US20120252331A1 - Meat processing assembly - Google Patents
Meat processing assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120252331A1 US20120252331A1 US13/494,274 US201213494274A US2012252331A1 US 20120252331 A1 US20120252331 A1 US 20120252331A1 US 201213494274 A US201213494274 A US 201213494274A US 2012252331 A1 US2012252331 A1 US 2012252331A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- gear
- assembly
- horn
- section
- controller
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/02—Sausage filling or stuffing machines
- A22C11/0209—Stuffing horn assembly
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/02—Sausage filling or stuffing machines
- A22C11/0245—Controlling devices
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/02—Sausage filling or stuffing machines
- A22C11/08—Sausage filling or stuffing machines with pressing-worm or other rotary-mounted pressing-members
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/10—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/10—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages
- A22C11/104—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages by means of shear or blade elements
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/10—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages
- A22C11/104—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages by means of shear or blade elements
- A22C11/105—The sheer or blade elements being displaceable parallel to the sausage string in order to create a narrow point free of meat
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C11/00—Sausage making ; Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture
- A22C11/10—Apparatus for twisting or linking sausages
- A22C11/107—A string passing between two rotary members comprising dividing elements cooperating with each other
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C15/00—Apparatus for hanging-up meat or sausages
- A22C15/001—Specially adapted for hanging or conveying several sausages or strips of meat
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C15/00—Component parts, details or accessories of machines, pumps or pumping installations, not provided for in groups F04C2/00 - F04C14/00
- F04C15/0057—Driving elements, brakes, couplings, transmission specially adapted for machines or pumps
- F04C15/0076—Fixing rotors on shafts, e.g. by clamping together hub and shaft
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2/00—Rotary-piston machines or pumps
- F04C2/08—Rotary-piston machines or pumps of intermeshing-engagement type, i.e. with engagement of co-operating members similar to that of toothed gearing
- F04C2/082—Details specially related to intermeshing engagement type machines or pumps
- F04C2/086—Carter
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2/00—Rotary-piston machines or pumps
- F04C2/08—Rotary-piston machines or pumps of intermeshing-engagement type, i.e. with engagement of co-operating members similar to that of toothed gearing
- F04C2/12—Rotary-piston machines or pumps of intermeshing-engagement type, i.e. with engagement of co-operating members similar to that of toothed gearing of other than internal-axis type
- F04C2/14—Rotary-piston machines or pumps of intermeshing-engagement type, i.e. with engagement of co-operating members similar to that of toothed gearing of other than internal-axis type with toothed rotary pistons
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C13/00—Adaptations of machines or pumps for special use, e.g. for extremely high pressures
- F04C13/001—Pumps for particular liquids
- F04C13/002—Pumps for particular liquids for homogeneous viscous liquids
- F04C13/004—Pumps for particular liquids for homogeneous viscous liquids with means for fluidising or diluting the material being pumped
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2230/00—Manufacture
- F04C2230/60—Assembly methods
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2230/00—Manufacture
- F04C2230/70—Disassembly methods
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2230/00—Manufacture
- F04C2230/80—Repairing methods
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F04—POSITIVE - DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS FOR LIQUIDS OR ELASTIC FLUIDS
- F04C—ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- F04C2240/00—Components
- F04C2240/80—Other components
- F04C2240/81—Sensor, e.g. electronic sensor for control or monitoring
Definitions
- This invention is directed toward a meat processing assembly and more specifically to improvements for the meat pump, the stuffing horn, the twister, the linker, and the conveyor.
- Meat processing assemblies are known in the art and over the years improvements have been made to enhance speed and efficiency when making linked meat products. Despite these improvements, deficiencies still exist. For example, removing gears from a meat pump remains a difficult time consuming process. With the twister, the use of a seal is still susceptible to wear and does not maximize heat reduction. To adjust the linker for different products require separate linker heads. Finally, aligning the conveyor with the linker can be difficult particularly when the floor is uneven. Therefore, a need exists in the art for a meat processing assembly that addresses these deficiencies.
- An object of the invention is to provide a pump that allows for the easy installation and removal of the gears.
- Another object of the invention is to provide for the easy adjustment of the stuffing horn for different casing types.
- a further objective of the present invention is to provide for the easy adjustment, installation, and removal of chains on a linker for use with different length sausages.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a linker that maintains constant tension in the linking chains.
- Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable chain spacing of a linker to eliminate backing plates, different sprocket sizes, and different shaft spacing.
- a still further objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable conveyor that may be fixed to a floor.
- a meat processing assembly having an improved meat emulsion pump that allows for easier installation and removal of gears within a pump housing.
- a horn adjustment assembly that permits the position of a stuffing horn to be adjusted to eliminate the need for removing and replacing stuffing horns of different lengths for use with different casing materials.
- An improved twister that reduces heat through use of a non-contact bearing isolator that shields the bearing from the exterior environment.
- An improved linker that, through use of pistons connected to idler sprockets, self-adjusts the linker assembly for different recipes and the easy removal and replacement of linker chains and constant tension on the chains.
