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An apparatus and method of filling food casing for better size control includes an improved stuffing horn with a built-in presizing element in the form of a spirally wound spring for diametrically engaging the inside wall of unfilled casing on the filling horn stretching the casing to the recommended stuffed diameter prior to filling.
1. A filling horn for a food stuffing apparatus, which comprises an inner tubular body, an outer tubular body at least in-part coaxially mounted on said inner tubular buoy, at least one of said tubular bodies being movable relative to the other, and a spring member circumferentially coiled around at least one of said tubular bodies and adapted to expand radially upon movement of one of said tubular bodies.
2. The filling horn of claim 1 wherein said spring is a spiral type having dual terminal ends, one for engaging with said inner tubular body and the other for engaging with said outer tubular body.
3. The filling horn of claim 2 wherein said outer tubular body is rotatable relative to said inner tubular body.
4. The filling horn of claim 1 wherein said inner tubular body is rotatable relative to said outer tubular body.
5. The filling horn of claim 3 including a horn outlet portion engaged to said inner tubular body, said horn outlet being longitudinally spaced from said outer tubular body forming a gap therebetween, wherein said spiral spring is positioned circumferentially around said inner tubular body in said gap.
6. The filling horn of claim 4 including a horn outlet portion engaged with said inner tubular body, said horn outlet portion being longitudinally spaced from said outer tubular body forming a gap therebetween, wherein said spiral spring is positioned circumferentially around said inner tubular body in said gap.
7. The filling horn of claim 3 wherein said spring member is adapted to expand sufficiently to engage the inside wall of said casing for sizing prior to filling.
8. The filling horn of claim 4 wherein said spring member is adapted to expand sufficiently to engage the inside wall of said casing for sizing prior to filling.
9. The filling horn of claim 1 in combination with a food filling apparatus.
10. The filling horn of claim 3 in combination with a food filling apparatus.
11. The filling horn of claim 4 in combination with a food filling apparatus.
12. A method of filling a food casing which comprises the steps of loading a casing onto a filling horn, said horn comprising an inner tubular body, an outer tubular body at least in-part coaxially mounted on said inner tubular body, at least one of said tubular bodies being rotatable relative to the other, and a spring member circumferentially coiled around at least one of said tubular bodies and adapted to expand radially upon movement of one of said tubular bodies, and rotating the rotatable tubular body so as to expand the spring sufficiently to engage the casing interior.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the casing is a shirred strand of fibrous reinforced cellulose.
The present invention relates generally to new and useful methods and devices for packaging food products, and more specifically, to improved stuffing horns with presizing devices for tubular food casings.
In the manufacture of sausage products, a tubular food casing, such as nonedible cellulose is loaded onto the stuffing horn of a filling machine and stuffed with an emulsion, usually comprised of comminuted meat together with fillers, seasoning, spices, etc. In the case of small sausage products, like frankfurters, the filled casings are twisted, tied or clipped into suitable links at predetermined intervals and further processed. For larger sausage products, like bolognas, salamis, and the like, the meat emulsion is introduced into larger, heavier walled fibrous type casings and formed into chubs or lengthy individual sausage sticks.
In preparing large diameter sausage products, like bologna, an important consideration is the maintenance of accurate size control over the entire length of the sausage stick. It is particularly important that the diameter of large sausage products be carefully controlled so that meat packers are able to cut the sausage into slices of predetermined thickness and diameter for prepackaging. The objective is to have a given number of slices weigh precisely a predetermined amount for each package.
In stuffing larger sausage products, however, there is some tendency for diameter variations to occur which may be due to varying stretch properties of casings and meat emulsion charging pressures. There may be less variation in product diameter with sausage stuffed in fibrous casings than nonreinforced type casings. Nevertheless, meat processors are constantly striving to improve operations which affect finished package yields. Constant control during stuffing of green stick diameter assures more uniform slice weight and minimizes package over and underweight variations.
To facilitate stuffing and also obtain greater dimensional uniformity in filling larger food casings, presizing devices have been used for diametrical stretching. This is achieved by longitudinally passing tubular casing prior to filling, in most instances over a stationary type sizing device which operates to stretch the casing to the stuffed diameter recommended by the manufacturer. In addition to the stretching action of the presizing device, casing moving over some devices generates friction. This creates drag or holdback forces on the casing increasing the diameter of the filled casing and vice versa depending on the extent of the forces being exerted.
