BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore some efficiencies in linking sausages by the use of two parallel positioned sausage making machines have been attempted. See, for example, US Patent No. 5,993,307. However, the system disclosed in the foregoing patent still requires the use of two separate sausage encasing machines each having a separate supply pump for sausage emulsion. Efforts have also been made to use two sausage making machines with a single meat emulsion supply pump, but this arrangement still does not make it easy to eliminate the total number of operators. Particularly in the situation where natural casings are involved, the prior art arrangements require two machine operators for such machine plus two persons (or robots) to"stick off'the linked sausages from the conveyors located downstream from each of the machines.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a sausage making system comprising a single source of meat emulsion for two or more sausage making machines having parallel conveyors which will require at most only two machine operators for each machine and a single stick off operator (or robot) to remove the sausage from the conveyor.

A further object of this invention is to provide the system described heretofore wherein the supply of pressurized sausage is fully equalized.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A system for making encased sausages includes first and second sausage encasing machines. Parallel spaced encasing machines have a first space therebetween, and each being connected to a single meat

emulsion supply pump located upstream therefrom. A first conduit extends from the pump, with second conduits extending from the first conduit to the respective encasing machines, whereby meat emulsion can be simultaneously pumped to the machines. First and second parallel conveyors in spaced condition create a second space therebetween and are located downstream from the first and second encasing machines respectively, with the second space being coextensive with the first space to permit a work station for an operator to remove encased sausages from both of the conveyors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1A is a partial side elevation of one of the prior art systems described heretofore; Fig. 1B is a plan view of one of the prior art systems described heretofore; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the system of this machine; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an alternate form of this invention; Figs. 4A and 4B are a side view and an end view, respectively, of the single source of meat emulsion for the systems of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view at an enlarged scale showing a pneumatic means for equalizing and stabilizing the pressure of the meat emulsion exiting the single source of meat emulsion; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figs. 1A and 1B are a composite end view and plan view, respectively, of a prior art sausage encasing machine system which will be discussed hereafter.

With reference to Fig. 2, sausage encasing machines 10 and 12 are conventional in construction and have an elongated shape with their center axes being parallel, and with the machines spaced apart to create an operating space 14. Each sausage machine 10 and 12 has a meat emulsion metering device 15 and 16, respectively. The system can be adapted to installations of more than 2 machines.

A conventional meat emulsion supply pump 20 with associated hopper 18 is located in the space 14. A first conduit 22 (Figs. 2 and 3) extends away from the pump and terminates in a Y-connection 24 to which second conduits 26 and 28 are secured and dwell at an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the first conduit 22. Second conduits 26 and 28 connect the first conduit 22 to the metering devices 15 and 16.

As shown in Fig. 2, a first horizontal conveyor 30 is located downstream of machine 10, and a similar horizontal conveyor 32 is located downstream of the machine 12. Each of the conveyors 30 and 32 have a continuous chain, which supports a plurality of spaced hooks 33 which are adapted to receive loops of an encased elongated sausage strand. Only a portion of the hooks 33 are shown in the drawings. A second operating space 34 is located between the conveyors 30 and 32.

With reference to Fig. 2, a work station 36 is created between the conveyors 30 and 32 within the space 34, and an operator 36A is located at work station 36 so he can move to either of the conveyors to stick off finite portions of an encased sausage strand hanging from the hooks 33. The operator 36A is typically able to remove sausages from either conveyor while they are operating conventionally without getting behind. Conventional robots can be used in lieu of the operators 36A in Figs. 2 and 3.

Again with reference to Fig. 2, work stations 38 and 42 are located on the outer sides of machines 10 and 12 and provide a working space for operators 38A and 42A, respectively, who tend to the operation of the machines 10 and 12, respectively. When natural casings are used, the operators 38A and 42A manually place the natural casings into position to be filled with meat emulsion from the metering device on machines 10 and 12, respectively. Similarly, work stations 40 and 44 are located on the outer sides of conveyors 30 and 32 to create an operating space for operators 40A and 44A, respectively. These operators serve to tie off the ends of sausage strands to prevent the encased sausage from moving outwardly therefrom.

Again with reference to Fig. 2, the numeral 46 designates a conventional stuffing tube terminating adjacent twisters 48 which are located immediately upstream of conventional linkers 50.

With reference to Fig. 3, the essential structure of Fig. 3 is virtually identical to that of Fig. 2 except that the sausage machines 10 and 12 in Fig. 3 are mirror images thereof so as to create work stations 60 and 64 on the inward sides of machines 10 and 12 and directly within the space 14. Operators 60A and 64A occupy the work stations 60 and 64, respectively, to operate the machines 10 and 12. Also, work stations 62 and 66 and located within the space 34. The operator (or robot) 36A occupies the same work station space in Fig. 3 as in Fig.

2, and that person is able to stick off the encased sausage strands from each conveyor 30 and 32. With reference to both Figs. 2,3,5 and 6, an electronic sensor 70 is located within first conduit 22. The sensor 70 is a pressure sensitive sensor which is electronically connected to a control 100 (Fig. 4) which in turn is connected to pump 20 so that if the pressure in conduit 22 decreases the computer will energize the pump 20 to maintain the pressure within conduit 22 and the conduits 26 and 28. In place of sensor 70, a conventional pneumatically controlled accumulator can be imposed alternately in conduit 22 to assure that the pressure of the meat emulsion in conduit 22 will always remain substantially constant.

It is therefore seen that this invention will accomplish at least all of its stated objectives.