HRP20000516A2 - Machine for removing skin and fur of slaughtered animals by scraping - Google Patents

Description

The field to which the invention relates

The invention relates to the field of butchery, more specifically to the field of the processing of slaughtered animals up to the stage of finished, processed halves, ready for storage in cold storage, transport or further processing, regardless of the type of processing, e.g. French processing or Milan cut.

According to the International Classification of Patents (sixth edition), the invention belongs to area A - Daily necessities:

A 22 Butchery; Process with meat; Processing of poultry or fish

A 22 B Slaughter

A 22 B 5/08 Šurenje; Stripping; Hair removal; Firing

A 22 B 5/16 Skinning knives

Technical problem

The technical problem that is solved by the machine according to the invention is how to quickly, efficiently and simply remove the skin and fur by peeling the slaughtered animal, while leaving the skin and fur intact and undamaged. With the application of the machine according to the invention, the stage of removing hair from the skin by scalding and burning becomes completely unnecessary, as, for example, in the case of pigs. This achieves a significant reduction:

1. the time required to process the slaughtered animal to the stage of finished, processed halves,

2. space required for processing the slaughtered animal,

3. consumption of water, electricity and gas,

4. environmental pollution,

5. danger of injury to workers.

The usability of the animal is further improved because the skin, fur and lungs can be used as raw material for further processing. In the classic process of processing a slaughtered animal, which includes skinning and burning, the skin and lungs had to be thrown away. Such unnecessary pollution of the environment makes it difficult to solve very serious and accumulated environmental problems.

State of the art

Through many years of work and experience in the meat industry, and based on monitoring the technological procedures of meat preparation, all the difficulties that complicate and slow down the meat preparation process from live animals to finished, cleaned and processed halves have been identified. The bottlenecks of this technological process were identified and various ways were tried to facilitate and speed up this process. The procedures that take place in the slaughterhouse represent the origin of all the results of the meat and meat products industry, because the slaughterhouse is a basic factor in the meat and meat products industry. According to this fact, it was seen that the facilitation of work in the slaughterhouse can increase productivity, reduce the necessary human resources in production procedures and reduce the time required for production. Based on many papers and studies, as well as experiments, a skinning machine and processing procedure according to the invention was developed, as a solution that greatly facilitates and speeds up the process of removing the skin and fur of an animal by skinning, and thus reduces the cost of meat production.

Known solutions for the processing of slaughtered animals up to the stage of finished, processed halves are reduced to:

1. irrational use of time, space and manpower required for processing the slaughtered animal to the stage of finished, processed halves,

2. significantly increased consumption of water, electricity and gas,

3. significant increase in environmental pollution,

4. and the increased risk of injury to employees, regardless of whether it is a small, medium or large slaughterhouse.

Presentation of the essence of the invention

The main goal of the machine according to the invention is to enable simple, efficient and quick removal of the skin and fur by peeling the slaughtered animal, while at the same time the skin and fur remain whole and undamaged.

In addition, the device enables and ensures that the meat, during the entire process of removing the skin by peeling, is kept in a maximally clean state. It is necessary to emphasize the significant influence of mesophilic bacteria, normally present on the animal's skin, on the shelf life of meat. The classical method of processing significantly increases the amount of mesophilic bacteria transferred from the skin to the meat of the animal, which reduces the shelf life of the meat.

The third essential property of the machine according to the invention is that the skin and fur removal procedure does not require any heat treatment of the skin and fur. This means that there is no unnecessary increase in the temperature of the meat, which is favorable because of less contamination of the meat with bacteria and because of the faster cooling of the meat.

Brief description of the drawing

For a better idea and easier understanding, three drawings are given that show the device, its essential components and their mutual relationships, and the slaughterhouse shown schematically. The reference numbers in the drawings correspond to the numbers from the description of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a machine for skinning and furring a slaughtered animal (16) in view A-A and section B-B. One of several possible versions of the machine is shown, which consists of:

1 hydraulic or pneumatic pump,

2 main cylinders with piston,

3 auxiliary cylinders with piston,

4 self-adjusting hooks for holding the animal,

5 chains for accepting and removing skin and fur,

6 euro-hooks for hanging the animal,

7 consoles,

8 hydraulic or pneumatic pump control device, main and auxiliary cylinder,

10 stops of the vertical displacement of the Euro-hook (6).

