ES2206045A1 - Machine for the preparation of cured hams, for bone removal, has a conveyor to carry the hams through an automatic rind cutting station, with a group of spreaders to open out the incision - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine to present a cured ham for removal of the bone has a conveyor (4) to carry the hams (7), laid laterally with the eye (77) upwards. The ham is cut automatically at a cutting station (8), where an incision is made at a lateral side through the rind. The machine to present a cured ham for removal of the bone has a conveyor (4) to carry the hams (7), laid laterally with the eye (77) upwards. The ham is cut automatically at a cutting station (8), where an incision is made at a lateral side through the rind. A group of spreaders (99) open out the incision, at least at the edges, to prepare the ham for the bone removal station. The assembly operates automatically with the eyes to the right and the left.

Description

Machine for arranging raw cured hams for boning.

The present invention relates to a machine to arrange the raw cured hams for boning, and in particular to the improvements made to the machine according to the Italian patent application No. RE99A000128 filed in the name of the same applicant.

The machine of this document, whose text is fully understood herein as a reference, understand, synthetically, a horizontal conveyor with movement controlled on which cured raw hams are arranged transversely and applied flat, that is with the joint turned up, and preferably regularly separated.

At least said conveyor is associated a skin incision station comprising an arrangement with predetermined depth of cut which is supported by a mobile equipment capable of subjecting it to a movement that develops in a horizontal plane, and comprising components arranged parallel and transversely to the conveyor, so that intervene said arrangement on the side face of the skin that is closer to the ham bone.

Downstream of said incision station at least one cutting station is preferably provided intended for automatic sectioning of the free end of the paw.

Downstream of the same incision station at least one finishing station may be provided for the boning of the joint.

At the exit of the machine the hams are delivered to a boning station, previously worked of the part of the bone that ends with the joint.

For this boneless machines are known that they comprise, in general, a work plane on which ham it is locked in an erect position, with the lateral incision turned towards the operator.

Particularly to that plane are associated, a retaining group that is suitable for holding the ham in position; two separator hooks that are hooked lips or margins opposite of the incision to widen the cut that the operator it must be done to reach the bone, and then put it bare; and a bone extraction pusher on which the joint.

A problem connected with these operations derives from the difficulty that the operator finds at the time of hook said hooks to said edges of the incision.

This difficulty is due, on the one hand, to fact that the two edges of the incision are generally so close to opposing the insertion and coupling of hooks, and on the other hand to the fact that the skin is particularly hard since the ham is cured.

The operator is therefore obliged to widen the incision to make room for the hooks, which is usually done with a pointed utensil.

This has been inconvenient because such operation is particularly difficult, represents productive slowdowns with the consequent increase in costs, and can be dangerous for the operator since it operates with a pointed tool and in the presence of surfaces fat

The need to create an entry for said hooks has so far prevented both automatic operation of boning machines, such as their serial arrangement and downstream of the machines that prepare the ham for boneless

In the specific sector it is therefore very felt the requirement of suitable means to overcome the problem previous.

The main objective of the present invention is Now to meet this requirement.

Another objective of the invention is to achieve said objective in the context of a simple constructive solution, Rational, reliable and safe.

These objectives are achieved thanks to a perfected machine that presents the characteristics indicated in The claims.

To better understand the characteristics and constructive values of the invention, below is made reference to the figures in the attached drawings that illustrate, a purely non-limiting example title, a particular form and preferred embodiment.

Fig. 1 shows the invention according to a view in Plant above and in transparency.

Fig. 2 is the view obtained according to the direction II indicated in Fig. 1, also in transparency.

Fig. 3 is section 111-111 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a part of Fig. 2 to scale expanded.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4 a smaller scale

Fig. 6 is section VI-VI indicated in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to the previous one that shows the separator arrangement in open configuration.

Of the aforementioned figures, see in particular the Figs. 1 and 2, an elongated horizontal frame 1 stands out which is mounted on swivel wheels 2 and is housed inside an envelope 3.

The envelope 3 has a front opening 66 for loading hams 7 by operator 6 (see Fig. 1), a previous control window (not visible in the figure) that is arranged in correspondence with the incision station 8 of which will be discussed later, and a tail opening for the discharge of hams 7, indicated with 55 in Figs. 1 and 2.

At the bottom of frame 1 is arranged a horizontal conveyor 4 which is sent to move in a controlled manner in the direction indicated with A by medium of a gearmotor group 5 with built-in inverter (Figs 1 and two).

In particular the conveyor 4 can move in steps, with the start being sent by the operator 6, while the stop takes place automatically after of a step that corresponds to the distance D between the two operating stations 9 and 8 of the machine (Figs. 1 and 2).

The conveyor 4 comprises two chains horizontal (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) that are separated by an amount generically equal to half the width of hams 7, and to whose meshes are externally fixed small nails or tips (not visible in the figure) that are suitable to avoid inconvenience reciprocal movements between hams 7 and chains during Conveyor stop and start phases 4.

