between said pin and said frame member;
• g) a spring connected between said pin and said frame member and biasing said sensor fingers inwardly toward one another;
• h) an actuator control mechanism having a trigger, said actuator control mechanism operatively connected to said first linear actuator for stopping movement of said carriage upon actuation of said trigger, said trigger being positioned proximate one of said sensor fingers and actuated by inward movement of said one sensor finger;
• i) a casing end-cutter connected to said carriage and having a blade positioned proximate said sensor finger tips, said blade moveable between a retracted position and a cutting position, wherein:
• j) as said carriage moves away from said sausage support end, said sensor finger tips slidingly engage a sausage supported on said sausage support, said spring moving said sensor fingers inwardly when said tips reach an end of the sausage, the inward movement actuating said trigger and stopping said carriage, said blade then moving into the cutting position and making a transverse cut through the sausage casing proximate the lower end of the sausage.

A sausage casing end-cutting apparatus for cutting lower ends off of sausage casings on a succession of sausages hanging generally vertically downward from a conveyor and advancing therewith, said end-cutting apparatus comprising:

• a) a carousel mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said carousel including a plurality of casing end-cutting units circumferentially spaced around the perimeter of said carousel, said carousel being operatively connected to the conveyor such that each said end-cutting unit receives a respective sausage as the conveyor advances, each said end-cutting unit comprising:
• i) a sausage support for supporting a sausage;
• ii) a carriage slidably mounted to said carousel below said sausage support;
• iii) a first linear actuator connected between said carriage and said carousel for moving said carriage toward and away from a lower end of said sausage support;
• iv) a sensor finger pivotally connected to said carriage and extending upwardly therefrom, said sensor finger having a tip, said tip being biased inwardly;
• v) an actuator control mechanism having a trigger, said actuator control mechanism operatively connected to said first linear actuator for stopping movement of said carriage upon actuation of said trigger, said trigger being positioned proximate said sensor finger and actuated by inward movement of said sensor finger;
• and
• vi) a casing cutter connected to said carriage and having a blade positioned proximate said sensor finger tip, said blade moveable between a retracted position and a cutting position, wherein:
• vii) as said carriage moves away from said sausage support lower end, said sensor finger tip slidingly engages a sausage supported on said sausage support, said sensor finger moving inwardly when said tip reaches the lower end of the sausage, the inward movement actuating said trigger and stopping said carriage, said blade then moving into the cutting position and making a transverse cut through the sausage casing proximate the lower end of the sausage.

A sausage casing end-cutting and stripping station for removing sausage casings from a succession of sausages hanging generally vertically downward from a conveyor and advancing therewith, each said sausage having an upper end, a lower end and being encased in a respective sausage casing, said end-cutting and stripping station comprising:

• a) a carousel mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis, said carousel including a plurality of casing end-cutting units circumferentially spaced around the perimeter of said carousel, said carousel being operatively connected to the conveyor such that each said end-cutting unit receives a respective sausage as the conveyor advances, each said end-cutting unit comprising:
• i) a sausage support for supporting a sausage;
• ii) a carriage slidably mounted to said carousel below said sausage support;
• iii) a first linear actuator connected between said carriage and said carousel for moving said carriage toward and away from a lower end of said sausage support;
• iv) a sensor finger pivotally connected to said carriage and extending upwardly therefrom, said sensor finger having a tip, said tip being biased inwardly;
• v) an actuator control mechanism having a trigger, said actuator control mechanism operatively connected to said first linear actuator for stopping movement of said carriage upon actuation of said trigger, said trigger being positioned proximate said sensor finger and actuated by inward movement of said sensor finger;
• vi) a casing cutter connected to said carriage and having a blade positioned proximate said sensor finger tip, said blade moveable between a retracted position and a cutting position, wherein:
• vii) as said carriage moves away from said sausage support lower end, said sensor finger tip slidingly engages a sausage supported on said sausage support, said sensor finger moving inwardly when said tip reaches the lower end of the sausage, said inward movement actuating said trigger and stopping said carriage, said blade then moving into the cutting position and making a transverse cut through the sausage casing proximate the lower end of the sausage;
• and
• b) a pair of generally parallel bars positioned below the conveyor and above the upper ends of the sausages supported therefrom, said bars being spaced an insufficient distance from one another for a sausage to pass therebetween and oriented at an angle to the conveyor such that said sausages are pulled upwardly against the bars as they advance along the conveyor, said bars forcing each sausage out of its respective casing through the transverse cut therein.

An automated process for facilitating the removal of sausages from their respective casings, said casings closed at first and second ends of each sausage by first and second fasteners respectively and having a loop connected to said casing at said sausage first end;

• said process comprising:
• a) hanging each sausage by said loop from a conveyor assembly hook such that said second end of said sausage is supported below said first end of said sausage;
• b) sequentially conveying said sausages supported on said conveyor assembly hooks to a casing end-cutting area;
• c) upon advancement of each of said sausages into said casing end-cutting area, locating said second fastener for said casing;
• and
• d) upon locating said second fastener, cutting through said casing above said second fastener proximate said sausage second end to form an open end in said casing.