To improve stuffing efficiency, U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,761 (Beckman) discloses a self-sustaining tubular casing article with a presizing ring prepackaged in the deshirred end of a shirred strand. The objective is to facilitate the filling process by engaging both a new shirred strand of casing together with a presizing ring to the stuffing horn in a single operation. Others, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,059; 4,528,719 and 4,535,508 have sought to improve on the Beckman concept by means of expandable sizing rings of the type which can be readily attached to stuffing machines by also prepackaging in the deshirred ends of strands. After engaging the strand with the stuffing horn, the sizing ring can be expanded from an unexpanded state to a casing stretching size by manipulation of the ring on the horn directly through the casing wall. This facilitates both assembly and use of the casing/sizing ring article, since it can be more easily implanted into the casing by the casing manufacturer in a collapsed state, and latter expanded to a casing stretching size by meat processors.
For the most part, presizing rings have relied on attachments to the filling horn. Such devices are frequently based on costly, noneconomic designs, especially in view of the fact that many are disposable or "throw-away" after use articles. For example, the presizing discs of U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,508 comprise a multiplicity of radial arms each having a nonmovable rod passing through a hollow guide. The outer end of each rod has a flattened casing contact which engages with the interior wall of the casing on the horn when inner rod lifters are compressed when mounting to the stuffing horn. U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,059 discloses a device having a plurality of petal-like sizing members arranged around a central hub. Expansion of the petals to size the casing is dependent on each making frictional contact with the casing during stuffing instead of being automatically expanded upon engagement with the stuffing horn like U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,508. U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,719 discloses a two-piece sizing ring comprising a casing engaging first element and a rigid disc second element. In order to expand the first element for engaging with the casing, the second inner disc must be compressed to engage with the first element. Although such sizing devices are useful, production costs would detract from generally wide acceptance.
Accordingly, there is need for a more economic means for presizing casing during the filling process which can be used repeatedly, and which is an integral component of the filling machine, while allowing installation of unfilled casing without interference.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a filling horn for a food stuffing apparatus comprising an inner tubular body for carrying foodstuff to a food casing and an outer tubular body in which at least a portion or the inner tubular body is coaxially mounted, at least one of the tubular bodies being movable relative to the other, and a spring member coiled around at least one of the tubular bodies and adapted to expand radially upon movement of one of the tubular bodies. With rotational movement of a tubular body counter to the direction of coiling of the spring radial expansion of the spring and engagement of the inner sidewall of the unrilled casing occurs. During the filling cycle casing withdrawn from the filling horn over the expanded spring member is sized to the desired predetermined diameter.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a filling horn for a food stuffing apparatus having a horn outlet portion as an extension of said inner tubular body longitudinally spaced from the outer tubular body so as to form a gap or recess between the aft end of the horn outlet portion and the fore end of the outer tubular body. A spring member circumferentially wound around the inner tubular body with one end anchored to the outer tubular body and the other end affixed to the horn outlet remains in the horn recess when in a relax=d position allowing easy reloading of the filling horn with a shirred casing. The spring, however, can be radially expanded to the desired presizing diameter by rotational movement of either the inner or outer tubular body.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved filling apparatus for stuffing food casing in combination with the above described filing horn having an expandable presizing device built-in, thereby eliminating the need for attaching separate presizing rings to the filling horn.
It is still a further principal object of the present invention to provide improved methods for filling food casings by the steps of loading a casing onto a filling horn comprising an inner tubular body, an outer tubular body at least in-part coaxially mounted on the inner tubular body wherein at least one of the tubular bodies is movable relative to the other, and a spirally wound spring circumferentially mounted over said filling horn with one end affixed to said inner tubular body and a second end affixed to said outer tubular body, and moving the rotatable tubular body so as to expand the spring sufficiently to engage the casing prior to filling.
For a further understanding of the invention as well as its characterizing features, reference should now be made to the following detailed description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the dual tube filling horn with the presizing spring in a relaxed state;
FIG. 2 is also a side elevational view of the filling horn of FIG. 1 with presizing spring in an expanded state;
FIG. 3 is an end view of the filling horn taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 illustrates the filling horn of FIG. 1 with the presizing spring in a relaxed state for loading the horn with a new shirred casing;
FIG. 5 illustrates the filling horn of FIG. 3 during the actual filling cycle with casing being drawn over the expanded presizing spring.