In particular, of the lower stringers of the frame 1 a series of pillars 10 are raised which in the part upper support two guides 44 of support and sliding of the upper or transport branches of the chains, and in position intermediate have a pair of 40 crazy wheels for support of the lower or return branches of the chains.

In correspondence with the current end above the conveyor 4, in front of the loading opening 66 is find a cutting station 9 that proceeds to section the part leg terminal 777 of ham 7, after which it is delivered to station 8 that proceeds to influence the lateral strip of the skin that is closest to the bone.

Substantially said cutting station 9 matches the charging station individualized by the opening 66, and with these two stations also coincides the station where the operator 6 proceeds to the extraction of the ham leg 7.

Hams 7 are applied flat on the conveyor 4, transversely to it as shown, with the joint 77 turned towards the operator 6.

The cutting station 9 and the incision station 8 are uniquely equipped with a retaining device that comprises a vertically sliding shaped plate 12 and located outside the route followed by hams 7 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) when the conveyor 4 is in motion.

Plate 12 is placed under the control of a pneumatic jack 13 double acting that is supported by the part upper frame 1.

Behind the shaped plate 12 of station 9 there is a circular blade 15 with horizontal axis cross section (Figs. 1 to 3) that is driven by a motor Electric 16, this last command to slide in height by a double acting pneumatic jack 17 supported by the top of the frame 1.

In addition, between said blade 15 and plate 12 opposite (Fig. 1) a security screen 14 is interposed whose lower edge is properly separated from the generatrices of the conveyor 4 (Fig. 2) in order to allow the passage of leg 777 (Figs. 1 and 3).

A lower inclined plane is also provided 141 (Fig. 3) for collecting the leg 777 cut by the blade 15, and of loop 143 of suspension of ham 7 during curing, unloading said inclined plane 141 in a lower collector 142.

It is required that downstream of station 9, and before station 8, a detector organ may be provided, not illustrated, which is apt to verify if ham 7 is right or left, and to send a suitable signal to the group of control and regulation of the machine so that it is arranged in consequence season 8.

Said organ may for example consist of a optical reader sensitive for example to the position of the joint 77, or also of other characteristic, or non-symmetrical, parts of the ham 7. Alternatively, the predisposition of station 8 may be required to the operator 6 by means of a manual command associated to the start of the conveyor 4. In correspondence with station 8, upstream and above plate 12, is a Platabanda 18 stationary transverse vertical layout (Figs. 1 and 2) which is supported by a supported structure 11 from the top of the frame 1.

Said band 18 acts by way of displacement for a car 188 that is placed under the control of a 180 jack double acting tire.

In the rest position, car 188 is at the rear end of the platform 18 as depicted in Fig. 1.

On one side of carriage 188 an arm 19 is derived horizontal whose end is supported by a cross track 190 by means of wheel 191, whose front face has a fixed 20 longitudinal band of vertical arrangement.

Platabanda 20 acts as a route of travel for a car 200 that is placed under the control of a jack 201 double-acting supported by car 188.

An engine is arranged on the car 200 electric 21 vertical axis whose shaft supports a blade circular 22 with predetermined depth of cut whose dimension is conveniently higher than that occupied by the tips or nails of the transport branches of the conveyor 4 (Fig. 1).

It is required that the longitudinal band 20 is arranged on horseback of the transverse vertical plane 88 (see Figs. 1 and 2) in order to allow the blade 22 to operate on hams 7 rights and lefts as explained in detail in the previously cited document.

To one and another part of the transverse vertical plane 88 there are two separator groups 99 which are comprised between the chains that define the conveyor 4 (Figs. 1 and 5).

Each unique group 99 comprises a platform 98 which is fixed to the bottom of the frame 1 (see Figs. 2, 4 and 5), and that supports a plate slidably mounted horizontal top 97 placed under the control of a pneumatic jack 96 double-acting fixed under platform 98.

The plate 97 is provided in its upper part with a longitudinal rail 95 on which a carriage 98 slides on under the control of a double-acting pneumatic jack 93 set under said plate 97.

It is required that jack 93 is provided with a pressure switch or other equivalent means, such as a valve overpressure, suitable for limiting your active career in the presence of a preset resistance.

From the car 94 a flange 89 rises in whose part upper is an incision separator arrangement side practiced by the blade 22, and said arrangement is placed under the control of a double-acting pneumatic jack 90 that is articulated to flange 89 along the horizontal axis indicated with 100

In closed configuration, said arrangement it has a cuneiform lateral shape illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, whose horizontal vertex is turned towards the vertical plane cross section 88. In addition, according to the plan view (see Figs. 1 and 5) the horizontal vertex of said tip is inclined with respect to said plane 88 so that it is almost parallel to the flank faced with ham 7.

