Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor section – Screw
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-03
2004-04-20
Ridley, Richard (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor section
Screw
C198S672000, C198S673000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722490
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to poultry chillers for reducing the temperature of whole birds after the birds have been eviscerated on a poultry processing line. More particularly, the invention relates to a hanger bearing assembly configured to support an auger within the poultry chiller.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is desirable to reduce the temperature of chickens and other type poultry after the birds have been processed, or de-feathered, eviscerated, and are otherwise oven-ready and before the birds are packaged for delivery to the retail customer. A conventional poultry chiller
10
, as shown in
FIG. 1
, is the “auger type” poultry chiller
10
which includes a trough-shaped, half-round tank
12
filled with ice water in which the auger
20
provides positive movement of the birds through the tank
12
. The cooling effect for the water and the bird was originally provided by crushed ice added to the water. The later prior art designs included a counter-flow recirculation of the chilled water through the tank
12
, with water being chilled by a refrigerated heat exchanger
40
instead of ice, as shown in FIG.
2
. The water is introduced at one end of the tank
12
, the outlet end
16
, and flows progressively to the other end, the inlet end
14
, where it is recirculated. In the meantime, the birds are continually delivered to the tank
12
and moved under the influence of the auger
20
in the counter-flow direction, and are lifted from the outlet end
16
of the tank
12
for further processing. A prior art poultry chiller of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,000, and the heat exchanger for the water refrigeration system suitable for this purpose is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,470.
As noted, chilled water is added to the tank
12
at the outlet end
16
of the tank
12
, where the birds have been chilled and are being lifted out of the tank
12
. The water flows against the birds in the opposite direction of movement of the birds, thereby assuring that the birds are always flowing into the cleanest water and that there is always a temperature drop between the temperature of each bird and the temperature of the water about each bird. Typical trough-shaped tanks
12
of the chillers
10
can be 5 to 12 feet in diameter and 15 to 150 feet in length. Frequently, one or more hanger bearings
30
are provided to assist in properly supporting the auger
20
. Typically, the maximum space between hanger bearings
30
is approximately 35 feet.
As best seen in
FIG. 3
, the auger
20
is formed in segments and the hanger bearings
30
are located between the auger segments. A typical prior art hanger bearing
30
is supported by a horizontally extending upper structural support element
32
that is mounted at its ends to the sides of the trough and includes a downwardly depending central vertical support
33
and at its lower end an upper plate
31
. A lower plate
34
is mounted to the upper plate and together they form an internal bearing surface (not shown). Typically, the segments of the auger
20
are connected by a horizontal shaft (not shown) which is received within the bearing surface, the bearing surface being sandwiched between the upper plate
31
and the lower plate
34
, thereby transferring the weight of the auger
20
to the horizontally extending upper structural support element
32
. Typically, the diameter of the horizontal shaft is smaller than the diameter of the auger shaft
22
, thereby requiring the bearing surface of the lower plate
34
and the upper plate
3
land the vertical segment
33
of the hanger bearing
30
to be at least partially disposed between segments of the auger shaft
22
. Therefore, the distance separating segments of the auger shaft
22
is limited by the dimensions of these elements. In turn, the distance separating segments of the helical flight structure
21
of the auger
20
is also limited by the dimensions of these elements. As well, because the upper structural support elements
32
typically used to provide support to the auger
20
extend across the tank
12
within the periphery of the helical flight structure
21
, the structural elements
32
similarly dictate the separation required between independent segments of the helical flight structure
21
. Separation between segments of the helical flight structure
21
are frequently on the order of 10 inches or greater.
One of the problems of existing hanger bearings
30
is that the interruption of the helical blade structure at the intermediate bearing location impedes the forward movement of birds through the poultry chiller. Also, it is possible that some birds will move backwards in the chiller due to the counter flow of water once a bird passes by the trailing edge of a segment of the helical flight structure. Those birds that move backwards about a segment of the helical flight structure require more time than is intended to move from the inlet end to the outlet end of the trough because they traverse the same segment of the chiller more than once. The reverse movement of these birds tends to create, or increase, the size of product surges traveling through the poultry chiller. The surges result in uneven unloading of the birds at the outlet end of the chiller, causing personnel handling the birds at the outlet end of the chiller to either speed up or slow down depending upon the output of birds from the chiller. In some cases, surges can require the addition of extra handling personnel. In those instances where personnel are not available, it is not uncommon for the birds to back up in the chiller discharge chute, causing birds to spill over the sides of the chute and handling tables positioned at the outlet end of the chiller. It is possible to collect these birds prior to spill over and place them in suitable vats and storage containers. However, for those plants that do not have additional handling personnel, or that don't respond quickly enough to the surges, the birds will frequently fall to the plant floor, leading to lost product and unsanitary conditions.
Another problem with typical hanger bearings is that the relatively large spacing required between independent segments of the helical flight structure (approximately 10 inches and up) allows birds to remain in the poultry chiller after processing is complete. These birds must be removed by handling personnel prior to cleaning the poultry chiller. Removal of the stranded birds increases the time required to clean the poultry chiller, thereby increasing the down time for cleaning the chiller. As such, fewer birds can be processed through the chiller for each production run. In addition to increased time and expense associated with the clean-up process, expense is incurred due to loss of product at the hanger bearing. Longer chillers require more hanger bearings to support the auger, thereby resulting in more frequent surging and increase product loss.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a hanger bearing assembly for use with a poultry chiller that permits minimum horizontal displacement between segments of the helical flight structure. As well, it would be desirable if the hanger bearing assembly permitted spacing between the segments of the helical flight structure such that birds were prevented from moving through the chiller counter to their intended direction. Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, this invention involves a poultry chiller that includes hanger bearing assemblies for use in supporting a segmented auger of an auger type poultry chiller. The hanger bearing assembly allows smaller gaps to be formed between the segments of the auger. This reduces the tendency of birds moving through the poultry chiller in a direction counter to that intended. An embodiment of the hanger bearing assembly for use in an auger type poultry chiller has an auger with a first flight and a second fli
Morris & Associates Inc.
Ridley Richard
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
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