GB2151125A

GB2151125A - Hide stripper

Info

Publication number: GB2151125A
Application number: GB08427531A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Stuart Bainbridge; Frederick Anthony Leyland
Original assignee: T A Siddons
Current assignee: T A Siddons
Priority date: 1983-12-14
Filing date: 1984-10-31
Publication date: 1985-07-17
Also published as: GB8333340D0; GB8427531D0

Abstract

A carcase 26 is suspended and secured adjacent fixed upright frame 10 and a pre-flayed edge of the hide is attached to a roller 22, e.g. by means of a chain 27. Carriage 13 on which the roller 22 is mounted is then raised relative to the frame 10, e.g. by hydraulic cylinder 14, and the roller 12 is simultaneously positively rotated by drive means (24) so as to pull the hide gradually from the carcase and wind it onto the roller 22. The apparatus is more compact and the method more efficient than hitherto. Carcases may alternatively be stripped in a downward direction from the hind legs by downward movement of the carriage during the stripping operation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hide stripper This invention relates to a hide stripper, that is to say apparatus for pulling the hide off a partially flayed animal carcase.

In the past, a varietyofequipment has been proposed forthis function. In one type of equipment in particularafree edgeofthe hide of a suspended carcase is attached to a base and a roller mounted between movable carriages on a pair of generally upright beams is forced upwardly between the hide and the remainder of the carcase so as to remove said hide. The beams themselves are also pivotal on the base so that the roller can be manoeuvred backwards and forwards as well as up and down. This equipment performs its function under control of an operator.

Often it is found that the action of the freely rotatable roller in tearing the hide from the carcase is less than adequate in that meat and fat is also torn away and when this is noticed the operator must stop or reduce the speed of upward travel of the roller and manuallyseparatethe hidefromtheothercompo- nents by means of a flaying tool.

Accordingly, there is a need for a more effective hide stripperwhich requires manual intervention less often than hitherto. It is an object ofthe present invention to provide such improved apparatus which is also simpler in design and more compact than known types of hide stripping apparatus.

With this object in view, the present invention provides hide stripper apparatus comprising a fixed uprightframe and a carriage which is mounted thereon so asto be movable upwards and downwards and incorporates a generally horizontal rollerto which, in use, an edge of a carcase hide is connected, drive means being provided to rotate the roller as the carriage moves upwards or downwards so as to pull the hide from the remainder of the carcase and wind same onto said roller.

Preferably a vertically mounted hydraulic cylinder is provided to movethe carriage upwards and downwards.

The drive means may conveniently comprise a hydraulic motor also mounted on the carriage and connected to the roller by a belt or chain drive.

Naturally, the directions of rotation ofthe roller can bereversedsothatthehidecan be unwound therefrom atany position of the carriage or if desired, as the carriage moves downwards or upwards respectively back to its initial position.

Theframe is neither pivotable nor specifically adapted for movement and does not incorporate any laterally extending base or other elements so that it is of simpler construction and more compactthan previously known apparatus. Advantageously, ittakes up a minimum of floor space in a slaughterhouse or other premises.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. lisa schematicfrontview of a practical embodiment ofthe hide stripper apparatus of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic side elevation of the same apparatus; Fig. 3 is a sketch, to a reduced scale, showing how the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 is used to remove the hidefrom a cattle carcase; and Fig.4 is a similar sketch illustrating how a modified embodiment of the hide stripper of the invention is used to remove the hide from a sheep carcase.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a preferred practical embodiment ofthe hide stripper apparatus of the invention comprises a fixed upright frame lOin the form of a pair of parallel vertical rails 11 connected towards their lower ends by a cross beam 12. A movable carriage 13 is mounted between the rails 11.

The carriage 13 is pulled upwards and pushed downwards by a vertically mounted hydraulic cylinder 14which is attached thereto and has a piston rod 15 pivotally connected at its end 16 to the cross beam 12.

The carriage 13 comprises a first pair of brackets 17 connected by a first crosspiece 18, and connected therebeneath by means of struts 19, a second pair of brackets 20 connected by a second crosspiece 21. A roller 22 having a flange 23 at each end is horizontally mounted between journals in the respective second brackets 20. A motor 24 mounted on one ofthefirst brackets 17 drives the roller 22 byway of a chain 25, as shown in Fig. 2. Of course, the motor 24 can easily be reversed and can therefore rotate the roller 22 in either direction.

In use, as shown in Fig. 3, a cattle carcase 26 which is to be stripped is suspended adjacentthe frame 10 such that its dorsal side facets the frame 10. Chains 27 are attached between the roller 22 and preflayed edges ofthe carcase hide in the neck region. A second set of chains 28 are used to tether the front legs ofthe carcase 26to a legging post 29. The cylinder 14 is then actuated to raise the carriage 13 and simultaneously the roller 22 is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 3 so as to pull the hide from the remainder of the carcase 26 and wind same gradually onto the roller 22.Once the carcase 26 has been completely stripped the carriage 13 is lowered and the direction of rotation of the roller 22 is reversed so thatthe hide is unwound and released.

A modified embodiment of the apparatus is illustrated in Fig. 4. This differs from the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 only in that the cross-bar 12 is lower, indeed virtually at ground level, and the piston rod 15 of the hydraulic cylinder 14 is longer. Similar reference numerals are used for the corresponding parts. This modified apparatus is used for stripping sheep carcaseswhich are generally stripped by pulling the hide downwardly compared to cattle carcases which are generally stripped by pulling the hide upwardly.

In use, as illustrated a sheep carcase 30 which isto be stripped is again suspended adjacent the frame 10 such that its dorsal side faces the frame 10. Chains 27 are attached between the roller 22 and preflayed edges of the carcase 30, which are in this case adjacent the hind legs, and a second chain 28 tethers the front legs ofthecarcase 30 to the legging post 29. The cylinder 14 is then actuated to lowerthe carriage 13 and simultaneously the roller 22 is rotated in clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to pull the hide downwards from the carcase 30 and wind it onto the roller 22. Once the carcase 30 has been completely stripped the carriage 13 is raised and the direction of roller rotation reversed so that the hide is released.

It has been found that the positive driving ofthe roller as proposed by the present invention is far more effective in clearly stripping the hide from the carcase that previous apparatus including a freely rotatable, non-driven roller. Moreover, as mentioned in the introduction,the proposed apparatus is particularly simple and thus less prone to mechanical failure than hitherto known apparatus and is also more compact than hitherto.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing examples are to be considered illustrative and not limitative of the scope of the invention and variations are possibie.

Forexample,theriseandfall ofthe carriage may alternatively be achieved by using a motorwhich drives a gearwhich in turn runs up or down a track fixed to the uprightframe.

Claims

1. Hide stripper apparatus comprising a fixed uprightframe and a carriage which is mounted thereon so asto be movable upwards and downwards and incorporates a generally horizontal rollerto which an edge of a carcase hide is connected, drive means being provided to rotate the roller as the carriage moves upwards or downwards so asto pull the hide from the remainderofthe carcase and wind same onto said roller.

2. Hide stripper apparatus as ciaimed in claim 1 wherein a vertically mounted hydraulic cylinder is provided to move the carriage upwards and downwards on the fixed frame.

3. Hide stripper apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the drive means comprises a hydraulic motor also mounted on the carriage and connected to the roller by a belt or chain drive.

4. Hide stripper apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as ill use trated in Figs. 1 to 3, or Fig. 4 ofthe accompanying drawings.