Turning first to FIG. 1, there is shown a filling tube or horn 10 for engaging with the food pump of a stuffing machine of conventional design. Horn 10 comprises dual tubes, an inner horn 12 having part 13 to prevent rotation and an outer horn 14 with bearing 15. The outer horn circumferentially surrounds the inner horn in a coaxial relationship. Foodstuff, under pressure, enters the inner horn at the inlet end 16, travels through the horn shaft and is discharged at the horn outlet 18 into casing mounted on the filling horn, as best illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4. The outer horn 14 as shown by the direction of arrow 20 (FIG. 2) is rotatable, whereas the inner horn remains stationary. The outer horn may be rotatably driven by motor means 22 which can be powered by air or other equivalent means through a series of gears 24 and 26. Gear 24 is affixed to motor drive shaft 25, and gear 26 circumferentially engages with outer horn 14. Other equivalent transmission means may be employed in addition to gears, such as belts and pulleys. While the invention has been illustrated in conjunction with a rotatable outer horn and a stationary inner horn it is to be understood that the invention also contemplates embodiments which employ a stationary outer horn and a movable inner horn.
The fore end of the filling horn includes a horn outlet portion 28 which is a continuation of inner horn 12. Because horn outlet portion 28 is part of the inner horn it too is stationary. Preferably, the outside diameter of horn outlet portion 28 is substantially equal to that or outer horn 14.
A gap 30 in the shaft of the horn between the fore end of outer horn 14 and the aft end of enlarged horn outlet portion 28 provides sufficient space, width and depth, for a presizing element 32. Coiled element 32 is preferably a spring which in a relaxed state fits circumferentially around and adjoins inner horn 12. The outside diameter of the spring corresponds substantially with the diameter of the outer horn and horn outlet portion 28 when the spring is in a relaxed state. This enables a new strand of shirred casing to be easily loaded onto the horn prior to filling. Generally, the spring is spiral shaped, but other representative examples may include helical spindle type springs, center volute springs, to name but a few. One terminal end of the spring is locked in groove 34 of stationary horn outlet portion 28. The second end of the spring is mounted in groove 36 of rotatable outer horn 14.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate expansion of presizing element 32 through actuation of motor means 22. By counterclockwise rotation of outer horn 14 element 32 opens uniformly increasing the OD of the coils. Expansion of the sizing spring can be regulated by controlling the degree of rotation of outer horn 14 through motor means 22. For example, the dual tube stuffing horn of the invention having the built-in sizing element 32 illustrated in FIG. 4 is in a relaxed state prior to actuation of motor 22. A shirred casing 40 having an enclosure clip 42 can be easily loaded onto the stuffing horn since sizing element 32 is not expanded. The pleated portion 44 of the shirred, unfilled casing is upstream from the presizing element which may be expanded prior to the time the meat pump is actuated.
FIG. 5 depicts presizing coils of element 32 in an expanded condition during the filling cycle in which product 46 is stuffed with meat emulsion 48. Before filling is initiated motor 22 is actuated to rotate outer horn 14 sufficiently to expand spring element diametrically against the interior wall of the deshirred casing being withdrawn from the horn. The degree of expansion of the coils of the presizing spring and diametrical stretching of the casing should generally conform with casing manufacturer recommended stuffed diameter for the particular casing being filled. FIG. 5 also shows a casing brake 50 of conventional design which assists in regulating the rate of withdrawal of unfilled casing from the horn during stuffing for preparing packed products with greater dimensional uniformity. Brake 50 may be of any conventional design.
Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of numerous modifications and variations to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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& pick-up times
Another 1-800-GOT-JUNK? happy customer.
Springfield's 1-800-GOT-JUNK? junk hauling team is here to help you remove any of your unwanted items. We offer our full service junk hauling to residents and businesses all over Springfield, Ozark, Rogersville, Branson, Nixa, Fair Grove, Marshfield and Osage Beach, to name a few. Whether you have junk at your house, in your basement, attic, shed, or in your office, simply point to what you want removed and our full service junk removal team will do the rest for you. We take all kinds of junk from old furniture, desks, appliances and computers to yard waste and construction and renovation debris. No matter what kind of junk you have, as long as it's not hazardous, we can remove to help you reclaim your space. As an environmental team we do our very best to recycle as much as possible and we're always looking at ways to donate and give back to our local community. Watch what we do.
