阅读说明：本技术 用于填充管状的外皮的设备的肠衣保持设备 (Casing holding device for a device for filling tubular casings ) 是由 格哈德·弗朗茨 克劳斯·希勒 约翰·瓦尔格 于 2020-11-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于用糊状的食物团块填充管状的外皮的设备的肠衣保持装置(1),其具有在运行时在配份位置(A)与被拉到填充管(106)上的外皮接触且在外皮和填充管之间产生按压力的肠衣制动器(2)和用于使肠衣制动器在配份位置和肠衣更换位置(B)之间移动的调节装置(6),在肠衣更换位置中,肠衣制动器与填充管脱耦。本发明旨在简化肠衣制动器在配份位置和肠衣更换位置之间的运动。调节装置具有连杆导向机构(8),该连杆导向机构具有多个铰链并且设立用于使肠衣制动器在从配份位置进入到肠衣更换位置中的运动的至少第一阶段中基本上轴向相对于填充管的纵轴线运动,而在所述运动的至少第二阶段中相对于填充管的纵轴线枢转。(The invention relates to a casing holding device (1) for a device for filling a tubular outer skin with pasty food masses, comprising a casing brake (2) which, during operation, comes into contact with the outer skin drawn onto a filling tube (106) in a dosing position (A) and generates a pressing force between the outer skin and the filling tube, and an adjusting device (6) for moving the casing brake between a dosing position and a casing changing position (B), in which the casing brake is decoupled from the filling tube. The invention aims to simplify the movement of the casing brake between the dispensing position and the casing changing position. The adjusting device has a link guide (8) which has a plurality of joints and is designed to move the casing brake essentially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a first phase of the movement from the dosing position into the casing changing position and to pivot relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a second phase of the movement.)

1. A casing holding device (1) for an apparatus for filling a tubular casing with pasty food mass, having:

-a casing brake (2) which, in operation, comes into contact with the casing drawn onto the filling tube (106) in the dispensing position (a) and generates a pressing force between the casing and the filling tube (106), and

-an adjustment device (6) for moving the casing brake (2) between the portioning position (A) and a casing change position (B) in which the casing brake (2) is decoupled from the filling tube (106),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the adjusting device (6) has a link guide (8) having a plurality of hinges, which is designed to move the casing brake (2) substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube (106) in at least a first phase of the movement from the dosing position (A) into the casing change position (B) and to pivot relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube (106) in at least a second phase of the movement.

2. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the link guide (8) is designed as a four-bar linkage (18) which is set up to move the sausage skin brake (2) on a predetermined curved path (20) having a substantially straight path section (20') and a curved path section (20 ").

3. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 1 or 2,

the connecting rod guide (8) is characterized by at least one fixed carrier (22), two crank arms (24, 26) which are each movably articulated on the carrier (22) via a rotary joint (23.1, 23.2), and a coupling part (28) which connects the crank arms via two further rotary joints (23.3, 23.4).

4. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 3,

the sausage casing brake (2), preferably the movable holding part (4) accommodating the sausage casing brake (2), is firmly connected to a coupling part (28) of the four-bar linkage (18).

5. Casing holding device (1) according to any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the adjusting device (6) has a lever mechanism (30) connected to the link guide (8) as an actuating unit for the link guide (8).

6. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 5,

characterized in that the lever mechanism (30) is connected to one of the crank arms (24, 26) or to a coupling part (28) of the connecting rod guide (8).

7. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 5 or 6,

characterized in that the lever mechanism (30) has two lever arms (32, 34) which are movably connected to one another, wherein the first lever arm (32) is arranged pivotably at one end on a stationary rotary support (36) and the second lever arm (34) is connected rotatably at its free end to the coupling part (28).

8. The casing holding device (1) according to any of claims 5 to 7,

characterized in that the lever mechanism (30) is connected in a rotary manner on the drive side to a manually actuable handle lever (10).

9. The casing holding device (1) according to any of claims 5 to 8,

characterized in that a toggle clamping device is formed by means of the lever mechanism (30) for arresting the link guide (8) in a dispensing position (A) of the casing brake (2) on the filling tube (106).

10. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 9,

characterized in that a gear, preferably a spur gear, is connected between the lever mechanism (30) and the hand lever (10).

11. Casing holding device (1) according to any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the holding part (4) comprises a cantilever (12) and a top plate (14) for the casing brake (2), which top plate extends substantially perpendicularly to the cantilever (12) in the dosing position (A).

12. Casing holding device (1) according to any of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the link guide (8) is arranged in a coupling region (40) of a boom (12) having a first fixed arm section (42) and a second arm section (44) which is movable relative to the first arm section (42) by means of the link guide (8).

13. Casing holding device (1) according to claim 12,

characterized in that coupling parts (46, 48) are provided on the ends of the first and second arm sections (42, 44) facing each other, by means of which coupling parts preferably a plug-in coupling is formed for transmitting a drive movement to the casing brake (2) which is preferably movably accommodated on the holding part (4).

14. The casing retention device (1) according to the preamble of claim 1,

characterized in that the adjusting device (6) for moving the casing brake (2) is designed to be manually actuated and has a link guide (8) with a plurality of joints, which is designed to move the casing brake (2) at least substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube (106).

15. An apparatus (100) for filling tubular skins, in particular sausage casings, with paste mass, has:

-at least one filling tube (106) onto which an outer skin that can be filled with pellets can be pulled, wherein the filling tube (106) is supported rotatably and driveably about its longitudinal axis, and

-a casing holding device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 13 or claim 14, which comes into contact with the free end of the filling tube (106) when filling the outer skin.

16. The device (100) of claim 15,

characterized in that a machine frame (106) is provided on which the casing holding device (1) is arranged, preferably by means of its boom (12).

17. The device (100) of claim 16,

characterized in that the cantilever (12) is oriented substantially parallel to the fill tube (106).

18. The apparatus (100) according to any one of the claims, further comprising:

-a twisting device for driving the casing brake (2), and/or

-a filling funnel (102) for containing a pasty mass, and/or

-a delivery pump for delivering the pasty mass.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a casing holding device for an apparatus for filling a tubular casing with pasty food mass, comprising: a casing brake which, during operation, in the dispensing position comes into contact with the casing pulled onto the filling tube and generates a pressing force between the casing and the filling tube; a movable holding member for holding the casing brake; and an adjustment device for moving the casing brake between a dosing position and a casing change position, in which the casing brake is decoupled from the filling tube.

Background

Sausage casing holders are known from the prior art in connection with so-called filling machines and are used when filling tubular casings with pasty food masses, such as sausage meat or the like. The outer skin to be filled with the food mass is subsequently pulled onto a filling tube of a filling device or filling machine. The casing holding device is in contact with the free end of the filling tube equipped with the outer skin. During operation, in particular in the dispensing position, the casing holder is brought into contact with the casing (also called wrinkled casing) pulled onto the filling tube by its casing brake, which generates a pressing force between the casing and the filling tube. Thereby, the skin section is pulled down in a controlled manner when filling the skin, which can be a natural or artificial casing. As a result, the outer skin is held taut during the filling process, whereby a uniform degree of filling of the outer skin can be achieved in particular.

The casing brake surrounds the free end of the filling tube and thus also the outer skin pulled onto the filling tube. After filling the casing, the casing needs to be replaced, i.e. a new, folded casing is pulled onto the filling tube, wherein the casing brake is usually moved from a dosing position at the end of the filling tube into a casing changing position. In the casing change position, the filling tube is accessible to pull on the new tubular sheath. In order to be able to move the casing brake into the casing replacement position, the casing holding device also has an adjusting device for moving the casing brake or a holding part accommodating the casing brake from the dispensing position into the casing replacement position.

A casing holder with a casing brake is known, for example, from DE 102007061119 a 1. The casing brake is accommodated on a support element which is pivotably arranged on a cantilever arm extending substantially parallel to the filling tube. The casing brake only executes a pivoting movement with a uniform radius when moving from the dosing position into the casing change position.

