GB2288112A - A method for processing carcasses - Google Patents

Abstract

A slaughtered and bled carcass 10 is hung on a pair of hooks 11, 12 carried by respective hanger rollers 13, 14 which travel along a conveyor 15. The rollers are driven by drive dogs 16, 17. At a de-hiding station 25 the dogs 16, 17 are released from the hanger rollers 13, 14 and the rollers 13, 14 go down an infeed ramp 29 to a secondary conveyor. After de-hiding the rollers are pushed up an outfeed ramp 35 for re-engagement with the drive dogs 16, 17. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Method for Processing Carcasses The invention relates to a method for processing carcasses and in particular to a method for processing cattle carcasses.

One of the problems with processing cattle carcasses is the considerable requirement for manual labour for carrying out various operations in the process. Because of the high costs of labour it is essential that the maximum throughput of carcasses is achieved.

This invention is directed towards providing a method for processing cattle carcasses at high levels of throughput to optimise processing efficiency.

According to the invention there is provided a method for processing cattle carcasses comprising the steps of: hanging slaughtered and bled carcasses on a hanger roller on a primary suspension conveyor; driving the roller along the primary conveyor by a drive dog means on a rail above the conveyor; releasing the dog means from the hanger roller; driving the released roller along a secondary suspension conveyor to a hide removal station; removing the hide from the carcass; driving the roller along the secondary suspension conveyor to re-engage the drive dog means of the primary conveyor; removing the head and viscera from the slaughtered animal; spreading the carcass; dividing the carcass; driving the roller supporting a quarter to a weighing station; weighing the quarter, and delivering the roller away from the weighing station on the primary rail.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the method includes the steps of: detecting the presence of a quarter upstream of the weighing station; and delivering the roller into the weighing station ahead of the primary rail.

In one embodiment of the invention the secondary suspension conveyor lies just below the primary conveyor and the roller is delivered down an inlet ramp from the primary conveyor to the secondary conveyor and up an outlet ramp for delivery to the primary conveyor after removal of the hide.

Preferably, the secondary conveyor is driven by a drive means including a drive member for driving the carcass along the secondary conveyor.

In a preferred arrangement the drive means includes a chain which is driven by a gear box in synchronisation with the primary conveyor. In this case, the drive member comprises a drive arm projecting from the drive means to engage a hook on which the carcass is hung.

Preferably there are two separate drive members which are spaced-apart along the drive means, a first drive member driving the carcass to the de-hiding station and a second drive member driving the carcass up the outlet ramp from the secondary conveyor to the primary conveyor.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the method includes the step of detecting the presence of a carcass upstream of the de-hiding station and operating the drive means in response to detection of the carcass to drive the carcass into the de-hiding station.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the dog means comprises a leading dog and a trailing dog and wherein the leading dog is disengaged from the roller upstream of the weighing station and ram means are provided for urging the roller into the weighing station ahead of the primary conveyor, the quarter being suspended substantially stationary at the weighing station for a sufficient time to enable the quarter to be weighed before engagement of the roller by the trailing drive dog carried on the primary conveyor.

Preferably the ram carries a drive arm which engages the hook on which the quarter is hung to pull the quarter into the weighing station ahead of the primary conveyor.

In a preferred arrangement the ram is operated to pull the quarter into the weighing station in response to automatic activation by a switch means when the quarter is in a preset position upstream of the weighing station.

In a particularly preferred arrangement after pulling a quarter into the weighing station the ram is operated to return the drive arm to an infeed location downstream of the weighing station.

In a specially preferred embodiment of the invention the leading dog is disengaged from the roller by directing the leading dog into a raised disengaged position when the quarter is being weighed at the weighing station and allowing the lead dog to return to a lower engaged position to engage the roller after weighing.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the roller is driven by the ram for synchronisation of the weighing with the speed of travel of the primary conveyor.

In one particular aspect of the invention the carcass is divided with a vertically operated saw which travels with the carcass as it travels along the primary conveyor.

Preferably in this case the saw is manually operated and the operator travels along a ramp as the carcass travels along the primary conveyor.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating de hiding steps in the method of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the de-hiding station of Fig.

1; Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating carcass dividing steps of the method of the invention; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view illustrating weighing steps in the method of the invention; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the weighing station of Fig.

