Slitting device

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALL SLITTING THE SMOOTH SIDE OF AN ANIMAL CASING AND FORMING THEREFROM A STRIP OF UNIFORM WIDTH WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING THE FATTY UNDERSIDE OF THE CASING WITHOUT BREAKING OR DAMAGING THE STRIP, WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED SLITTING PEG OVER WHICH THE CASING IS ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN WITH ITS SMOOTH SIDE UP AND ITS FATTY SIDE DOWN, SAID PEG HAVING A GIRTH NORMALLY ADAPTED TO FILL SAID CASING A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING IMPELLER POSITIONED BELOW SAID PEG AND COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING VANES SPACED ANGULARLY FROM ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE IMPELLER, SAID IMPELLER BEING YIELDABLY URGED TOWARDS SAID PEG, A GRIPPING SURFACE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID PEG FOR COOPERATING WITH THE VANES ON SAID IMPELLER FOR NORMALLY YIELDABLY ENGAGING THE FATTY UNDERSIDE OF SAID CASING BETWEEN SAID VANES AND SAID SURFACE FOR DRAWING SAID CASING LENGTHWISE OVER SAID PEG WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY STRETCHING THE SMOOTH SIDE OF THE CASING IN ANY DIRECTION, A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SLITTING KNIVES ABOVE SAID PEG AND SPACED AXIALLY FROM ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT TO SAID PEG, SAID PEG DEFINING TOP RECESSES FOR RECEIVING THE CUTTING EDGES OF SAID KNIVES, SAID SLITTING KNIVES BEING ADAPTED TO SLIT THROUGH THE SMOOTH SIDE OF THE CASING AS THE KNIVES ENTER SAID TOP RECESSES AND THE CASING IS BEING DRIVEN OVER SAID PEG BY SAID IMPELLER, WHEREBY A STRIP MAY BE SEVERED FROM SAID CASING WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY STRETCHING THE STRIP IN ANY DIRECTION.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALL SLITTING THE SMOOTH SIDE OF AN ANIMAL CASING AND FORMING THEREFROM A STRIP OF UNIFORM WIDTH WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVING THE FATTY UNDERSIDE OF THE CASING WITHOUT BREAKING OR DAMAGING THE STRIP, WHICH COMPRISES AN ELONGATED SLITTING PEG OVER WHICH THE CASING IS ADAPTED TO BE DRAWN WITH ITS SMOOTH SIDE UP AND ITS FATTY SIDE DOWN, SAID PEG HAVING A GIRTH NORMALLY ADAPTED TO FILL SAID CASING A CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING IMPELLER POSITIONED BELOW SAID PEG AND COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING VANES SPACED ANGULARLY FROM ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THE AXIS OF THE IMPELLER, SAID IMPELLER BEING YIELDABLY URGED TOWARDS SAID PEG, A GRIPPING SURFACE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID PEG FOR COOPERATING WITH THE VANES ON SAID IMPELLER FOR NORMALLY YIELDABLY ENGAGING THE FATTY UNDERSIDE OF SAID CASING BETWEEN SAID VANES AND SAID SURFACE FOR DRAWING SAID CASING LENGTHWISE OVER SAID PEG WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY STRETCHING THE SMOOTH SIDE OF THE CASING IN ANY DIRECTION, A PLURALITY OF CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SLITTING KNIVES ABOVE SAID PEG AND SPACED AXIALLY FROM ONE ANOTHER WITH RESPECT TO SAID PEG, SAID PEG DEFINING TOP RECESSES FOR RECEIVING THE CUTTING EDGES OF SAID KNIVES, SAID SLITTING KNIVES BEING ADAPTED TO SLIT THROUGH THE SMOOTH SIDE OF THE CASING AS THE KNIVES ENTER SAID TOP RECESSES AND THE CASING IS BEING DRIVEN OVER SAID PEG BY SAID IMPELLER, WHEREBY A STRIP MAY BE SEVERED FROM SAID CASING WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY STRETCHING THE STRIP IN ANY DIRECTION.