GB2293085A

GB2293085A - Carcass processing

Info

Publication number: GB2293085A
Application number: GB9418717A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Mallon
Original assignee: WEAVERSGROVE Ltd
Current assignee: WEAVERSGROVE Ltd
Priority date: 1994-09-14
Filing date: 1994-09-16
Publication date: 1996-03-20
Also published as: GB9418717D0; BE1006935A6; IES62310B2; IES940725A2

Abstract

A left rear hoof 1 of a slaughtered animal is attached to a bleed conveyor 3. At a first raised stand 10 the hooves are removed and the animal transfered to a trimming conveyor 12 on which the animal is supported by two trimming rail hooks 13, 14 for the hind legs of the animal. At second, third and fourth stands 15, 16, 17 portions of the hide are released from the animal. The hide is then cleanly pulled from the animal using a hide puller 20 fitted with guard plates, to prevent the hide contacting the animal after removal. <IMAGE>

Description

"Carcass Processing" The invention relates to a method for processing carcasses.

Processing carcasses involves a large number of highly labour intensive operations. Most of the operations require skilled operatives and the value of margin on the process carcasses is largely a function of the skill of the operatives. From a veterinary and hygiene viewpoint, it is also essential to ensure that the carcasses are processed in an efficient hygienic manner.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method for processing carcasses which will present the carcasses to the operatives in such a way that all the skill of the operatives can be concentrated on processing the carcasses while avoiding the need for excessive handling of the carcasses.

According to the invention there is provided a method for processing carcasses comprising the steps of: slaughtering an animal; attaching a first hoof of a pair of hind hooves of the slaughtered animal to a hook on a bleed conveyor; cutting off the second hoof at a first stand at a first raised level; at the first raised level, attaching a first trimming hook on a trimming conveyor to the second hind hoof at a point on the trimming conveyor which is below the bleed conveyor; raising the first trimming hook on the trimming conveyor; cutting off the first hind hoof freed from the bleed conveyor; at the first level, attaching a second trimming hook on the trimming conveyor to the first hind hoof; raising the second trimming hook on the trimming conveyor; as the carcass travels along the trimming conveyor, releasing a first part of the hide of the animal at a second stand at a second raised level; releasing another part of the hide at a third stand at a third level below the second level; removing the hide from the carcass, preventing contact between the removed hide and the carcass; eviscerating the carcass; splitting the carcass; trimming fat from the carcass halves; weighing the half carcasses; washing the half carcasses; and chilling the half carcasses.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at a first raised level stand, the hide is released from around the hind legs of the animal prior to attaching the hind legs to the trimming conveyor.

In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of releasing a further part of the hide at a front stand at a fourth level below the third level.

In a preferred arrangement, the method includes the steps of tail trimming and bunging of the animal at a raised tail stand level.

Preferably, the raised tail stand is located at approximately the same level as the second stand and the tail is trimmed, the animal bunged and portion of the hide is released in the area of the tail while another part of the hide is released at the opposite second stand.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the carcass is prevented from contacting the removed hide by providing a guard between the hide puller and the carcass.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step, after weighing and before washing, of hot trimming excess fat from the half carcasses.

In one embodiment of the invention, the method includes the step of providing a flexible connection between the first hook attached to the animals hind hoof after slaughter and the first bleed conveyor.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the hook on the bleed conveyor is attached to the left rear hoof of the animal.

The invention also provides apparatus for processing carcasses by a method of the invention, the apparatus including: a bleed conveyor rail; a first hook for the bleed conveyor rail; a trimming conveyor rail; first and second hooks on the trimming conveyor rail; a first stand at a raised level at which an animal is transferred from the bleed conveyor to the trimming conveyor; a second stand at a second level below the first stand at which a portion of the hide is released from an animal; a third stand at a third level below the second stand at which another portion of the hide is released from the animal; hide pulling means for pulling the hide from the animal; and guard means in front of the hide pulling means to substantially prevent contact between a carcass and the removed hide.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a fourth stand at a fourth level below the third level at which a further portion of the hide is released in advance of hide pulling.

