Method and means for linking encased meat products

Claim 1

Linking apparatus for use with a product encasing machine, said machine being adapted to expel an elongaged casing filled with plastic product and being adapted to rotate said casing about the longitudinal axis thereof; said linking apparatus forming elongated links of encased produced and comprising: a base having a forward end and a rearward end; first and second sets of pulley means rotatably mounted on said base; means for rotating said pulley means; first and second belt means trained around said first and second sets of pulley means, respectively, for rotation thereabout, each of said first and second belt means being an endless loop defining an inner track portion and an outer track portion, and said first and second belt means being spaced apart so as to define a linking station between said inner track portions through which said casing passes; a plurality of pinching members slidably enaging said first and second belt means for movement therewith; means for maintaining said pinching members in engagement with said first and second belt means; and first and second control means for engaging and releasing successive pinching members on each of said first and second belt means, respectively, said pinching members being prevented from moving with said belt means when engaged by said control means and said pinching members moving with said belt means when released by said control means; said first and second control means engaging said pinching members prior to moving into said linking station and releasing said pinching members for movement into said linking station at predetermined time intervals such that each of said pinching members on said first belt means cooperates with one of said pinching members on said second belt means while passing through said linking station so as to engage and collapse the casing therebetween and reduce the cross-sectional size thereof, said pinching members on each of said first and second belt means being spaced apart from one another while passing through said linking station such that successive pairs of cooperating pinching members form opposite ends of an elongated link; variable timing means operatively connected to said control means for regulating the time interval between release of successive pinching members and thereby controlling the spacing between cooperating pairs of pinching members within said linking station such that the length of said links is selectively adjustable.

Claim 14

The method of linking meat products encased in an elongated cylindrical casing, comprising: rotatably directing an elongated cylindrical casing filled with a meat emulsion into an elongated 1inking station between a pair of spaced apart rotatable belt means having pinching members engaging said belt means for movement therewith; successively releasing pairs of said pinching members to pass through said linking station to engage and collapse said casing to create a reduced cross-sectional portion therein, said release being at predetermined time intervals such that successive pairs of pinching members are spaced apart while passing through said linking station so as to form opposite ends of an elongated link; and controlling the time interval between the release of successive pairs of pinching members thereby adjusting the spacing between the pairs of pinching members passing through said linking station so as to vary the length of said links.

Claim 15

The method of linking meat products encased in an elongated cylindrical casing, comprising: rotatably directing an elongated cylindrical casing filled with a meat emulsion into an elongated 1inking station between a pair of spaced apart rotatable belt means having pinching members engaging said belt means for movement therewith; successively releasing pairs of said pinching members to pass through said linking station to engage and collapse said casing to create a reduced cross-sectional portion therein, said release being at predetermined time intervals such that successive pairs of pinching members are spaced apart while passing through said linking station so as to form opposite ends of an elongated link; and controlling the time interval between the release of successive pairs of pinching members thereby adjusting the spacing between the pairs of pinching members passing through said linking station so as to vary the length of said links.