Clay Mcgee
1-800-GOT-JUNK? Springfield
1047 S. Glenstone Ave.
Meet 417-land's brightest, youngest up-and-comers.
Readers nominated their co-workers, employees and friends for the honor early this year, and the editors narrowed down the (very impressive) pool of potentials to this list of the top 20. Clay McGee, franchise owner of the Springfield 1-800-GOT-JUNK? was nominated this year.
Read more here.

subset: commoncrawl


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MMORTS Meets RPG
Side-Scrolling RPG Town
Explore Sanctum City! Obtain quests, trade goods, and enter dungeons by conversing with the town's many NPCs.
Conquer Instanced Dungeons
Traverse dangerous dungeons and explore dozens of rebel hideouts on your quest to defeat Warlord Ares!
Dozens of Structures
Watch your castle's appearance evolve as you level up. Buildings are styled after historical architectural designs.
Expansive Military Features
Deploy infantry, cavalry, mages, and more as your battle across a huge map in a war for total domination!


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Athletic Committee
Minutes of Meetings
Minutes are posted shortly after the Committee reviews and approves them at the following meeting. Minutes are posted by meeting date below:
February 2012Feb. 28 (.docx)
January 2012Jan. 24 (.docx)
December 2011Dec. 6 (.docx)
November 2011Nov. 1 (.docx)
September 2011Sep. 15 (.docx)
April 2011Apr. 26 (.docx)
March 2011Mar. 22 (.docx)
Mar. 8 (.docx)


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Casa Christina - Art & GardensMexico, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende
Request to Book
About this listing
Space where guests can cook their own meals
Central heating or a heater in the listing
In the building, free or for a fee
Space where guests can cook their own meals
Towels, bed sheets, soap, and toilet paper
Central heating or a heater in the listing
In the building, free or for a fee
In the building, free or for a fee
Continuous access in the listing
Breakfast is provided.
The listing can accommodate a gathering of 25 or more attendees
Easy access to the building and listing for guests in wheelchairs
Private or Shared
Free, in the building or nearby
Posted emergency information and resources
The Space
Casa Christina is an authentic experience of real Mexico, San Miguel de Allende style. Set in the quiet district of San Antonio, it is only 2 blocks from the world famous Instituto which offers a wide range of Spanish and art classes. The Jardin at the center of town, is an easy 15 minute walk.
Stepping into Casa Christina's walled-courtyard with its pre-Columbian sculptures in the fountain, immediately sets the relaxed pace of your visit. The spacious 3200 square foot house sits on a large lot and is furnished with antiques and the beautiful art collection of Robert Somerlot, a well known author who lived in San Miguel for 35 years. The living room is graced with 18th century carved chapel doors from a historical hacienda in the local area.
MAID & GARDEN SERVICE are included five days a week. We now have a breakfast option. Maria will prepare and serve breakfast for up to 4 people for $25 a week and for 5 to 8 people for $35 a week extra. You provide the groceries. She can also cook dinners for 200 pesos (she can shop for the food if you give her the pesos) or 300 pesos if she stays and serves the meal. The fountain courtyard or lower garden are ideal for outdoor meals.
The second story terrace is shared by the 2 upstairs bedrooms and has a view of the countryside. The rooftop garden with its incredible close-up view of San Antonio Church, is a wonderful place to enjoy the sunset, practice yoga or relax in a lounge chair with a good book.
Each of the 3 bedrooms has its own attached bath. The Master Suite and Lower Bedroom Suite have King-sized beds and a twin bed in thier sitting rooms. The third Bedroom has a Queen-sized bed. The Lower Bedroom Suite has a separate entrance and kitchenette.
We do not allow pets. Smoking is allowed outside only. We ask that you be considerate of the neighbors regarding noise late at night. Please respect the art work and furniture, the collection of Robert Sommerlot and enjoy your stay at Casa Christina. Please contact our house manager in San Miguel if you have any problems or need assistance while in San Miguel. We offer an optional breakfast for $25 a week for up to 4 people and $35 a week for more than 4 (you purchase the food and Maria cooks and serves).
19 Reviews
Great location, great housekeeper,great house. Wi-Fi might need to be upgraded. If you are bringing an auto with a rear wheel drive be careful. Getting into the area is difficult as there is an old non drive-able being stored.