In a preferred arrangement, the apparatus includes a tail trimming stand at approximately the same level as and opposite to the second stand at which the tail is trimmed, the animal is bunged and another portion of the hide is released.

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 plan view of a plant layout for processing carcasses by the method of the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a bleed conveyor to trim conveyor changeover apparatus used in the method of the invention; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the changeover apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of various stands used in the processing method of the invention; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a hide pulling apparatus used in the method of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view from the side of the hide pulling apparatus of Fig. 5 in operation.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated apparatus used in the method of processing carcasses according to the invention. In the process of the invention, an animal is slaughtered by conventional means in a killing box and a first hoof, in this case, the left rear hoof 1 of the slaughtered animal is attached to a hook 2 on a bleed conveyor rail 3. The attachment is by means of a chain 4 suspended from the conveyor hook 2. As the slaughtered animals travel along the bleed conveyor 3, blood flows into a troughed area 5 below the conveyor 3. As the animal passes along the bleed conveyor 3, various operations are carried out at the lower suspended end of the animal including removal of the front hooves and releasing of the animals head.At a first raised level defined by a generally L-shaped first stand 10, a number of operations are carried out on the animal as will be described in more detail below, and the animal is transferred onto a trimming conveyor 12 where it is supported by two trimming rail hooks 13, 14, one for each hind leg of the animal.

At a second stand 15, below the level of the first stand 10, portion of the hide is released from the animal before it passes along the conveyor 12 to a third stand 16 adjacent to and at a lower level than the second stand 15.

At the third stand 16, a further portion of the hide is released from the animal. At a fourth stand 17 adjacent to but at a lower level than the third stand 16, a final portion of the hide is released from the animal.

A fifth stand 18 is provided adjacent to but at a lower level than the first stand 10 and opposite the second stand 15. At the fifth stand 18, the tail of the animal is trimmed, the animal is bunged and portion of the hide in the area of the tail is released. The hide is then pulled from the animal using a hide puller 20 which will be described in more detail below and the animal is then eviscerated and the carcass thus formed is split, the fat is trimmed and the half carcasses are weighed. After weighing, for improved quality, further fat may be removed from the carcasses by trimming the carcasses while hot.

After hot trimming, the carcasses are thoroughly washed and then chilled.

In more detail and referring particularly to Figs. 2 to 4, at the first stand 10, a hoof part 25a of the free leg 25 of the animal suspended on the bleed conveyor 3 is cutoff, a slit is made in the hoof to receive the hook and part of the hide in the area of the leg 25 is released.

A first trimming hook 14 is attached to the free leg 25 and the roller 31 carrying the hook 14 is attached to a lead-in section 30 of the trimming rail 12. The roller 31 is driven up and along the lead-in portion 30 by a dog 32 which is belt or chain driven to drive the roller 31 along the lead-in portion. When the free leg 25 is supported on the lead-in portion 30 of the trimming rail 12, the other leg 1 is released from the chain 4 of the lead conveyor rail 3, that hoof is then cut-off, a slit made to receive a second trimming hook 13 and portion of the hide in the area of the leg 26 is released. The configuration is such that the operatives have easy access to carry out these operations at the first stand 10 without the need for lifting or excessive handling of the animal.

When the animal is supported by the hooks 13, 14, the dogs 32 are driven to drive the hooks 13, 14 up the lead-in section 30 onto the main trimming rail 12. The bleed rail conveyor hooks 2 are returned to the slaughter box along a return line 39 (see Fig. 4).

It will be noted from Fig. 1 that a relatively long transition area 50 is provided between the hide preparation stands 15, 16, 17, 18 and the hide puller 20.

This is to provide an area to hold animals without cross contamination while waiting for the hide puller 20 to complete the hide pulling operation on an animal in advance on trimming line 12.

In more detail and referring in particular to Figs. 5 and 6, the hide puller in this case incorporates guard means in the form of two angled guard plates 60, 61 flanking a central opening 62 through which the hide is pulled. The purpose of the guard plates 60, 61 is to prevent the animal from which the hide is being removed contacting the hide after removal. In this way, any risk of contamination between the hide and the cleaned carcass is substantially eliminated.