From EP 2227963B 2 a holding device with a casing brake is known, wherein the casing brake is in contact with the free end of the filling tube and holds the casing strip (Darmraupe) under tension during the filling process with the sausage meat paste. The holding part accommodating the casing brake is movably mounted by means of a slide groove guide, by means of which the casing brake is first moved in the axial direction of the filling tube and then pivoted away from the longitudinal axis of the filling tube. Chute guides often cause high friction.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the invention is to provide a casing holding device and a filling device for tubular casings, by means of which the movement of the casing brake between the dispensing position and the casing change position is further simplified.

The invention achieves the object on which the invention is based in a casing holding device for an apparatus for filling a tubular casing with pasty food mass, comprising: a casing brake which, during operation, comes into contact with the casing pulled onto the filling tube in the dispensing position and generates a pressing force between the casing and the filling tube; an adjustment device for moving the casing brake between a dosing position and a casing change position in which the casing brake is decoupled from the filling tube. In particular, the adjusting device has a link guide mechanism with a plurality of hinges, which is set up to move the casing brake substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a first phase of the movement from the dosing position into the casing change position and to pivot the casing brake relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a second phase of the movement.

According to the invention, a simplified movement of the casing brake from the dispensing position into the casing replacement position is achieved by means of a link guide having a plurality of joints. In particular, with the aid of the link guide having a plurality of hinges, the force required to transfer the casing brake, and in particular the component of the casing holding device carrying the casing brake, from the portioning position into the casing change position is reduced and the energy required is reduced when the casing holding device is manually operated, since the frictional forces are low according to the invention. By means of the multi-hinged link guide, in a first phase of movement the holding part with the casing brake travels substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube, and in a second phase of movement the filling tube is pivoted away from the longitudinal axis of the filling tube. The movement process is accurately guided and can be performed quickly with little effort.

Currently, the movement of the casing brake from the dosing position into the casing change position defines a decoupling movement. The movement of the casing brake from the casing change position back to the portioning position defines a coupling movement. By means of the link guide having a plurality of hinges according to the invention, a simplified decoupling movement of the casing brake from the filling tube and a simplified coupling movement of the casing brake with the filling tube are possible. In the coupling movement effected by means of the link guide, the casing brake is moved in the second phase of the coupling movement essentially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube, in contrast to the decoupling movement, so as to preferably again come into contact with or abut the outer skin pulled onto the filling tube.

According to a preferred development of the sausage casing holder according to the invention, the linkage guide with the plurality of joints is designed as a four-bar linkage, which is set up to move the sausage casing brake on a predetermined curved path with a substantially straight path section and a curved path section. A simple design of the link guide is achieved by providing a four-bar linkage, also referred to as a four-bar kinematic mechanism. The four-bar linkage enables the sausage casing brake to move on a preferably preset fixed track. The four-bar linkage preferably has four swivel joints with at least one degree of freedom. Preferably, the curved path has two path sections with different radii of movement, on which the casing brake moves. The substantially straight trajectory section has a movement radius of more than 2500mm, preferably about 3500mm, over the first 20 to 40mm of the decoupling movement (the last 20 to 40mm during the coupling movement). During the movement of the casing brake along the first straight path section relative to the filling tube, only a small lateral offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube occurs, as a result of which disadvantageous deformations of the filling tube end are avoided when pulling the casing brake off the filling tube and pushing it onto the filling tube.

Preferably, the link guide with several joints has at least one fixed frame, two crank arms which are each movably articulated on the frame via a rotary joint, and a coupling part which connects the crank arms via two further rotary joints. Preferably, a first and a second positionally fixed swivel joint are provided on the casing holding device, to which two movably articulated crank arms are connected. The distance between the first and second fixedly arranged rotary joints is not changeable. Furthermore, the two movably articulated crank arms are connected to one another via a coupling part, wherein the coupling part is fixed to the movable crank arm via a third and a fourth rotary joint. This allows the link guide to be moved along a predetermined curved path. Preferably, the four swivel joints each have only one degree of freedom, so that the casing brake or the holding part accommodating the casing brake can be moved in a fixed plane at a predetermined height relative to the filling tube.