Figure 2 shows a machine for removing skin and fur by skinning a slaughtered animal (16). Another version of the machine is shown, which consists of:

9 cranes

10 stops of the vertical displacement of the Euro-hook (6),

11 places where the animal is hung on the transport line,

12 tension pulleys,

13 transmission pulleys,

14 steel rope,

15 tensioners.

Figure 3 schematically shows the technological process of the slaughterhouse from bringing the animals to the slaughterhouse until shipping the finished, processed halves to the cold store or for further processing. Characteristic parts, marked with call signs, represent:

17 area for stunning animals, lifting stunned animals onto the transport line and slaughtering,

18 crane for lifting stunned animals onto the transport line,

19 transport line,

20 soaking tub,

21 work tables for preparatory processing,

22 auxiliary transport line,

23 a crane for lifting animals,

24 workplaces for evisceration and cutting off front legs,

25 workplaces for removing skin and fur by peeling,

26 crane for removing skin and fur by peeling,

27 workplace for cutting into two halves.

Description of the method of realization of the invention

Technological process

The technological process of meat preparation, from live animals (e.g. pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) to finished, cleaned halves, begins in the slaughterhouse.

The animals are brought to the area (17) where they are stunned (electrically or in some other way), the stunned animals are lifted with a crane (18) onto the transport line (19) and slaughtered. Slaughter is done in a room that occupies approximately 6 m2 of space. In the room there is a hose with a nozzle for spraying water, with which we wash the animal from impurities before the actual slaughtering process. After washing, the animal is stunned with an electric device and, thus stunned, is lifted by a crane (18) onto the transport line (19). The crane (18) can be mechanical, electric or pneumatic. When the animal is lifted onto the transport line (19), it is slaughtered and additionally washed.

After that, the animal is transported by the transport line (19) to the work table for preparatory processing (21). The transport line (19) is set so that after leaving the space (17) it goes around the work table (21) in a radius that allows the unhindered work of people at the work table (21). At the very end of the transport line (19) a drop was performed so that the animal would not have to be lifted when moving to the work table (21), but because of the fall it is lowered onto the work table (21) along the transport line (19). By using the machine according to the invention, the part of the slaughterhouse with the equipment for shaving and burning the hair is not needed, and this inevitable stage of the classic technological processing procedure is skipped. The slaughtered animal is prepared on the work table (21) - manually removing the skin from the head, cutting off the hind legs and attaching the raspers to the hind legs. Work at the work table (21) is such that it requires two workers per animal. In order to facilitate the work of manually removing the skin from the head, there is an auxiliary transport line (22) above that workplace, on which stainless steel chains with a hook are suspended. The lower jaw is released by cutting the knife from the neck to the middle of the lower jaw. The function of the hook chain is to hook the released lower jaw to the hook and place the head in a position suitable for skinning. This frees the worker from the effort of lifting the animal's head when manually removing the skin from it. The skin is removed with a knife up to above the ears, that is, the part of the neck where the fatty part begins. The second skin incision is made over the groin, from the joint of one to the joint of the other hind leg. The described procedure of removing the skin from the head and the cut between the joints of the hind legs are necessary as a preparation for the procedure of removing the skin and fur by peeling with a machine according to the invention. On the second part of the work table (21), the shanks with the hooves are removed. The tendons are released, on which Euro-hooks (6) are placed or the tensioner is fixed. After the described preparation of the animal has been completed, we lift it from the work table (21), using the crane (23), onto the transport line (19) by grasping the Euro-hooks (6) or the hook on the spreader. A cut with a knife, along the entire length of the abdomen from the groin to the neck, is the final preparation for removing the skin by peeling.

The next stage of processing is carried out at the workplace (24), where the entrails are removed and the front legs are cut off. The animal is suspended from the transport line (19) with Euro-hooks (6) or with a ripper, and is secured enough that one person can very quickly remove the entrails and cut off the front legs.

The animal is thus fully prepared for the process of removing the skin and fur by peeling, and it is taken to the workplace (25) provided for this by the transport line (19). In this workplace, the machine and process according to the invention, described in detail below, are used.

After removing the skin and fur, the skinned animal is taken along the transport line (19) to the workplace (27) for cutting, where it is cut into two halves using an electric saw.

