Apparatus for hanging sausage on rod and method of hanging sausage on rod

A method of hanging sausage on a rod by suspending a chain of sausages, including individual sausages linked by a joining portion, so as to form loops on a plurality of hook units that move along an endless path, and by transferring the suspended chain of sausages from the hook units to a rod inserted into the loops,

• the hook units being transferred individually or as a group,
• the hook units each comprising:
• a unit body that moves along the path;
• a rod portion that is rotatably supported to the unit body and has attached thereto a hook portion at one end for hanging the joining portion of the chain of sausages, and a support portion that supports the chain of sausages suspended on the hook portion while keeping an angle of the chain of sausages;
• and
• a rod receiving portion that is attached to the unit body so as to be positioned lower than the hook portion, and has formed thereon a recessed portion in which the rod is to be placed,
• the method comprising:
• arranging a first group of hook units on an upstream side in a movement direction, a chain of sausages being suspended on the hook portions in the first group of hook units, and the number of hook units in the first group corresponding to a chain of sausages of a length for hanging on one rod,
• arranging a second group of hook units on a downstream side in the movement direction, a chain of sausages suspended on the hook portions in the second group of hook units having been removed, a rod being placed in the rod receiving portions in the second group of hook units, and the number of hook units in the second group corresponding to a chain of sausages of a length for hanging on one rod,
• transferring the rod placed in the rod receiving portions in the second group of hook units to the rod receiving portions in the first group of hook units by transferring the first group of hook units and the second group of hook units downstream in the movement direction in a state of preventing movement of the rod held in the rod receiving portions in the second group of hook units, and
• thereafter rotating the rod portions in the first group of hook units so as to cause the chain of sausages suspended on the hook portions to fall onto the rod.