According to a further development of the casing holder according to the invention, it is provided that the casing brake, preferably the movable holding part accommodating the casing brake, is firmly connected to the coupling part of the four-bar linkage. This ensures the greatest possible freedom of movement of the casing brake or of the holding part accommodating the casing brake. In this case, the distance between the fixed rotary joints and the length of the crank arms movably articulated on the fixed rotary joints and the coupling part connecting the crank arms to one another via the rotary joints are matched to one another and the machine frame of the connecting rod guide according to the invention is oriented relative to the filling tube in such a way that the casing brake is moved substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in the first phase of the decoupling movement and in the second phase of the coupling movement.

According to a preferred refinement, the adjusting device has a lever mechanism connected to the multi-joint link guide as an actuating unit of the link guide. By means of the lever mechanism according to the invention, the effort required for actuating the link guide can be further reduced, thereby further improving the maneuverability of the holding device according to the invention during the casing change process. Furthermore, the casing holding device according to the invention can preferably be manipulated manually or manually. With such a casing holding device according to the invention, the effort in terms of control technology on the filling device for filling the tubular casing is therefore reduced.

Preferably, the lever mechanism is movably connected to one of the crank arms or the coupling section of the link guide mechanism. The movable coupling enables the lever mechanism to be actuated almost independently of the curve path predetermined by the link guide. Preferably, the lever mechanism acts at the crank arm or at the movable end of one of the crank arms. This achieves a preferably effective force conversion of the actuating force acting on the lever arrangement into an actuating force acting on the link guide.

Preferably, the lever mechanism has two lever arms which are movably connected to one another, wherein the first lever arm is arranged pivotably at one end on a stationary rotary support and the second lever arm is connected rotatably at its free end to the coupling part. The design of the lever mechanism with two lever arms which are movably connected to one another has the following advantages: the link guide mechanism can be acted on by leverage that reinforces the operating force. Furthermore, by adjusting the link guide via the lever arm, the occurring changes in the distance of the stationary rotary bearing relative to the introduction point of the lever mechanism as actuating force can be compensated for in a simple manner. In addition, a transmission ratio which is advantageously effective can preferably be produced by means of the lever arms of the lever mechanism and the crank arms of the connecting rod guide mechanism which are movably connected to one another. Preferably, the lever mechanism and the link guide interact with each other such that they establish a non-uniform transmission ratio for forming a transfer function having a non-linearity. Accordingly, when the actuating movement at the lever mechanism is divided into length sections or angle sections of the same size, the casing brake performs movements of different sizes along the actuating sections that follow one another.

Furthermore, the actuating force present as a rotational movement can advantageously be converted into a substantially translatory movement on the output side of the lever mechanism by means of the lever mechanism according to the invention. According to a preferred embodiment of the casing holding device according to the invention, the lever mechanism is coupled in rotation on the drive side to a manually actuatable hand lever. Preferably, the hand-manipulable hand lever can be coupled directly or indirectly to the lever mechanism via a positionally fixed rotary bearing of the lever mechanism. Preferably, one end of the hand lever is rotatably supported. For adjusting the lever mechanism, the hand lever is preferably pivoted in a horizontally extending plane by a predetermined angular measure.

In a further embodiment of the holding device, it is proposed that a toggle clamping device is formed by means of a lever mechanism, which serves to stop the link guide in the dispensing position of the casing brake on the filling tube. The toggle clamping device preferably causes the sausage casing brake not to move out of its dispensing position on the filling tube automatically. Thus, it is possible to dispense with the design of a separate retaining device, by means of which the casing brake or the holding part accommodating the casing brake is fixed relative to the holding device. Accordingly, the holding device according to the invention automatically stops as the casing brake moves into the portioning position. The removal of the stop is effected by the casing brake moving out of the portioning position towards the casing change position. Preferably, the lever arms of the toggle lever mechanism are arranged or oriented relative to one another in such a way that, at the beginning of the decoupling movement and at the end of the coupling movement, they pass through a dead point which acts between the two lever arms of the lever mechanism, in such a way that the longitudinal axes of the lever arms are temporarily oriented in coincidence with one another. Furthermore, the lever arms in their dead center position have a slight offset in length from one another, by which an opposing force is generated which has to be overcome when passing through the dead center position. This reaction force simultaneously forms a detent force for holding the link guide in the dispensing position of the casing brake.

