A process and apparatus for drawing off deformable masses containing air, such as sausage masses. The mass is transferred in a stream from a supply space into a filling cylinder where a vacuum is generated relative to the space to remove air from the mass, and the transferred mass is then ejected from the filling cylinder by means of a piston. To transfer the mass quickly and remove air from it completely, the mass stream is guided, during its transfer into the filling cylinder in such a way that, as it enters the filling cylinder, it first moves towards the cylinder wall at an angle to the direction of the piston. Moreover, during filling the level of mass in the filling cylinder is maintained at an essentially constant filling height so that a constant volume of free space remains above the mass in the filling cylinder. |