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Apparatuses and methods of orienting sausages (natural casing sorter)

  • US 10,638,766 B2
  • Filed: 08/03/2017
  • Issued: 05/05/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for orienting curved sausages, the apparatus comprising:

  • at least one conveyor device with a moveable circulating conveyor element on which individual curved sausages can be placed and transported in a conveyor direction along a path of movement; and

    a pair of orientation devices which are spaced from each other transversely relative to the conveyor direction and disposed above the moveable conveyor element, wherein each orientation device includes at least one respective guide for laterally guiding sausages,wherein a spacing of the guides of the pair of orientation devices is so set that the curved sausage is elastically deformed by the spaced guides and in that case at least approximately straightened or bent straight, andduring further transport along the path of movement, a front end of the sausage comes free from the guides of the spaced orientation device while a rear portion of the sausage still remains between the guides, the sausage then after coming free by virtue of the elasticity at least partially again assumes the previously more greatly curved shape and in that case a front portion of the sausage is moved in a direction transversely relative to the conveyor direction and thus at least approximately transversely relative to the path of movement of the sausage.

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