Method and means for filling natural casing sausages

摘要

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for filling a natural hollow elongated casing with a meat emulsion, comprising, placing a natural casing (220) on an elongated meat emulsion stuffing tube (16) having a meat emulsion discharge end, closing an extended end of the natural casing over the discharge end of the stuffing tube so that meat emulsion exiting the discharge end will push the natural casing (220) longitudinally by pumping meat emulsion through the stuffing tube (16) for expansive discharge into the natural casing at a sufficient volume and velocity to provide the primary energy within the natural casing to move the natural casing forwardly off of the discharge end of the stuffing tube, providing a casing filling station (27) including the stuffing tube for supporting the casing to be filled with meat emulsion, providing a casing hopper (46) adjacent the casing filling station to serve as a reservoir for a plurality of shirred artificial casings for delivery of shirred artificial casings for mounting on the stuffing tube (16), and moving the casing hopper away from its position adjacent the casing filling station when natural casings are placed on a stuffing tube in the casing filling station. <IMAGE>