According to a preferred development, a gear mechanism, preferably a spur gear mechanism, is arranged between the lever mechanism and the hand lever. By means of the gear mechanism, the actuating force on the hand lever is preferably converted into an actuating force acting on the lever mechanism. Currently, a change in the direction of movement from the hand lever to at least one lever arm of the lever mechanism is also effected by means of a gear mechanism. The lever arm then executes a pivoting movement which is always opposite to the pivoting movement of the hand lever. Preferably, a single-stage spur gear transmission with two spur gears is used. The spur gear on the drive side is coupled in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotatably mounted end of the hand lever, while the spur gear on the output side is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the drive lever of the lever mechanism.

Preferably, the casing holding device has a holding part with a cantilever and a top plate for the casing brake, which top plate extends substantially perpendicularly to the cantilever in the dispensing position. By means of the cantilever and the top plate extending perpendicularly thereto, a support structure for the casing brake, which is preferably rotatably accommodated at the top plate, is formed. By means of the holding part, it is to be ensured that the casing brake is arranged coaxially with its receiving opening, preferably coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the filling tube. In one embodiment of the invention, the entire cantilever arm with the top plate arranged thereon is accommodated movably by means of a link guide. Preferably, the boom of the casing holder can be coupled to a torque transmission of the device for filling the tubular casing, by means of which the casing brake is driven preferably in a cyclically controlled manner. Corresponding transmission mechanisms for the drive movement to be transmitted by the torque transmission device to the casing brake are provided on the boom and the top plate.

In a preferred embodiment of the casing holder, the link guide is arranged in the coupling region of a boom having a fixed first arm section and a second arm section which is movable relative to the first arm section by means of the link guide. Instead of moving the entire cantilever by means of a top plate arranged at the end of the cantilever, it is proposed according to the invention that only one section, i.e. the movable second arm section, is moved relative to the fixed first arm section of the cantilever. This reduces the supporting forces to be absorbed in the case of the link guide. In addition, the arrangement of the link guide along one section of the boom enables a simplified design of the coupling region between the arm sections of the boom that are to be in contact with each other. Furthermore, the design of the transmission mechanism of the torsion transmission at the cantilever for transmitting the drive movement to the casing brake is simplified. Preferably, the coupling region is formed over approximately half of the cantilever.

In order to transmit the drive movement of the torsion transmission to the casing brake, a coupling part is provided at each end of the first and second arm sections of the boom facing each other, by means of which coupling part a plug-in coupling for transmitting the drive movement to the casing brake, which is preferably movably accommodated on the holding part, is preferably formed. The coupling parts on the first and second arm sections preferably have form-fitting elements which engage into one another when the coupling parts are in abutment with one another so that the casing brake is in the dispensing position, said form-fitting elements preventing relative movement of the coupling parts with respect to one another in the circumferential direction. Preferably, this allows relative movement of the coupling parts in the axial direction. Preferably, the form-fitting elements of the coupling parts which engage one another in the portioned position are designed as face teeth (Hirth-Verzahnung). Simplified engagement and disengagement of the form-fitting elements with respect to one another is thereby achieved.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a casing retention device. According to the invention, it is proposed that the adjusting device for moving the casing brake is designed to be manually operable and has a link guide with a plurality of joints, which is designed to move the casing brake substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a first phase of the movement from the dispensing position into the casing replacement position. According to the invention, the following process route is used here: a linkage guide mechanism with a plurality of hinges is provided on the casing holding device with a manually or manually operable adjusting device, by means of which the casing brake performs a preferably substantially axial movement in a decoupling movement, i.e. during the decoupling of the casing brake from the filling tube. Damage to the filling tube and the casing brake when the casing brake is disengaged from the filling tube or damage to the tubular outer skin that is newly pulled onto the filling tube when the casing brake and the filling tube are engaged again is thereby avoided. Currently, a guide mechanism with a plurality of hinges is not understood as a pure guide with a guide part that guides along a guide surface. A link guide is understood to mean a coupling mechanism having a plurality of connecting elements which interact with one another and are connected via a plurality of at least four pivot points, in this case four rotary joints.

