HU194039B - Method and apparatus for precooling parted or/and drawn meat of slaughtered animals particularly large-bodied poultry e.g. fattened goose and turkey as well as pig, cattle and sheep - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preheating cut and / or broken meat of cut animals, in particular large poultry such as turkeys or fatted goats, as well as pigs, cattle and sheep. Animal bodies or body parts, such as poultry carcasses, which are conveyed on the conveyor conveyor (9), are cooled in a first cooling stage (I) by circulating external fresh air when the air temperature is approx. Is below 16 ° C; at higher air temperatures, air cooling is combined with artificial cooling or, if necessary, artificial cooling is used. In the first stage (I), the animal bodies or parts of the body are periodically wetted and moisture is evaporated between the wetting operations. In the second stage (Π) only artificial cooling is used, but the cooling space is periodically, for example 30-60 feet. It rinses with the frequency of sec., thus preventing mold formation and keeping the germ count low. The apparatus has at least two separate cooling rooms (3, 4) along which corridors (1, 8) extend. In the lower part of the corridor (8) extending alongside the cooling section (1) corresponding to the cooling section (1), a venting channel (12) is drawn and a fresh air inlet (18) is connected to its upper part. In the chamber (4) corresponding to the cooling section (II), a flushing fan (50) is discharged. Cooling baskets (30) with a fan '(3b) are installed in the separating walls (2, 7) of the corridors (1,8) and cooling rooms (4, 5), and these walls are provided with shut-off openings (2b, 7b) at the bottom. so the internal cooling air diculation (m, n) is formed in the corridors (1, 8) and in the halls (4, 5). (Figure 3) -1-

Description

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for pre-cooling the cut or / and split meat of carcasses, in particular large poultry, in particular fattened goose, liver goose, inoullard duck and turkey, and pigs, cattle and sheep.

Of the large poultry slaughtered and plucked, the so-called "planting cart" method is currently used predominantly throughout the world for the pre-cooling of fatted geese in large-scale processing technology. The planter is a steel rack structure with stainless steel shelves rolling on wheels. The shelves are arranged in several planes extending over one another. The fatted goose bodies are placed on the back of the shelves, and the cart loaded with geese is pushed into a cooled space called a pre-cooler space and stored there until the next demolition process. Removal after pre-cooling treatment is carried out manually.

It is well known that the liver, which is the most valuable part of a fatted goose, is easily damaged, so the entire body of the goose requires gentle treatment until the liver is removed. Processing technology experience has shown that the above-described solution for the preservation of the liver, i.e., the geese resting on their "carriage", has the disadvantage that there are some areas of the body that are blocked from the air (air stream). heat exchange and cooling are inhibited and in these areas the skin on the body becomes overheated. Specifically, the back and hill become deformed and discolored, so-called "lying down." Such distorted goose body, despite the fact that the relatively large surface area is located, the specific energy expenditure is quite high and the duration of the pre-cooling treatment is difficult or not at all marketable.

A further common disadvantage of "planter" pre-cooling solutions is that the efficiency of utilizing the refrigerator space is unfavorable, while serving the pre-cooled tunnel is practically only manual, which requires significant labor costs.

Suspension of the goose body on the head would result in irreversible blemishes on the skin surface due to post-bleeding.

Even the moullard duck carcass is generally smaller than the liver raised or the body of the fatted goose, the method and means of pre-cooling being essentially the same as that of the planting cart described above. The same applies to technological operations preceding and following pre-cooling.

If the stored product is a gigantic turkey, which in all cases is fully gutted for pre-cooler treatment, without the neck, head and feet, and in some cases with the hind limbs removed, it must be precooled so that the + 4 ° C core -the temperature should be reached within ten hours, on the other hand, in order to prevent the skin-skin surface from drying out, a continuous or intermittent application of a water blanket to the surface of the body or, for example, the relative humidity of the cooling air Due to the particular geometric and thermal physic characteristics of the gigantic turkey body, the pre-cooling technology is practically still in the search phase, the space utilization of the individual pre-cooling systems operating on the hooked hooks and transported in transport positions in this position is unfavorable, low energy consumption, while various conditions that have impaired the quality of the product (such as dehydration of the skin, discoloration of the skin, etc.) have not yet been eliminated.

Among the quality-damaging factors are the currently used suspension methods, of which the most up-to-date is the use of a hook group ₍ Jnma), consisting of a lateral view bent at 100120 in the lateral view and perpendicular to the hook. They are pivotally rotated in 120 and are made of a cylindrical steel rod with a diameter of 10 mm, and the projections are practically arranged helically to position the hook and body through the abdominal cavity.

Up to 10-11 pieces of turkey can be hung on the hook at the same time through the abdominal cavity. It is a disadvantage that the bodies, especially if their individual weights and sizes are different, can sometimes come in contact with each other, which leads to a deterioration in the quality of fattened geese previously mentioned. This hook system is intended only for suspending the gutted turkey carcasses through the abdominal cavity.

The large-scale processing of all large poultry has a negative impact on the loss of body weight during pre-cooling.

In current pre-cooling technologies, gigant turkey bodies are generally subjected to a water-immersed refrigeration treatment prior to air circulation chiller treatment, in an attempt to shorten the air cure treatment time. In practice, however, this method results in an increase in cooling time. Measurement curves (1 later) representing the relationship between cooling time and temperature are thus plotted along the lumbar axis. Otherwise, turkey carcasses of different weights are separately measured - and depicted - for thigh cooling and pectoral cooling because the internal biological characteristics of the thigh muscle tissue are different from those of the breast muscle.

In factories where gigant turkey carcasses are highly processed, the turkey carcass is generally not cooled to less than + 10 ° C before being cut, but is cooled to -2 ° C to 5 ° C by so-called road cooling after cutting. packaged product - with temperature equalization - stays in the fresh product category and is well preserved. According to those skilled in the art, the optimum temperature of the poultry carcass before and during cutting is between 8 and 10 ° C because at this temperature range the body is rigid and the cutting operations are easy to perform. On the other hand, in order to maintain the desired product quality, it must be ensured that the pre-cooled cuts of the bodies cooled to 8 to 10 ° C start within 10 to 20 minutes after the pre-cooling, since they should not be buffered to ensure the biological stability and . However, this circumstance is detrimental to the organization of work and adversely affects profitability.

According to today's meat industry, during primary processing, carcasses of pork, beef and sheep cut, steamed, plucked, plucked and skimmed after being gutted are lengthwise halved (pork, slices of sheep) or whole (sheep) because they are meat must also be subjected to intensive pre-chilling treatment immediately after slaughter, gutting and cutting. The main objectives of this operation are meat-21

194,039 biological stability of the material, stopping the growth of meat bacteria and maturation of the meat. According to one of the known methods used in current industrial practice, pre-cooling takes place in a single space in which the air is recirculated by a fan. The humidity of the cooling air in the space is spontaneous and is not regulated. During the pre-cooling operation, the temperature of the cooling air ranges from -2 ° C to '1 ° C throughout, and the initial temperature of the animal bodies and body parts is about 40 ° C.

The serious disadvantage of this single-chamber cooling is that, on the one hand, moisture is continuously discharged from the meat material, resulting in a weight loss of 1 to 2% (for example, in the case of half-carcasses, the weight loss is about 1.3% in 20 hours); on the other hand, the number of germs in the air circulated in the common airspace increases and the bacteria multiply in the meat material until a core temperature of + 15 ° C is reached, which requires 12 to 13 hours with cooling air at 0 ° C. Cross-contamination can also occur. It takes about 25 hours to reach a core temperature of about 5 ° C with 0 ° C cooling air. This method is therefore obsolete, slow and disadvantageous for the shelf life of the meat.

