Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
  • A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
  • A22C17/00—Other devices for processing meat or bones
  • A22C17/0053—Other devices for processing meat or bones by injection
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/26—Apparatus for preserving using liquids ; Methods therefor
  • A23B4/28—Apparatus for preserving using liquids ; Methods therefor by injection of liquids
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23B—PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS
  • A23B4/00—General methods for preserving meat, sausages, fish or fish products
  • A23B4/26—Apparatus for preserving using liquids ; Methods therefor
  • A23B4/28—Apparatus for preserving using liquids ; Methods therefor by injection of liquids
  • A23B4/285—Apparatus for preserving using liquids ; Methods therefor by injection of liquids with inorganic salts

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device for injecting an edible medium into an animal body.
• an edible medium such as soybean oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, and in particular butter
• an edible medium or fat is injected into the turkey inside a cooler where the temperatures are relatively low, e.g., 35-45°F.
• the edible fat or oil would normally be in a solid state, and could not be readily processed in the injection procedure.
• a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved device for injecting an edible medium into an animal body.
• the device of the present invention comprises, a reservoir for retaining a supply of the medium, a needle assembly for injecting the medium into the animal body, a bed for collecting excess medium from the needle assembly, means for supplying the medium from the reservoir to the needle assembly, and means for supplying excess medium from the bed to the reservoir.
• the device, including the needle assembly, is substantially enclosed by a cabinet.
• a feature of the present invention is the provision of means for heating the medium in the reservoir.
• Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for circulating the heated medium in the reservoir in order to achieve a relatively uniform distribution of temperature in the reservoir.
• Yet another feature of the invention is the pro ⁇ vision of means for heating the medium in the needle assembly
• Still another feature of the invention is the provision of means for heating the excess medium in the bed. Yet another feature of the invention is the provision of means for heating the inside of the cabinet.
• a feature of the present invention is that the device heats the medium in order to maintain it in a liquid state suitable for processing.
• the needle assembly of the device includes both relatively long needles and relatively short needles.
• a feature of the present invention is that the long and short needles may be placed in a relative selected pattern in the needle assembly.
• the needles may be omitted at desired locations in the needle assembly.
• the long and short needles may be distri ⁇ ubbed in a selected pattern or may be omitted to minimize the possibility of injecting the medium into a cavity of the animal body.
• Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a device for injecting an edible medium into an animal body of the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and partly taken in section, of the device of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a manifold in a needle assembly of the device
• Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reservoir for the device of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the device of Fig. 1; ⁇
• OMPI Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a needle pattern for the needle assembly in the device
• Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating another pattern of needles for the needle assembly in the device
• Fig. 8 is an end elevational view, partly broken away and partly taken in section, of the device of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view on an enlarged scale, taken partly in section, of a needle in the needle assembly of the device of Fig. 1.
• a device generally designated 10 for injecting an edible medium into an animal body such as a turkey.
• the edible medium fat or oil
• the edible medium is normally in a solid state at the operating temperature of the device 10, and may com ⁇ prise soybean oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, but preferably butter.
• the turkeys become self-basting when being cooked.
• the device 10 comprises, a reservoir or tank 12 for retaining a supply of the edible medium, a needle assembly 14 for injecting the medium into the turkeys, a bed 16 for capturing excess medium from the needle assembly 14, means for supplying the medium from the reservoir 12 to the needle assembly 14, and means for supplying the excess medium from the bed 16 to the reservoir 12.
• the reservoir 12 has a chamber 18 for retaining the medium in a liquid state.
• the device 10 has a conduit 20 which is connected between a nozzle 22 and the chamber 18, and an initial supply of the medium in a liquid state is supplied through the nozzle 22 and conduit 20 into the chamber 18.
• the reservoir 12 has a pair of filters 24 and 26 through which the medium passes in order to remove meat particles from the liquid medium.
• the reservoir 12 has a pair of spaced inner and
• the reservoir 12 has an air motor 32 connected to an air supply 34 in order to drive the motor 32.
