Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Molding – casting – or shaping
Patent
1998-02-05
1999-10-19
Lacey, David
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Molding, casting, or shaping
426315, 426443, 99349, 99351, A01J 110, A23L 3710, A47J 3710, A22C 110
Patent
active
059685760
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for the fixing of pieces of meat under pressure during a smoking or heating process, and comprising a series of perforated holding elements arranged as layers above one another. The holding elements are mutually connected by links which allow mutual displacement to a maximum distance between the layers.
The invention also relates to a method for use in the smoking of pieces of meat while using the apparatus.
Such an apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,750,563 and 3,473,465. The known types of apparatus have holding elements configured as flat shelves, where adjacent shelves are hinged to each other in a manner which, in addition to displacement towards and away from each other, also allows parallel displacement of the shelves. The known types of apparatus are configured with wire mesh or the like which allows smoke to pass between the pieces of meat which are fixed between the holding elements. With a known method exercised while using the known apparatus, the holding elements hang under one another, e.g. suspended from a frame or a hook, with the shelves at a maximum distance from each other. The meat products, e.g. hams, are there-after placed on the shelves, after which the apparatus is conveyed to a pressing station where, for example using compressed-air cylinders, the shelves are pressed around the hams. Finally, the apparatus is locked in the compressed position around the pieces of meat, and in this locked position the apparatus can be transported to the smoking or the boiling processes. After smoking and/or boiling, the layers can be released from one another and the pieces of meat can be removed.
With the known methods, the insertion and the removal of the pieces of meat has hitherto been carried out manually, and with the known apparatus for the fixing of the pieces of meat it is difficult or impossible to carry out the process mechanically. Moreover, the apparatus is unable to maintain the shape of the pieces of meat during the smoking process, the reason being that the meat products are free to expand parallel with the shelves.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The special feature of the apparatus according to the invention is that the holding elements are provided with perforated, fixed walls on three sides between adjacent layers, and that from at least one holding element, preferably more, the walls extend from two opposite sides from the bottom of the holding element(s) down towards the underlying holding element, and from the upper side from the same holding element(s) the walls extend towards the overlying holding element.
There is hereby created a chamber for the insertion of each individual piece of meat, which allows an optimum smoking of the pieces of meat during the smoking process due to the perforation of the walls of the chambers, and also ensures a well-defined space for the insertion of the meat.
Since the chambers are created by the walls from overlying holding elements forming a cooperating wall with the walls of the underlying holding element, this system provides good space during the insertion of the meat, and makes it subsequently possible to exercise a pressure whereby the dimensions of the chambers are changed/reduced, hereby shaping the pieces of meat.
When there are fixed walls on the holding elements to limit the space in which the pieces of meat can lie, a mechanical insertion of the pieces of meat in the apparatus can be utilized. It is thus sufficient to use a pressure to slide in the piece of meat, in that the wall which lies rearmost in the direction of the displacement can stop the piece of meat before it projects out over the edge. There is thus achieved a stable backstop when the pieces of meat are inserted, and herewith a uniform product. The perforations in the walls ensure that the smoke can penetrate in to the piece of meat.
The apparatus is moreover advantageous for use in the method according to the invention. When the processing of pre-shaped pieces of meats is involved, especially
REFERENCES:
patent: 3750563 (1973-08-01), Tonjum
patent: 3897573 (1975-07-01), Kelly
patent: 3910141 (1975-10-01), Divam
patent: 4417509 (1983-11-01), Deibel et al.
Becker Drew
Lacey David
SKF-Danfotech A/S
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