Cutting valve and method for making portions

A cutting valve for partitioning a portion from a mass strand of a paste-like sausage or ham mass, the cutting valve comprising a partitioning piston which is drivable in a portioning chamber at least in a longitudinal direction of the portioning chamber, the portioning chamber having at least one inlet located laterally with respect to the partitioning piston in the portioning chamber for introducing the mass strand into the portioning chamber to carry out a portioning movement relative to the inlet, the partitioning piston comprising a cutting edge which is movable to sweep over the inlet and crosswise through the mass strand extending through the inlet into the portioning chamber while a portion is being partitioned, wherein the partitioning piston while partitioning the portion is drivable to perform a helical movement with simultaneous translatory and rotatory movement components and to carry out a draw cut at the location of the inlet with the cutting edge through the mass strand;

• wherein the partitioning piston is connected to a linear drive generating the translatory movement components, and a gearing is arranged between the partitioning piston and one of the linear drive or the portioning chamber, with which gearing the rotatory movement components are derivable from the translatory movement components and transmittable to the partitioning piston at the same time;
• and
• wherein the gearing comprises at least one engagement element, which is provided at the side relative to the piston axis, and at least one thread-like guide path for the engagement element, and that either one of the engagement element or the guide path is connected to the partitioning piston, or the guide path or the engagement element, respectively, is arranged in a stationary manner.