DE9111177U1 - Device for removing bones from animal meat parts - Google Patents

Description

Registrant: Günther Huber, Lerchenweg 1, 8069 Wolnzach

Device for removing bones from animal

Meat parts

The innovation relates to a device for removing bones from animal meat parts, e.g. from turkey drumsticks or similar.

It is well known that consumers often want to buy meat without bones. One example of this is turkey drumsticks, which need to be boned. It is possible and is also practiced to remove the long bones by hand, but this is extremely time-consuming, especially in companies that produce large quantities, and therefore uneconomical, as the bones are not as easy to remove as the layman would imagine, not to mention that meat remains on the bones, which are considered to be unsuitable for human consumption at least.

Bank details: Bayerische Hypotheken- yr\d Wechselbank, Ingolstadt, Account No. 6480225021 (bank code 72120207)

Losses are to be considered. In order to be able to work reasonably economically, people who can be described as specialists in the removal of bones have come together to form working groups that perform impressively. In view of the fact that such specialists are difficult to recruit and that, in addition, considerable wage costs are incurred, this process appears to be in need of improvement. It should also not be forgotten that the rapid work of the "specialists" involves the risk of injury for the latter, as they work very quickly with sharp knives. In other words, this means that one or two people in the working group are absent due to a cut on their hand, which on the one hand seriously disrupts the continuity of the delivery quantities that is so important for the customer and on the other hand makes trouble with the trade association seem unavoidable.

In contrast, the innovation is based on the task of specifying a device that ensures the economical removal of bones from pieces of meat without a great deal of time and effort, without the need for specialists. Furthermore, there is the requirement that accidents and injuries are largely excluded when working with the new device.

This task is solved with a device that essentially consists of a stationary tube and a press cylinder with the same axis, whereby the tube, whose clear width is above the largest diameter of the bone, has an annular, possibly conical contact surface for the respective piece of meat at its end facing the press cylinder, and a part of the press cylinder designed as a ram and with the same axis as the tube is connected to the tube with a distance corresponding to at least the length of the piece of meat.

The diameter of the ram is smaller than the inside width of the tube. Such a device does not have any difficult to manufacture parts, rather it uses commercially available, at least easily manufactured parts that are reliable and do not involve any great financial burden. With such a device, a working speed is achieved that is unimaginable by hand and, secondly, hardly any meat remains on the ejected bone, so that significant losses are virtually impossible. It seems particularly important, however, that cuts are completely excluded, so that the disadvantages of manual work mentioned above no longer occur. In addition, it is advantageous that the new device does not require any specialists, which represents a further economic advantage, i.e., assistants who are available at all times are sufficient.

In order to be able to adapt the device to the different diameters of the bones to be removed from meat pieces, the innovation proposes that the stationary tube, which has a ring-shaped contact surface, be prepared at its working end for the insertion of mouthpieces with different internal widths and/or external diameters, in that the mouthpieces are designed, for example, as screw inserts that may be offset. It is expedient for the tube to be widened in its internal width behind the respective mouthpiece so that there is no risk of bone blockage in the ejection cross-section. These measures together make it easy to adapt the device to the respective size ratios and special features of the meat pieces to be treated.

As is well known, a material under tension, i.e.

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Since meat, too, is easier to cut when under tension than when not under tension, it is first proposed that the outer surfaces of the mouthpieces widen conically in the direction of the bones being ejected, and that for slicing the piece of meat, which has a somewhat thick-walled tube shape, the stationary tube, which accommodates the possibly offset and conical mouthpieces, carries at least one slitting knife lying in its vertical center plane, the vertical cutting edge of which can slightly protrude over the ring-shaped contact surface of the tube for the respective piece of meat. In this way, two functions are fulfilled in a single operation, namely ejecting the bone and slicing the respective piece of meat, which was previously a prerequisite for removing the bone. If a similar lower knife is provided, the meat part of the drumstick or similar can be easily cut into two parts.

In order to prevent the pieces of meat to be cut up (with an upper knife) from moving upwards and leaving the cutting edge of the knife, the cutting knife is provided with an upper flat cover that extends at least to the conical end of the mouthpiece. The same applies to a second knife, which must then be shielded from below.

In order to ensure that the rear end of a piece of meat to be treated is adequately guided in addition to the possibility of inserting the front end of the bone into the respective mouthpiece, it appears appropriate according to the innovation that the press cylinder has a recess at its working end that can be changed by inserts if necessary, the inner diameter of which is greater than the outer diameter of the tube, and that the working end is also slotted at least upwards, to an axial depth that

exceeds the length of the knife. The slitting ensures that the knife can be safely passed over by the press cylinder.