- the spacing is also adjustable for different calibers and eliminates the need for adjustable backing plates, sprocket sizes, and shaft spacings.
- a process control system that permits links to be counted and controlled based on sensed data.
- an improved conveyor that is adjustable to provide for easy positioning of the looper of the conveyor with the output end of the linker while maintaining a fixed base
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a meat processing assembly
- FIG. 2 is a side plan sectional view of the pump
- FIG. 3 is a side plan sectional view of the pump
- FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pump helical gear
- FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the pump shaft
- FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the horn adjustment assembly
- FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the chuck
- FIG. 8 is a side plan view of the linker
- FIG. 8A is a side plan view of the linker
- FIG. 8B is a side plan view of the linker
- FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the process control system
- FIG. 10 is a side plan view of the adjustable conveyor of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the pump
- FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the horn adjustment assembly
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the chuck
- FIG. 14 is a side plan sectional view of the horn adjustment assembly
- FIG. 15 is a perspective view of pump shaft
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the pump helical gear.
- the meat processing assembly 10 has a frame 12 with a meat emulsion pump 14 connected to a source of meat emulsion (not shown).
- a stuffing horn 16 is slidably and operably connected to the pump 14 and is longitudinally moveable by a horn adjustment assembly 18 that is slidably mounted to guide shaft or cylinder carriage 20 .
- An elongated shirred casing 22 is mounted on horn 16 from casing hopper 24 where the forward end of the horn 16 terminates at casing filling station 26 adjacent twister housing 28 .
- the twister 28 has a hollow rotatable chuck 30 which receives filled casing 22 and rotates the casing 22 before the filled casing moves into linker 32 .
- the completed strands of sausage 34 exit the linker 32 and are deposited on hooks 36 of conveyor 38 .
- the foregoing components are connected to and controlled by computer control 40 .
- Pump 14 has a gear housing 44 , a pump housing weldment 46 , and a pulley driven drive shaft 50 that extends through a bore in the weldment 46 along with an idler shaft 51 .
- the gear locks 52 have a head 54 with a plurality of protrusions 55 that extend outwardly from a central axis 56 of the lock 52 .
- Below the head 54 is a channel or groove 58 that separates the head 54 from the body 60 of the lock 52 .
- the body 60 has a diameter greater than the channel 58 such that it forms a shoulder 62 .
- Extending from the body 60 is a stem 64 that has a threaded end 66 .
- the threaded end 66 of the lock 52 is matingly received by a threaded bore in the shaft 50 .
- the top end of the shaft 50 has a plurality of protrusions 68 that extend upwardly and are positioned around the outer perimeter of the shaft such that gaps or grooves 70 are formed therebetween.
- a pair of helical gears 72 are removably mounted to the shafts 50 and 51 and secured with the locks 52 .
- the gears 72 have a top surface 74 , a bottom surface 76 , and a plurality of helically formed teeth 78 on the outer perimeter of the gear 72 .
- Centrally disposed through the gear 72 is a bore 80 .
- the bore 80 has a first section 82 that extends from the top surface 74 to a shelf 83 and a second section 84 that extends from the shelf 83 to the bottom surface 76 .
- the diameter of the second section 84 of the bore 80 is slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft 50 .
- the diameter of the first section 82 of the bore 80 is slightly larger than the diameter of the channel 58 on the gear lock 52 .
- the shelf 83 has a plurality of openings 85 that align with the protrusions 55 on the head 54 to form a key slot.
- a top band 85 A and a bottom band 85 B are located on the second section 84 of the bore 80 and have a non-contact area therebetween.
- the bands 85 A and 85 B fit within steps 87 A and 87 B on the outer surface of the shaft 50 . This allows the gear to become free when jacked-up about 6 mm.
- the gear 72 is placed over the head 54 of the gear lock 52 and the gear 72 is rotated such that the openings 85 are aligned with protrusions 55 .
- the protrusions 55 are aligned with protrusions 68 of the drive shaft 50 .
- the gear is placed over the head 54 of the gear lock 52 such that the shelf 83 of the gear 72 fit within the gaps 70 of the shaft 50 and engage shoulder 62 of the body 60 of the gear lock 52 . In this position, both the gear 72 and the gear lock 52 are in a raised position in relation to shaft 50 .
- the gear lock 52 is rotated such that the threaded end 66 of stem 64 is matingly received in the threaded bore of shaft 50 .
- the gear lock 52 is rotated to a position such that the protrusions 55 cover and are vertically aligned with the shelf 82 of the gear 72 preventing vertical movement of the gear 72 .
- the gear drops part way onto the shaft until bands 85 A and 85 B contact steps 87 A and 87 B.
- the top of the gear 72 is just below protrusions 55 .
- Rotating the lock 52 forces the gear 72 down and bands 85 A and 85 B into full engagement with steps 87 A and 87 B.
- the bores in the gears 72 and the exterior surface of shafts 50 are stepped such that engagement occurs only over a short vertical distance.
- the gear lock 52 is rotated the opposite direction, thus raising the gear 72 and the gear lock 52 in relation to the shaft 50 and the weldment 46 . Once raised, the protrusions 55 are aligned with openings 85 and the gear 72 is lifted over and off the gear lock 52 .