To facilitate attachment of the left hind hoof of a slaughtered animal to the bleed conveyor, a lower section of the bleed conveyor adjacent the slaughter box is jointed to allow a chain carried on the conveyor to be easily tied around the left hind hoof of the animal.

This ensures that the attachment can be made without delay irrespective of the location of the animal in the slaughter area. Accordingly, the animal is hoisted to the bleed conveyor immediately, leaving the slaughter area vacant for the next animal.

Without this facility it is necessary to position the left hind hoof within a small defined area for this attachment procedure to be completed. This can involve significant time delay with a consequent reduction in efficiency.

The invention provides an optimised method for processing carcasses. Because the operatives, in advance of hide pulling, are positioned on hard stands, they are able to use their skills to release the hide and do other preparatory work on the animal which not only improves operating efficiency in advance of hide pulling but also optimises the hide pulling operation itself and subsequent stages. This is because the hide pulling is extremely efficient and consequently the animal with the hide removed is more easily processed without any additional hide trimming operations. Further, as a result of the process of the invention contact between the hide and the animal from which the hide is removed is substantially prevented with consequent substantial hygiene advantages.

Not only is the operator efficiency improved but also the flexibility of the operators is substantially improved as they may be moved around to any particular station on the line at which they have been trained without losing operational efficiency. In this way, the throughput of carcasses is optimised.

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

Claims

1. A method for processing carcasses comprising the

steps of: slaughtering an animal; attaching a first hoof of a pair of hind hooves of the slaughtered animal to a hook on a bleed conveyor; cutting off the second hoof at a first stand at a first raised level; at the first raised level, attaching a first trimming hook on a trimming conveyor to the second hind hoof at a point on the trimming conveyor which is below the bleed conveyor; raising the first trimming hook on the trimming conveyor; cutting off the first hind hoof freed from the bleed conveyor; at the first level, attaching a second trimming hook on the trimming conveyor to the first hind hoof; raising the second trimming hook on the trimming conveyor; as the carcass travels along the trimming conveyor, releasing a first part of the hide of the animal at a second stand at a second raised level;; releasing another part of the hide at a third stand at a third level below the second level; removing the hide from the carcass, preventing contact between the removed hide and the carcass; eviscerating the carcass; splitting the carcass; trimming fat from the carcass halves; weighing the half carcasses; washing the half carcasses; and chilling the half carcasses.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, at the first raised level stand, the hide is released from around the hind legs of the animal prior to attaching the hind legs to the trimming conveyor.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 including the step of releasing a further part of the hide at a front stand at a fourth level below the third level.

4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim including the steps of tail trimming and bunging of the animal at a raised tail stand level.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the raised tail stand is located at approximately the same level as the second stand and the tail is trimmed, the animal bunged and portion of the hide is released in the area of the tail while another part of the hide is released at the opposite second stand.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the carcass is prevented from contacting the removed hide by providing a guard between the hide puller and the carcass.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim including the step, after weighing and before washing, of hot trimming excess fat from the half carcasses.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim including the step of providing a flexible connection between the first hook attached to the animals hind hoof after slaughter and the first bleed conveyor.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the hook on the bleed conveyor is attached to the left rear hoof of the animal.

10. A method for processing carcasses substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

11. Apparatus for processing carcasses by a method as claimed in claim 1 including: a bleed conveyor rail; a first hook for the bleed conveyor rail; a trimming conveyor rail; first and second hooks on the trimming conveyor rail; a first stand at a raised level at which an animal is transferred from the bleed conveyor to the trimming conveyor; a second stand at a second level below the first stand at which a portion of the hide is released from an animal; a third stand at a third level below the second stand at which another portion of the hide is released from the animal; hide pulling means for pulling the hide from the animal; and guard means in front of the hide pulling means to substantially prevent contact between a carcass and the removed hide.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 including a fourth stand at a fourth level below the third level at which a further portion of the hide is released in advance of hide pulling.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11 or 12 including a tail trimming stand at approximately the same level as and opposite to the second stand at which the tail is trimmed, the animal is bunged and another portion of the hide is released.

14. Apparatus for processing carcasses by a method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Carcasses whenever processed by a method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10 or by an apparatus as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14.