NL8102121A - Injecting salt solution into meat by needle groups - each fed by pump actuated by needle carrier, feed cut to needle meeting obstruction - Google Patents

Abstract

The mechanism is intended for injecting a salt solution into meat, e.g. bacon or ham. It comprises a number of hollow injection needles to inject a metered amount by positive displacement. The needles are held in a carrier which is vertically movable to insert them simultaneously into the meat and withdraw them. They are arranged in groups with a separate supply of salt solution to each group. Each needle is spring-loaded to allow it to stop if it meets an obstruction, e.g. a bone, in the meat whilst the others continue penetration, the supply of solution to that needle then being stopped. Each group contains no more than ten needles, and may contain five or preferably only three needles. The arrangement prevents excess soln. being injected near the bone whilst still injecting the required total amount, thus providing uniform salt concentration in the meat. The injection pumping action is produced by, and is proportional with, the stroke of the needle carrier and thus does not require a separate pump mechanism.

Description

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BRINE IN3ECT0R FOR MEAT

The invention relates to a meat brine injector with a number of hollow hypodermic needles, whereby a certain amount of brine is injected under positive displacement, the needles being arranged in a carrier, with which they can all be moved into and out of the meat simultaneously which needles are subdivided into groups of adjacent needles, each group has a common brine supply dosed separately from that of the other groups, and each needle when encountering at least a certain resistance in the meat, eg when hit of a bone therein may remain with respect to the wearer and the other needles.

A similar injector is known from U.S. Patent 4,220,669. In addition, a large number of needles are on a common supply. When a needle encounters an extra large resistance in the flesh, e.g. impacting a bone therein, this needle may remain with respect to the wearer and the other moving needles of the group.

However, the remaining needle may remain the same amount of brine if its outlet in the meat is not completely or partly clogged by the resistive part, which is normally not the case with known hollow needles with one or two openings in the side wall. as the non-trailing needles, causing a relatively large amount of brine to accumulate in a small area below the trailing needle, and the meat below that does not get enough brine.

It has been found that the uniformity of the brine distribution in the meat directly by the injection has a very great influence on the length of time required for the further treatment of the meat and for the complete distribution of the brine therein, and even on the nature and possibilities of that further treatment.

The object of the invention is now to improve a brine injector as referred to in the preamble, in such a way that the brine injection always distributes the brine much more evenly, even with needles remaining due to additional resistance, with very simple means than 8102 121. .......-........; v; -i .-: 1 · - \ -2-

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by the known acquaintance.

To this end, such a brine injector according to the invention is characterized in that each group comprises no more than ten needles and that the brine supply to such a remaining needle is shut off by its relative displacement relative to the carrier.

The remaining needle then injects no further through the remaining and the directly adjacent needles of the group, which are on the same positive supply, inject a little more, so that in total in a small horizontal zone of the meat the same amount of brine over the entire height , is injected.

Preferably, such an injector according to the invention is designed such that each group comprises no more than five and preferably three needles.

Furthermore, according to the invention, preferably a number of piston-cylinder combinations, each for feeding a needle group, are operated in that the piston or cylinder of each combination is connected to the carrier for simultaneous movement.

This means a considerable simplification of the drive system, since only the carrier has to be moved, so that the pumping action is obtained immediately, thus without separate drive means, for all needle groups, while the injection quantity is proportional to each part of the Stroke length of the carrier can be kept for a uniform brine delivery to the meat in a very simple manner.

The groups need not of course include all the same number of needles.

It is noted that it is known per se, eg from Dutch patent application 74.01800, to close a needle of a brine injector if it hits a bone in the meat, but not in such a combination that the brine injected too little is forced to be injected by adjacent needles of a smaller group.

The invention will now be further elucidated with reference to the annexed drawing, which shows in partial vertical section, partial horizontal view a brine injector according to the invention in a preferred embodiment.

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Pieces of meat to be injected, such as bacon tubes and meanings, hams or shoulders, are placed on a table consisting of parallel standing metal strips 1. Serrated or otherwise provided with a "rough" top surface for carrying the meat transport strips 2 lying between the strips 1 and moving in an approximately rectangular pattern as indicated by the arrows 3.

Above this is the brine injector. It comprises a scraper 4 with holes for the passage of a number of vertical hollow needles 5, each of which rests with a collar 7 on a carrier 6, which is fixedly connected to a carrier (needle block) 9. Prestressed compression springs 8 push the needles down from the block 9 by pressing the collars 7.

The needles are each slidably sealed via cuff seals in fixed sleeves 10 of the needle block 9. Each needle is closed at the top, has two radial openings 11 through the wall below that upper end and has one or more radial openings drawn at the bottom of the left needle near the dense and pointed or chamfered lower end.

