Mechanical Casing Closure Prevents Crystallization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for closing the ends of shirred tubular casings, such as those made of collagen or cellulose, often result in material crystallization, excessive waste, or unsightly terminal ends, which can lead to leakage or breakage during filling with meat products.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mechanical deshirring, turning over, and flattening of the terminal portion of the casing using clamping and guiding elements to create a secure, visually appealing closure without heating or knot-tying, allowing for efficient on-line or off-line processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the end of the tubular casing is closed by heating and melting the collagen, then the closure resists filling pressure, but the material crystallizes becoming extremely hard and brittle which can damage stored casings and break during filling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal processing system (heating and melting) with a mechanical system consisting of a piston that deshirrs the end portion and a flattening device that compresses the terminal end. This mechanical approach achieves closure without thermal crystallization, eliminating the hardness and brittleness problems while maintaining closure strength to resist filling pressure.
2Strength
If a knot-tying machine is used to tie an end knot in the casing, then the closure securely resists filling pressure, but the machine requires complex operations that slow production and produce elongated ends that complicate storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the closure function from the complex knot-tying process and implements it as a simplified mechanical sequence: deshirring the end portion with a piston, then flattening the terminal end with a flattening device. This extracted approach maintains closure strength while dramatically simplifying the process and eliminating the production slowdown and storage complications associated with knot-tying.
3Temperature
If the end of the casing is closed by inserting a piston to deshirr and flatten the material, then the closure is formed without heating, but the dragging of the casing by the piston is irregular producing areas with large and less accumulation of casing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the flattening action specifically at the terminal end portion of the casing after deshirring. The flattening device is designed to apply pressure locally to the end area, ensuring uniform accumulation and distribution of the casing material in the closure region, thereby eliminating the irregularity problem while maintaining the non-heating advantage.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for closing the end of shirred tubular casings which comprises deshirring a terminal portion of the tubular casing in the direction of the axis of the stick, turning over the deshirred terminal portion in order to insert same inside the casing, securing the deshirred terminal portion from inside the casing, rotating the terminal portion and flattening the rotated terminal portion. This method is performed at the outlet of the shirring line (ON-LINE) as an additional phase of said operation, or it is performed away from the deshirring line (OFF-LINE) as an operation independent from the deshirring.