• the motor 32 has an elongated shaft 36 depending from the motor 32, and a plurality of blades 38 located below the level of medium in the chamber 18. The motor 32 rotates the shaft 36 and blades 38 in order to circulate the medium in the chamber 18, and achieve a more even distribution of temperature in the medium located in the chamber 18.
• conduit 40 which is connected to a pump 42.
• the pump 42 removes liquid medium from the chamber 18 through the conduit 40, and drives the liquid medium under pressure through a conduit 44 to a manifold 46 in the needle assembly 14.
• the manifold 46 com ⁇ prises a pair of opposed shells 48 and 50 having a chamber 52 located partially in the shell 48 and partially in the shell 50, such that the chamber 52 is closed when the shells 48 and 50 are secured together.
• the shell 48 has a plur ⁇ ality of ports 54 extending therethrough and communicating with the chamber 52
• the shell 50 has a plurality of ports 56 extending therethrough and communicating with the chamber 52, such that the ports 54 and 56 are aligned when the shells 48 and 50 are connected together.
• the manifold 46 has an elongated conduit 58 extending in a sinusoidal configuration in the chamber 52, and the conduit 58 is connected to a source 60 of heated water which is passed through the conduit 58 in order to heat the edible medium in the chamber 52, with the medium being received in the chamber 52 from the conduit 44.
• the needle assembly 14 has a plurality of relatively long needles 62 slidably received in the ports 54 and 56, a plurality of relatively short needles 64 slidably received in the ports 54 and 56, and a plurality of solid bushings 66 located in the ports 54 and 56 in order to close selected ports 54 and 56.
• the long needles 62 are designated by the heavy circles
• the short needles 64 are designated by the light circles
• the closure busings 66 are de- signated by the crosses.
• the long needles 62, short needles 64, and bushings 66 may be placed in a selected pattern in the ports 54 and 56 of the manifold 46. In this manner, the long needles 62 may be positioned to pene ⁇ trate the turkeys a maximum distance at selected locations, the short needles 64 may be positioned to penetrate the turkeys a minimal distance at selected locations, while the needles 62 and 64 are removed at the position of the bushings 66 in order to prevent penetration of the turkeys at these locations.
• the cavities of the turkeys may be avoided by placement of the short needles and bushings at selected locations in order to prevent injection of the liquid medium into the cavities of the turkeys.
• the pattern of needles 62 and 64 and bushings 66 is selected in identical fashion on opposed sides of a divider 68 to permit penetration of turkeys located in a side-by-side relationship on opposed sides of the divider 68.
• the pattern of needles 62 and 64 and bushings 66 on opposed sides of and between dividers 70 and 72 is selected in identical fashion to permit injection of three smaller turkeys passing between the dividers 70 and 72 and on opposed sides of the dividers 70 and 72.
• the device 10 has a cylinder 74, an upright post 76 slidably received in the cylinder 74, a cross beam 78 connected to an upper end of the post 76, and a pair of spaced upright posts 80 and 82 connected to and extending from the beam 78.
• An upper end of the post 76 slidably received in the cylinder 74
• a cross beam 78 connected to an upper end of the post 76
• a pair of spaced upright posts 80 and 82 connected to and extending from the beam 78.
• OMPI end of the posts 80 and 82 is connected to the needle assembly 14.
• the cylinder 74 is operated in order to raise and lower the needle assembly 14, with the needle assembly being shown in a lowermost position in Fig. 2.
• the needle assembly 14 is raised by the cylinder 74 in order to permit passage of turkeys a desired distance beneath the needles 62 and 64, and the needle assembly 14 is lowered by cylinder 74 in order to permit penetration of the needles 62 and 64 into the turkeys below the needle assembly 14.
• a representative long needle 62 is shown as slibably mounted in the manifold 46.
• the needle 62 has a lumen 84 which communicates with a plurality of openings 86 adjacent a lower end of the needle 62 through which the liquid medium is injected into the turkeys.
• the lumen 84 also communicates with a pair of openings 88 adjacent an upper portion of the needle 62.