Otherwise great stay! We are very happy and would recommend Casa Christina to all our friends.
Hi Randall,
So glad you enjoyed your stay. We have removed our friends car from the parking area, so this is an improvement. I plan to increase the Internet speed next November when Christina and I come down to the Casa. thanks for your input which helps us create a wonderful experience for our guests.
Todo muy bien, buena ubicacion, la casa en perfecto estado y justo lo necesitabamos para ese fin de semana. Muchas gracias
We had such a delightful time while we stayed at Casa Christina. The house is spacious and beautiful and Maria was very helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfasts that she cooked for us! everything was as advertised (except that there was no water in the fountain while we were there). The few issues that we had were resolved quickly. The restaurant suggestions in the house guide manual were very helpful for us as well. Thank you for a great time.
Beautiful property. We had an amazing time and Maria was simply the best. Thank you for letting us stay at your house.
Craig was an excellent host, responded quickly to all questions and was very helpful. Casa Christina is a beautiful home with gorgeous terraces and views, the location is perfect. The rooms were very comfortable and Maria cooks up a delicious breakfast. Its the perfect place to stay. Thank you so much!
Although Craig doesn't live in San Miguel de Allende, he was very responsive and communicating everything accurately. He has someone in town to manage the property who checks you in and provides all instructions. There is also someone that comes in every morning to clean the house and cook breakfast if you ask her to.
The house is beautiful and has great pieces of art. The decoration is impressive and you really get the feeling of a traditional Mexican house. It is about 8 blocks from the main center plaza, still walking distance to main places. Has a beautiful church a couple of yards away.
Casa Christina was the absolutely perfect home base for our lovely visit to San Miguel de Allende. The house is artistic yet also comfortable, and the three generous and separate bedrooms creates th chance for both privacy and togetherness. We also loved the outdoor areas, especially the rooftop terrace, which was warm and sunny, even in December. The location is also great, an easy walk to the center of town yet on a quiet street. Craig was very prompt and helpful with his communications and everything went very smoothly upon our arrival. I can't imagine visiting SMdA and staying anywhere else!
This host has 25 reviews for other properties.View Other Reviews
About the Host, Craig
My wife Christine and I bought our home in San Miguel in 2005. We spent 7 weeks remodeling the house and have enjoyed it ever since. I am a photographer and am teaching a workshop in San Miguel for Day of the Dead, October 29 - November 4th, 2013. You can go to this website and learn all about it (website hidden) if you are interested in attending. Christina is a yoga instructor and owner of Cheppu from Himalaya, a clothing and import store in Carmel Valley, California.


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Police arrest alleged bank robber
By Drew Joseph : February 23, 2014 : Updated: February 23, 2014 9:30pm
Photo By Drew/San Antonio Express-NewsAlexandre Zurita, 26, tries to hide his face from the media. He was arrested Sunday for allegedly robbing a bank earlier this month.
More Information
Police on the hunt for bank robber
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio police on Sunday arrested a man suspected of robbing a Northwest Side bank earlier this month.
Alexandre Zurita, 26, has been charged with aggravated robbery for allegedly robbing three tellers at the Capitol One Bank at 10803 Bandera Road on Feb. 12, police said.
Robbery detectives identified Zurita thanks to tips from the public, police said.
Zurita allegedly walked into the bank around 3:30 p.m. that day, shouted "This is a hold up" and removed a gun from the front pocket of his pants, officials said.
Zurita was arrested without incident Sunday afternoon. Officers also recovered a gun, but it was not immediately clear if that was the gun used during the robbery.
Zurita, who has a past felony narcotics conviction, also was facing a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, police said.
Police did not immediately say how much money Zurita allegedly stole and whether it was recovered Sunday.


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i have several mags for sale. all normal rules aply. first unconditional "ill take it" rules the day. items are cross posted and located in ohio. FTF is ok.please feel free to ask questions, dont be shy about that. shipping will be $5 for the first mag and an exra $1 for each mag after that bought at the same time.
will trade for a 1984 dated romy trunion or kit, also need a complete romy bolt.
i have for sale 4 yugo BHO mags. asking $15 each plues above mentioned shipping or $65 shipped for all.
one of them does have the name ivan scratched into it. that said no hand select.