Apparatus for shirring a continuous tube of casing

Claim 1

MECHANISM FOR SHIRRING A CONTINUOUS TUBE OF MATERIAL SUITABLE FOR USE AS A SAUSAGE CASING INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION: A SHIRRING MANDREL DISPOSED AXIALLY WITHIN SAID TUBE, A PAIR OF CO-ACTING SHIRRING ROLLS FOR SHIRRING SAID TUBE ON SAID MANDREL, MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID ROLLS AT DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED PORTIONS OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID TUBE ON SAID MANDREL, A PLURALITY OF SPACED FLEXIBLE WIPING FINGERS FOR EACH OF SAID ROLLS, SAID FLEXIBLE WIPING FINGERS FORMED OF SOFT RUBBER AND HAVING A RELATIVELY LONG RADIUS OF BENDING, SAID FLEXIBLE FINGERS ALSO EXTENDING RADIALLY AND AXIALLY ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ROLLS, SAID FINGERS BEING OPERATIVE TO FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE OPPOSED SECTIONS OF SAID TUBE ON SAID SHIRRING MANDREL TO WIPE THE TUBE ALONG SAID MANDREL, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLLS AND ASSOCIATED FINGERS TO SHIR SAID ENGAGED SECTIONS OF SAID TUBE ON SAID MANDREL, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING SAID TUBE TO SAID SHIRRING ROLLS, MEANS FOR SEVERING SHIRRED SECTIONS OF SAID TUBE INTO PREDETERMINED LENGTHS, AND MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY REMOVING SAID SHIRRED AND SEVERED SECTIONS FROM SAID SHIRRING MANDREL.