- the gear 72 and shaft 50 are thus stepped so that engagement occurs at the top and a bottom of the gear 72 (at 62 ), allowing for minimum vertical movement of the gear in relation to the shaft 50 when removing the gear, as well as a tighter fit between gear and shaft without causing jams.
- a simplified pump has been shown where it is easier to assemble and remove the gear.
- the horn adjustment assembly 18 is attached to a cylinder carriage 20 and stuffing horn 16 .
- the assembly 18 has a positioning member 86 that is slidably mounted to the cylinder shaft 20 through a generally centrally located bore 88 .
- the positioning member 86 is of any size and shape and preferably is a single piece of machineable composite material having a first section or end 90 , a second section or end 92 , and a channel 94 disposed inbetween and forming shoulders 96 on both the first and second sections 90 , 92 . Cut within the channel 94 are at least two grooves 98 , 100 that preferably are aligned parallel to the shoulders 96 .
- the first and second sections 90 , 92 have apertures 102 positioned above the channel 94 in spaced alignment that receive a pivot pin 104 .
- a flange 106 extends from the bottom of the positioning member 86 and has at least two slots 108 , 110 formed in the bottom edge 112 of the flange 106 .
- a lever 114 having a first end 116 and a second end 118 is rotatably mounted to the pivot pin 104 at the first end 116 and the stuffing horn 16 at the second end 118 .
- the lever 114 is formed to fit within the grooves 98 , 100 on the positioning member 86 .
- Positioned adjacent the second end 118 is an aperture 120 that receives a locking pin 122 .
- the locking bracket 124 has a locking member 126 that extends outwardly and transversely to a central section 128 .
- the locking member 126 is formed and positioned to fit within slots 108 , 110 on the bottom flange 106 of the positioning member 86 .
- the central section 128 preferably is a hollow cylindrical tube that attaches to the stuffing horn 16 and has a cam slot 130 that receives a cam follower 132 attached to the lever 114 .
- Extending outwardly and transversely from the central section 128 is an arm 134 .
- the arm 134 is positioned such that it will disable rotation of the locking member 126 .
- the lever 114 When in a first locked position, the lever 114 is received in the first groove 98 of the positioning member 86 , the locking member 126 is received in the first slot 108 of the flange 106 , and the arm 134 engages the locking pin 124 to prevent rotation of the locking member 126 out of the slot 108 .
- the locking pin 124 is retracted such that it does not engage the arm 134 and the locking bracket 124 is permitted to rotate about the stuffing horn 16 such that the locking member 126 is removed from the slot 108 .
- the cam slot 130 and cam follower 132 limit the amount of rotation of the locking bracket 124 .
- the lever 114 is slid along a pivot pin 104 , aligned with the second groove 100 , and then lowered to be received within the second groove 100 .
- the locking pin 124 is then retracted to permit the locking bracket 124 to be rotated back to a second locked position where the locking member 126 is received in the second slot 110 .
- the locking pin 124 is then released to engage the arm 134 and hold the locking bracket 124 in a second locked position.
- first locked position and a second locked position
- additional locked positions are contemplated such as a third, fourth and so on.
- the same teaching above can be extrapolated by one of ordinary skill in the art to accomplish a countless number of locked positions.
- the twisting housing 28 includes a first housing section 136 and a second housing section 138 that are matingly held together by suitable screws or bolts 139 in aligned threaded apertures 139 A.
- a pulley 142 includes a sleeve 144 and extends outwardly to engage the second housing member 138 .
- Bearing isolators 148 extend around sleeve 144 .
- Bearing 150 is mounted within housing 28 and is shielded from chuck 30 by the bearing isolator 148 . By isolating the bearing 150 away from chuck 30 , significantly less heat is produced as the bearing isolator 148 is non-contact.
- the linker 32 has a pair of linker chain assemblies 152 that are positioned in vertical alignment with one another.
- Each assembly 152 has a pair of sprockets 154 or pulleys with at least one sprocket connected to and driven by a motor (not shown).
- the sprockets include an extension 156 that includes an alignment slot 158 .
- the second, or idler sprocket 154 A is connected to a piston 160 that extends between the sprockets 154 .
- the piston 160 is of any type and preferably is pneumatic and is connected to a source of compressed air (not shown). Also, preferably the piston 160 is telescopic wherein a first section 160 A slides within a second section 160 B when extended or retracted.
- Each assembly 152 is mounted to a support member 162 .
- Support member 162 a part of the cabinet weldment, is utilized to permit movement of the assemblies 152 toward and away from one another.
- the support member 162 has a frame 162 A that is secured to the assemblies 152 . Attached within the frame is a′ movement assembly 163 .
- the movement assembly 163 has a gear box 163 A that connects a drive gear 163 B to the sprockets 154 through gear trains (not shown) residing in gearboxes 163 A that form the rotating external arms holding the drive sprockets 154 .
- the drive gear 163 B is mounted to the gearbox 163 A which is mounted to the frame 162 A.
- a U-shaped frame 163 C has a pair of slots 163 D disposed therethrough so that a pair of arms 163 E are slidably disposed within the slots 163 D.
