GB2294437A

GB2294437A - Meat handling system using overhead rails in buildings and trucks

Info

Publication number: GB2294437A
Application number: GB9421636A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Fenner
Original assignee: GOLDSTAR EXPORTS; KEPAK PATENTS
Current assignee: GOLDSTAR EXPORTS; KEPAK PATENTS
Priority date: 1994-10-25
Filing date: 1994-10-27
Publication date: 1996-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 2014-10-27
Also published as: GB9421636D0; GB2294437B; IES63728B2; IES940847A2

Abstract

Carcasses are divided into two sides 1 which are suspended from the rails of a first rail system 2 in an abattoir. Without dividing the sides into quarters, they are transferred to a road vehicle 3, where they are suspended from the rails of a second rail system 4. For this transfer there is employed an articulated transfer bar 5, the length of which is adjustable to suit the distance between the rail systems 2 and 4. A similar method is used to transfer the sides 1 from the vehicle to a processing station. <IMAGE>

Description

A METHOD OF HANDLING MEAT When transferring beef from an abattoir to a distant location by road vehicle (truck or trailer) it is known to divide carcasses into two sides which are then divided into quarters near an exit of the abattoir. The quarters are hung on a rail or rails in the abattoir and later manually lifted off the rail or rails, carried through the exit into the vehicle and hung on rails in the vehicle. This is heavy and onerous work and the storage space within the vehicle is not fully utilised.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of handling meat in which two separated sides of a carcass are not divided into quarters prior to their being transported in a road vehicle and in which the sides are firstly suspended from a first rail system and moved along the rails thereof, whilst thus suspended, to a transfer bar from which they are then suspended and along which they are moved to a second rail system from which they are then suspended and along the rails of which they are moved, one of the rail systems being stationary and the other being in the vehicle.

Thus, in the transfer of the sides of meat from an abattoir to a vehicle, using the method according to the invention, the first rail system is in the abattoir and the second rail system is in the vehicle, whereas in the transfer of meat from a vehicle to a meat-processing station, using the method according to the invention, the first rail system is in the vehicle and the second in the processing station.

Preferably, the length of the transfer bar is adjusted to suit the distance between the first and second rail systems and/or the transfer bar is articulated to at least one of the rail systems.

It has been found that not only is the work less heavy and onerous using the method according to the invention but fewer operatives are needed and more meat can be transported in a given vehicle than when the known method is employed.

An example according to the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a stationary rail system, a rail system in a vehicle and a transfer bar for transferring sides of meat from one rail system to the other, Figure 2 shows a perspective view from below of a supporting device for supporting meat from the rail systems and the transfer bar, Figure 3 shows a side view of a non-return device, Figure 4 shows a perspective view from below of a joint between the transfer bar and one of the rail systems, and Figure 5 shows a perspective view from below of a junction between rails in one of the rail systems.

Referring first to Figure 1, a stationary rail system 2, in an abattoir or a meat-processing station, and another rail system 4, in a road vehicle 3, comprise similar aluminium rails along which run supporting devices 7, including parts which bear on the rails and hooks on which sides of beef 1 are hung. The sides of beef are not divided into quarters prior to their being transported in the vehicle.

The vehicle 3 is driven so that the rail system 4 is close to the exit of the abattoir or the entrance of the meat-processing station and then the rail systems 2 and 4 are inter-connected by an articulated transfer bar 5, which is telescopic and the length of which is adjusted to suit the distance between the rail systems 2 and 4. It does not matter if there is a slight difference between the vertical heights of the two rail systems 2 and 4 or if they are not quite aligned in the horizontal sense.

The sides of beef, suspended from one of the rail systems 2 and 4, are manually pushed along the rails of that rail system, along the transfer bar 5, from which they are also suspended, and along the rails of the other rail system.

Mechanisms not shown in Figure 1 determine which of the parallel rails of the receiving rail system receives each side of beef and prevent the sides of beef travelling back along the transfer bar.

As shown in Figure 2; each rail in each of the rail systems 2 and 4 consist of two spaced-apart and parallel bars 8 and 9 of rectangular cross-section, with the longer sides of the rectangle vertical. The transfer bar 5 likewise consists of two component bars 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 4. On the bars 8 and 10 runs a roller 1 2 of each several supporting devices 7 (see Figure 2) and on the bars 9 and 11 runs another roller (not shown) of each of the supporting devices 7. The two rollers in each device 7 are mounted on opposite sides of the upper end 13 of a casting 14 which passes between the bars 8 and 9 or the bars 10 and 11 and has at its lower end a hook 1 5 which receives a side of beef.

Figure 3 shows a device 20 which ensures that supporting devices 7 can travel in one direction only along a rail consisting of a bar 8 and (behind it and therefore not visible) a bar 9. Two vertical plate like parts 21 of the device 20 are secured by screws 22 to the outside faces of the bars 8 and 9 and two further vertical plate-like parts 23, further apart than the parts 21 support opposite ends of a rod 24 upon which is pivotally mounted on a detent plate 25. An eye bolt 26 has its upper end screwed into a horizontal plate-like part joining the parts 23 and 21. The bolt 26 has a spring 29 disposed around its shaft, with the shaft being capped at its free end to hold the spring 29 in compression, thus tending to draw the bolt upwards. When the eye bolt is withdrawn against the compression of the spring, the detent plate 25 can be set to lie on either side of the axis of the bolt.Once the bolt 26 is released, rotation of the plate 25 is limited to one side of the bolt as the plate, when substantially vertical, bears against the side of the bolt.

Thus, with the plate 25 in the position shown in Figure 3, the two rollers of a supporting device 7 can pass from left to right between the parts 23, causing the detent plate to turn anti-clockwise, but the supporting device 7 cannot move in the opposite direction past the device 20.

Figure 4 shows a joint between three rails 30, 31 and 32 of one of the rail systems 2 and 4 and the transfer bar 5.

Jaw members 33 and 34 are pivotally connected to the bars 10 and 11 constituting the transfer bar 5, the pivots having vertical pivot axes and being provided by pins 35. The jaw members 33 and 34 each has a recess in its lower side and the two jaw members are secured together by an inverted U-shaped member 36. Two coupling members 37 each have an outwardly-directed spigot 38 and these two spigots project into the recesses in the jaw members 33 and 34 to provide a pivot with a horizontal pivot axis. The two coupling members 37 are secured to one another by a substantially C-shaped part 39. To link the systems 2 and 4, the jaws 33 and 34 are located over respective spigots 38, thus allowing supporting devices 7 to roll between rail systems.

Figure 5 shows a rail 50 which can be connected to either of two rails 51 and 52, the three rails forming a Y. A control member 53 carrying a spigot 54 can occupy a position, as shown, in which the spigot will be in the path of the casting 1 4 of any supporting device 7 which travels from right to left along the rail 52. The control member 53 can be re-positioned so that its spigot 54 will similarly block the rail 51.

Claims

1. A method of handling meat in which two separated sides of a carcass are not divided into quarters prior to their being transported in a road vehicle and in which the sides are firstly suspended from a first rail system and moved along the rails thereof, whilst thus suspended, to a transfer bar from which they are then suspended and along which they are moved to a second rail system from which they are then suspended and along the rails of which they are moved, one of the rail systems being stationary and the other being in the vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the length of the transfer bar is adjusted to suit the distance between the first and second rail systems.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 in which the transfer bar is articulated to at least one of the rail systems.

4. A method of handling meat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

5. A method of handling meat substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings and any one or any combination of Figures 2 to 5.