Casing sensing means for stuffing apparatus

Claim 1

In an apparatus for stuffing flowable product into shirred casing comprising a stuffing horn assembly adapted for mounting a shirred tubular casing, and including a tube having an inlet end for receiving flowable product from a pressurized supply and a discharge end for discharging the product; product stoppering means adapted to be indexed to a first position so as to allow the passage of pressurized product out through the discharge end of the tube into a mounted shirred casing and adapted to be indexed to a second position so as to prevent the flow of pressurized product out through said discharge end of the tube; means associated with said stuffing horn assembly and adapted for providing a closure after a selected length of casing is stuffed; and first control means for automatically providing consecutive cycles of a stuffing and closing operation for producing stuffed products of a desired length; the improvement comprising sensing means adapted to detect movement of a trailing end portion of a mounted shirred casing, and second control means associated with said sensing means for interrupting the stuffing and closing operation so as to terminate the flow of product from the tube before the mounted shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 10

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete expenditure of a shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; e. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c) and the applying a closure step (d); and f. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c) and the applying a closure step (d) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 11

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete expenditure of a shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; e. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c) and the applying a closure step (d); and f. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c) and the applying a closure step (d) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 16

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. advancing the stuffed casing from the discharge end of said stuffing horn to a closure station; e. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing and a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; f. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end closure and said fore end closure of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; g. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying a closure step (e) and the severing step (f); and h. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying a closure step (e) and the severing step (f) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 17

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. advancing the stuffed casing from the discharge end of said stuffing horn to a closure station; e. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing and a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; f. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end closure and said fore end closure of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; g. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying a closure step (e) and the severing step (f); and h. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying a closure step (e) and the severing step (f) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 22

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; e. advancing the closed end of the stuffed casing to a closure station; f. applying a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; g. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end and said fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; h. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the applying an aft closure step (d), the advancing step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g); and i. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the applying an aft closure step (d), the advancing step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 23

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; e. advancing the closed end of the stuffed casing to a closure station; f. applying a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; g. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end and said fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; h. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the applying an aft closure step (d), the advancing step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g); and i. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the applying an aft closure step (d), the advancing step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 28

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. advancing the stuffed casing to a closure station; e. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; f. applying a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; g. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end and said fore end closure of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; h. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying an aft closure step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g); and i. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying an aft closure step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.

Claim 29

A method for automatically terminating the flow of product through a stuffing horn assembly prior to complete runout of shirred casing on said stuffing horn assembly which comprises: a. sheathing a shirred casing onto a horn of a stuffing horn assembly, said horn having an inlet end and a discharge end, and the fore end of the casing proximal the discharge end of the horn being closed; b. releasing a pressurized flowable product from the discharge end of said horn, thereby deshirring the casing and progressively stuffing said casing; c. stopping the flow of pressurized material after a predetermined length of casing has been stuffed; d. advancing the stuffed casing to a closure station; e. applying a closure at the aft end of said stuffed casing; f. applying a closure at the fore end of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing at the closure station; g. severing said stuffed closed end casing intermediate said aft end and said fore end closure of the succeeding trailing unfilled casing; h. repeating the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying an aft closure step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g); and i. automatically sensing movement of the trailing portion of the shirred casing on the horn of the stuffing horn assembly and interrupting the the sequence of the releasing step (b), the stopping step (c), the advancing step (d), the applying an aft closure step (e), the applying a fore closure step (f) and the severing step (g) by terminating the flow of product from the discharge end of the horn before the shirred casing is completely expended.