NZ194605A

NZ194605A - Apparatus with reciprocating blade for cutting carcass longitudinally

Info

Publication number: NZ194605A
Application number: NZ194605A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: L Skaiaa
Original assignee: Elkem As
Priority date: 1979-08-10
Filing date: 1980-08-08
Publication date: 1984-07-06
Also published as: ATA406980A; IT1209252B; BR8004911A; BE884704A; AT378670B; FR2462870A1; IT8024029A0; FI66520B; NO156191B; JPS585649B2; AU6118880A; FI802448A; AU525274B2; SU1145908A3; NO156191C; FR2462870B1; DE3030013A1; JPS5626137A; FI66520C; NL8004364A

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> 194605 1 priority DKM(S): ■ /P."A'.7?. ■ • • Complete Specification Filed Cfess: Publication Data: " " J3bf?. P.O. J-oo-rnal Mo: Patents Form No. 5 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 19 53 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION MEANS FOR SPLITTING CARCASSES VI*. ak .s-'.w-i* -Jt * e_.ii«T WE, ELKEM-SPICERVI1RKET A/S, &UCePf\ <*fS A company incorporated under the laws of Norway, of Middelthuns gate 27, Oslo 3, Norway,hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- - 1 - (Followed by page 1A) - 1A - 19460 The invention relates to means for longitudinally cutting carcasses of animal for food. In particular the invention relates to an apparatus for splitting hogs. When the splitting carcasses the carcasses are vertically suspended, canronly hooked by their back paws. In this position the carcasses are split along the entire length of the vertebral column, starting the splitting at the end and cutting downwardly. A cutting axe or a saw may be used for the splitting operation. Manually performed splitting using an axe is both time consuming and laborious while the application of a saw such as a sircular saw or a band saw, makes the splitting operation less time consuming and laborious. However, the application of a cutting saw or an axe produces detrimental splinters which are dispersed into the meat, contaminating it. It has further been proposed to use a hammer actuated knife or axe. However, such type of cutting means does not produce a clean cut and is not suitable for splitting the skull. In addition, the carcass have to be split past the pelvis so as to enable this type of cutting means to function. Most catmonly the carcasses are split imnediately after the slaughtering to render possible the inspection of the vertebral colvcnn, the spinal marrow and the brain in order to observe any presence of abscesses etc. In order to facilitate the proper and thourough inspection .the cut should be as clean and even as possible. It is essential to avoid fouling of the adjoining parts by bone splinters, spinal marrow, etc. A major object of the present invention is therefore to provide a cutting means which may split the entire carcass including the skull, the cut going through the middle of the vertebral column. A second, major object of the present invention is to produce an even, clean cut which is free of splinters and other type of contamination. A further object is to provide a cutting means which eliminates 2' 194605 the laborious work involved in manually splitting the carcasses. According to the present invention a manually guided power-driven cutting device is provided for use in downwardly cleaving an animal carcass supported with the spinal column extending generally vertically, which device comprises a frame having a handle on one end thereof, a knife carried in the frame and pivoted at one end to the frame at the end of the franehaving the handle, oscillating means acting substantially vertical on the end of the knife remote from the pivoted end of the knife, to in use cause the knife to reciprocate in a vertical plane about its pivot, the oscillating means being disposed on the opposite side of the carcass to the handle when the cutting device is being used. The carcass is longitudinally cut in two parts along the vertebral column by means of an impact actuated knife which is introduced from the ventral side, the knife being guided in two different ways: A: by means of a guide means on the dorsal side of the carcass viiich follows the vertebral column and a guide means on the ventral side, supporting the carcass on either side of the vertebral column, or B: by means of needle shaped guide which is to be introduced into the spinal core. In the initial phase of the splitting operation, method A is applied till the splitting just is past the pelvis arch whereafter method B is used splitting the carcass down to the shoulder part. From the shoulder part and down through the skull method A is applied. In cases where natural deformations in the vertebral column prevents method B from being used, method A may be used for splitting the £ 00 £ entire carcass. The guide means intended to be on the ventral side 00 u! of the carcass is moveably arranged on lateral direction relative to •\ °* /y ^ the vertebral column by means of a pneumatic cylinder. The air 194605 pressure in the cylinder may be regulated whereby the cylinder functions as a spring device. The guide means intended to lie along the back of the animal comprises at least one slide rail or one more rollers which may be spring loaded ensuring accurate guidance along the entire vertebral column. The needle shaped guide means comprises a two-tined fork and is arranged with a tine on each side of the actuated knife. Hence, the knife operates between the two tines. When the carcass is split past the pelvis arch the needle shaped guide means is forced into the spinal marrow by means of a pneumatic cylinder. In the region ]94605 between the pelvis arch and the shoulder part the vertebral column has no abrupt bend whereby the needle shaped guide means easily may folic** the vertebral column. At the shoulder part the vertebral column has a bend which obstruct a further notion of the needle shaped guide means. means This guide/is thus retracted and the guide means in accordance with method A is applied. The knife is actuated by means of a ramming device, arranged to lie on the dorsal side of the carcass when the cutting means is in operation. Due to the specific location of the ramming device a very short distance between the ramming source and the striking point on the knife is achieved. The speed of the raimdng device and the actuating of the cylinders are controlled by means of valves arranged on the handle. The carcass is cut by a downwards movement relative to the carcass, the cutting means being moveably suspended on a support means. By using a stroke length of 10 ittn and apprax. 