The technological process of primary meat preparation ends with the transportation of the finished processed halves to the cold storage or for further processing.

Detailed description of the device

The technological process of removing skin and fur from a slaughtered animal is a production bottleneck in every meat industry. The procedure requires great physical strength of the workers who perform this work, and at the same time it requires more people to perform this work. Therefore, a larger space is needed to perform this procedure. Whole and undamaged skin and fur are not obtained, but mostly perforated and/or cut pieces. Such skin and fur are completely unusable as raw material for further processing. As organic waste, they represent a significant environmental problem.

With the machine according to the invention, the process of removing skin and fur is significantly accelerated, only one worker and a space of approximately 2m2 per animal is sufficient. The final result is skin and fur, whole and undamaged, suitable as raw material for further processing in the tannery.

The animal comes to the workplace for skinning (25) by means of a transport line (19), fixed on the ripper, and cleaned of its entrails and with the skin removed from its head by hand. The animal prepared in this way is placed in a machine for removing the skin and fur by peeling.

The principle of operation of the machine, in the version according to Fig. 2, is as follows:

1. Skin and fur removal by skinning is performed in an approximately vertical position, i.e. the animal is hung by its hind legs on the transport line (19) with its head down.

2. On the upper side of the transport line (19) there is a limiter of vertical displacement (10) of the Euro-hook (6), which is unusually important for the peeling process itself. The function of the limiter (10), placed at a suitable distance, is to take away the degree of freedom of movement of the Euro-hook (6) in the vertical direction.

3. On the lower side there is a hook that is connected to the tensioner (15) via a steel rope (14). The tensioner drive (15) can be electric, hydraulic or pneumatic. The animal's jaw is grasped with the hook, and the animal is tensioned with the tensioner (15) via the tensioning (12) and transmission (13) pulleys. With this procedure, the animal is fixed in an approximately vertical position, and all degrees of freedom of movement are taken away from it.

4. Above the place where the animal is suspended on the transport line (11) there is a rigidly fixed crane (9) of adequate capacity, at a height that is at least two lengths of the animal (approx. 4 - 7 m). By lowering the moving part of the crane (9) to the height of the animal's head (16), it is possible to grab the crane with the skin that was previously removed from the head. It is important to note that the crane (9) is located on the back side of the animal, i.e. with an offset from the tension pulley (12) of approximately 0.5 m. This results in a slight deviation of the vertically fixed animal from the ideal right angle. The angle at which the animal is, when it is fixed and tense, is approximately 80°-100°. This determines the direction of the skin during the peeling process. When the head skin is fixed to the crane (9), peeling begins. With the crane (9), we pull the skin upwards, while the pulling force of the tensioner (15), through the pulleys (12 and 13) and the steel rope (14), and the weight of the suspended animal represent the resultant counterforce to the lifting force of the crane (9). The difference in forces causes the tissue to loosen or break at the weakest point, which is the junction of the skin with the fatty tissue at the neck end of the knife cut on the skin, which extends along the belly from the groin to the neck of the animal.

This is the principle of skin removal by peeling machine according to the invention. It is important to know that not every type of animal (cattle, pig, sheep, goat, fox, rabbit, nutria...) is the same size, nor are all animals of the same species. For this reason, guides for adjusting the position of the tension pulley (12) are provided in the stand, parallel to the housing of the crane (9), so that each animal can be brought into the optimal position for skinning. According to empirical data, the optimal position is determined by the angle of the animal's longitudinal axis between 80° and 100° to the horizontal. This is an important fact, because only in this range of angles is the force evenly distributed throughout the animal. In this case, the skin is removed evenly, without tearing and without remnants of fatty tissue on the inside of the skin. An angle of 90° represents the ideal case, because then there is no horizontal force component. Due to the impossibility of practical performance and the shape of the animal itself, it has been shown in practice that an angle between 90° and 100° guarantees flawless skinning by peeling.

In addition to variations in size, variations in the elasticity and firmness of the skin of individual specimens are inevitable, depending on the species, age of the animal and other factors. For this reason, the peeling force and speed must be adjustable in a suitable range.

In the event that the animal's jaw breaks when the tensioner (15) is tightened, the animal can be secured and tensioned by wrapping around the carcass under the front legs.