- a pair of cams 163 F are secured to the support member 162 and contain cam arms 163 E that are attached on either side of the gearbox 163 A so that vertical movement of the U-plate 163 C causes movement of the arms 163 E to slide within the slots 163 D of the U-shaped member 163 C and coincidentally pull a first linker chain assembly 152 toward the second linker chain assembly as best shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B .
- this movement allows for easy removal and installation of chains as well as finite spacing changes between the upper and lower chains from the touchscreen (formerly accomplished by manually adjusting the backing plates in and out).
- the chains 164 have one alignment pin 168 for each chain that is positioned to be received within the alignment slots 158 of the sprockets 154 to properly align the chains 164 based on the product size.
- tension on the linking chain assembly 152 is created by activation of the piston 160 by the controller 40 . More specifically, based upon the product size, the controller 40 , which is connected to a source of compressed air, releases air to the pistons 160 causing the pistons 160 to extend to place tension on the chains 164 .
- the controller 40 releases pressure to the pistons 160 . Separating the chains with the conveyor adjusted to the product length forces the piston sections to collapse and allows for removal of the chains. Manually collapsing the pistons may also be performed. Simultaneously, the vertical movement assembly 163 of the support member 162 can be used to move linking chain assemblies 152 apart from one another. In this relaxed state, the chains 164 are easily removed from the sprockets 154 . To add a new chain 164 , the alignment pin 168 on the chain 164 is placed in the alignment slot 158 on the sprocket 154 . Once inserted, the controller 40 is activated such that the assemblies 152 move toward one another and the piston 160 extends to place tension on the chain 164 . The pneumatic pistons 160 allow for mounting sets of chains 164 of different length without the need for fine tuning the backing plates.
- counting sausage links is done by the controller.
- An encoder i.e., pulse generator
- the controller is connected to the linking chains axis and provides a pulse stream to the controller.
- the pulse stream is scaled so that every 20 revolutions of the linking chain sprocket is at 13,500 counts with a roll over position set at zero.
- the controller counts the number of times the value transitions from 13,500 to zero.
- counting sausage links is done with help from a sensor and the controller.
- the strand flow of the sausage is monitored by the sensor, wherein the software allows the sensor and controller to count the number of links in the strand of sausages, track the length of the individual segments of sausage in between successive links, and monitor the diameter and contour of the strand of sausages.
- the controller 40 is also in electronic communication with the sausage encasing machine such that the controller 40 has the ability to slow down, speed up, or stop the machine based upon the output signal from the sensor 172 to maintain that the completed strand of sausages conforms to the desired standards. If the controller 40 determines that the space in between successive links in the strand 34 of sausages is too short (the sensed occurrence of links is sensed too frequently), the controller speeds up operation of the sausage encasing machine to lengthen the individual segments of sausage. Conversely, if the controller 40 determines that the space in between successive links in the strand of sausages is too long (the sensed occurrence of links is sensed too infrequently), the controller 40 slows down operation of the sausage encasing machine to lengthen the individual segments of sausage.
- controller 40 determines that no links are present in the chain of sausages for a predetermined amount of time, controller determines that a break in the casing has occurred and controller will shut down sausage encasing machine. The controller 40 also will shut down, or alternatively, alter the operation of the sausage encasing machine if the controller determines that the diameter of the strand 34 of sausages is either too large or too small. In addition, at the end of the strand 34 , the controller 40 will speed up or slow down the conveyor 34 based upon the links remaining after the last full loop so as to form a smaller or larger loop to catch and secure the strand over a hook.
- a pneumatic flow sensor on the exhaust of the follower cylinder provides input to the controller. This information, in conjunction with other operating parameters, is used to determine whether proper feeding of the casing into the chuck is occurring. An undesirable situation, such as but not limited to casing wrapping on the stuffing horn, will interrupt the expected flow through the sensor, allowing the controller to pause or stop production and inform the operator of a problem.
- the adjustable conveyor 38 includes a frame 174 , an adjustment member 176 , and an operating platform 178 .
- the operating platform 178 is supported by the frame 174 , and includes hooks 180 driven by a chain 182 which rotate around the periphery of the operating platform 178 .
- the conveyor lays in a horizontal or vertical frame. At one end of the operating platform is a loading point 184 adjacent to the output end of a sausage encasing machine where a completed, looped strand 34 of sausages is loaded onto hooks 180 .
- the lower section of the frame has a base 186 with support members 188 extending upwardly therefrom. In one embodiment, wheels 190 are provided on the bottom of the base 186 .
- the upper section of the frame includes sleeves 192 adjustably mounted onto each of the four support members 188 of the lower section of the frame to allow the operating platform 178 to be raised or lowered.
- the upper section additionally includes segments 194 , each segment having a bottom end 196 pivotably mounted to each sleeve and a top end 198 pivotably mounted to the operating platform 178 .
- the adjustment member 176 causes the segments 194 to rotate or pivot to adjust the position of the operating platform 178 .
- the adjustment member 176 is a turnbuckle.