5; Fig. 7 is an end view of part of the weighing station; and Fig. 8 is an exploded view of part of the weighing station.

The method for processing cattle carcasses according to the invention comprises the steps of hanging slaughtered and bled carcasses on a hanger roller on a primary suspension conveyor and driving the roller along the primary conveyor to various stations.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 and 2 a slaughtered and bled carcass 10 is hung on a pair of hooks 11, 12 carried by respective hanger rollers 13, 14 which travel along a primary suspension conveyor 15. The rollers 13, 14 are driven along the primary conveyor 15 by a pair of drive dogs associated with each hanger roller 13, 14 namely a leading dog 16 and a trailing dog 17 which are driven along a main rail 20.

At a de-hiding station 25, the hide of the carcass is stripped off and removed. To deliver the carcass 10 to the de-hiding station 25 the drive dogs 16, 17 are released from the hanger rollers 13, 14 and delivered to a secondary suspension conveyor 27 for delivery to the dehiding station 25. An infeed ramp 29 connects the primary conveyor 15 to the secondary conveyor 27 which is spaced below the primary conveyor 15 to disengage the drive dogs 16, 17 from the hanger rollers at the de-hiding station.

An endless drive chain 30 is trained about sprocket wheels 31 which are driven by a motor and associated gear-box (not shown). The drive chain 30 carries at least one and, in this case, two drive members 33 which engage the hangers of the hanger rollers 13, 14 to drive the carcass 10 along the secondary conveyor 26 to the de-hiding station 25.

After de-hiding another drive member 33 carried by the drive chain 30 pushes the hanger rollers 13, 14 upwardly along an out feed ramp 35 for re-engagement with the drive dogs 16, 17 and travels along the primary rail 15 to the following station. Switch means are provided to detect the position of the drive dogs 16, 17 and hanger rollers 13, 14 to control the feed of carcasses 10 to the dehiding station and the out feed of carcasses from the dehiding station 25 at maximum throughput.

There are two limit switches used for controlling the drive chain. One switch is used to initiate the operation and to start the drive conveyor. The switch to start the conveyor 30 is activated by a striker on the leading dog 16. The conveyor 30 is divided into four equal sections with a dog associated with each section. Therefore the indexing system has three carcasses on the line at all times. A first ready for introduction, a second being stripped, and a third being returned to the primary conveyor.

After de-hiding the head and viscera are removed from the slaughtered animal and the carcass 10 is spread for dividing as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The carcass 10 is divided into quarters by a saw 40 which is operated by an operator 50 standing on a platform 51 which is moved downwardly and forwardly along a ramp 52 as the carcass 10 travels along the rail 15. In this way the travel of the carcass 10 along the rail 15 is not interrupted and the operator 50 is in a position to present the saw 40 to the carcass 10 to divide it in a highly efficient manner.

Typically the platform 51 is operated by the operator 50 by means of foot operated switches.

After dividing the carcass 10, individual quarters 10a are weighed as illustrated particularly in Figs. 5 to 8. A quarter 10a on a hanger roller 13 is driven along the primary conveyor 15 by the drive dogs 16, 17. The primary conveyor 15 includes a weighing section 50 separated from the primary conveyor 15 and from which the quarter 10a is suspended and weighed using load cells (not shown).

Weighing is achieved without slowing down the speed of the main rail 20 driving the dogs 16, 17 as follows. The leading dog 16 is first lifted up from a lower engaged position engaging the hanger roller 13 to a raised disengaged position 16' allowing the hanger roller 13 to be driven to the weighing station 50 ahead of the trailing dog 17. The hanger roller 15 with the carcass 10a suspended thereon is pulled into the weighing station 50 ahead of the trailing dog 17 by a drive ram 60 having a rod 61 with an engagement finger 62 extending transversely thereof for engagement with the hook 12 of the hanger roller. The finger 62 engages behind the hook 12 and on operation of the ram 60 pulls the hook and hence the carcass 10a and hanger roller 13 into the weighing station 50.At the weighing station the quarter 10a is held stationary for a sufficient period of time to allow a weight reading to be taken by load cells. The trailing dog 17 then engages the hanger roller 13 again pushing it along the primary conveyor 15. Finally the leading dog 16 re-engages the hanger roller 13.

