US2016841A - Apparatus and method for preparing sausage casings, etc. - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 8, 1935. J. P. SMITH 2,016,841

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREPARING SAUSAGE CASINGS, E TC Filed Dec. 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PREPARING SAUSAGE CASINGS, ETC

Filed Dec. 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS SAUSAGE tion of Virginia Application '1 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a method and apparatus ployed, especially in lose tubes, such different sizes by which may be usefully emthe manufacture of celluas artificial sausage casings. 5 Such tubes are extruded in seamless form and in methods known in the art. In

the manufacture, viscose is extrudedin seamless,

tubular form into bath. The tubing may be cession of baths through a small percentage softening 'agent.

a coagulating and regenerating passed through a sucfor completing the regeneration (conversion to cellulose), then through cleansing baths, and finally bath containing a of glycerine, which acts as a The present invention deals with a cellulose tubing which has manner as has a solution of gelatin may been produced in some such been described and the drying of the cellulose tubing.

be introduced into the pertains to If desired,

tubing for the purpose of providing an interior coating which is ceives moisture, meat as well as capable of swelling when it resuch coating adhering to the tubular body whose into the terior surface it coats. Where this expedient is employed, a 20% water solution of gelatin would serve the purpose. If desired, a small percentage of glycerine may solution,- also.

be incorporated in the In accordance with the present invention, cellulose tubing produced in any desired manner is fed through a bath which preferably contains heated water, say of about through a drying apparatus. a body of gaseous duced into a'length tained within that portion extends through the heater fluid, preferably air,

of the tubing, and is main- C., and thence In this operation,

is introthe tubing .which and into the bath mentioned above, which precedes the heater.

, The tubing, as ms, is subjected to a the body it is drawn through the apparaflattening operation, so that of air in the tubing is maintained in substantially the same ,zone during the progress of the drying operation. The bath through which the tubing passes,

by reason of the water pressure which it exerts upon the tubing, forms a seal for the trapped air at the rear end of the body of air; length of the body The arrangement is such that the of air trapped in the tubing vmay vary somewhat. and thus the present invention provides for a certain flexibility. in operation not heretofore obtained by known processes.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred em- .bodiment in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Fig. 1 is a broken side elevational view of apparatus adapted to the-practice of the process, showing that portion of the apparatus which is in the rear of the heater; Fig. 2,

tanks and attendant parts shown nF s. s-

a plan, view of the John Paul Smith, Chic Visking Corporation,

ago, 111., assignor to The Chicago, 111., a corpora- December 1, 1933, Serial No. 700,627

a broken detailed. view, trating a squeezer' which scale in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a broken side elevational view of the portion of the apparatus which is complemental to that shown in Fig. 1, this portion of the apparatus comprising the heater, the flattening rolls in front of the heater, and the take-up roll; and Fig. 5, a. broken plan view of the left-hand portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4. i

In the apparatus as illustrated, A designates a stand, or support, upon which is mounted a roll B of the tubing which is to be dried, the tubing as drawn from the roll B being designated B'; C and C, tanks, or vats, which contain baths which are preferably of water; D, a squeezer surmounting the tank C, this device being particularly desirable where a solution of gelatin, for example, has been introduced into the casing before threading the casing into the apparatus; E, a scaffold-structure; F, a stand, or pedestal, which supports certain operative parts; G, a heater having a relatively large tube, or conduit, G through which heated air, for example, may pass for the purpose, of drying the tubing B; H, tube-flattening rolls mounted on a stand H in advance of the heater; and I, a take-up roll upon which the tubing, after flattening, is wound.