3.500 stroke per min., a cutting frequency of apprax. 200-225 hog carcasses pr.hour is achieved. One errbodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated on the Figure 1 to 5 where Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic elevation of the cutting means; Figure 2 shews a vertical section along line A-A on Figure 1; Figure 3 shews a vertical section along line B-B on Figure 1; Figure 4 shews schematically how the cutting means is guided along the vertebral column by means of the guide means, and Figure 5 shews a vertical section along line C-C on Figure 1. On the Figures, 1 denotes the actuated krijfe, 2 is an oscillating means or a rarrming device, preferably powered by ocnipressed air, with a transmission means 2a giving the knife reciprocating motion in vertical direction. 3 is a guide means which is intended to engage the vertebral column 4 on the animal's back, providing a guide for the knife along the vertebral column 4, as shewn en Figure 4. 5 is the spinal core, while the musculature is indicated by 6. The guide means 3 is suspended on a frame 7 guiding the knife 1. The oscillating means 2 l 94605 with the transmission means 2a is sunported by the frame 7. The guide means intended to be on the ventral side of the carcass comprises on the embodiment shown on the Figures two wheels 8 rotating on a common shaft 8a. The wheels 8 are designed to engage the vertebral column as shown on Figure 4 . It should be appreciated that a pair of slide rail may be used as an alternative. The wheels may be moved forward or backwards by means of a pneumatic cylinder 9, functioning as a spring device. 10 is the piston rod. 11 denotes the swivel joint, on which the knife is rotablv supported. The speed of the ramming device may be controlled by a valve 12 arranged on the handle 13, while the portion of the guide means 8 is controlled by a valve 14 on a second handle 15. The pressure with which the guide means 8 engage against the vertebral column may be regulated by a control means incorporating a manometer, and at least one of the guide means has a dampening effect incorporated.18 denotes a pneumatic cylinder moving the needle shaped guide means 19 up and down. The dotted lines on Figure 5 show the needle shaped guide means 19 in a lower position. The movement of the needle shaped guide means is actuated by a valve 20 on the additional handle 15. The needle shaped guide means 19 will pass along ,the spinal cord to guide the knife along the vertebral column, while other types of conventional support means support the carcasses. The cutting means may be suspended by any type of conventional support means such as for instance a pneumatic cylinder or an electrically driven hoist pulley. The vertical motion of the cutting means may be actuated through a push button 16 on the frame 7. The cutting means is suspended from a hook so arranged on the cutting means that the cutting means is in balance. The cutting means according to the present invention is small and handy and may be used as a manually carried machine. Alternatively, the cutting means may be suspended on a support and may be made fully automatic for instant by means of photocells or valve systems. 1 946 -6- According to the present invention the ramming device will be located on the dorsal side of the carcass when the cutting means is in operating position, while the operator will be on the ventral side of the carcass. Due to the specific location of the ramming device the power source is as close to the point of cutting, i.e. the vertebral column, as possible. Such a location makes the operation of the cutting means more easy and produces less wear and vibration in the cutting means. The cutting means is further equipped with movable guide means which alternatively may be retracted, thereby providing an apparatus which may be regulated depending upon the shape of the carcasses, the pelvis arch and the skill. The number of oscillations per minute should preferably be at least 600. By applying a higher number of oscillations, for example up to.3.500 or more, the knife will perform many skill, chiselling movements, producing a very clean and even cut. </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> 7. I 94605 WHAT WE CLAIM IS;

1. A manually guided power-driven cutting device, for use in downwardly cleaving an animal carcass supported with the spinal column extending generally vertically, comprising a frame having a handle on one end thereof, a knife carried in the frame and pivoted at one end to the frame at the end of the frame having the handle, oscillating means acting substantially vertical on the end of the knife remote from the pivoted end of the knife, to in use cause the knife to reciprocate in a vertical plane about its pivot, the oscillating means being disposed on the opposite side of the carcass to the handle when the cutting device is being used.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a first guide means for the knife intended to contact the carcass on the dorsal side, said first guide means forming an integral part of the frame, and second guide means which are intended to contact the carcass on the ventral side and being resiliently supported in the horizontal direction by pneumatic means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second guide means comprises two wheels which are intended to contact the carcass on the ventral side with one wheel on each side of the vertebral column.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second guide means comprises one or more slide rails or columns.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein ajguide means is provided which comprises a two-tined fork intended to be forced into the void for the spinal -marrow, providing a guide for the knife relative to the vertebral column.

6. A means for cutting carcasses substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. </div>