• the manifold shell 48 has an upper bushing 90 positioned in the port 54, with the bushing 90 having a channel 92 to slidably receive the needle 62.
• the bushing 90 has on O-ring 94 which sealingly engages against the needle 62, and a pair of side openings 96 which communi ⁇ cate between the needle 62 and the chamber 52 in the man ⁇ ifold 46.
• the shell 50 has a lower bushing 98 received in the port 56, and the bushing 98 has a channel 100 to slidably receive the needle 62.
• the bushing 98 has an upper O-ring 102 which sealingly engages against the needle 62, and may have a lower O-ring 104 which sealingly engages against the needle 62.
• the needle assembly 14 has a cylinder 106 defining a chamber 108 which is connected to a supply 110 of pressurized air.
• the needle assembly 14 has a piston 112 slidably received in the cylinder 106, with the piston 112 having a gasket 114 to sealingly engage the inside of the cylinder 106.
• the needle assembly 14 has an abutment 116 which contacts an annular flange 118 of the piston 112 in order to limit downward movement of the piston 112 in the. cylinder 106.
• ⁇ J E OMPI has a lower cavity 120 to receive a butt 122 at an upper end of the needle 62.
• the needle 62 and piston 112 are illustrated in Fig. 9 in a configuration with the needle assembly 14 raised, and the needle 62 removed from the turkey.
• the openings 88 of the needle 62 are located below the O-ring 102 in order to prevent passage of the liquid medium from the chamber 52 past the O-ring 102, and thus prevent passage of the liquid medium into the needle 62 and through the openings 86.
• the piston 112 is biased by the source 110 of air pressure to its lowermost position in the cylinder 106, and the needle butt 122 is spaced from the piston 112.
• the needle 62 When the needle assembly 14 is lowered slightly, such that the lower end of the needle 62 contacts and pene ⁇ trates the turkey, the needle 62 is raised a distance such that the needle openings 88 are positioned in alignment with the openings 96 of the upper bushing 90, and the butt 122 of the needle 62 contacts the piston 112 in the cavity 120.
• the pressurized liquid medium passes from the chamber 52 through the openings 96 " of the upper bushing 90, the openings 88 of the needle 62, the lumen 84 of the needle 62, and the openings 86 of the needle 62 into the turkey as the needle assembly 14 is progressively lowered.
• the biased piston 112 main ⁇ tains the needle 62 in the position with the openings 88 aligned with the openings 96 of the upper bushing 90.
• the needle 62 strikes a bone in the turkey, the needle 62 is driven upwardly in the manifold 46, and the needle 62 moves the piston 112 upwardly in the cylinder 106 until the openings 88 of the needle 62 are located above the O-ring-94 in the upper bushing 90.
• the needle assembly 14 prevents passage of the edible medium through the needle 62 in the event that the needle 62 strikes a bone in the turkey.
• the bed 16 extends longitudinally along the device 10 beneath the needle assembly 14.
• excess medium will pass from the needles and turkeys into an elongated tray 124 defining a cavity 126 extending along the bed 16.
• the liquid medium passes from the cavity 126 through a conduit 128 into the chamber 18 of the reservoir 12 where is passes through the filter 24 to remove meat particles from the liquid medium.
• the bed 16 has a plurality of spaced plates 130 extending longitudinally along the bed 16, with the plates 130 being connected together and having upper teeth 132 disposed along the plates 130.
• the beam 78 has an outwardly directed flange 134 which strikes a roller 136 as the beam 78 and posts 80 and 82 are raised by the cylinder 74, such that the flange 134 strikes the roller 136 while the needle assembly 14 is being raised in the device 10.
• the roller 136 is connected to rollers 138 and 140, such that upward movement of the roller 136 results in upper movement of the rollers 138 and 140.
• the rollers 138 and 140 contact the plates 130, and raise the plates 130 when the rollers 138 and 140 are raised.
• a cylinder 142 is connected through an assembly 144 to the plates 130.
• the cylinder 142 moves the plates 130 a specified distance in a direction toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2.