The crane (9) used can be mechanical, electric or pneumatic. A mechanical crane makes the initial investment cheaper, but makes the production process more expensive due to slowness and an additional workplace. Other types of cranes have an advantage due to the possibility of control from the workplace by the executor of the complete skinning procedure.

The version of the machine according to Fig. 1 consists of a stand in which two vertical hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders are installed - main (2) and auxiliary (3). The auxiliary cylinder (3) serves to hold and adjust the acceptance of the lower part of the animal's carcass via a piston and a self-adjusting hook (4). The main cylinder (2) is used for skinning by peeling through a mechanism consisting of a console (7) and a self-adjusting chain (5). The lance (5) grasps the prepared scalp complete with ears and moves the main cylinder upwards.

Before skinning, the carcass of the animal is placed on the transport line (19) using a euro-hook (6) or a spreader, which transports it to individual processing stages. The limiter (10) above the euro-hook (6) prevents the carcass, together with the euro-hooks (6), from jumping out of the transport line (19) in case of a higher speed of skinning by peeling and its release from the carcass.

Fig. 1 shows the performance of the machine when the main (2) and auxiliary cylinder (3) are mounted below the floor level. A version with cylinders (2 and 3) in the floor plane is possible. In the specific case, the performance depends on the available space in the production hall in relation to the transport line (19) and the ceiling or floor structure.

The main (2) and auxiliary (3) cylinders are controlled by the control device (8).

When the animal is in a vertical position, the skinning procedure is carried out at an angle of 90° to 100° in relation to the horizontal. The range of peeling angle just mentioned represents the basic principle of operation of the device according to the invention and the basic advantage over existing technological procedures that are known and applied in practice.

The machine and process according to the invention, by changing the appropriate parameters (e.g. dimensions, mechanical forces, speed of movement, level of complexity of the control part), can be adapted to a wide range of species and sizes of animals that need to be skinned, regardless of whether the primary product of the slaughterhouse is:

- meat such as cattle, pigs, sheep or goats,

- skin and fur such as that of Bizam rats, foxes or leopards

- both, as for example with rabbits or nutria.

It is important to point out that the described peeling process also produces whole and undamaged fur on the outside of the skin. In the case of animals with usable and valued fur for the needs of the clothing industry (eg Bizam rat, nutria, fox, rabbit, Astrakhan sheep lamb, leopard, ...) this is very important for the further processing and processing of the fur.

Advantages of using the machine and peeling process

The machine for skinning animals by peeling and the described procedure has practically unlimited application possibilities in small, medium and large slaughterhouses. The main advantages compared to known classic devices and procedures are:

a) possible installation in all existing slaughterhouses, regardless of size and age,

b) possible installation with relatively simple modifications of existing slaughterhouses,

c) the duration of the complete technological procedure of primary meat preparation is significantly shortened (up to 50%),

d) the required number of workers is reduced (up to 50%),

e) energy consumption is significantly reduced; up to 50% of electricity, and up to 100% of gas if it is used only for tanning the hair and disinfecting the skin,

f) water consumption is significantly reduced (up to 50 %),

g) the end result is whole and undamaged leather, suitable as raw material for further processing in a tannery,

h) whole and undamaged fur is obtained, which is important for animals with usable and valued fur,

i) hot processing of halves can be done on the line, for example French processing or Milan cut,

j) fatty tissue can be used completely, without the need to remove the skin,

k) the time required for cooling the processed halves is reduced; because there is no skin as a good thermal insulator and because there is no increase in the temperature of the meat during the process of burning and burning the hair,

l) using skin, fur and lungs as raw material for further processing increases the animal utilization factor and reduces environmental pollution with organic waste,

m) the risk of injuries at work is reduced (there is no open flame for burning hair or hot water for washing), the air in the plant is at a lower temperature and with a significantly lower percentage of moisture (primarily due to the absence of steam, the inevitable companion of water for washing), and the cause significantly lower noise levels in the slaughterhouse is the almost noiseless operation of the machine.

The stated percentage amounts should be taken as approximate. They were arrived at by analysis and experimental verification on a smaller number of samples. They depend on many factors and it is likely that the wide application of the machine and the process according to the invention will correct them to some extent. There is no doubt that significant savings are achieved, the greater the specific production facility of the slaughterhouse with a larger capacity.