In another currently used pre-chilling process, pig carcases are subjected to so-called shock rapid chilling. According to this, animal carcasses and parts of carcasses (slaughtered half-pigs) are cooled with air recirculated from -14 ° C to + 3 ° C for about 5-6 hours. The disadvantage of this solution is that the meat is frozen, but inevitably ice crystals are formed in the meat, so that the final product can only be frozen ("crustal freezing with equalization").

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a solution for large slaughtered and plucked poultry, optionally gutted, especially goose, liver, moullard duck and turkey, as well as other slaughtered animals, in particular gutted, cut and gutted pigs, cattle. and for the pre-cooling of sheep, which results in a significant improvement in the hygiene conditions of the product, in particular the concentration of bacteria in the cooling air and the bacterial count in the meat material resulting in a significant improvement in product quality; the specific cooling energy consumption per unit mass is reduced; the possibility of moving goods, automating the loading and unloading of goods and thus reducing labor costs and increasing the so-called "compactness" of the refrigerator compartment (net volume of tunnel / volume of goods loaded); to reduce or eliminate weight loss during pre-chiller treatment, thereby improving the economic performance of pre-chilling, and finally to provide a constant fresh litter and to prevent cross-body infections.

Hungarian Patent No. 184,465 discloses a method and apparatus for preheating small poultry carcasses, rabbits and small game. The carcasses are first washed and cooled by spraying with water at a temperature below their temperature, then, by continuing to spray, using evaporative cooling by evaporative cooling, and finally the surface of the body is further cooled and dried by an air circulation method.

The apparatus includes cooling chambers suitable for carrying out this technology, through which a top conveyor is passed. In this solution, the carcasses remain in the continuous transient cooling tunnel for about 90 to 140 minutes, and during this time the initial germ number does not change much. However, since recirculated air remains within its system, a solution according to Hungarian Patent No. 184,465 is not suitable for pre-cooling large poultry, slaughtered and eviscerated half-pigs and the like, which requires a significantly longer treatment time of 10-25 hours.

The invention is based on the following finding: when the temperature of the preheating compartment is about 3-4 ° C, the relative humidity is about 95%, which is approximately equal to the natural surface humidity of animal bodies and body parts such as poultry. In this case, the water on the skin or in the meat is not absorbed by the surface of the animal bodies and body parts, but remains in the meat. Temperatures around + 3-4 ° C are not only ideal for excluding weight loss, but also optimal for so-called pre-maturation of meat tissues. It is further important to realize that the number of bacteria (the bacterial level) in the air of the precooling space can be reduced by the use of fresh air - by rinsing fresh air - (and / or by ionizing the air) and preventing the development of mold. This latter fact is of great importance because it is precisely the temperature of + 3-4 C and the high humidity that would provide optimal conditions for the development of mold.

It is further important to realize that the so-called heat equalization process must be based on the fact that it can only take place in a room where the temperature is lower than the "expected" core temperature of animal bodies and parts such as poultry or pigs for at least about 40 minutes. The heat dissipation efficiency can be enhanced by cyclically wetting the exterior surface of the animal bodies or body parts, evaporating the applied moisture by air circulation, then rehydrating the animal body or body surface area and repeating the cycles at regular intervals. This adjustable air circulation cooling operation, combined with water spraying, provides surface evaporation cooling and has a heat transfer coefficient on the meat side, such as poultry, of an order of magnitude greater than the dry heat transfer coefficient dependent only on air velocity. As a result of periodic repetition of the cycle of humidification-evaporation-humidification, there is also the advantage that the skin surface of the animal body and body part, such as poultry body, especially the turkey body, does not dry out, so that pruning work is easy. Eliminating dehydration also avoids losing weight.

It is further important to recognize that by accepting animal carcasses or parts of bodies, such as poultry carcasses, continuously arriving from the germ line at temperatures of about 35-40 ° C, it is possible to achieve that the partially cooled animal carcasses or body parts already in the live chilling phase may be placed in the same airspace as heat-evaporating animal bodies and body parts that store heat transmission. In this way, thanks to the split space, the stored temperature balance of the stored goods can be significantly improved during the pre-cooling phase.

Based on these findings, the object of the present invention has been solved by a process comprising the step of:

194,039 two, for example poultry carcases or half-pigs, cooled in a cooled space, whereby the chilled air is clockwise suspended in a suspended position between the loading and unloading position and which is characterized in that the cooling is carried out in several stages, preferably at least separated in the first stage, when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the carcasses and body parts to be cooled, fresh air 1 of the carcasses and body parts is used for cooling, while the carcasses and body parts are periodically wetted; and evaporation operations, preferably by periodic repetition; if only artificial cooling is used, at least the cooling area of the animal body and body parts is periodically flushed with fresh air during the first stage and, if appropriate, further stages and the animal body and body parts are artificially cooled to the required core temperature at least in the last cooling stage; and allowing the surface of the body parts to dry and at least periodically flushing the coolant area around the animal bodies and body parts with fresh air.

Thus, if the temperature of the air surrounding the refrigeration room is higher than that of the animal bodies and parts of the body, such as poultry, even artificial cooling may be applied as early as the first stage; in this case, periodic fresh air purging to reduce germ count and prevent mold formation should be carried out in the same way as is done regularly in the final stage.

It is understood that for the purposes of the present invention, as is evident from the foregoing, the term animal carcasses and parts thereof includes any meat which has undergone pre-chilling, that is to say, poultry, whether or not split, as well as pigs, sheep, cattle, etc.

In general, it is expedient to perform periodic wetting of the animal bodies and body parts by spraying with water, preferably by spraying, on the surface of the animal bodies and parts of the body, and wetting about every 15 to 25 minutes. Accordingly, between the wetting operations, the evaporation of moisture applied from the surface of the animal bodies and body parts takes about 1220 minutes.

According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the temperature of the refrigeration chamber is adjusted to at least 4 ° C or lower during at least the final cooling stage. It is also advantageous to maintain a relative humidity of at least about 95% * at least during the first cooling phase in the humidification environment. In general, for hygienic reasons, filtered fresh air is used for fresh air cooling or / and for periodic cooling of the air with fresh air.

In a further preferred embodiment of the process, both the last and, if necessary, the first cooling stage, the periodic fresh air flushing operations are carried out periodically at a frequency of about 30 to 60 sec / h. In general, about 50-70% of the heat content of animal bodies and body parts, such as poultry bodies, is removed during the first cooling stage.

According to a further feature of the invention, at least during the first cooling phase, hot air is circulated at a rate of about 1.0 to 2.0 m / sec around the suspended animal bodies and body parts, with the animal bodies and body parts preferably transporting 0.24 to 5.0 m / million. speed.

In another embodiment of the process, in the first and, if appropriate, further cooling stage (s), fresh air circulation cooling is applied in combination with artificial (mechanical) cooling and the cooling room temperature is set at or below + 4 ° C. in. It is understood that the use of at least part of the fresh air circulation cooling automatically results in the maintenance of a low germ count and eliminates the risk of mold formation.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises a cooling space, a space for the storage of carcasses and parts of bodies, such as poultry carcases, and a space for the removal of chilled animal bodies and parts from the cooling space, cooling batteries, means for dispensing air in the cooling space, equipped with drop hooks for picking up carcasses and body parts, suspended in the conveyor, and characterized in that the refrigerator compartment is divided into at least two pre-cooling chambers along which external corridors extend, the cooling compartments are located in the upper part of the walls separating the formed as forming fans - air circulation devices are installed, while at the bottom of these partitions are air-through openings, a fresh air supply means is connected to a corridor extending along the space containing the space, and an air duct extends in the lower part of the corridor or in the vicinity of the lower part of the corridor, connecting the lower openings of the partition wall and the inner space of the duct means for discharging air from the air ducts, preferably fans, and means for supplying water at least in the first pre-cooling room, preferably means for delivering water to animal bodies and body parts such as poultry bodies are arranged and a device for supplying fresh rinse air, preferably a ventilator, is connected to the storage space containing the storage space. The apparatus preferably has a continuously adjustable speed conveyor for releasing the hooks.