In the figures said vertex is rectilinear, but nothing prevents it from being shaped otherwise, for example with a form arched according to the profile arched in flank plan faced with ham.

In particular said arrangement comprises two blades 92 superimposed, of which the lower one is fixed to flange 89, and the upper one is articulated with rocking to the anterior along horizontal axis 91 (Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7) to be powered by cat 90.

More particularly the blades 92 represented have comb shaped edges, whose teeth they are mutually displaced and reciprocally interconnected (see Figs. 1, 4 and 5). Alternatively, the two blades 92 may have continuous and overlapping pointed edges, and coincident with the vertex of said wedge shape.

In regime, the machine works as follows.

When the conveyor 4 travels in one step the retaining plates 12 and the cutting blade 15 are raised; the incision blade 22 is in the position according to the Figs. 1 and 2, or at the opposite end of the band 20; and the separating provisions are below those upper generatrices of conveyor 4 as has been depicted in Fig. 2.

If the ham 7 that arrives at station 8 has the joint 77 arranged as shown, carriage 200 receives permission to move to the opposite end of the platabanda 20, where it stops.

When the conveyor 4 stops the two plates 12 associated with stations 9 and 8 proceed to block hams 7, after which the vertical blade 15 makes a stroke complete back and forth to cut the ends of leg 777 and the horizontal blade 22 impacts the flank of the respective ham 7 with the modalities according to the document mentioned above.

Contextually to these operations the operator 6 pull out the leg.

After the blade 22 has returned to the resting position, before cat 96 leads to the end of upper run the corresponding separating arrangement 92, and after cat 93 advances the same arrangement 92 inserting its closed tip into a lateral incision of ham 7 (see Fig. 6), then the jack 90 proceeds to separate the blades from the arrangement (see Fig. 7).

Finished the extraction of bone operator 6 sends the start-up of the conveyor 4, which obviously it starts only when the whole set has positioned itself as in the start.

Thanks to the provision of these provisions The objectives of the invention are achieved.

In fact, a machine according to the invention can be arranged in line with the boning station freeing the operator from the lip widening operation of the lateral incision of ham 7, with total overcoming of the inconveniences connected with it, and mentioned previously.

Claims (18)

1. Machine for arranging raw cured hams for boning, comprising a conveyor (4) with controlled movement on which the hams (7) are arranged transversely flat, with the joint (77) turned up, and along of which at least one station (8) is arranged for the automatic incision of a lateral strip of the skin of the ham, characterized in that at least one incision station is associated with at least one separator group (99) that It is able to engage autonomously with the incision to separate at least one section of the two opposite lips of said incision. 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two separating groups of autonomous operation, suitable for intervening on hams with right and left articulation, respectively. 3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said two groups each comprise a separating arrangement that is applied on a mobile device capable of moving it between a resting position in which it is located at the end of the path followed by the hams , and a working position in which it is wedged in the lateral incision of the ham. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said mobile equipment comprises a first and a second carriage with alternative movement, of which one is capable of sliding the separating arrangement in height, and the other is arranged to slide it in parallel. to the conveyor 5. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said second carriage is associated with elastically yielding means capable of limiting the penetration of said separating arrangement in said incision. Machine according to claim 5, characterized in that said means are sent by the same control group of said second car. 7. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said control group consists of a double-acting pneumatic jack. Machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said separating arrangement in resting configuration has a cuneiform lateral conformation that has the vertex turned towards the respective flank of the ham at said moment locked in correspondence with said incision station. 9. Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said vertex has, in plan, a shape generally conjugated with at least a part of the plan profile of the flank of the ham that is closest to the bone. 10. Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said cuneiform conformation is constituted by two superimposed and reciprocally articulated blades that on the one hand converge on said vertex, and on the other hand reach a control means, such as a cat. Machine according to claim 10, characterized in that said blades have continuous and superimposed cutting profiles, and coinciding with said vertex. 12. Machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the cutting profiles of said blades are formed in comb and have reciprocally intercalated and mutually intertwined teeth. 13. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that upstream of said at least one incision station is arranged at least one polyfunctional station intended for automatic sectioning of the end of the leg and manual removal of the bone from the ham. 14. Machine according to claim 13, characterized in that said at least one polyfunctional station comprises a plate with vertical reciprocating movement suitable for blocking the ham below at the stationary moment. 15. Machine according to claim 13, characterized in that said at least one polyfunctional station comprises a motorized circular blade with a horizontal axis and which is supported by a vertical cursor with alternative movement. 16. Machine according to claim 13, characterized in that said at least one polyfunctional station is arranged in correspondence and coincides with the loading station of the hams. 17. Machine according to claim 16, characterized in that between said circular blade and the facing loading area of the hams a safety screen is interposed which is separated from said conveyor in order to let said leg pass. 18. Boneless installation of cured raw hams, characterized in that it is provided with at least one machine according to claims 1 to 17.