Application of the invention

The installation and application of the machine according to the invention and, accordingly, the change of some stages of the technological process of processing slaughtered animals, is possible on all production lines of existing production plants of this type. The parameters of the drive, such as capacity, size or age, do not play any role in this. Of course, the specific drive parameters will be an important factor when designing and assembling the machine according to the invention.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that it is possible to make many modifications to the described machine and process without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (19)

1. A machine for removing the skin and fur of slaughtered animals by peeling, indicated by the fact that the skin is separated from the subcutaneous tissue by applying the necessary mechanical force or stress. 2. The machine according to the invention according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it works with a low level of noise (almost noiseless) and without harmful effects (eg hot steam or gases, hot water, open flames, chemicals) of any kind, on the animal that is subjected during the peeling process and on the working staff behind the machine, as well as on other parts and working staff of the slaughterhouse. 3. The machine according to the invention according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the optimal position for skinning an animal, properly placed and fixed in the machine, is determined by the angle of the longitudinal axis of the animal between 30° and 150°, preferably between 60° and 120°, and especially recommended between 80° and 100° to the horizontal. 4. The machine according to the invention according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the animal, which is hung by its hind legs on Euro-hooks (6) or a spreader, is gripped by the hook (4) and is tensioned or fixed in the optimal position for peeling. 5. The machine according to the invention, characterized by the fact that the stops (10) eliminate the degree of freedom of movement of the euro-hooks (6) and the animals hung on them in the vertical direction, during the complete procedure of removing skin and fur by peeling. 6. Machine according to the invention according to claims 1 - 5, characterized by the fact that the traction force, which acts on the jaw of the animal via the hook (4), can be realized electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically, with a tensioner (15) or an auxiliary cylinder (3). 7. The machine according to the invention according to claims 1 - 6, characterized by the fact that the risk of injury to workers behind the machine is significantly reduced, which is a consequence of the appropriate construction and working principle. 8. The machine according to the invention, with characteristics corresponding to the parameters of the slaughterhouse, according to requirements 1 - 7, indicated that its installation is possible by simple modifications of the construction of existing slaughterhouses, regardless of size, capacity and age. 9. The process of removing the skin and fur of slaughtered animals by peeling, indicating that the classic process of shaving and burning the hair is unnecessary, as well as part of the slaughterhouse's operation, the water and energy used are necessary for that phase of the classic technological processing process. 10. Method according to the invention, characterized in that: a) by applying the appropriate mechanical force and speed of peeling, the obtained skin with fur is intact, undamaged and without fatty tissue on the inside, b) neither the skin nor the fur has been thermally treated with hot water during tanning or with flame during firing, and as a result, they are a suitable raw material for further processing, and not organic waste. 11. The method according to the invention, characterized by the fact that the animal's lungs are not contaminated with water for washing, which enters the lungs through the respiratory tract, and as a result, they are a suitable raw material for further processing, and not organic waste. 12. The method according to the invention according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the time required for cooling the processed, finished halves is shortened due to the fact that there is no: a) skin as a good thermal insulator, b) rise in the temperature of the meat during the process of burning and burning the hair. 13. The method according to the invention according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the advantages of the skin removal procedure by peeling are provided in the case that the peeling is performed from head to tail. 14. Machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the previous requirements, characterized by the fact that the duration of the complete process of primary meat preparation, from slaughter to finished, processed halves, is significantly reduced. 15. The machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the consumption of water and energy (electricity and gas) is significantly reduced. 16. The machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the previous requirements, characterized by the fact that the required working space and the number of workers are significantly reduced compared to the classic process of combing and burning hair. 17. The machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the safety of workers during the peeling process is increased due to the absence of hot water and steam, gases, and open flames. 18. Machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the previous requirements, characterized in that by using skin, fur and lungs as raw materials for further processing: a) improves the utilization factor of the animal, b) reduce environmental problems due to reduced pollution of the environment with organic waste. 19. The machine and process according to the invention, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that, by changing the appropriate parameters, they can be adapted to a wide range of species and sizes of animals that need to be skinned, regardless of whether the primary product of the slaughterhouse is: a) meat such as cattle, pigs, sheep or goats, b) skin and fur, such as that of Bizam rats, foxes or leopards c) both, such as in rabbits or nutria.