According to an expedient aspect of the invention, hooks are used for hanging poultry carcasses in the armpits with their upper end having hinges hinged to the conveyor and hinges fixed rigidly above and below each other, each having three or three support lugs perpendicular to the support bar. a pair of two-pronged hooks having their ends terminating in mandrels, preferably the support legs are angled at an angle of 120 ° to each other and the branches of the hooks are inclined downwards and their horizontal angle is about 20-30 °, and their outward angles are vertical. about 20-30.

It is also advantageous to have adjacent suspension members

The vertical distance of 194,039, the lateral distance of adjacent parallel hooks and the width of the hooks are selected to eliminate contact between suspended animal bodies and body parts, particularly poultry bodies.

In another embodiment, the upper end of the apparatus is provided with a support rod hinged in a pronged manner from the carcasses of the carcasses, preferably hooked to the carcasses by means of a support bar hinged to the conveyor with hinges hinged to the conveyor and vertically downwards from one end to another, , having a horizontal section and an upstream and outermost section connected to it. It is desirable that the horizontal longitudinal axes of adjacent hooks are at an angle of 120 ° to each other and that the height of the hooks and the length of their horizontal sections are selected so as to prevent contact between suspended animal bodies and body parts, particularly poultry bodies.

Another embodiment of the apparatus is characterized in that its articulated hinged frames and its laterally outwardly extending overlapping planes with spines extending laterally spaced from each other are predominantly arranged on the dorsal surface of poultry carcasses. In this case, it is preferable for the suspension frame to have an elongated, narrow rectangular shape and the pins to be mounted on horizontal rods extending over each other on the longitudinal sides of the suspension frame.

Generally, the cooling compartments of the device are of equal volume and the partitions separating the cooling compartments are mobile (removable).

According to another feature of the invention, the lower partitions have an air-through opening (s).

Another preferred embodiment of the apparatus is characterized in that the wetting devices are formed by spray nozzles connected to a drinking water network, preferably arranged over an infinitely conveyor path.

According to a further feature of the invention, the air-through openings in the partitions or / and the air duct walls or / and the air intake air inlet means are provided with means for changing their flow cross-section, preferably with openable-closing shutters.

It is expedient to have an air outlet fan (s) connected to the exhaust outlet (s) flowing out of the air ducts and the outlet fan (s) to be connected to an outlet duct (s), preferably through an inclined upwardly connecting duct.

In another embodiment, a plurality of cooling batteries are provided in the upper part of the bulkheads dividing the treatment corridors and chambers, each having a cooling fan supplying transverse chilled air flows to the chambers. a fan and a flue are included.

In order to optimize hygiene conditions, it is advantageous to have an air filter unit in the fresh air intake unit and an air filter in front of the fan supplying the flushing air to the last cooling room.

It may also be advantageous to have an air distribution device, preferably a perforated plate, over the conveyors.

According to another feature of the invention, the partitions between treatment corridors and cold rooms, as well as the partition separating the halls and the outer walls enclosing the treatment corridors, are thermally insulated.

The operation of the apparatus is very well automated, so it is advisable to have motors, preferably servomotors, actuated by means of actuators arranged in the air inlet and air inlets, and if the actuators are electrically connected to a central control unit which is external and / or internal. also has an electrical operating connection with the temperature sensor and the cooling batteries; and thus the central control unit is adapted to control automatically the flow cross sections in the air intake and air inlets, preferably shutters, in response to the temperature of the air in the air.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the apparatus and illustrate its mode of operation. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line AA shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1 (excluding the cooling space and exhaust air duct cover); Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the operation of fresh air air rinsing in a split-cooled unit; Figure 4 is a suspension hook for suspending primarily non-eviscerated poultry bodies such as fattened geese. Figure 4b is a perspective view of arrow B in Figure 4b; two adjacent bars 4a. Figure 4c is a side view of the hook of Figure 4c. 4a. Figure 5a is a sectional view taken along the line C-C in Figure 5a; Fig. 5b shows a fastening hook for suspending mainly eviscerated poultry bodies, such as giant turkeys. in the direction of the arrow E marked on the bar, in Fig. 5b. Figure 5a shows two adjacent areas of Figure 5a. Figure 5c is a side view of the hook of Figure 5c. 5b. Figure 6a is a sectional view taken along the line D-D in Figure 6a; Fig. 6b shows an additional hanging hook. 6b, this device can be used, inter alia, to suspend both eviscerated and non-eviscerated poultry; 6a. Figure 6c is a side view of the structure (two members) of Figure 6c. 6a. and Fig. 6b is a smaller plan view of the structure with the conveyor, Fig. 7 shows the cooling curve of a gigantic turkey in a gutted state, Fig. 8 is a graph showing the cooling parameters of a gigantic turkey in a simple pre-cooled space. curves with rie multi-chamber pre-cooled space

FIG. 194 is a graph showing the germ count reduction as a result of periodic fresh air rinsing as a result of periodic fresh air rinsing of the air circulation baron, FIG. 11 illustrates the electrical control scheme of the apparatus, and FIG. and graphs illustrating the injection rate, the change in core body temperature, and the rate of heat dissipation during the process of the present invention are shown in Fig. 13 for a biphasic pre-cooling of boiled, eviscerated and split half-pigs according to the invention.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a pre-cooling chamber 4 and 5 separated by a partition 6. The partition 6 is thermally insulated and is conveniently removable (for example, a so-called "SCANDOOR" gate) so that the rooms 4, 5 can be joined. The 4.5 rooms are thus, apart from the breakthrough ensuring continuous passage of 9 conveyors, insulated from each other. Air passages 6a are provided in the lower end region of the partition 6, of which, for the sake of clarity, only a few are illustrated in Figure 2 and whose function will be described in more detail below. The two bodies of the infinite conveyor belt 9 (dotted with dotted lines) in FIG. 2, passing through the 4.5 rooms, are formed by steel I-sections in this embodiment. The conveyor system is an upward conveyor system and transports animal bodies and parts of bodies, such as poultry or half-pigs, to be cooled and hung on it by hooks; we will return to the details of these hooks in the future. The travel speed of the conveyor can be infinitely controlled.

Next to the pre-cooling space 4 is a control passage 1, and next to the pre-cooling space 5 is the control passage 8. The treatment corridor 1 is separated from the space 4 by the partition wall 2 and the treatment corridor 8 from the space 5 is separated by the partition wall 7. The device is transverse to the conveyor 9 - only operationally divided into sections Sj .... s _n and si ... s "; these vertical planes separating each other are indicated by reference letters zj, z ₂ , z ₃ ... and thin dotted lines.

In each section s, ... and sj ... s, the partitions 2, 7 have upper openings 2a and 7a and lower openings 2b and 7b, respectively. The air flow cross-sections of the openings 2b and 7b can be controlled by shutters. The upper openings 2a, 7a are provided with cooling batteries 3, so each salt section s _t ... s ^ and sj ... has a cooling battery. In the lower openings 2b, 7b there is a grid. Each cooling battery has a fan 3b, as is known per se, but the battery row 3 has a melt drainage conduit 3a underneath the cooling batteries in both passages 1 and 8.

They are used to drain the water that is formed when the batteries are defrosted periodically. Periodic defrosting is necessary because their defatting deteriorates the heat transfer coefficient. In Figure 2, the openings 2b, 7b and the cooling coils 3 are shown only in certain places for better clarity.

