Sausage link forming machine

In a sausage link forming machine (10) comprising a rotating frame (11) secured on a drivable axle (13), said frame (11) having opposed parallel discs (12, 12′), control cam means (78, 78′) secured to said axle (13) intermediate said discs (12, 12′), a plurality of sausage grasping head assemblies (18) secured between said discs and equidistantly spaced apart along a circular path, a link forming pincer mechanism (19) secured between each said grasping head assemblies, said grasping head assemblies (18) having rotatable support rollers (28) which are displaceable toward one another from a sausage casing receiving position (22) to a sausage casing engaging position (23), first cam follower means (31) associated with each said grasping head assemblies (18) and engaging a first cam portion (83) of said control cam means (78, 78′) to displace said support rollers (28) to position same to said casing receiving position (22) and said casing engaging position (23), drive means (45, 50, 57, 58, 60) associated with each said head assemblies to impart axial rotation to said support rollers (28), said link forming pincer mechanism (19) having a pair of pivoting fork members (65, 65′) defining therebetween a restricted throat area (70) to grasp and compress a portion of an elongated sausage casing (16) to form a sausage link twisted connection (9) between adjacent ones of said grasping head assemblies (18) in a portion of said rotating frame, said pivoting fork members (65, 65′) supporting said elongated sausage casing (16) at said receiving section (22) of said rotating frame, at least predetermined ones of said pivoting fork members (65, 65′) having severing means (72) to cut said sausage casing (16) at said twisted link connection (9) at a discharge section of said rotating frame, second cam follower means (76) associated with each said link forming pincer mechanism (19) and engaging a second cam portion (77) to cause said fork members (65, 65′) to pivot to and away from one another, said forming machine being characterized in that said sausage grasping head assemblies (18) is formed by opposed sets (18′) of said rotatable support rollers (28) each said sets (18′) comprising a detachable support block (24) detachably connected in transverse axial alignment to a respective one of said opposed parallel discs (12, 12′), at least part of said drive means being secured to said detachable support block;

• said support blocks (24) are each secured to a diametrically extending open-ended block connecting slot (19′) formed in a peripheral end portion of said opposed parallel discs (12, 12′).