Butchering – Carcass subdivision – Cutting longitudinally through body or body portion
Patent
1992-07-16
1994-09-13
Little, Willis
Butchering
Carcass subdivision
Cutting longitudinally through body or body portion
452152, A22B 520
Patent
active
053464354
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the opening of the hide of a carcass during carcass processing operations preparatory to removal of the hide.
The presently widely used method of opening the hide of a carcass such as a beef carcass is substantially a manual operation. The beef carcass is hung from overhead supports by the rear legs. In this position, the hide is opened up manually by slaughtermen. The carcass hide is then cut away from the rear legs, belly and brisket in a manner suitable to the type of hide puller being used on the processing line. The labour involved in this operation adds substantially to the total cost of processing the carcass.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for opening a carcass hide and which is susceptible to at least partial mechanisation, and preferably enabling automation of the process of opening the hide.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for opening a carcass hide preparatory to removal of the hide from the carcass, characterised in that the apparatus includes a clearing member which is operable to be inserted between the hide and subcutaneous tissues and to be advanced along an advancement line extending along a length of the carcass, the clearing member having a leading extremity extending transverse to the advancement line and which is operative to separate the hide from the subcutaneous tissues as it advances, the apparatus further including an opening means located so as to trail behind the leading extremity of the clearing member as the clearing member is advanced along the advancement line, the opening means being operative to cut the hide to create an opening cut in the hide along the advancement line, the apparatus further including a drive arrangement associated with the clearing member and the opening means and operative to advance the clearing member and opening means along the carcass to separate the hide from the subcutaneous tissues and to create the opening cut in the hide along the advancement line.
Preferably the leading extremity of the clearing member extends in use generally parallel to the outside surface of the hide so as to promote separation of the hide from the subcutaneous tissues at the boundary between the hide and the tissues. The leading extremity of the clearing member preferably tapers in a forward direction relative to the advancement line and towards a nose portion of the leading extremity. The nose portion is preferably rounded in plan view to minimise the risk of the nose portion penetrating into the subcutaneous tissues or penetrating into the hide.
Preferably the leading extremity of the clearing member comprises a cutting edge operative to sever connections between the hide and the subcutaneous tissues. The leading extremity of the clearing member may be bevelled from an inner face of the clearing member which is adjacent to the subcutaneous tissues to the cutting edge located at or slightly below an outer face of the clearing member which is adjacent to the hide.
In the preferred embodiment the clearing member comprises a clearing blade and the leading extremity comprises a leading edge of the clearing blade which extends transverse to the advancement line and which penetrates the boundary between the hide and subcutaneous tissues so as to separate the hide from the subcutaneous tissues as the clearing blade advances.
Also in the preferred embodiment the opening means comprises an opening blade having a cutting edge operative to cut the hide to create the opening cut in the hide along the advancement line. The cutting edge of the opening blade may extend outwardly from the clearing member and may be located rearwardly of the leading extremity of the clearing member so that as the clearing member and the opening blade advance and the clearing member separates the hide from subcutaneous tissues, the cutting edge of the opening blade cuts the hide to open it along the advancement line. Preferably the cutting edge of the opening bl
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patent: 4841602 (1989-06-01), Vander Hoorn et al.
patent: 5139457 (1992-08-01), Rankin et al.
patent: 5160295 (1992-11-01), Bekkers
Abood John C.
Aqualini Matthew
Boyce Phillip R.
Buhot John W.
Finney Andrew L.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Little Willis
Meat Research Corporation
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