According to a further development of the innovation, the plunger of the press cylinder is set back from the front of the recess in the press cylinder. This ensures that the plunger comes into contact with the bone with certainty and does not slide past the bone without effect. The fact that the plunger can penetrate the mouthpiece in the final phase of the press cylinder's movement is a prerequisite for the bones not getting caught in the mouthpiece.

To facilitate the insertion of the piece of meat to be freed from the bone, a groove is provided between the tube and the press cylinder, located under the common axis.

Another special feature of the innovation is that the press cylinder itself is designed as a working cylinder operated with compressed air or hydraulically. However, this does not exclude the possibility of the press cylinder being driven by a separate working cylinder. It should also be mentioned here that other drive options, e.g. with a rack and pinion drive, could also be selected without going beyond the scope of the innovation. For the present case, however, a pneumatic drive is considered to be the most appropriate.

With regard to the safety of the person operating the device, it is particularly important if the press cylinder is assigned a safety control that can only be triggered by the person operating the device using both hands.

Finally, in view of the cleanliness and order in the workplace, it seems appropriate that the innovative device is mounted on a table-like frame, under which there are spaces for the bone and meat containers.

The innovation is illustrated in the drawing, for example; shown are:

Fig. 1 shows the device according to the innovation in side view;

Fig. 2 the same device in top view; Fig. 3 a section along the line III-III of the

Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Fig. 2,

which coincides with section III-III, but in the opposite direction of view, and Fig. 5 shows an enlarged half-section through a

Part of the device with a turkey leg and indicated

Possible changes to the device with a secondary representation.

As can be clearly seen from Figures 1 and 2, the device 1 essentially consists of a pipe 2 and a press cylinder 3. The press cylinder 3, if it is not itself designed as a working cylinder, is operated by a working cylinder 4, which is under the influence of a pneumatic or hydraulic control 5. First of all, it should be said that for safety reasons the press cylinder 3 can only be moved along the axis 6 common to the pipe 2 and the press cylinder 3 if an operator operates the control buttons 7, 8 (see Fig. 1) with both hands. A guide 9 for the press cylinder 3 and the pipe 2 are mounted on a

The table top 13 is supported by a table top that is easily covered and can be cleaned and has a recess 14 at least beneath the tube 2 or in its area, as can be seen particularly well in Figures 3 and 4. The plate 13 and its structures are supported on a frame 15 that has an intermediate floor 16 that serves as a storage area for a bone container 17 and for a meat container 18. The table 13 itself can be used in conjunction with the frame 15 to store the pieces of meat to be treated.

The tube 2 receives an exchangeable mouthpiece 19 at its end facing the press cylinder 13, which ends in a cone 20. In addition, the tube 2 forms an annular contact surface 21. In Figure 5 it can also be clearly seen that the clear width L1 of the mouthpiece 19 is significantly smaller than the clear width L2 of the rear part of the tube 2 in order to avoid bone congestion.

The tube 2 carries on its upper side in its vertical center plane a cutting blade 22 with a cutting edge 23, which slightly projects over the annular contact surface 21 (not mandatory). The blade 22 carries an upper cover 24, which is slightly raised at the front end.

The press cylinder 3 is equipped with a recess 25 on its side facing the mouthpiece 19, which has a slot 26 at the top that is at least wide and long enough to pass over the knife 22. A plunger 27 is provided slightly recessed in the recess 25, the diameter Dl of which is less than the inside width Ll of the mouthpiece 19 and can pass through it. The same applies to the inside width L3 of the recess 25, which exceeds the diameter D2 of the pipe 2. The depth of the recess 25 and also the depth of the slot 26 are selected so that the knife 22 - as already indicated - can be passed over its entire length.

In Figure 4, dashed lines 28 indicate a lower slot in the press cylinder 3, which would be required if a lower knife 22 were also provided.

In Figure 5, a turkey leg is designated 29, the bone of which bears the reference number 30. The front or left-hand diameter is designated D3, which is below the clear width L1 of the mouthpiece 19, so that the leg or the end of the bone can be easily pushed into the mouthpiece 19 and thus gets a hold there. The leg 29, which is deliberately shown somewhat too small in the rear part, therefore does not find a hold in the guide 9 designed as a groove in the front area, so that it would have to be held, which would mean that the device could not be started, since the operator would have to have both hands free to do so. Something would therefore have to be inserted into the groove unless one prefers to provide a height-adjustable support 31 on the press cylinder 3. It should also be mentioned that the clear width Ll must be large enough for the bone 30, which becomes somewhat thicker towards the back, to pass through the mouthpiece 19. There is no need to fear that the plunger 27 will penetrate the long bone 30, since the bone 30 is cut in such a way that the plunger 27 has a closed surface.