- the turnbuckle is connected at a bottom end to the base 186 and at a top end to the top end of one of the segments 194 .
- the top end of the turnbuckle 176 is connected to the operating platform 178 .
- Rotation of the turnbuckle in one direction causes the turnbuckle 176 to telescope inward, and rotation of the turnbuckle 176 in the opposite direction causes the turnbuckle 176 to telescope outward, thereby rotating each segment radially in unison to adjust the position of the operating platform.
- the loading point 184 is easily aligned with the output end of the linking chains.
- the platform adjustment member is any device which would cause the segments, and, accordingly, the operating platform to rotate, including but not limited to a motor mounted to at least one segment, a ratcheting mechanism, or a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.
Abstract
An improved processing assembly having a meat emulsion pump connected to a stuffing horn. The stuffing horn positioned to fill casings with meat emulsion which form a strand of processed meat that is received by a twister, then a linker, and subsequently deposited on a conveyor.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/254,918 filed Oct. 26, 2009.
- This invention is directed toward a meat processing assembly and more specifically to improvements for the meat pump, the stuffing horn, the twister, the linker, and the conveyor.
- Meat processing assemblies are known in the art and over the years improvements have been made to enhance speed and efficiency when making linked meat products. Despite these improvements, deficiencies still exist. For example, removing gears from a meat pump remains a difficult time consuming process. With the twister, the use of a seal is still susceptible to wear and does not maximize heat reduction. To adjust the linker for different products require separate linker heads. Finally, aligning the conveyor with the linker can be difficult particularly when the floor is uneven. Therefore, a need exists in the art for a meat processing assembly that addresses these deficiencies.
- An object of the invention is to provide a pump that allows for the easy installation and removal of the gears.
- Another object of the invention is to provide for the easy adjustment of the stuffing horn for different casing types.
- A further objective of the present invention is to provide for the easy adjustment, installation, and removal of chains on a linker for use with different length sausages.
- Another object of the invention is to provide a linker that maintains constant tension in the linking chains.
- Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable chain spacing of a linker to eliminate backing plates, different sprocket sizes, and different shaft spacing.
- A still further objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable conveyor that may be fixed to a floor.
- These and other objectives will be apparent to one of skill in the art based upon the following disclosure.
- A meat processing assembly having an improved meat emulsion pump that allows for easier installation and removal of gears within a pump housing. A horn adjustment assembly that permits the position of a stuffing horn to be adjusted to eliminate the need for removing and replacing stuffing horns of different lengths for use with different casing materials. An improved twister that reduces heat through use of a non-contact bearing isolator that shields the bearing from the exterior environment. An improved linker that, through use of pistons connected to idler sprockets, self-adjusts the linker assembly for different recipes and the easy removal and replacement of linker chains and constant tension on the chains. The spacing is also adjustable for different calibers and eliminates the need for adjustable backing plates, sprocket sizes, and shaft spacings. A process control system that permits links to be counted and controlled based on sensed data. Finally, an improved conveyor that is adjustable to provide for easy positioning of the looper of the conveyor with the output end of the linker while maintaining a fixed base.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a meat processing assembly; -
FIG. 2 is a side plan sectional view of the pump; -
FIG. 3 is a side plan sectional view of the pump; -
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pump helical gear; -
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the pump shaft; -
FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the horn adjustment assembly; -
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the chuck; -
FIG. 8 is a side plan view of the linker; -
FIG. 8A is a side plan view of the linker; -
FIG. 8B is a side plan view of the linker; -
FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the process control system; -
FIG. 10 is a side plan view of the adjustable conveyor of the present invention; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the pump; -
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the horn adjustment assembly; -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the chuck; -
FIG. 14 is a side plan sectional view of the horn adjustment assembly; -
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of pump shaft; and -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the pump helical gear. - Referring to the Figures, the
meat processing assembly 10 has aframe 12 with ameat emulsion pump 14 connected to a source of meat emulsion (not shown). Astuffing horn 16 is slidably and operably connected to thepump 14 and is longitudinally moveable by ahorn adjustment assembly 18 that is slidably mounted to guide shaft orcylinder carriage 20. An elongated shirred casing 22 is mounted onhorn 16 fromcasing hopper 24 where the forward end of thehorn 16 terminates at casing filling station 26 adjacent twister housing 28. The twister 28 has a hollowrotatable chuck 30 which receives filled casing 22 and rotates the casing 22 before the filled casing moves into linker 32. The completed strands ofsausage 34 exit the linker 32 and are deposited onhooks 36 ofconveyor 38. The foregoing components are connected to and controlled bycomputer control 40. -