As can be seen in Figure 1, there are pipeline wetting nozzles 11 mounted above a track 10 of the conveyor 9 and connected to a water outlet (not shown), such as a municipal sewerage network. Although they are only technically necessary in Room 5, they are also useful in Room 4, because on the one hand room 4 may need to be wetted to meet specific market needs, and on the other hand, cleaning tasks in Room 4 can be more easily accomplished Spray nozzles 11 are provided therein Figure 1 also shows the exhaust air duct 12 extending through the lower part of the treatment corridor 8 (omitted from Figure 2 for better understanding), into which a louvre (i.e., an adjustable air inlet section) e.g., Sj ... s _n and sj ... skis as sections and from which the exhaust fans 15 flow out.

Below the fans (Fig. 1), external horns (i.e., with adjustable air outlet cross-section) outside the fans 15 extend through a horn 17 extending in an oblique upward direction and a top view (Fig. 2) through a narrow edging connection channel. . The height of the outflow chimneys 17 in the present embodiment is the same as the height of the building containing the pre-cooling chambers 4, 5.

A fresh air intake and filtration unit, designated 18, is provided at one end of passage 8 above, with an air damper 19 within the air filter member 20, passageway 19 on the outside and outside the building. fit. The unit 18 can be located either in the upper area of the side wall of the building or in the roof plane. The filter 20 may be, for example, an expanded plate or a textile insert with a face arrangement. The shutter can also be placed on the outside of the filter.

The wetting nozzles 11 are arranged in a common horizontal plane above the conveyor highway 9, and a horizontal perforated plate 23 extending over this plane, which overlaps both the preheating compartments 4 and 5 and is intended for the uniform distribution of downward air.

Underneath the treatment corridors 2 and 8, as well as the pre-cooling spaces 4, 5, there are drainage channels 22 covered with a grid.

The external enclosure structures of the building comprising the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 are preferably thermally insulated.

4a. - 4c. 3 to 4, the hook 30 is pivotally attached to the suspension structure 34 at its upper end, on which the three-way link members 38 are rigidly fixed above and below each other at vertical intervals. Each of the hanging members 38 as shown in FIG. FIG. 3A shows three to three support legs 33 which are angled at an angle of 120 ° and perpendicular to the support bar 31. At each end of each leg 33 there is connected a double-pronged hook 32 whose branches 32b are grooved in the mandrel 32a. 4a. The angle / triangle shown in FIG. It may be between 20 and 30, i.e. the branches 32b are bent downward and the branches 4c. As shown in FIG. 6B, the outwardly extending branches 32b enclose an angle with a plane perpendicular to their respective stems 33, which may also be 20-30 °. 4c. Figure 61 illustrates the projection distance b

194 039

Eol the two adjacent non-adjacent branches 32b and the width C of the hooks 32 and the vertical distance (Fig. 4a) of the hanging members 38 which are in line with or below each other must be chosen without no carcasses 37 or other pieces of meat, such as those below or above each other. eviscerated sheep should not contact each other.

(Note that in Figures 4a and 4b, the hooks 32 are angled so that their respective stems 33 are just covered.) 4a-4c. The position of the poultry tails 37 in the hooks of FIG. The hooks 32 allow symmetrical armpit suspension. This fact is important because it is well-known that pre-cooling treatment of fatted goose bodies has to be carried out under extremely unfavorable physical conditions and boundary conditions, since it is a dense body and has a thick fat-insulating layer underneath the skin. Due to the vulnerability of the liver, it is important to take into account the adverse circumstances of all operations prior to the dismantling and removal of the liver, even when choosing a position to suspend the body.

Disadvantages of the currently used placement (, .transport) and suspension (headgear) modes described in the introduction are the so-called. .John Suspended 'method eliminates it well and is especially beneficial for the ungutted goose and moullard duck. The armpit suspension is also optimal in that the removal of the liver, which is the most valuable part of a fatted goose, is both unharmed and easier to remove. In an upright posture resulting in suspension in the armpit below the wings, the fat mass that is still in liquid will drop off and be removed from the liver at the start of preheating, which is very beneficial in removing it after preheating treatment. (If possible, we shall treat carcasses with trimmed ends.)

4a-4c. The hooks 30 of Figs. 3 to 4 in the present embodiment can be loaded with 3 carcasses per level (eg, gigant turkey).

5a-5c. 4 through 4, the hooks 42 are fastened from top to bottom along a helical path such that the hooks 42 are shown in Figs. the longitudinal longitudinal axes of the successive hooks enclose each other at an angle of - 120 ° (Figure 5c). The hooks 42 have a horizontal portion 42a extending from the rod 41 and a sloping outwardly extending upward portion 42b extending from the end thereof. The height d of the hooks 42 and the length of the horizontal sections 42a are chosen so that the carcasses, e.g. giant turkey bodies suspended through the abdominal cavity (not shown) will not be in contact with each other even if there is a greater difference in the weight and size of the adjacent bodies. The support bars 41 of the hooks 40 are hinged at their upper ends, in a manner known per se, and connected to the conveyor track 9 by means of a suspension mechanism 43, which can be leashed thereon. The hooks 42 themselves are made of loop-bent metal wire or metal rods of circular cross-section.

6a. 6c and 6c. The hooks of FIGS. 6 to 7, all of which are designated by reference numeral 44, have a hanger frame 45 which is an elongated and in-use vertical arrangement comprising horizontal bars 48 extending above and below each other at vertical intervals f (FIG. 6b). For these mdak 48, the meat industry staples 46 extending outwardly from the frame 45 are secured at intervals of one to one side. These are illustrated in Figures 6a-6c. Figures 1 to 5 are symmetrically arranged. They shall be distributed in such a way that the poultry carcasses attached to them are not in contact with each other. The back-to-back portion is worthless, so it's not a problem that it stumbles as a result of stitching. The hooks 44 are also pivotally connected to the suspension structures 47 which can be released on the conveyor. The hooks 44 can be suspended from either a gutted turkey, a non-gutted goose or a moullard duck.

The operation of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 is also described in detail in the schematic of Figure 3; in Fig. 3, the reference numbers already used in Figs. The precooling room 5 (tunnel) is the cooling section I of the unit and the room 4 is the cooling section Π (Figures 2 and 3).

Carcasses of cut, eviscerated, bled and / or water - chilled animals are to be pre - chilled. body parts, such as poultry carcasses, optionally purified giant turkeys from the slaughter line at a temperature of + 32-35 ° C are guided into the I section of the apparatus according to the arrow g in FIG. 2, e.g. The hooks 44 of FIG. 2 are pulled toward the exit point H (FIG. 2).

At the entry point G, the carcasses are manually suspended on the meat spikes 46 of the hook 44. From the cooling stage I, i.e. from the pre-cooling room 5, the poultry carries to the cooling stage II, that is to the pre-cooling room 4, and from there to the next treatment or processing stage. As we will see, during the cooling phase II, the core temperature is adjusted. At the exit point H, the product pre-cooled to the set temperature reaches an intermediate upper track (not shown) to a cutting upper track (not shown) where the carcasses are suspended.

In the equipment - a total of about 7 hours of cutting time in a single operation (Stage I and II) simultaneously (in one cooling operation), approx. 3000 gigant turkey bodies are stored. Each animal weighs 10-12 kg; each hook has 10 animals, the distance between adjacent hooks is 600 mm.

The product to be cooled is indicated in Figure 3 with a score and 51.

In empty tunnels (i.e. elongated preheaters 4 and 5), the air velocity is preferably set at about 1.0 m / sec, so that, taking into account the saturation of the tunnel with the goods, the air velocity is approx. An air velocity of 1.5-2.0 m / sec develops around the goods to be cooled. The air flow temperature is set to 1-2 ° C.

1-3. The air circulation cooling is combined with water spraying and periodic air refreshing with the apparatus of Figures 1 to 5, irrespective of whether artificial cooling takes place, e.g., every 15 minutes a wetting operation is performed to apply the water to the animal bodies. body parts such as poultry bodies, the water evaporates over a period of 15 minutes. The wetting and evaporation treatments are periodically repeated periodically. In Phase I - as he later knew-71

194,039 made graphs as well - heat dissipation approx

60-70% occurs.