On the left side of Figure 5, dashed lines 32, 33 and 34 indicate how changes can be made to the tube 2 and the mouthpiece 19 by making structural changes in order to adapt the device to the sometimes different working conditions. It should also not be forgotten that not all pieces of meat are the same, so the device must be equipped with considerable tolerances from the outset in order to ensure a continuous process. However, it is always important that the bones 30 are aligned axially, i.e. without jamming.

can be pushed and at the same time the leg 29 can be completely cut open without having to accept unacceptable losses of meat.

Figure 5 also provides clear information about the operation of the device, since the working cylinder 3 safely pushes the bone 30 into the clear width L1 and the meat components are expanded by the cone 20 and come to rest on the ring surface 21, over which they slide and are cut open by the knife 22 with its cutting edge 23, so that the meat part 29 thus treated can fall into the container 18. It goes without saying that during the axial movement of the pressing cylinder 3 the meat components of the meat part 29 are not only compressed by the mouthpiece 19, but also by the ring-shaped contact surface 21 and only pushed over the tube 2 by the cutting open and only then can they fall off. A particularly effective mouthpiece 19 on the tube 2 with regard to the expansion of the meat components of the drumstick is shown in the secondary illustration in Figure 5, in which the knife 22 could also be slightly spaced from the contact surface 21.

Claims (13)

1. Device for removing bones from animal meat parts, e.g. from turkey drumsticks or the like, characterized in that the device (1) essentially consists of a stationary tube (2) and a press cylinder (3) with the same axis, the tube (2), the inside width (Ll) of which is above the largest diameter (D3) of the bone (30), having an annular contact surface (21) for the respective meat part (29) at its end region facing the press cylinder (3), and a part of the press cylinder (3) designed as a plunger (27) and with the same axis (cf. 6) as the tube (2), is opposite the tube (2) at a distance corresponding to at least the length of the meat part (29), the diameter (Dl) of the plunger (27) being smaller than the inside width (Ll) of the tube (2). Bank details: Bayerische Hypothekon- jnd VVech«'bänk, hgolstadt, account number 6480225021 (bank code 72120207) 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the stationary tube (2) having an annular contact surface (21) is prepared at its working end for the insertion of mouthpieces (19) with different clear widths and/or external diameters, in that the mouthpieces (19) are designed, for example, as optionally offset screw inserts. 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the tube (2) behind the mouthpiece (19) is expanded in its clear width (L2). 4. Device according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outer surfaces of the mouthpieces (19) widen conically (cf. 20, also 21 and 2) in the direction of ejection of the bones (30). 5. Device according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the stationary tube (2) receiving the optionally offset mouthpieces (19) carries at least one slitting knife (22) lying in its vertical center plane, the vertical cutting edge (23) of which slightly projects beyond the annular contact surface (21) of the tube (2) for the respective piece of meat (29). 6. Device according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the slitting knife (22) has an upper flat cover (24) which extends at least to the free end of the mouthpiece (19). 7. Device according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the press cylinder (3) has a recess (25) at its working end, which can be changed by inserts if necessary, the inner diameter (L3) of which is above the outer diameter (D2) of the pipe (2), and that furthermore the The working end is slotted at least upwards (see 26) at an axial depth which corresponds to the length of the blade
(cf. 22). 8. Device according to claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the plunger (27) of the press cylinder (3) is arranged set back from the front of the recess (25) of the press cylinder (3). 9. Device according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that between the pipe (2) and the press cylinder (3) there is a channel (cf. 9) lying under the common axis (6).
and 31). 10. Device according to claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the press cylinder (3) itself is designed as a working cylinder operated with compressed air or hydraulically. 11. Device according to claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the press cylinder (3) is driven by a separate working cylinder (4). 12. Device according to claim 1 and/or one or more of the following claims, characterized in that the press cylinder (3) is assigned a safety control (5) which is controlled by the person operating the device (1).
Person can only trigger with both hands (cf. 7, 8). 13. Device according to claim 1 and/or one or more of the following claims, characterized in that the device (1) is mounted on a table-like frame (13, 15, 16), under which there are spaces for the bone and meat containers (17, 18).