• the needle assembly 14 is lowered by the cylinder 74, and the flange 134 is removed from the roller 136 in order to lower the plates 130 in the bed 16, after which the cylinder 142 returns the plates 130 toward a righthand position in Fig. 2.
• the plates 130 are lifted in the bed 16 in order to raise the turkeys to an elevated position, after which the plates 130 are moved to the left as illustrated in Fig.
• the turkeys are moved a specified dis ⁇ tance relative to the needle assembly 14 to permit repe- titive penetration by the needles in the needle assembly 14 and movement of the turkeys along the bed 16.
• the turkeys may be placed in a side-by-side relationship through an opening 146 at one end of the device 10, after which the turkeys are transported beneath the needle assembly 14 and through an opening 148 at the other end of the device 10 for removal of the turkeys from the de ⁇ vice 10 after injection of the liquid medium in a uniform distribution in the turkeys.
• the device 10 has an elongated conduit 150 wound in a sinusoidal config ⁇ uration in the bed 16, such that the conduit 150 defines conduit sections 152 located intermediate the plates 130, with the conduit 150 being connected to a source 154 of heated water which passes through the conduit 150.
• the excess medium is heated in the bed 16 in order to maintain it in a liquid state, and thus permit passage of the liquid medium from the tray 124 through the conduit 128 into the reservoir 12.
• the device 10 has a cabinet 156 which substantially encloses the device 10, including the needle assembly 14, except for the openings 146 and'148 through which the turkeys
• the device 10 has slitted curtains 158 and 160 which cover the openings 146 and 148, respectively, in order to minimize passage of air through the openings 146 " and 148.
• the device 10 has a radiator 162 mounted in an upper portion of the cabinet 156, and a source 164 of heated water which is connected to the radiator 162 in order to pass the heated water through the radiator 162.
• the de ⁇ vice 10 has a fan 166 which passes air through the radiator 162 in order to heat the air surrounding the radiator 162, and distribute the heated air from the radiator 162 beneath the cabinet 156 including the location of the needle as ⁇ sembly 14 and bed 16.
• the device 10 has a probe 168 which includes a temperature sensor to measure the temper- ature of air in the cabinet 156.
• the temperature sensor of the probe 168 is connected to a valve assembly 170 of known type which controls the passage of the heated water to the radiator 162. In this manner, the temperature in the cabinet 156 is sensed, and the temperature is controlled through use of the valve assembly 170 in order to maintain a desired temperature within the cabinet 156.
• the heated liquid is returned from the radiator 162 through an outlet fitting connected to the cabinet 156.
• the device 10 has a reservoir 12 for retaining an edible medium, a needle assembly 14 for injecting the medium into an animal body, a bed 16 for capturing excess medium from the needle assembly 14, means for supplying?the ⁇ edi ⁇ m:from the reservoir 12 to the needle assembly 14, and means for returning excess medium from the bed 16 to the reser ⁇ voir 12.
• the reservoir 12 has means for heating the medium in the reservoir 12 to maintain it in a liquid state, and means for circulating the medium in the reservoir 12 to obtain a more uniform distribution of temperature of the medium in the reservoir 12.
• the needle assembly 14 has means for heating the edible medium in the needle assembly 14, and the bed 16 has means for heating the excess medium in the bed 16.
• the device 10 has a cabinet 156, means for heating air within the cabinet 156, and means for distribu ⁇ ting the heated air throughout the cabinet 156, in addition to means for controlling the temperature of the heated air in the cabinet 156.
• the conduit 58 is removed from the manifold 46, and the inlet port 174 is closed.
• the outlet port 176 is connected to an outlet conduit 178 which in turn is connected to a conduit end 180.
• the liquid medium passes from the conduit 44 into the manifold chamber 52, and excess liquid medium passes from the manifold chamber 52 through outlet port 176, conduit 178, and conduit end 180 into the chamber 18 of the reservoir 12.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22167783

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Families Citing this family (8)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1982
  • 1982-01-28 EP EP19820900758 patent/EP0099880A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-01-28 WO PCT/US1982/000103 patent/WO1983002547A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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