The means for artificial cooling are the cooling tanks 3 whose fans 3b draw the air heated by the amount of heat 51 to be cooled from the section I through the openings 7b into the space of the corridor 8 so that the air circulation is indicated by a closed thick line and arrow. In fact, the fans 3b of the right cooling battery 3 inflate the cooled air in the batteries into the space above the conveyor 9 of the room 5. The downward flow of cold air cools the product 51 (Fig. 3), which was released on the conveyor 9 (see also Fig. 1). In the same manner, the air circulation in the cooling section II (the room 4) and in the corridor 1, as indicated by the arrow 1 and the thick closed line, is formed. The perforated plate 23 shown in Figure 2 promotes an even distribution of cold air drawn in above it.

Through the wetting nozzles 11, the amount of water required to provide the desired or required relative humidity and evaporative cooling is supplied in stage I.

If the outdoor air temperature does not exceed +15 C in stage I - utilizing the natural cooling capacity of the outdoor air - cooling chambers 3 are not operated in room 5 (or only ^ 3b fans), ie only fresh air cooling is used. , which can result in significant energy savings. The temperature of fresh air, recirculated (arrow m) - mixed air, for the goods to be refrigerated (Fig. 3) through the treatment corridor 8 is max. 15 ° C. Therefore, if the outside temperature exceeds this value, the 3 cooling batteries must also be switched on. Thus, in Stage I, "fresh air" and "artificial" cooling can be used separately and in combination with each other, i.e. the amount of gold in the two types of cooling can range from 0-100%. The control of fresh air cooling is optimally achieved by automatically actuating the shutters 19, 13, 14 of the air-through structures with a microprocessor.

The fresh air is introduced into the unit from the outside air through the fresh air intake and filtration unit shown in Figures 1 and 2, as indicated by arrows i and j in Fig. 3 and designated by reference numeral 18, and as shown in Fig. 3. On the way, fresh air enters the upper part of the passage 8 through the air filter 20 and the shut-off control device 19. From here, fresh air is supplied to the room 5 by the fans 3b of the cooling batteries 3. It is noted that the structure 18 may extend along the entire length of the passage 8.

The filter 20 may be formed by a variety of structures known per se. For example, fresh air can be sucked in through a chimney at a height of 10-15 m, which is equipped with a bird's-eye net and protected from the penetration of rain (snow, snow). This chimney can be equipped with several replaceable filter blocks. The mode can be automatic; 60-90 days may be required.

Air suction can be done via a dust separator, a water spray, and a lower water seal through a cyclone. This cyclone performs the function of air filtration and air treatment in automatic operation. Water spray on the chemical additive is also Jehet.

A continuous oil rotary drum filter block can also be used with automatic operation. Finally, the purity and unimpaired quality of the atmospheric pressure air from outside the normal airspace can be achieved by the use of industrially available polyamide woven automatic filters. Of course, it is best to choose the most hygienic and most suitable filter structure for automatic operation, taking into account cost-saving considerations. Horn and cyclone structures are the most suitable for these aspects. The fresh air intake nozzle should be located as far as possible (usually in the edges or in an odor-free operating area).

The ventilation system is designed with a balanced or pressurized solution to prevent contamination from adjacent parts of the unit to the preheaters or from lower purity (pL paraffin) to higher purity levels.

It is preferable that the method of filtering and treating the air leaving the exhaust duct 12 is the same as that used for intake air intake, e.g. with one of the solutions listed above. The heated air enters the exhaust air duct 12 in the lower part of the treatment corridor 8 through the shutters 7b and partially exiting upwardly through the shutters air passage 13, forming the recirculated air stream indicated by arrow n in Fig. 3. exhausted and warmed air is blown outwardly by the fans 15 (Figure 3, arrow e). As shown in Figs. 4 to 5, the fans 15 are fitted with louvres, so that the amount of exhaust air can be controlled. As the exhaust air is exhausted through the exhaust chimneys 17 (Figures 1 and 2), no short circuits between the exhaust air and the fresh air can occur.

The 51 items to be refrigerated (Figure 3) - ie carcasses v. body parts, e.g. for half-pigs, half-cattle or poultry - fresh or mixed air (recirculated) air (m arrow, Fig. 3) can be kept at a maximum temperature of 15 ° C and passes only 1-2 ° C through the goods to be cooled, and since the outside air is effectively filtered, virtually pure air leaving the 12 exhaust ducts (heat-contaminated only) can be used for re-use as refrigerant, such as fresh air from the cooled ventilation system in the processing, cutting or packaging rooms + Since these rooms have to be tempered to +10 C, there is another source of savings in machine-cooling energy costs.

If the outside air temperature rises above + 15 ° C, of course, the cooling batteries 3 of room 5 (stage I) must be operated to the necessary extent.

Since the water spray system formed by the wetting nozzles 11 is located downstream of the cooled air supply fans 3b, the animal bodies are v. body parts, e.g. the relative humidity of the cooling air around the carcasses can be up to 100%, which further enhances the efficiency of cooling. Humidification Jcár can be continuous or intermittent.

In Stage II, i.e. Room 4, Stage I fresh air-cooled goods are cooled by artificial cooling to the required final core temperature. No. II-81

194,039 no longer (or only in exceptional cases and to a minimal extent) wetted; at this stage, the surface area of the animal bodies or body parts, such as poultry bodies, is dewatered (water absorption) and the final core temperature of 3-4 ° C is adjusted. The recirculated flow of cooling air in the treatment corridor 1 and in room 4 was detected by an arrow 1 and a thickly drawn closed line. The fans 3b of the heater batteries 3 on this page recirculate the cooling air through openings 2b. ___. _ ______ _t

The optimum air temperature for the 51 items to be cooled is at least + 3 - 4 ° C. The air velocity and the speed of movement of the goods may be the same as those used in Stage 1. However, if the cooling were to be carried out only with recirculated refrigerated air, the bacterial count would suddenly rise in the recirculated air and create a favorable medium for mold (fungus) on the animal bodies or body parts such as poultry.

However, bacterial growth and mold formation can be completely eliminated in the present invention by the use of filtered fresh air rinsing at short intervals as defined in Section II. Preferably, filtered outside fresh air is supplied to the room 4 using the rinsing fan 50 shown in Figure 3 for 1-2 hours per hour, which is branched from the fresh air supply line 54 to the passage 8 between the air filter 20 and the damper 19. is built-in. The fresh rinse air is supplied to the room 4 from above, in accordance with arrow k (Fig. 3). The feed rinse air, as indicated by arrow n in Figure 3, is pressurized from stage II to stage I through port 6a, whereupon the periodically operated manual or timer-operated fans 15 (Figures 1-3) release it recirculated air (prone to overflow) periodically leaves period II.

During the cooling period Π, in the 4 rooms, the chilled product dries and dries gradually before it is removed.

The total cooling time for an animal body or part of a body, such as a poultry body, depends on the end temperature requirement of the body. At the desired core temperature of + 10 ° C, this is about 8 hours. At the desired core temperature of + 4 ° C for about 12 hours (see also graph in Figure 12).

The animal carcasses or parts of animals pre-chilled according to the method of the invention, such as poultry carcases or half-pigs, are transported to a cutting plant at a rate of about 0.24-5.0 m / min, where they are removed from hooks and then further chopped and word - packed.

If the outdoor air temperature does not reach + 16 ° C, it is advisable to perform the cooling by recirculating the pre-treated (filtered) fresh air in Stage I, in some cases, of course, in combination with artificial cooling.

