Sizer apparatus having shiftable horn

摘要

A preferred sizer (10) for stuffing flowable materials such as sausage into a flexible casing (24) includes a horn assembly (12) having inner and outer concentric tube (28, 34) presenting an evacuation chamber (46) therebetween connected to a vacuum source (50a) for deaerating material within the inner tube (34). The tubes (28, 34) are shiftable relative to one another between an open position in which the chamber (46) communicates with the interior of the inner tube (34) through an open space (48) adjacent the discharge ends (30, 36) of the tubes (28, 34) for evacuating air from material within the inner tube (34), and a closed position in which the open space (48) is sealed to prevent communication between the chamber (46) and the inner tube (34) interior thereby preventing entry of material into the chamber (46).