Pump 14 has agear housing 44, apump housing weldment 46, and a pulley drivendrive shaft 50 that extends through a bore in theweldment 46 along with anidler shaft 51. Attached to the drive andidlers shafts gear housing 44, is a pair ofgear locks 52. Thegear locks 52 have ahead 54 with a plurality ofprotrusions 55 that extend outwardly from acentral axis 56 of thelock 52. Below thehead 54 is a channel orgroove 58 that separates thehead 54 from thebody 60 of thelock 52. Thebody 60 has a diameter greater than thechannel 58 such that it forms ashoulder 62. Extending from thebody 60 is astem 64 that has a threadedend 66. The threadedend 66 of thelock 52 is matingly received by a threaded bore in theshaft 50. - The top end of the
shaft 50 has a plurality ofprotrusions 68 that extend upwardly and are positioned around the outer perimeter of the shaft such that gaps orgrooves 70 are formed therebetween. A pair ofhelical gears 72 are removably mounted to theshafts locks 52. Thegears 72 have atop surface 74, abottom surface 76, and a plurality of helically formedteeth 78 on the outer perimeter of thegear 72. Centrally disposed through thegear 72 is abore 80. Thebore 80 has afirst section 82 that extends from thetop surface 74 to ashelf 83 and asecond section 84 that extends from theshelf 83 to thebottom surface 76. The diameter of thesecond section 84 of thebore 80 is slightly larger than the diameter of theshaft 50. The diameter of thefirst section 82 of thebore 80 is slightly larger than the diameter of thechannel 58 on thegear lock 52. Theshelf 83 has a plurality ofopenings 85 that align with theprotrusions 55 on thehead 54 to form a key slot. Atop band 85A and abottom band 85B are located on thesecond section 84 of thebore 80 and have a non-contact area therebetween. Thebands steps shaft 50. This allows the gear to become free when jacked-up about 6 mm. - To mount the
gears 72 on theshafts 50, thegear 72 is placed over thehead 54 of thegear lock 52 and thegear 72 is rotated such that theopenings 85 are aligned withprotrusions 55. In addition, theprotrusions 55 are aligned withprotrusions 68 of thedrive shaft 50. Once aligned, the gear is placed over thehead 54 of thegear lock 52 such that theshelf 83 of thegear 72 fit within thegaps 70 of theshaft 50 and engageshoulder 62 of thebody 60 of thegear lock 52. In this position, both thegear 72 and thegear lock 52 are in a raised position in relation toshaft 50. To lower thegear 72, thegear lock 52 is rotated such that the threadedend 66 ofstem 64 is matingly received in the threaded bore ofshaft 50. As thegear lock 52 is lowered so to is thegear 72. To lock thegear 72 in place, thegear lock 52 is rotated to a position such that theprotrusions 55 cover and are vertically aligned with theshelf 82 of thegear 72 preventing vertical movement of thegear 72. Once rotated into position, the gear drops part way onto the shaft untilbands 85 B contact steps gear 72 is just belowprotrusions 55. Rotating thelock 52 forces thegear 72 down andbands steps gears 72 and the exterior surface ofshafts 50 are stepped such that engagement occurs only over a short vertical distance. - To remove the
gear 72, thegear lock 52 is rotated the opposite direction, thus raising thegear 72 and thegear lock 52 in relation to theshaft 50 and theweldment 46. Once raised, theprotrusions 55 are aligned withopenings 85 and thegear 72 is lifted over and off thegear lock 52. Thegear 72 andshaft 50 are thus stepped so that engagement occurs at the top and a bottom of the gear 72 (at 62), allowing for minimum vertical movement of the gear in relation to theshaft 50 when removing the gear, as well as a tighter fit between gear and shaft without causing jams. Thus, a simplified pump has been shown where it is easier to assemble and remove the gear. - The
horn adjustment assembly 18 is attached to acylinder carriage 20 and stuffinghorn 16. Theassembly 18 has a positioningmember 86 that is slidably mounted to thecylinder shaft 20 through a generally centrally located bore 88. The positioningmember 86 is of any size and shape and preferably is a single piece of machineable composite material having a first section or end 90, a second section or end 92, and achannel 94 disposed inbetween and formingshoulders 96 on both the first andsecond sections channel 94 are at least twogrooves shoulders 96. The first andsecond sections apertures 102 positioned above thechannel 94 in spaced alignment that receive apivot pin 104. Aflange 106 extends from the bottom of the positioningmember 86 and has at least twoslots flange 106. - A
lever 114 having afirst end 116 and asecond end 118 is rotatably mounted to thepivot pin 104 at thefirst end 116 and the stuffinghorn 16 at thesecond end 118. Thelever 114 is formed to fit within thegrooves member 86. Positioned adjacent thesecond end 118 is anaperture 120 that receives alocking pin 122. - Mounted rotatably about the stuffing
horn 16 is alocking bracket 124. The lockingbracket 124 has a lockingmember 126 that extends outwardly and transversely to acentral section 128. The lockingmember 126 is formed and positioned to fit withinslots bottom flange 106 of the positioningmember 86. Thecentral section 128 preferably is a hollow cylindrical tube that attaches to the stuffinghorn 16 and has acam slot 130 that receives acam follower 132 attached to thelever 114. Extending outwardly and transversely from thecentral section 128 is anarm 134. Thearm 134 is positioned such that it will disable rotation of the lockingmember 126. - When in a first locked position, the