Figure 7 is a graph of the cooling of a glgant turkey in stage I (Figures 1-3). The weight of the chilled goods is 12,000 g / piece. Temperature values corresponding to curve K were measured in unchilled breasts, while turkey bodies represented by curves L and M were subjected to aqueous pre-cooling prior to introduction into phase I, curve M corresponding to temperature in the thigh and L curve.

At the beginning of the cooling process, the curves steeper fall (1 h, duration), then a moderate rain - nearly linear - intermediate phase occurs (this ah _two periods illustrated), and the last, ah ₃ duration phase exhibit asymptotically approximating the time axis has been executed. From Figure 7, it is clear that the average heat flux of an animal body or body part, such as a poultry body, during the highly variable final period of time h ₃ is highly variable but extremely low, so increasing heat dissipation intensity is not advisable.

The process of equalizing the lower temperatures in the body surface area and the higher temperatures around the body nucleus is hardly accelerated since this is a function of the internal physico-biological characteristics of the meat to be cooled. The M curve clearly illustrates that a short warm-up period of about 0.5 ° C to about 1 ° C occurs during the sixth hour of cooling the thigh, without changing the air and refrigeration parameters, which is hypothesized to be due to: the intrinsic biological properties of the thigh muscle tissue are such that the heat loss of certain muscle fibers occurs as a delayed-inductive reaction.

In Fig. 8, which shows gut-wrenching giant turkey in one phase (in a room) with cooling-related features, the horizontal axis shows the cooling time in hours, while one vertical axis represents the number of Os (animal bodies or parts of the room such as poultry carcasses). ) and the other contains the temperature of the poultry carcasses and the temperature of the cooling air. The data are related to the breeding of giant turkey turkeys weighing 10.2 kg / pcs. Curve O shows the loading rate of the product, curve P shows the cooling of the product, point R shows the exit point of the pre-cooled product, and curve S shows the temperature of the cooling air. The O number is a function of the cooling time. With vt the cooler; air, and vj denotes the temperature of the product (turkey body). The value of v (vj - vjJ is approximately constant.

In Fig. 9, the parameters of Fig. 8 are shown for multiphase (multistage) pre-cooling and the reference letters used therein are used mutatis mutandis. The precooling phases (rooms) are denoted by reference numerals I to IV. This is also a case of chilling giant giant turkeys weighing 10.2 kg / pcs.

Comparison of Figures 8 and 9 shows that as a result of the use of slack space pre-cooling systems, the slope of the cooling curves increases and the cooling time decreases within the divided spaces (I to IV).

An air velocity of 1.1 to 2.0 m / sec in the vicinity of poultry bodies during cooling is considered to be optimal; if this value is exceeded, the skin (greyish blue) coloration of the body skin may be significant.

Prolonged use of negative air temperature is not recommended during preheat treatment because of the formation of ice crystals on or through the skin covering the outside of the body, which can cause a deterioration in quality.

The graph in Figure 10 illustrates how it reduces the number of germs in poultry pre-chilling in phase II, Room 4 (Figure 3),

194.039 Periodic flushing with air. The horizontal axis represents the pre-cooling treatment time (T) in hours, while the vertical axis represents the number of germs (db / m ³ air). The temperature of Stage II - 4 pre-cooling spaces - is v = constant, specifically between 3 and 4 C, and the real humidity is also constant, about 95%. The x curve illustrates how the germination of u increases over time if cooling is by recirculation only and no periodic fresh air purging is applied. In contrast, the y curve shows the change in the germ number when combined with the air circulation cooling with fresh air flushing once every 30 to 60 seconds. While the curve x corresponds to u = f (T), the curve y corresponds to the function u = f (T, p, i), where p = period of air purging (in this case p = 1 hour) and i is the duration of air purging (30-60 sec. above) ua residual germ number after each air purge period. In both cases the removal takes place at point E. For other products, such as pre-chilled pigs, half-cattle or sheep, curves of the same type as in Figure 10 may be plotted.

The graph in Fig. 12 shows the cooling time in hours on the horizontal axis, while the core temperature y at C is exterior to the outside of the vertical axes, and the percentage of heat dissipation Opj is finally expressed as _the number of poultry N on the innermost vertical axis. The P curve represents the decrease in body temperature as a function of time, and it can be seen that at storage a temperature of about 30 ° C reaches a core temperature of about 4 ° C over a total cooling time of about 8 hours. Almost 70% of the heat dissipation occurs at the end of cooling phase I, after about 2.5 hours, as indicated by (c) on the O curve. The Nj curve representing the withdrawal corresponds to an injection rate of 9 to 10 db / min (600 db / h). The downward branch of the N curve represents the withdrawal, the rate being 9-10 db / min, about 600 db / h, which is the same as the injection rate. The thinner N ₂ curve corresponds to a lower loading and unloading rate, namely 8 db / min (480 db / hr). The carcasses travel at a rate of 0.5-0.6 nt / min. One hooks hangs 10 gigantic turkeys weighing 10-12 kg. The heat dissipation is in Kcal / h. For the pre-chilling of other commodities, such as half-pigs, half-beefs or sheep, a curve similar to that of Figure 12 may be drawn.

Figure 13 shows a cooling curve for pre-chilled half-pigs according to the method of the invention. The horizontal axis contains the cooling time (T) in hours, and the vertical axis the temperature of the cuts (half-pigs) and air (V1, H) at C °. The cooling is biphasic, the first cooling section being denoted as I and the second cooling section as II. In phase I is carried shock chilling fresh air usage performed for about 6 hours, i.e. for economically short period of time at -10 ° C to -5 ^e C temperature range, and is carried out so-called Jóegyenlítő "cooling stage II, +3 C -3 ° C and here the humidity of the cooling air is artificially high (C = 90-95%). In other words, this type of cooling is a combination of shocking fast cooling and good equalization cooling. Phases I and II take place in separate - separate - air spaces. In Phase I, humidity is spontaneous and uncontrolled.

The core temperature, which represents bacteriological stability at 15 ° C, is advantageously rapidly measured in FIG.

6 to 7, without ice crystals forming inside the meat material. As a consequence of the relationship AV _üpt = V _core - Vjegeg, the formation of ice crystals can occur at most only in the membrane, but this does not allow the final product to be sold in the "fresh" category. It takes about 18-20 hours to cool to a core temperature of 3 ~ 4 ° C.

The cooling operation described above does not involve any weight loss. The pre-chilled end product is primarily fresh but may also be frozen.

Also in this example, both fresh air in Phase I and Phase II is used as cooling air. If the difference between the outside air temperature and the temperature of the animal body or body part is small, the air is flushed periodically Fresh air provides fresh air in continuous operation (depending on the outside air temperature) or intermittent flushing for a few seconds .

In Stage II, 90-95% relative humidity of the cooling air in the refrigeration space is provided, for example, by spraying a fan-solution or by periodically wetting-evaporating-wetting.

1-3. 1A shows a schematic control scheme for the same two cold room systems of the equipment of FIGS

Figure 11 is a view in which the previously described structural parts are designated by the reference numerals used herein. The apparatus includes a central temperature control unit 60, an external temperature sensor 61, an internal temperature sensor 62 in the room 5, an internal temperature sensor 64 in the room 4, and a temperature controller 63. The main electrical wiring for the system is indicated by thin dashed lines and reference numerals 65 and 65a-65c, respectively. Naturally, the wetting nozzles 11 are fed with drinking water, the drinking line being indicated by a dotted line and reference numeral 68. Conduit 66 serves to transfer the low pressure coolant to the cooling batteries 3 and conduit e66 communicates with the high pressure coolant conduit 67. The control system includes fans, valves, and other fittings, all of which are already described in the prior art. Figs. 4 to 5 are partly indicated, however, it was not considered necessary to provide separate reference numerals, as their function and operation will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

1-3. The operation of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 4 is controlled by the system of Figure 11 as follows: for example, if the outside air temperature drops below 0 ° C, the air intake device 19 can be controlled to reduce the air temperature. For example, at an ambient air temperature of -15 ° C, a proportion of about 20% outside fresh air is expedient. For example, the outside air is blocked by a limit switch (not shown) and at the same time triggers artificial cooling of the machine.