In more detail, a lug 65 is provided on the leading dog 16 and the lug 65 is engaged in a ramp 66 formed by a angle section 67 which retains the leading dog 16 in the raised dis-engaged position as the hanger roller travels to the weighing station. At the outfeed side of the weighing station the lug 65 simply disengages from the angle section 67 and re-engages the hanger roller 13.

The finger 62 is pivotally mounted and a spring biassing means is provided for maintaining the finger 62 in the normally extended position for engagement with a hanger.

On the return stroke of the ram 60 however, the finger 62 is free to travel over the hanger 13 on the outward stroke but engages the hanger 13 on the return stroke when the ram 60 is operated.

A start limit switch is activated by the hanging roller.

This switch causes the pneumatic cylinder to push the roller into the weighing station. A second switch is provided at the weighing station to return the pneumatic cylinder to a start position ready to receive another carcass for weighing.

The invention provides a process for handling carcasses in a highly efficient manner which allows maximum throughput of carcasses at the various carcass processing stations.

Many variations on the invention as described will be readily apparent and accordingly the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments hereinbefore described, which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (18)

CLAIWS

1. A method for processing cattle carcasses comprising the steps of: hanging slaughtered and bled carcasses on a hanger roller on a primary suspension conveyor; driving the roller along the primary conveyor by a drive dog means on a rail above the conveyor; releasing the dog means from the hanger roller; driving the released roller along a secondary suspension conveyor to a hide removal station; removing the hide from the carcass; driving the roller along the secondary suspension conveyor to re-engage the drive dog means of the primary conveyor; removing the head and viscera from the slaughtered animal; spreading the carcass; dividing the carcass; driving the roller supporting a quarter to a weighing station; weighing the quarter, and delivering the roller away from the weighing station on the primary rail.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the steps oft detecting the presence of a quarter upstream of the weighing station; and delivering the roller into the weighing station ahead of the primary rail.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the secondary suspension conveyor lies just below the primary conveyor and the roller is delivered down an inlet ramp from the primary conveyor to the secondary conveyor and up an outlet ramp for delivery to the primary conveyor after removal of the hide.

4. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the secondary conveyor is driven by a drive means including a drive member for driving the carcass along the secondary conveyor.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the drive means includes a chain which is driven by a gear box in synchronisation with the primary conveyor.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the drive member comprises a drive arm projecting from the drive means to engage a hook on which the carcass is hung.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein there are two separate drive members which are spaced-apart along the drive means, a first drive member driving the carcass to the de-hiding station and a second drive member driving the carcass up the outlet ramp from the secondary conveyor to the primary conveyor.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim including the step of detecting the presence of a carcass upstream of the de-hiding station and operating the drive means in response to detection of the carcass to drive the carcass into the de-hiding station.

9. A method as claimed in any of claims 2 to 8 wherein the dog means comprises a leading dog and a trailing dog and wherein the leading dog is disengaged from the roller upstream of the weighing station and ram means are provided for urging the roller into the weighing station ahead of the primary conveyor, the quarter being suspended substantially stationary at the weighing station for a sufficient time to enable the quarter to be weighed before engagement of the roller by the trailing drive dog carried on the primary conveyor.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the ram carries a drive arm which engages the hook on which the quarter is hung to pull the quarter into the weighing station ahead of the primary conveyor.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein the ram is operated to pull the quarter into the weighing station in response to automatic activation by a switch means when the quarter is in a preset position upstream of the weighing station.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein after pulling a quarter into the weighing station the ram is operated to return the drive arm to an infeed location downstream of the weighing station.

13. A method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 12 wherein the leading dog is disengaged from the roller by directing the leading dog into a raised disengaged position when the quarter is being weighed at the weighing station and allowing the lead dog to return to a lower engaged position to engage the roller after weighing.

14. A method as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13 wherein the roller is driven by the ram for synchronisation of the weighing with the speed of travel of the primary conveyor.

15. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the carcass is divided with a vertically operated saw which travels with the carcass as it travels along the primary conveyor.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the saw is manually operated and the operator travels along a ramp as the carcass travels along the primary conveyor.

17. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. Cattle carcasses whenever processed by a method as claimed in any preceding claim.