lever 114 is received in thefirst groove 98 of the positioningmember 86, the lockingmember 126 is received in thefirst slot 108 of theflange 106, and thearm 134 engages thelocking pin 124 to prevent rotation of the lockingmember 126 out of theslot 108. To unlock, the lockingpin 124 is retracted such that it does not engage thearm 134 and thelocking bracket 124 is permitted to rotate about the stuffinghorn 16 such that the lockingmember 126 is removed from theslot 108. Thecam slot 130 andcam follower 132 limit the amount of rotation of thelocking bracket 124. Once the lockingbracket 124 is released, thelever 114, along with the stuffinghorn 16 and lockingbracket 124, are raised such that thelever 114 is removed from thefirst groove 98. In locking thehorn 16 into thecarriage 20, the cam actionforces locking bracket 124 to act on aflange 125 on thehorn 16 forcing a cone shapedboss 127 on the rear end of thehorn 16 into a cone shapedreceptacle 129 held by abearing 131 within the lever assembly. In doing so, thehorn 16 is positioned and secured, but free to rotate. Also pin 104 is threaded into thelever 116, but free to move back and forth within holes in thecarriage sections lever 114 is slid along apivot pin 104, aligned with thesecond groove 100, and then lowered to be received within thesecond groove 100. Thelocking pin 124 is then retracted to permit thelocking bracket 124 to be rotated back to a second locked position where the lockingmember 126 is received in thesecond slot 110. Thelocking pin 124 is then released to engage thearm 134 and hold thelocking bracket 124 in a second locked position. This arrangement provides the advantage of being able to easily and quickly adjust the effective length of the stuffinghorn 16 with respect to the positioningmember 86 without having to remove and replace stuffinghorns 16 having different lengths. - Although the above describes a first locked position and a second locked position, additional locked positions are contemplated such as a third, fourth and so on. The same teaching above can be extrapolated by one of ordinary skill in the art to accomplish a countless number of locked positions.
- The twisting housing 28 includes a
first housing section 136 and asecond housing section 138 that are matingly held together by suitable screws orbolts 139 in aligned threadedapertures 139A. - A
pulley 142 includes asleeve 144 and extends outwardly to engage thesecond housing member 138.Bearing isolators 148 extend aroundsleeve 144. Bearing 150 is mounted within housing 28 and is shielded fromchuck 30 by the bearingisolator 148. By isolating thebearing 150 away fromchuck 30, significantly less heat is produced as the bearingisolator 148 is non-contact. - The
linker 32 has a pair oflinker chain assemblies 152 that are positioned in vertical alignment with one another. Eachassembly 152 has a pair ofsprockets 154 or pulleys with at least one sprocket connected to and driven by a motor (not shown). The sprockets include anextension 156 that includes analignment slot 158. The second, oridler sprocket 154A is connected to apiston 160 that extends between thesprockets 154. Thepiston 160 is of any type and preferably is pneumatic and is connected to a source of compressed air (not shown). Also, preferably thepiston 160 is telescopic wherein afirst section 160A slides within asecond section 160B when extended or retracted. Eachassembly 152 is mounted to asupport member 162. -
Support member 162, a part of the cabinet weldment, is utilized to permit movement of theassemblies 152 toward and away from one another. Thesupport member 162 has aframe 162A that is secured to theassemblies 152. Attached within the frame is a′movement assembly 163. Themovement assembly 163 has agear box 163A that connects adrive gear 163B to thesprockets 154 through gear trains (not shown) residing ingearboxes 163A that form the rotating external arms holding thedrive sprockets 154. Thedrive gear 163B is mounted to thegearbox 163A which is mounted to theframe 162A. AU-shaped frame 163C has a pair ofslots 163D disposed therethrough so that a pair ofarms 163E are slidably disposed within theslots 163D. A pair ofcams 163F are secured to thesupport member 162 and containcam arms 163E that are attached on either side of thegearbox 163A so that vertical movement of theU-plate 163C causes movement of thearms 163E to slide within theslots 163D of theU-shaped member 163C and coincidentally pull a firstlinker chain assembly 152 toward the second linker chain assembly as best shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B . Thus, this movement allows for easy removal and installation of chains as well as finite spacing changes between the upper and lower chains from the touchscreen (formerly accomplished by manually adjusting the backing plates in and out). - Mounted to the
sprockets 154 are a pair ofchains 164. Thechains 164 have onealignment pin 168 for each chain that is positioned to be received within thealignment slots 158 of thesprockets 154 to properly align thechains 164 based on the product size. - In operation, tension on the linking
chain assembly 152 is created by activation of thepiston 160 by thecontroller 40. More specifically, based upon the product size, thecontroller 40, which is connected to a source of compressed air, releases air to thepistons 160 causing thepistons 160 to extend to place tension on thechains 164. - To remove a
chain 164, thecontroller 40 releases pressure to thepistons 160. Separating the chains with the conveyor adjusted to the product length forces the piston sections to collapse and allows for removal of the chains. Manually collapsing the pistons may also be performed. Simultaneously, thevertical movement assembly 163 of thesupport member 162 can be used to move linkingchain assemblies 152 apart from one another. In this relaxed state, thechains 164 are easily removed from thesprockets 154. To add anew chain 164, thealignment pin 168 on thechain 164 is placed in thealignment slot 158 on thesprocket 154. Once inserted, thecontroller 40 is activated such that theassemblies 152 move toward one another and thepiston 160 extends to place tension on thechain 164. Thepneumatic pistons 160 allow for mounting sets ofchains 164 of different length without the need for fine tuning the backing plates. - In one embodiment, counting sausage links is done by the controller. An encoder (i.e., pulse generator) is connected to the linking chains axis and provides a pulse stream to the controller. Preferably the pulse stream is scaled so that every 20 revolutions of the linking chain sprocket is at 13,500 counts with a roll over position set at zero. The controller counts the number of times the value transitions from 13,500 to zero.