The central control unit 60, which is electrically operatively connected to the external temperature sensor 61 and the internal temperature sensor 62 and is operatively connected to the shutter actuating servo motors (not shown), is provided for adjusting the required amount of fresh air. The shutter 65b from the central control unit 60 is used for opening and closing the shutters and the wire 65a for the remote control

-101

194,039 starter 15 air blowers. With the power supplied through line 65c, cooling is stopped. Phase I, that is, Room 5. The central control unit 60, for example, switches the operation to full internal recirculation cooling in stage 1 if the outside air temperature rises above a predetermined limit, for example * 15 ° C.

As shown in Figure 11, the system has an air-controlled temperature regulator 63, because in general meat plants such as poultry have a temperature of -10 ° C.

---- is between 15 ° C. This evaporation temperature results in a very small cooling surface, but it is very common to defrost the 3 cooling batteries by operating at temperatures above 0 ° C due to rapid fraying, which can result in further losses and loss of operation.

The cooling system can be equipped with a suction pressure regulator and a temperature regulator either as a section S1 ... s _n (Fig. 2) or a section group or a room, so the desired evaporation temperature or air temperature can be set to the desired value and the control system keeping the set value. The setpoint can be either the air temperature or the core temperature of the commodity.

Defrosting the heat sinks 3 is a so-called four-wire hot gas system, which provides an efficient, quick defrost by heating the heat sink internally, using the hot gas removed from the pressure side of the compressors. Defrost all. 69, is triggered by a switch clock 69, which is adjustable according to operational experience.

Water spraying, for example, is opened and closed by a solenoid valve and can also be controlled by a switch-clock according to actual values.

The shutters, as mentioned, are driven by motors controlled by the electronic unit 60. Microprocessor control is also available, providing easier setup and greater variation. Preferably, the stage I is also equipped with an automatic heat exchanger, which has the function of registration and facilitates inspection of the plant. The entire system is preferably equipped with pressure gauges and thermometers, known per se, on both the air side and the cooling side, which greatly simplify operation, control, control and regulation. For this purpose, the microprocessor control system is particularly advantageous because virtually all sub-tasks, such as starting and stopping the fans, turning the water spray on and off, operating with outside air, switching to machine cooling, etc. - Alternatively, simply and impeccably.

7-10. FIGS. 4 to 5 also illustrate the economics of the invention. For example, if the stored weight is 4,000 gigantic turkeys weighing 12 kg / pcs, ie the stored weight is 48,000 kg, the net heat extraction can be described as follows:

hour 45% 651 200 Kcal / h hour 20% 285 120 Kcal / h

3-4 hours 17% 242,352 Kcal / h

This process takes place during the cooling phase I, and in phase II, steps 4-8. hours - heat dissipation rate 256 608 Kcal / 4 hours. The total heat extraction, ie 100%, is thus 1 425 000 Kcal / 8 hours.

For other types of meat pre-chilling, the heat removal efficiency is similar to that described above.

For practical reasons, it is advisable to scale the entire chiller to the maximum chilling power demand per hour.

Cooling with the outside fresh air is particularly economical in the phase I (Figures 1-3 and 11), which receives the warm goods, where a significant part of the heat of the goods can be withdrawn under the given legal conditions of physical heat release.

For example, average daily air temperatures in Hungary are as follows:

Below 0 ° C for 40 days every year ♦ Below 5 ° C for 125 days per year + 10 ° C for 170 days per year (These data do not include the lower daily night temperatures.)

It follows from the above that about 65% of the total heat extraction in the 5 rooms of the unit, i.e. in the cooling phase I, is achieved by using external fresh air alone for about 125-170 days / year, using only ventilating labor, artificial cooling or cooling energy. without using it.

Advantageous effects of the invention can be summarized as follows: the use of fresh air for cooling in the first cooling stage greatly reduces the unit specific cooling energy required for cooling (no artificial cooling is required or only reduced) rinses and rinsed air provide optimum hygiene conditions, keep the germ count of the meat at a low level, eliminate mold formation, thus improving the shelf life of the meat and the quality of the product. Especially during the so-called cold months of the year (November-March), the enviromental savings are significant when the temperature difference between the animal body or part of the animal to be cooled, such as poultry, and the ambient air temperature exceeds 10 ° C.

A further source of cooling energy savings is the use of multi-stage refrigeration technology in heat-insulated cold rooms, which eliminates the risk of incoming hot goods coming into contact with refrigerated goods, thereby significantly improving the total weight of stored goods in the unit. As a result of this technology, the movement of goods, their loading and unloading can be well automated, resulting in significant savings in live labor.

The "density of equipment", ie the ratio of the net volume of the refrigerator compartment to the volume of the stored goods, is optimal, which means a minimum specific space requirement.

During the pre-cooling treatment according to the invention, the air pressure and the pressure of the water in the meat are balanced, there is no water leaving the meat surface, there is no or only minimal weight loss, and possibly weight gain. This is a further advantageous consequence of the intermittent wetting of the meat surface and of the vaporization and, in the case of poultry, the so-called "conditioning" of the skin later. Color on the meat surface, dehydration

-111

194,039 or barking does not occur.

Optimum variable cooling and ventilation parameters can be set automatically by process control, such as a microprocessor.

Thanks to the use of the hooks according to the invention, the bodies are not in contact with each other, thus the quality of the body surface is not damaged and the risk of cross-contamination is eliminated. Periodic fresh air flushing ensures fresh air in the final stage or, if the first stage is only artificially cooled due to high ambient temperature, also in the first stage. This results in a very low germ count and a complete elimination of the risk of mold formation, which is particularly advantageous in the first stage from a technologically optimal, high humidity level, such as 95% relative humidity and ♦ 3-4 C. (With a temperature of + 3-4 ° C and a humidity of 95%, water, as mentioned above, is not absorbed into the body, but remains in the flesh, but this temperature is ideal for also in terms of so-called pre-maturation of meat tissues.

A further advantage is that the so-called building box principle is well applicable in the implementation of the equipment. The individual subassemblies or subassemblies can be placed side by side, behind or over one another, the adjacent subassemblies can be connected in parallel or in series, and they can be operated either interconnected or as separate subassemblies. The performance of the system can thus be varied, so the solution is very flexible.

If continuous movement of goods in the unit is not possible, the system can be converted to a single-space pre-cooler by removing the internal partition (s), where cooling should be started when the pre-cooler space is full. Otherwise, the great advantage of the invention is that in the case of multi-stage (multi-room) operation, during the second stage of storage and cooling, which may take several hours, the second stage does not have to operate the cooling batteries.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the specific possibilities detailed above, but may be practiced in many ways within the scope defined by the claims.

