Method and means for stuffing natural casings with sausage emulsion

Abstract

A method of stuffing natural casings with emulsion involves placing a follower against an upstream end of the natural casing to slide the natural casing forwardly along a hollow meat stuffing tube. The follower is mounted on the stuffing tube and advances the natural casing towards a discharge end of the stuffing tube, where sausage emulsion is injected into the natural casing. The follower pushes the filled casing through a hollow conical-shaped restricting device adjacent the discharge end which limits the outer diameter of the filled natural casing to ensure the uniform shape of the casing as it enters the twisting mechanism. The follower is connected to a longitudinally movable shaft that is parallel to the stuffing tube. A machine includes the foregoing components to accomplish this method.

1 - 4 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         5 . A method of advancing a natural casing along the length of a hollow meat stuffing tube, comprising, 
 placing a hollow natural casing on the outside surface of a hollow stuffing tube having a meat emulsion discharge end,    placing a follower against an upstream end of the natural casing to slide the natural casing forwardly along the stuffing tube towards a discharge end, and    placing a hollow conical shaped restrictor on the stuffing tube with a smaller diameter end adjacent the discharge end of the stuffing tube wherein the conical shaped restrictor is rotatable about the stuffing tube to decrease the diameter of the natural casing as it is being slidably moved towards the discharge end of the tube.    
     
     
         6 . A machine for stuffing natural casings with emulsion, comprising, 
 a hollow meat stuffing tube on the machine having a first end and a discharge end for extruding emulsion into a natural casing on an outer surface of the stuffing tube,    a follower slidably mounted on the stuffing tube adjacent an end of the natural casing nearest the first end of the stuffing tube,    a longitudinally movable shaft that is parallel to the stuffing tube and connected to the follower and drives the follower longitudinally about the stuffing tube, thereby pushing the natural casing towards the discharge end of the stuffing tube as the casing is filled with emulsion,    a conical shaped restrictor mounted on the stuffing tube with a smaller diameter end adjacent the discharge end of the stuffing tube to decrease the diameter of the natural casing as it is being slidably moved towards the discharge end of the tube, and    wherein the conical shaped restrictor is rotatable about the stuffing tube.