According to the invention, in at least one second phase of the movement, which is subsequent to the first phase of the movement, a pivoting movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube is carried out by means of a casing brake, by means of which the casing brake is transferred from the dosing position into the casing change position.

According to a further aspect, the invention relates to a device for filling a tubular casing with paste dough, in particular for filling a casing strip with sausage meat, having at least one filling tube onto which a casing that can be filled with the dough can be pulled, one end of which is rotatably and drivably supported on a receiving part, preferably about its longitudinal axis, and having a casing holding device according to one of the above-described preferred embodiments, which is associated with a free end of the filling tube.

The object described at the outset is achieved by the apparatus according to the invention for filling tubular casings, also referred to as a filling machine, by a casing holding device which is designed according to the invention and, when the apparatus is in operation, with its casing brake, executes a substantially axial movement relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a first phase of decoupled movement, i.e. when the casing brake is transferred from its dispensing position into a casing replacement position. By moving the casing brake in the axial direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube, damage to the casing brake and the filling tube is avoided as long as the casing brake is engaged with the filling tube. Here, a substantially axial movement of the current casing brake is also understood to mean a movement along the longitudinal axis of the filling tube which deviates slightly from an idealized axial movement along the filling tube. It is preferably ensured that: by means of the casing brake to be decoupled from the filling tube or during the coupled movement of the casing brake toward the filling tube after the casing change, an excessive offset movement of the casing brake perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube is avoided.

Preferably, the filling tube of the device according to the invention is designed to be drivable, whereby the filled tubular casing is divided into individual sausage portions at predetermined intervals by means of a likewise drivable sausage skin brake, which produces a plurality of twisting points successively along the filled casing as the casing is filled.

According to a preferred embodiment, the device according to the invention has a machine frame on which the casing holding device is arranged, preferably by means of a holding part of the casing holding device. The machine frame forms the basic structure of the filling apparatus according to the invention, on which the main components of the apparatus as well as the casing holding means are preferably arranged. According to a preferred embodiment, the holding part has a cantilever arm which is oriented substantially parallel to the filling tube. Furthermore, the length of the cantilever arm corresponds approximately to the length of the rotatable or drivable filling tube on the filling machine. At the end of the boom, a top plate with a casing brake rotatably accommodated therein is provided. The top plate preferably extends perpendicular to the cantilever of the holding device according to the invention and perpendicular to the filling tube of the filling apparatus.

According to a preferred development of the filling device according to the invention, the filling device further comprises a twisting device for driving the casing brake and/or a filling funnel for receiving the paste mass and/or a delivery pump for delivering the paste mass. The torsion device is preferably arranged on the frame in the attachment region of the cantilever of the holding device according to the invention. The twisting device drives the casing brake via a drive chain which is respectively formed on the boom and the top plate. Preferably, the boom has a drive shaft rotatably accommodated in the interior of the boom as a drive chain. A belt drive is arranged on the top plate, which belt drive is coupled to a rotatably arranged casing brake. The rotational axes of the casing brake and of the drive shaft section provided on the pivotable boom of the casing holding device preferably run parallel to one another. The filling funnel on the filling machine constitutes a holding reservoir or intermediate reservoir for the pieces of meat to be treated. The filling funnel is connected in a fluid-conducting manner to a downstream delivery pump, by means of which the pasty food mass fed into the filling funnel is conducted towards a filling pipe of the filling machine. Preferably, the filling machine has a worm pump, a double spindle pump, a gear pump or a vane pump as the delivery pump for delivering the food mass. By means of the delivery pump, the food mass can be delivered essentially continuously, cyclically controlled or oscillated towards the filling tube.

The preferred embodiments or refinements described in relation to the casing holding device according to the invention are also preferred embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention for filling tubular casings. The preferred embodiments described in connection with the filling apparatus are also preferred embodiments of the casing holding device according to the invention, as long as they do not contradict from the beginning.

