Process and apparatus for a preparatory treatment of gathered artificial casings

Claim 2

In the filling of artificial casings with comminuted material to form sausages, comprising pretreating a casing with a warm aqueous fluid, and thereafter filling said pretreated casing with said comminuted material while said casing is gathered in bellows form on the filling tube of a filling machine, the improvement which comprises effecting said pretreatment while said casing is on said filling tube.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous fluid is at a temperature above about 70° C.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous fluid is water.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1, wherein the artificial casing is pretreated with a chemical which is at least partially dissolved into said aqueous fluid.

Claim 6

In the filling of artificial casings with comminuted material to form sausages, comprising gathering a casing to form a bellows on a filling tube of a filling machine, closing the downstream end of said bellows, supplying said comminuted material to said filling tube whereby it enters the bellows and draws the casing forwardly off the filling tube, and periodically closing the filled casing to form a sausage and to form a new closed downstream end for the next sausage, the improvement which comprises continuously applying to the periphery of said casing while on said filling tube and before being filled with comminuted material a warm aqueous fluid thereby to prepare the casing for being filled, and continuously removing spent aqueous fluid after application to said casing.

Claim 7

In the filling of artificial casings with comminuted material to form sausages, comprising gathering a casing to form a bellows on a filling tube of a filling machine, closing the downstream end of said bellows, supplying said comminuted material to said filling tube whereby it enters the bellows and draws the casing forwardly off the filling tube, and periodically closing the filled casing to form a sausage and to form a new closed downstream end for the next sausage, the improvement which comprises continuously applying to the periphery of said casing while on said filling tube and before being filled with comminuted material a warm aqueous fluid thereby to prepare the casing for being filled, and continuously removing spent aqueous fluid after application to said casing.

Claim 8

An apparatus for effecting the process of claim 1, comprising a filling machine, a filling tube for registry with said machine, and means for applying fluid to the outside of said tube whereby when a casing is on said tube said fluid is applied to said casing.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6, including means for removing spent fluid after application to said tube.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fluid applying means is spaced from the tube thereby to apply fluid to the outside of a casing on said tube.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the fluid applying means is in direct contact with the outside of said tube thereby to apply fluid to the inside of a casing on said tube.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the fluid applying means comprises a plurality of nozzles for discharging the aqueous fluid.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the nozzles for applying aqueous fluid to the outside surface of the casing are combined in an annular nozzle array.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the annular nozzle array is subdivided and the parts thereof are pivoted on a pin.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fluid applying means comprises an outer tube surrounding said filling tube and spaced therefrom to form a fluid chamber, and means for supplying fluid to said chamber, said outer tube being provided with openings whereby fluid supplied to said chamber leaves through said openings to be applied to the inside of a casing surrounding both said tubes.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 11, including a housing surrounding the filling tube, the annular mozzle array being connected with said housing, said housing being provided with an inlet for aqueous fluid positioned upstream of the casing, whereby the aqueous fluid can be applied to the inside of the casing on the tube within the housing.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 6, including a holding tube removably mounted on said filling tube, whereby a casing can be gathered on said holding tube at a location remote from the filling machine and the holding tube and casing can be slid over the filling tube.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the holding tube adjacent its downstream end has at least one enlarged bead to stretch a casing as it passes over said bead and is wet by applied fluid.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the holding tube has two spaced beads to form a stretch zone there between, the upstream bead being provided with openings, whereby fluid supplied upstream of said supstream bead to a space between said holding tube and a casing thereon can enter said stretch zone.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the holding tube and bead are integral and formed of a material of low thermal conductivity.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the filling tube is double-walled, the apparatus including means for supplying coolant to the space between the walls of the double-walled filling tube.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the filling machine includes a rotatable turret with a plurality of filling tubes, means for applying fluid being provided for each filling tube of said turret.