| 摘要 |
Apparatus and method for producing a plait-like portion on a tubular packaging casing, which accommodates a filling material in particular sausage meat, wherein the plait-like portion is at least approximately free of filling material and extends along a longitudinal plait-axis (77). The apparatus comprises a first displacer unit (50a) with a first pair of displacer elements (60a) being reversibly movable between an opened and a closed position perpendicular to the longitudinal plait-axis. A displacer clearance (78) is being created between the first pair of displacer elements, which surrounds the longitudinal plait-axis, in which the tubular packaging casing is being gathered, when the first pair of displacer elements is in the closed position. Beyond that the apparatus comprises a second displacer unit (50b) with a second pair of displacer elements (60b) also being reversibly movable between an opened and a closed position perpendicular to the longitudinal plait-axis. Again a displacer clearance is being created between the second pair of displacer elements, which surrounds the longitudinal plait-axis, in which the tubular packaging casing is being gathered, when the second pair of displacer elements is in the closed position. The second pair of displacer elements is reversibly movable between a narrow position, in which the first displacer unit is adjacent to the second displacer unit, and a spread position, in which the second displacer unit is moved away from the first displacer unit, parallel to the longitudinal plait-axis. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a first drive unit (10) for the movement of the first and second pair of displacer elements between the opened and closed position. The first drive unit comprises an adjustment device (20) rotatable around a pivot axis (36) essentially parallel to the longitudinal plait-axis. The pivot axis of the adjustment device is adjustable for changing the size of the displacer clearance created by the first and second pair of displacer elements. |