In the example given, the tubing passes from the roll B under a roller I; roller 2 and a pressure-r0113; thence into the bath in the tank C and about a roller 4 in the lower portion thereof; thence upwardly and about a ro1ler'5; thence downwardly into the bath in the tank C and about portion thereof; thence upwardly and about a roller I carried by an arm i forming a part of the structure E; thence between a roller 8 and a coacting pair of spaced rollers 9 mounted on the stand F; thence through the tube G of the 40 heater; thence between the flattening rolls H; and, finally, under the take-up roll I. Those rollers which serve as feed-rollers are geared together (excepting the flattening rolls H) by suitable belting Hi. 45

The driven parts are actuated, in the illustration given, by an electric motor ll geared to a longitudinal shaft I! which serves to actuate shafts I3 and I4 mounted in the lower portions of the stands F and H. "The shaft l3 is'gearedto 50 the roller 9, as by a chain IS. The shaft I4 is connected by a chain IE to the lower member of the flattening rolls H. The shaft of said lower roll drives a chain I! which, in turn, drives the take-up rollerI through-the medium of a suitable clutch-device (not shown).

The driven parts are geared together in .proper relationto draw the cellulose tube through the apparatus without injury to the tubing.

The roller 3 is shown (Fig. 1) mounted on a thence between a 30 a roller 6 in the lower 5 e squeezer D is shown as comprising a pair of resilient scrapers I9 and 20, preferably of rub- I 9 and the latter by a movable member 20- mounted on a lever 20 whose free end is connected with a flexible member 20 which passes over a sheave 20 and is attached to a weight 20.

The arrangement is such that the members is and 20 act like a squeegee, so that if gelatin solution is contained in the tubing it will be squeezed back into that portion of the tubing which is in the bath contained in the tank C, and such portion of the gelatin solution as passes the squeegee is evenly distributed upon the inner wall of the cellulose casing.

The heated water in the tank 0' serves to keep the gelatin coating sufficiently soft or fluid to.

allow the tubing to open up properly under the influence of the elongated air bubble which extends back into the bath in the tank C. The tanks C and C may be heated in any suitable manner. In the illustration, suitable circulating pipes are shown attached to the tanks, to enable heated water to be circulated. If desired, heating coils may be introduced into the tanks, and the circulating pipes may be omitted.

Referring to Fig. 4, the roller 8 serves as a pressure roller which exerts only moderate .pressure upon the tubing B, such moderate pressure being insuflicient to flatten the tubing. This permits the elongated body of air to extend rearwardly into the bath in the tank 0'. The pres sure of the water in the tank C tends to flatten Y the tubing for some distance above the roller 6. However, undue extension of the air-body, such throughthe tubing G and thus serves to dry the cellulose tubing as it passes through the heating apparatus.

' In introducing air into the tubing B, it will be understood that this may be accomplished by any rear of or in front of the drier) in lieu of the bath in the tank 0' for permitting variation in the length of the air-body contained in the tubing. Ordinarily, in dealing with rather heavy-walled cellulose tubing of large diameter, say up to 4%" in diameter, one 1 employs an internal gaseous pressure of about lb. to 1 lb. 'per square inch.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for. clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view .of the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l v

1. A process comprising: passing cellulose tubing into a body of liquid constituting a bath and, in flattened condition, about a roller disposed a a ing means; and maintaining a gaseous inflating body in the tubing between said tube-flattening 10 means and the roller. contained in said bath, wherebyvariation in the length of the gaseous body is permitted by said bath.

2. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a tank adapted to contain a heated bath; 15 a squeezer through which tubing may pass from said bath: a second bath equipped-with a flattening roller located a substantial distance below the top of the bath; a heater through which the tubing willpass after leaving the second-mentioned 20 bath; and tube-flattening means in advance of said heater, whereby an inflating gaseous body may be maintained in said tubing, the gaseous body extending into a portion of the tubing within the second-mentioned bath, -thus per- 25 mitting variation in the length of the gaseous inflating body. Q

3. In a process of drying tubing by passing it through drying apparatus while maintaining an isolated gaseous inflating body in the portion of 30 the tubing passing through said apparatus, the step which comprises maintaining a variable seal under pressure graduated longitudinally of the in a section of the tube undergoing drying which comprises: maintaining the tube in flattened v 6. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising drying apparatus through which tubing may be passed continuously; means for effecting the drying apparatus; and means for effecting 5 said last-mentioned means comprises a; bath tubing passes and which isloca'ted a substantial distance below he top of the bath. I

Jenn PAUL sMrrn.

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