Carousel apparatus and method for explosive meat tenderization

Butchering – Tenderizers

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C426S238000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06206773

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to structures and methods for treating meat or other food or non-food products using explosive energy from a chemical or electrical explosion, especially for tenderizing meat and/or killing bacteria in or on the meat.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The following U.S. patents are directed to meat treatment using a shock wave caused by an explosive discharge: U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,766; U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,403; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,056. Each of the above-listed patents and patent applications is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
The explosive process for meat treatment, called the Hydrodyne System, has received much attention with respect to its ability to tenderize tough cuts of meat in an effective and efficient manner without degradating the quality of the meat as occurs with chemical tenderizer, as well as its potential to kill bacteria and increase public health. Since the meat is already sealed in plastic when exposed to the explosion's shock wave, the effect is somewhat like pasteurization.
In addition, the process is rapid. Meat is tenderized in seconds instead of weeks.
The above-listed patents and certain pending applications describe embodiments in which the meat is first lined along the bottom of a water-filled, hemispherical stainless steel explosion-containing chamber called a “processor tank” or “hemishell”, how an explosion is created at the center point, how the explosive force pushing down the stainless steel processor tank is absorbed, how the energy of the plume of water and steam rushing upward after the explosion is deflected or absorbed by a shield, and so on. The above-listed patents are directed mainly to the particular structures and methods used in one cycle of explosive tenderizing.
However, they do not adequately address the speed of the operation, which is important in commercial applications of explosive meat treatment. The explosion itself is of course very brief, but long periods of time have been needed to load the processor tank with meat, fill it with water, clear the area of personnel prior to a chemically detonated explosion, remove the meat, and refill the processor tank with water after the explosion.
In addition, it has been found that complete replacement of the water is preferable, and this has not been addressed. The reason why the water should be changed is that the preferred chemical explosives are molecular explosives, which are deficient in oxygen. Due to this oxygen deficiency, the oxygen which is freed during the explosion combines with hydrogen and nitrogen in preference to carbon, and carbon soot is left behind in the water as an explosion by-product. This soot will accumulate, gradually darkening any water which is re-used. In addition, traces of HCN are left behind in the water. Though the HCN is so dilute as to present no health risk, and there is no need to see into the water, it is preferable in order to alleviate any public concerns for fresh or cleaned water to be used after only one or a few explosions, in which case the water is desirably completely changed periodically. This problem has not previously been addressed, nor has the problem of doing so quickly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to successfully address the above problems, among others.
Another object is to provide an improved automated system for treating meat.
The present invention preferably uses the structures and methods already described in the related applications or patents (it can also use other structures and methods) but arranges them to increase the speed and automation of meat processing. In doing so, the present invention can tenderize several hundred pounds of meat per minute.
A main concern when using explosives is safety. Therefore, the present invention is intended for fully automatic or remote-controlled operation within a blast-proof enclosure or room.
In the present invention the required steps of: loading the meat; filling the processor tank with water; placing and detonating a chemical charge; removing the meat; and (preferably) completely removing the old water; are all carried out desirably with the use of a turntable platform, or carousel, with three stations. A first station is for loading and unloading meat. A second station is for changing the water. A third station is for containing the actual explosion. As the carousel rotates, each station is brought in its turn to a position directly over the processor tank. The carousel is preferably at floor level so that service personnel can walk onto the carousel surface easily.
For loading (and later, unloading) meat, the carousel has a preferably round access hole through which a basket, preloaded with meat, can be lowered. The baskets are brought into the explosion room on, e.g., an overhead trolley and lowered by remote or automatic control through the hole into the processor tank, which has previously been filled with fresh water.
The carousel is then rotated so that the explosion shield or “processor dome” is in position over the processor tank. The shield is lowered down and locked onto the rim of the processor tank. The explosive charge is then generated using either a chemical explosive or electrical discharge, thus, tenderizing the meat, and then the shield is unlocked and raised.
The carousel rotates again, bringing the hole over the processor tank, and the meat is removed.
Finally, a water-changing unit is brought over the explosion by revolving the carousel through the appropriate angle, and the water is removed and replenished.
To replace the water most rapidly, the present invention preferably employs a two-stage water changer. The upper stage is a cistern for storing fresh water and the lower stage is a basin which is shaped like the inside of the stainless steel explosion chamber or processor tank. The processor tank is preferably shaped as a hemisphere connected on its equator to a cylindrical upward extension, and the lower-stage basin preferably mates closely with this shape so that when it is lowered into processor tank only a small amount of water will be left between the outside of the basin and the inside of the processor tank.
However, the basin does not displace the water in the processor tank. Instead, the bottom of the basin includes a valve or valves which are opened while the water changer unit is lowered into the processor tank, so that the soot-containing water following the chemical explosion flows through the valve into the basin. Then the valve is closed so that, when the water changer is again raised, the soot-containing water is lifted out.
Before the water changer is lifted out, the small amount of water between the basin and processor tank is preferably flushed out. For this purpose, a large central pipe preferably runs from the bottom of the basin, up through the basin interior, to the cistern. After the basin valve is closed, a second valve coupling the cistern to the central pipe is opened and water flows from the high cistern, propelled by hydrostatic pressure, through the bottom of the cistern and up between the basin and the inside of the processor tank. The water changer is raised up, preferably just after flushing begins, to create a space between the cistern and tank, which the clean water draining from the cistern can occupy. The water stops overflowing the sides of the processor tank, and by the time the water changer is raised up above the carousel deck the processor tank is ready for the next load of meat and the next explosive charge.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2880663 (1959-04-01), Simjian
patent: 3492688 (1970-02-01), Godfrey
patent: 3711896 (1973-01-01), Guberman et al.

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