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EP-4736655-A1 - A MACHINE FOR FORMING AND CLOSING STUFFED MEAT PRODUCTS

EP4736655A1EP 4736655 A1EP4736655 A1EP 4736655A1EP-4736655-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine (1) for forming and closing stuffed meat products with a stuffing unit (2) and a closing unit (3), juxtaposed to one another, the stuffing unit (2) comprising braking means (22) of a tubular casing which is mounted in a displaceable manner between a production position (P), located in the stuffing unit (2), and a replacement position (R), located in the closing unit (3) the braking means (22) having for that purpose at least partially gone through the passage window (v1) of a first constrictor (31) of the closing unit (3) which is equipped with at least one movable auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) of a passage window of a filled casing portion delivered by the stuffing unit (2).

Inventors

  • Lorenzo Noguera, Sagar

Assignees

  • Lorenzo Noguera, Sagar

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20241031

Claims (15)

  1. A machine (1) for forming and closing stuffed meat products, the machine having a stuffing unit (2) and a closing unit (3), juxtaposed to one another, - the stuffing unit (2) comprising at least one feeding tube (21) with an extrusion mouth (211) for extruding the material to be stuffed; and braking means (22) configured to provide tension in a casing portion that can be drawn by friction with the extruded material from a casing accumulation, in the form of sleeve that can be loaded around the tube, which will be filled with the extruded material, - the closing unit (3) comprising a first constrictor (31) and a second constrictor (32) in series for the filled casing portion delivered by the stuffing unit (2), of which the second constrictor (32), the one farthest from the braking means (22), is displaceable with respect to the first constrictor (31) to alter the instantaneous distance (di) that separates them, each constrictor (31, 32) having at least first and second plates (31a, 31b; 32a, 32b), which can be actuated rotatably, the instantaneous relative position of which conditions the opening of a passage window (v1, v2) for the filled casing portion between a non-operating width (A1, A2) suitable for not altering the cross-section of the filled casing portion and an operating width (a1, a2) suitable for constricting and reducing the cross-section of the filled casing portion, the machine (1) being characterized in that - the braking means (22) of the stuffing unit (2) are mounted in a displaceable manner between a production position (P), located in the stuffing unit (2) and the extrusion mouth (211) of the feeding tube (21) being engaged with the braking means (22), and a replacement position (R), located in the closing unit (3), the braking means (22) having for that purpose at least partially gone through the passage window (v1) of the first constrictor (31), and the extrusion mouth (211) of the feeding tube (21) being disengaged from the braking means (22), and in that - at least said first constrictor (31) is equipped with at least one movable auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) the instantaneous position of which conditions the opening of the passage window (v1, v2) for the filled casing portion.
  2. The machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the movable auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) is an element driven by at least one of the first plate (31a) or second plate (31b) of the first constrictor (31).
  3. The machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) of the first constrictor (31) is made up of the central portion of a lever (34) - with a first end (341) connected rotatably to one of the first plate (31a) or the second plate (31b) and around a first shaft (341') parallel to a rotation shaft (Y) around which the plate in question is mounted rotatably in the closing unit (3), - with a second end (342) connected rotatably to a transmission arm (35) and around a second shaft (342') parallel to the first shaft (341'), - the transmission arm (35) in turn being connected rotatably to the other one of the first plate (31a) or the second plate (31b) and around a third shaft (343') also parallel to the first shaft (341').
  4. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) has a leading profile that is not straight, with different segments intended for sequentially interacting with the filled casing at different times during the transition of the passage window (v1) of the first constrictor (31) from its non-operating width (A1) to its operating width (a1).
  5. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the auxiliary diaphragm element (31c) is interchangeable.
  6. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that only the non-operating width (A1) of the passage window (v1) of the first constrictor (31) is sufficient for the braking means (22) to at least partially go through it in the displacement thereof towards the replacement position (B).
  7. The machine according to the preceding claim, characterized in that only the first constrictor (31) is equipped with at least one movable auxiliary diaphragm element (31c).
  8. The machine according to claims 6 or 7, characterized in that with the braking means adopting the replacement position (R), the second constrictor (32) is displaced a distance (di) with respect to the first constrictor (31) enough so as not to interfere with the braking means (22).
  9. The machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first and second constrictors (31, 32) are each equipped with a respective movable auxiliary diaphragm element.
  10. The machine according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the auxiliary diaphragm element of the first constrictor (31) is located on the side of the first constrictor oriented facing the stuffing unit; and in that the auxiliary diaphragm element of the second constrictor is located on the side of the second constrictor oriented away from the first constrictor.
  11. The machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an actuator group (73) imparts the same amount of rotation to the first plates (31a, 32a) of the first and second constrictors (31, 32) and the same amount of rotation to the second plates (31b, 32b) of the first and second constrictors (31, 32) to change the width of the opening of their passage windows (v1, v2), the leading profile of the first and second plates (32a, 32b) of the second constrictor (32) being different from the leading profile of the first and second plates (31a, 31b) of the first constrictor (31).
  12. The machine according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that the non-operating width (A1):non-operating width (A2) ratio of the respective passage windows (v1, v2) of the first and second constrictors (31, 32) is at least 1.05:1, preferably at least 1.1:1, more preferably at least 1.15:1.
  13. The machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and second plates (31a, 31b; 32a, 32b) of the first and second constrictors (31, 32) are rotatable around a common rotation shaft (Y).
  14. The machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the stuffing unit (2) comprises several feeding tubes and a single braking means (22), the feeding tubes being linked to the stuffing unit (2) with the ability to be displaced between a replacement position, outside the range of the braking means (22), and a production position, within the range of, i.e. engageable with, the braking means (22).
  15. The machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the closing unit (3) comprises an applicator of at least one closing accessory around an empty casing portion that can be formed between the first and second constrictors (31, 32) when the latter are at a predetermined relative distance (di), with the respective passage windows (v1, v2) adopting their operating width (a1, a2).