Drawings

The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings according to preferred embodiments. Shown here are:

fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a filling device or machine for producing string-shaped food products from food mass with a casing holding device according to the invention;

fig. 2 shows a perspective view of the casing holding device according to the invention according to fig. 1;

fig. 3 and 4 show views of the casing holding device according to the invention in different operating positions with respect to a filling tube of a filling apparatus;

fig. 5 shows a sectional view of a casing holding device according to the invention, and

fig. 6 shows a superimposed view of the separating device to show the curved path achieved by means of the link guide according to the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a machine for producing string-shaped food products from food mass, in particular a filling machine 100 for filling tubular outer skins, such as artificial and/or natural casings. A filling funnel 102 for feeding the food mass to be processed is provided on the filling machine 100. A delivery pump, not shown in detail, is provided in the filling machine 100. The mass to be processed is conveyed by means of a conveying pump towards the extrusion head 104 and a filling tube 106 rotatably arranged thereon.

A casing holding device 1 is provided on the filling machine 100, which casing holding device comprises a casing brake 2, which casing brake 2, when the filling machine 100 is in operation, comes into contact with the outer skin pulled onto the filling tube 106 and generates a pressing force between the outer skin and the filling tube. The casing brake 2 is accommodated via a holding part 4, by means of which the casing brake 2 is held in a predetermined orientation relative to the filling tube 106. Furthermore, the casing holding device 1 comprises an adjusting device 6 for moving the casing brake 2. The adjusting device 6 is designed to move the casing brake between its dosing position at the end of the filling tube 106 and a casing change position, in which the casing brake 2 is decoupled from the filling tube 106, on a predetermined trajectory. The adjusting device 6 comprises a link guide 8 (fig. 2) with a plurality of hinges, by means of which the casing brake 2 is moved substantially axially relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a first phase of the movement from the dosing position into the casing change position and is pivoted relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube in at least a second phase of the movement.

In the embodiment shown here, the link guide 8 is actuated by means of a handle 10. In the present embodiment, the handle 10 is configured as a hand lever. In particular, after the fillable casing pulled over the filling tube 106 has been processed, the casing brake 2 is brought out of contact with the filling tube by means of the handle 10 in order to push the new folded casing onto the filling tube 106 for filling.

Fig. 2 shows the casing holding device 1 according to the invention and its adjusting device 6 in a detail view, whereby the manner of functioning thereof should be explained. The holding part 4 with the casing brake 2 received thereon in particular rotatably has a cantilever arm 12 which preferably runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106. At the free end of the cantilever 12, a top plate 14 is provided, which extends substantially perpendicular to the cantilever. On the top plate 14, a rotary bearing 16 is provided for the movable reception thereon of the casing brake 2. The casing holding device 1 is arranged with its boom 12 on the frame 108 of the filling machine 100. For driving the casing brake 2, the filling machine 100 has a twisting device, which is not shown in detail.

As can be seen from fig. 2, the link guide 8 is in addition designed as a multi-link mechanism, in particular as a four-link mechanism 18. The four-bar linkage 18 is designed to move the casing brake 2 between the dispensing position a and the casing change position B on a predetermined curved path 20 (fig. 6). The curved track 20 shown in fig. 6 comprises a substantially straight track section 20' and a curved track section 20 ″. The link guide 8, in the present case the four-bar linkage 18, comprises at least one fixed carrier 22, two crank arms 24, 26 which are movably articulated on the carrier via a first and a second rotary joint 23.1, 23.2, and a coupling part 28 which is connected to one of the crank arms 24, 26 via a third and a fourth rotary joint 23.3, 23.4. The casing brake 2, in particular a section of the holding part 4 for the casing brake 2, is firmly connected to the coupling part 28 of the four-bar linkage 18. The four-bar linkage 18 with its four swivel joints 23.1-23.4 is manually actuated by means of the handle 10. When the handle lever 10 is actuated, a section of the boom 12, namely the top plate 14 and the casing brake 2, executes a substantially translatory movement in a first movement phase. Only in the second movement phase does the sausage casing brake 2 pivot by means of the crank arms 24, 26 at an angle inclined to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106.