Each group of needles is here assumed to comprise three needles, which is indicated in the cross-section for the three left-hand needles in the figure. In the block 9 each group has channels 12 connecting to a brine feed channel 13 and the channels 12 connect each needle of the three from that group to channel 13 even though the left or middle of the three drawn needles of the group are not in the drawn position and therefore do not connect to the channels 12 with its openings 11.

A pressure relief valve 14 in the form of a non-return valve prevents damage in the event of an unforeseen excessive pressure rise.

There may be a hundred or more needles in the block, in a square or rectangular pattern, and the needles may be staggered in successive rows if desired. Around the block 35 9, for instance possibly only on the sides next to the track 1, 2 for the meat, there is an equal number of piston-cylinder combinations 16, 17 as there are groups of needles.

Each cylinder 16 has a recoil in the end face 8102121 * "......

-4- valve 18 to serve as an outlet only, connecting to a flexible hose 15 of fixed volume, each connecting to one of the channels 13 in the block 9. Each piston 17 has a bore 1? through the piston rod, via a non-return valve 20 only allowing access to the cylinder 5, in connection with an inlet 21 for brine, which can be fed, for example, via a hose from a higher common supply vessel.

Each piston cylinder combination lé, 17 is hingedly connected to the fixed construction at 22. A little further outwards relative to the block 9, one or two further hinges 22 are arranged per cylinder, on which hinge rods 23 engage, which on the other side are hingedly connected to slot arm 25 with slots 26, hingedly connected to block 9 at 28 . In each slot 26 a guide pin or roller 27 engages, which is fixedly or only rotatably connected to the associated cylinder 16.

When a piece of meat has been introduced under the needles with the transport device 1, 2., the transport device can be lifted (or the injector moved downwards) until the scraper 4 rests on the meat. The pressure with which this takes place can be adjusted in known manner by means not shown. The block 9 is now moved downwards relative to the meat by a drive (not shown). The needles 5 penetrate the meat and at the same time the arms 25 rotate downwards, so that the pistons 17 displace brine from their cylinders 16, which brine flows through the valves 18, hoses 15 and channels 13 to the needles. The brine enters the needles through 12 and 11 and exits them at the bottom of the meat, in an amount which is substantially proportional to (each part of) the stroke of the needles. The check valves 20 are closed by the pressure in the cylinders 16.

When the needles have reached the bottom of their stroke, the block 9 is moved upwards, so the cylinders 16 also move upwards and suck through the increasing volume therein via non-return valves 20 full, while valves 18 close the pressure reversal. The movement of the lower ends of the needles is indicated by a vertical double arrow.

If a needle in the flesh now encounters a resistance which exceeds the preload of its spring 8, e.g. by striking a bone 40, this needle will remain behind with respect to 8102121 -5- * m of the block 9, goes above the block protrudes and thus disconnects its openings 11 with channels 12 so that it no longer injects. However, since the volume change in his cylinder 16 remains the same, a larger amount of brine is now injected by the adjacent needles of the same group when moving further downwards, so that the same amount of brine is injected behind (below) the bone, only slightly less evenly distributed, while zones further away in the meat thereof have no influence whatsoever with regard to brine distribution and quantity.

All kinds of different possibilities and deviations from the described device are of course conceivable within the scope of the invention. For example, measures can be taken to make the injection only occur if a needle or group has certainly got into the meat, more injectors (blocks 9) can be arranged close together along the path for the meat, with the piston cylinders possibly Placed (partly) further away, in order to be able to work with different scrapers at different heights when large pieces of meat show considerable thickness differences, etc. Many constructions with such possibilities are known.

8102121

Claims (6)

1. Meat brine injector with a number of hollow hypodermic needles, whereby a certain amount of brine is injected under positive displacement, the needles being arranged in a carrier, with which they can all be moved in and out of the meat simultaneously, which needles are in groups of adjacent needles, each group has a common brine supply dosed separately from that of the other groups, and each needle may remain in the flesh with respect to the carrier and the other needles when encountering at least some resistance. characterized in that each group comprises no more than ten needles and that the brine supply to such a remaining needle is cut off by its relative displacement relative to the carrier. Brine injector according to claim 1, characterized in that each group comprises no more than five needles. Brine injector according to claim 2, characterized in that each group comprises three needles. Brine injector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a number of piston-cylinder combinations, each for feeding one needle group, is operated by connecting the piston or cylinder of each combination to the carrier for simultaneous movement. Brine injector according to claim 4, characterized in that the piston-cylinder combinations with their axial direction extend substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the carrier. e. Brine injector according to claim 5, characterized in that said piston-cylinder combinations are dangled. connected to the fixed surrounding structure, each communicating with the support by a flexible conduit and arranged around said support. 810 2 121 »* m w -7- Brine injector according to claim 6, characterized in that levers engage on the carrier, which on the other hand are hingedly connected, eg via tilting links, to the fixed construction and engage between their ends on a part of said piston-cylinder combinations in order to move moving part of it before pumping the brine to the needles. * * 8102121