Description

Technical sector of the invention The invention relates to a machine for forming and closing stuffed meat products, such as sausages. The machine comprises a stuffing unit, configured to stuff food material that can be extruded inside a tubular casing; and a closing unit, configured to form successive portions of the material stuffed inside the casing and thus prepare it to be able to apply accessory closing elements between said portions. Background of the invention A known technique for automating sausage production consists of extruding the food material inside a continuous tubular casing and of separating portions of the filled casing. The first operation is typically performed in a stuffing unit or module and the second operation is performed in a closing unit or module. The stuffing unit and the closing unit are juxtaposed to one another such that successive casing portions that are slowly filled with the extruded material in the stuffing unit are delivered to the closing unit. The stuffing unit has a feeding tube with an extrusion mouth for extruding the food material, the tube being used to mount, outside of same and in the form of a sleeve, a casing accumulation with one end protruding from the extrusion mouth so that the material that is gradually extruded is stuffed inside a casing portion, which is drawn by friction with the extruded material, from the casing accumulation. To obtain tension in the drawn casing portion, braking means for the casing are provided. The braking means have a generally annular-shaped brake support which receives, in a production position, the engagement of the extrusion mouth with the casing to be braked and with which it interacts to brake its forward movement. When the casing accumulation runs out, the feeding tube needs to be disengaged from the braking means in order to load a new casing accumulation in the feeding tube. Patent documents ES2324274, US7455578, US7704130, and US20110183590 exemplify, among others, respective braking means of the type described above. To produce this disengagement of the feeding tube and the braking means, one resource consists of displacing the stuffing unit or the closing unit to leave maneuvering room, namely for disengaging the feeding tube from the braking means. Patent document EP2708137 exemplifies the first option. Solutions of this kind require moving bulky and heavy equipment. Patent documents US20140127985, EP2730169, and EP4272566, among others, exemplify a type of first alternative which essentially consists of mounting the assembly made up of the braking means and the feeding tube with the possibility to rotate around a shaft secured to the stuffing unit; and in turn of linking the braking element to the feeding tube such that the former can be displaced in an axially guided manner with respect to the latter, between end engagement and disengagement positions. The disengagement position can be adopted without interfering with the closing unit if it is undertaken while the assembly is being rotated, tilted to one side, with respect to the position aligned with the closing unit that it normally adopts in production. These solutions still require moving, in this case rotating, bulky and heavy mechanisms. Patent documents DE202009013062, US8870635, and EP2767168 exemplify, among others, a type of second alternative and related improvements which essentially consist of mounting only the feeding tube with the possibility to rotate around a shaft secured to the stuffing unit however mechanically linking the braking means to a guide to force the displacement thereof first in a direction with a strong component transverse to the stuffing direction and then following a composition of movement with a component in the stuffing direction when the supply tube is maneuvered to rotate it, tilting it to one side, with respect to the position aligned with the closing unit that it normally adopts in production. These solutions produce certain wear of the parts engaged with one another because at the start of a disengagement operation and upon completing an engagement operation, a relative movement is produced between the parts, said movement being lateral, which is not exclusively in the direction of the mutual separation or attachment thereof, respectively. Patent document EP1231841 discloses a proposal, devised in 1999, much earlier than the others explained above, which contemplates mounting the braking means in a displaceable manner and in the stuffing direction from a production position in the stuffing unit to a replacement position in the closing unit, invading the working area of said closing unit, to disengage the feeding tube from the braking means, without having to separate the stuffing unit from the closing unit. Implementing this proposal requires the parts or mechanisms of the closing unit not to interfere in the path of the braking means during their displacement, in the direction of disengagement with the feeding tube, unt