Claims (36)

PATENT CLAIMS 1. A process for pre-cooling the cut or / and split meat of slaughtered animals, in particular large poultry such as fattened geese and turkeys, and pigs, bovine animals and sheep, which comprises carcasses or parts of bodies, such as poultry, optionally cut and / or split. or semi-porcine animals are cooled in a cooled space, whereby artificially cooled air is sputtered, intermittently or continuously suspended in a suspended position between a storage and a tipping point and the moistened or / or carcassed animal carcasses or parts thereof being characterized in that - preferably in separated chambers - such that at least in the first stage (I), when the outside air temperature is lower than the temperature of the animal bodies or parts of the animal to be cooled, at least partially air is used for cooling while the animal bodies or parts of the body are periodically wetted, thereby cooling by repeating humidification and evaporation operations, preferably periodically, and, if only artificial cooling is used, in the first stage (I) and, if appropriate, at least the refrigeration area in the vicinity of the animal bodies or body parts is periodically flushed with fresh air and the animal body or body parts are artificially cooled to the required core temperature during at least the final cooling stage (II), while leaving the surface of the animal body or body periodically flush with fresh air. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the periodic wetting of the animal bodies or parts of the body is carried out with water, preferably by spraying, applied to the surface of the animal body in the form of a film of water. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the wetting of the animal bodies or body parts is carried out at intervals of about 15 to 25 minutes. 4. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the temperature of the refrigeration chamber is adjusted to at least 4 ° C or lower in at least the last cooling stage (II). 5. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least the first cooling stage (I) maintains at least about 95% relative humidity in the humidification environment. 6. Process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that filtered fresh air is used for fresh air cooling or / and for periodic flushing of the fresh air with fresh air. 7. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the periodic fresh glass flushing operations are performed periodically at a frequency of about 30 to 60 sec / hour. 8. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein in the first cooling stage (I) about 50-70% of the heat content of the animal bodies or body parts is removed. 9. Figures 1-8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, at least during the first cooling phase, cooling air is circulated around the suspended animal bodies or parts of the body at a rate of about 1.0 to 2.0 m / sec. minute transport speed. 10. Figures 1-9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the evaporation of moisture from the poultry bodies during the first and optionally further cooling stage (s) between humidification operations is carried out for a period of about 12-20 minutes. 11. Process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the first and optionally further cooling stage (s) the fresh air recirculation cooling is applied in combination with artificial (mechanical) cooling and the cooling room temperature is at least + 4 ° C. set to a lower value. 12. Apparatus for pre-cooling the cut or / and split meat of slaughtered animals, in particular large poultry such as fattened geese and turkeys, and pigs, cattle and sheep, equipped with a refrigerator, refrigerated animal bodies or body parts such as barons for juveniles or half-pigs. va12 -121 194,039 horses, and chilled animal bodies or parts thereof from the cold space, cooling batteries, means for circulating air in the cold space, a conveyor, and means for hanging up the bodies, the cooling space is divided into at least two pre-cooling rooms (4, 5) along which external corridors (1,8) extend, the cooling rooms are located in the upper part of the walls (2, 7) separating the corridors (1,8) from the rooms (4, 5). (3) and air recirculation means, preferably formed as fans thereof, while in the lower part of these partitions (2,7) there are air-through openings (2b, 7b) for a passage (5) extending along the storage space (G). 8) - preferably to its upper range - the fresh air supply device (18) is connected and an air duct (12) extends in the lower part of the corridor or around the lower part of the corridor into which the lower openings (7b) of the partition (7) and the air space and the duct Air supply openings connecting the interior space (12), means for venting the air from the air duct (12), preferably fans (15), at least at the first pre-cooling room (5) to supply water therefrom, preferably over the conveyor (9). means for supplying water to animal bodies or body parts, such as wetting nozzles (11), and means (4) for periodically supplying fresh rinse air, preferably a fan (50), to the chamber (4) containing the storage space (H). (Figures 1-3). Apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that it has an infinitely variable speed conveyor for releasing the hooks (30, 40, 44). Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the carcasses (37) of the poultry (37) having an upper end pivotally attached to the conveyor (31) and a hanging member (38) rigidly fixed at a distance (a) above and below each other. hooks (30) suitable for hanging, having three or three struts (33) perpendicular to the strut (33), and a double hook (32) connected to the ends of each strut (33), whose branches (32b) are provided in the mandrel (32). 32a) (Figures 4a-4c). Apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the retaining legs (33) close at an angle (a) of 120 (Fig. 4c). Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the branches (32b) of the hooks (32) are bent downwardly and have an angle (β) which is horizontally closed, about 20-30 and outwardly relative to the support bar (31). and their vertical angle (3) is also about 20-30. (Figures 4a and 4c). 17. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vertical distance (a) of adjacent suspension members (38), the lateral distance (b) of adjacent parallel hooks (32b) and the width (c) of the hooks (32) are the body or portions of the body, in particular poultry carcasses (37), is selected in such a way as to prevent contact. (Figures 4a-4c). 18. A 12-17. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that its upper end is connected by a support bar (41) hingedly connected to the conveyor and extends downwardly therewith with helical hinges (42), preferably with a wire or metal rod The hooks (42) have a horizontal section (42a) perpendicular to the stem and an upwardly and outwardly extending section (42b) connected thereto (Figures 5a-5c). Apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the horizontal longitudinal axes of adjacent hooks (42) are at an angle (?) Of 120 (Fig. 5c). Apparatus according to claim 18 or 19 · characterized in that the projection height (d) and the length (e) of the horizontal sections (42a) of the hooks (42) are selected in such a way as to prevent contact of the suspended animal bodies or parts thereof, especially poultry bodies. (Figures 5a-5c). 21. A 12-20. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a predominantly barrel body (46) having a pivot body (46) hinged to the conveying device and a pivot body (46) having hinges (46) hinged to the conveyor and hinged to the lateral outwardly extending planes (f). The hooks (44) are suitable for suspending the punctured portion thereof (Figures 6a-6c). Apparatus according to claim 21, characterized in that the suspension frame (45) is of elongated narrow rectangular shape and that the pins (46) are secured to horizontal rods (48) extending over each of the longitudinal sides of the suspension frame (45). Figures -6c). 23. A 12-22. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cooling spaces (4,5) are of equal volume. 24. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the partitions (6) separating the cooling spaces (4, 5) are mobile (removable). 25, pp. 12-24. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower part of the partitions (б) has an air-through opening (oic) (6a) (Figures 1-3). 26. A 12-24. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the wetting devices are formed by spray nozzles (11) arranged above the conveyor (9), preferably connected to a drinking water network (Figures 1 and 3). 27. At pages 12-26. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the air-through openings in the partitions (2, 7) or / and in the walls defining the air passage (12) or / and the fresh air inlet structure are preferably openable and lockable by means of they have shutters. 28. A 12-26. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a fan (15) (15) is connected to the air outlet (s) extending from the air channel (12). (Figures 1 and 2) 29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein: 1, wherein the outlet fan (s) (15) are connected to the outlet horn (s) (17), preferably by an inclined upwardly connecting channel (16). -131 194 039 30. A 12-29. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a plurality of adjacent, transverse longitudinal directions of the conveyors (9) are arranged in the upper part of the partitions (2, 7) separating the treatment corridors (1, 81) and the cooling rooms (4, 5). a cooling battery (3) having a fan (3b) for supplying cooled air streams, according to which transverse cooling sections (sj ... s _n ) are located in the cooling rooms (4, 5) and preferably one to each section (sj ... s «). one exhaust fan (15) and one exhaust fan (17) (Figures 1 and 2) 31. A 12-30. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fresh air inlet unit (18) comprises an air filter device (20). 32. A 12-31. Apparatus according to claim 1 thereto An air filter (20) is provided in front of the fan (50) supplying the exhaust air to the last cooling room (4) (Fig. 3). 33. A 12-31. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an air distribution device, preferably a perforated plate (23), extends over the conveyors (Fig. 1). 34. A 12-33. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the partitions (2, g 7) between the treatment corridors (1, 8) and the cooling rooms (4,5) and the partition (6) separating the rooms (4, 5), and the treatment corridors The outer walls (1, 8) are insulated. 35. A 27-33. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is arranged in the air through and air inlets. 1 q Motors, preferably servomotors, are connected to actuators such as shutters. 36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said actuating motors comprise a central control unit (60) for electrical actuation. 15, the central control unit (60) is also electrically connected to the external and / or internal temperature sensor (61, 62) and the cooling batteries (3), and thus the central control unit (60) is arranged to flow through the air inlet and air outlet openings20. are adapted to automatically control shuttering devices, preferably shutters, in response to ambient air temperature.