APPARATUSES AND METHODS OF ORIENTING SAUSAGES (NATURAL CASING SORTER)
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for orient sausages and methods of orienting sausages. The apparatus has at least one conveyor device with a moveable, in particular circulating, conveyor element on which individual sausages can be placed and transported in a conveyor direction along a path of movement. Two orientation devices are spaced from each other transversely relative to the conveyor direction and which are arranged above the moveable conveyor element, and each having at least one respective guide for laterally guiding the sausages.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1-31. -31. (canceled)
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32. An apparatus for orienting curved sausages, the apparatus comprising:
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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 and having at least one respective guide for laterally guiding sausages, wherein the spacing of the guides of the orientation device is so set that the curved sausage is elastically deformed by the spaced lateral guides and in that case at least approximately straightened or bent straight, and during further transport along the path of movement, the 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 its previously more greatly curved shape and in that case the 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. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An apparatus for orienting sausages, the apparatus comprising:
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a conveyor device with a moveable circulating conveyor element on which individual sausages can be placed and transported in a conveyor direction along a path of movement; and an abutment device arranged adjacent to the moveable conveyor element, the abutment device having an abutment for temporarily stopping one or more sausages on their path of movement, which is moveable into and out of the path of movement of the sausages, wherein the abutment cooperates with a pair of mutually opposite guides which orient the sausage transversely relative to the conveyor direction. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. A system for orienting sausages, the apparatus comprising:
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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; an abutment device arranged adjacent to the at least one conveyor element, the abutment device having an abutment for temporarily stopping one or more sausages on their path of movement, which is moveable into and out of the path of movement of the sausages; 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, the pair of orientation devices having at least one respective guide for laterally guiding sausages, wherein the spacing of the guides of the orientation device is so set that the curved sausage is elastically deformed by the spaced lateral guides and in that case at least approximately straightened or bent straight, and during further transport along the path of movement, the 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 its previously more greatly curved shape and in that case the 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, the abutment cooperates with that at least one guide which orients the sausage transversely relative to the conveyor direction. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A method of orienting curved sausages, the method comprising:
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disposing individual curved sausages on a moveable circulating conveyor element of a conveyor device; transporting the sausages along a path of movement on the conveyor element; introducing the sausages into an orientation apparatus between a pair of spaced orientation devices with a respective guide, wherein the spacing of the orientation devices is so selected that the curved sausage is elastically deformed by the spaced lateral guides and in that case is at least approximately straightened or bent straight; further transporting the sausages along the path of movement the front end of each sausage comes free from the guides of the spaced orientation devices while a rear portion of each sausage still remains between the guides; and releasing the sausage by the elasticity at least partially assuming again its previously more greatly curved shape, wherein the 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. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62)
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Specification