Furthermore, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the adjusting device 6 has a lever mechanism 30 connected to the link guide 8, which lever mechanism is connected between the link guide 8 and the hand lever 10 of the adjusting device 6 as a kind of gear transmission. The lever mechanism 30 establishes a driving connection between the hand lever 10 and the movable crank arms 24, 26 or the coupling part 28 of the link guide 8. As shown in fig. 4, the lever mechanism 30 has two lever arms 32, 34 which are movably connected to one another. The first lever arm 32 is arranged with one end on a stationary rotary bearing 36 and is accommodated in particular pivotably via the rotary bearing 36. The second lever arm 34 is rotatably coupled by one end thereof to the first lever arm 32 and is movably hinged by the opposite end to a further rotary support 36' on the coupling member 28.

In the embodiment shown here, the toggle lever clamping device is formed by means of a lever mechanism 30, which results in a self-locking function of the adjusting device 6. In the dispensing position a (fig. 3), the sausage casing brake 2 thus automatically stops or fixes the connecting rod guide 8 on the filling tube 106. Therefore, the casing brake itself cannot be removed from the dosing position a at the filling tube 106. In the embodiment shown, the toggle clamping device acts against a stop at the adjusting device 6. In an embodiment that is not shown in detail, a gear mechanism in the form of a spur gear mechanism is used for the force transmission between the lever mechanism 30 and the hand lever 10. The spur gear is used to simplify the force transmission and in the present case to change the direction of movement between the hand lever 10 and the first lever arm 32 of the lever mechanism 30, which are pivoted in opposite directions. Preferably, as can be seen from fig. 4, the central axis of the casing brake 2 has a device angle β in the range of approximately 30 ° to 70 ° relative to the longitudinal axis of the filling tube 106 in the casing change position.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view of the sausage skin holder 1 according to the invention, which shows a two-part design of the boom 12 and the arrangement of the drive chain 38 for carrying out a twisting movement on the sausage skin brake 2 within the boom 12. The boom 12 has a coupling region 40, by means of which the boom 12 is divided into a fixed first arm section 42 and a movable second arm section 44. A drive chain 38 extends as a drive shaft along the boom 12. In the coupling region 40 of the boom 12, two coupling parts 46, 48 are provided which can be engaged with one another and which separate and couple the drive train 38.

In an embodiment that is not illustrated in detail, the coupling parts 46, 48 have locking elements on their end faces facing each other that engage into each other for forming a positive-locking connection between the coupling parts 46, 48. A plug-in coupling of the type described is produced by means of the coupling parts 46, 48. In the presently illustrated embodiment, at least one of the coupling parts 46, 48 is adjustably arranged in the axial direction within the first or second arm section of the cantilever. Thereby, a compensating movement is caused when the coupling parts 46, 48 are engaged and disengaged. In the embodiment shown, the transmission of the drive movement transmitted by the drive chain 38 to the casing brake 2 takes place by means of a drive belt 50 which is guided via a belt pulley 52 on the drive chain 38 and a belt pulley 54 on the casing brake 2.

Fig. 6 shows, superimposed on one another, different operating positions of the casing holder, namely a dispensing position a, in which the casing brake interacts with the free end of the filling tube 106, and a casing replacement position B, in which the casing brake is decoupled from the filling tube 106. Furthermore, a curved path 20 of the casing brake 2 is shown, which can be realized by means of a link guide, having a substantially straight path section 20' and a curved path section 20 ″ of the casing brake 2.

List of reference numerals

1 casing holding device

2 casing brake

4 holding member

6 adjusting device

8 connecting rod guiding mechanism

10 handle

12 cantilever

14 Top plate

16 rotating support

18 four-bar linkage

20 curved path

20 ', 20' track section

22 support

23.1 first swivel hinge

23.2 second swivel hinge

23.3 third swivel hinge

23.4 fourth swivel hinge

24. 26 crank arm

28 coupling part

30 lever mechanism

32. 34 lever arm

36 rotating support

38 drive chain

40 coupling area

42. 44 arm segment

46. 48 coupling section

50 driving belt

52. 54 belt pulley

100 filling machine

102 filling funnel

104 extrusion head

106 filling tube

108 rack

A dispensing position

B casing changing position