- When production begins, an initial count or snapshot is taken and stored in the controller for later calculation. As the device operates, pulse streams are sent to the controller and transitions through a set number (i.e., 1350) are counted by the controller. When production stops a second count or snapshot is taken and stored. The number of counts is calculated from this information. The total number of counts divided by the counts per sausage produces a sausage count for the just completed sausage strand.
- In another embodiment, counting sausage links is done with help from a sensor and the controller. The strand flow of the sausage is monitored by the sensor, wherein the software allows the sensor and controller to count the number of links in the strand of sausages, track the length of the individual segments of sausage in between successive links, and monitor the diameter and contour of the strand of sausages.
- The
controller 40 is also in electronic communication with the sausage encasing machine such that thecontroller 40 has the ability to slow down, speed up, or stop the machine based upon the output signal from thesensor 172 to maintain that the completed strand of sausages conforms to the desired standards. If thecontroller 40 determines that the space in between successive links in thestrand 34 of sausages is too short (the sensed occurrence of links is sensed too frequently), the controller speeds up operation of the sausage encasing machine to lengthen the individual segments of sausage. Conversely, if thecontroller 40 determines that the space in between successive links in the strand of sausages is too long (the sensed occurrence of links is sensed too infrequently), thecontroller 40 slows down operation of the sausage encasing machine to lengthen the individual segments of sausage. If thecontroller 40 determines that no links are present in the chain of sausages for a predetermined amount of time, controller determines that a break in the casing has occurred and controller will shut down sausage encasing machine. Thecontroller 40 also will shut down, or alternatively, alter the operation of the sausage encasing machine if the controller determines that the diameter of thestrand 34 of sausages is either too large or too small. In addition, at the end of thestrand 34, thecontroller 40 will speed up or slow down theconveyor 34 based upon the links remaining after the last full loop so as to form a smaller or larger loop to catch and secure the strand over a hook. - In another embodiment, a pneumatic flow sensor on the exhaust of the follower cylinder provides input to the controller. This information, in conjunction with other operating parameters, is used to determine whether proper feeding of the casing into the chuck is occurring. An undesirable situation, such as but not limited to casing wrapping on the stuffing horn, will interrupt the expected flow through the sensor, allowing the controller to pause or stop production and inform the operator of a problem.
- The
adjustable conveyor 38 includes aframe 174, anadjustment member 176, and an operating platform 178. The operating platform 178 is supported by theframe 174, and includeshooks 180 driven by achain 182 which rotate around the periphery of the operating platform 178. The conveyor lays in a horizontal or vertical frame. At one end of the operating platform is aloading point 184 adjacent to the output end of a sausage encasing machine where a completed, loopedstrand 34 of sausages is loaded ontohooks 180. - The lower section of the frame has a base 186 with
support members 188 extending upwardly therefrom. In one embodiment,wheels 190 are provided on the bottom of thebase 186. The upper section of the frame includessleeves 192 adjustably mounted onto each of the foursupport members 188 of the lower section of the frame to allow the operating platform 178 to be raised or lowered. The upper section additionally includessegments 194, each segment having abottom end 196 pivotably mounted to each sleeve and atop end 198 pivotably mounted to the operating platform 178. - The
adjustment member 176 causes thesegments 194 to rotate or pivot to adjust the position of the operating platform 178. In one embodiment theadjustment member 176 is a turnbuckle. The turnbuckle is connected at a bottom end to thebase 186 and at a top end to the top end of one of thesegments 194. Alternatively, the top end of theturnbuckle 176 is connected to the operating platform 178. Rotation of the turnbuckle in one direction causes theturnbuckle 176 to telescope inward, and rotation of the turnbuckle 176 in the opposite direction causes theturnbuckle 176 to telescope outward, thereby rotating each segment radially in unison to adjust the position of the operating platform. As such, theloading point 184 is easily aligned with the output end of the linking chains. - Alternatively, the platform adjustment member is any device which would cause the segments, and, accordingly, the operating platform to rotate, including but not limited to a motor mounted to at least one segment, a ratcheting mechanism, or a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.
Claims (6)
1-4. (canceled)
5. A horn adjustment assembly, comprising:
a positioning member mounted on a guide shaft; and
a locking bracket mounted on a stuffing horn; wherein the locking bracket selectively engages the positioning member to lock the stuffing horn in place.
6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein a lever is rotatably mounted to the positioning member at one end and is connected to the stuffing horn at the opposite end.
7. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the positioning member has a first section, a second section, a channel disposed between the first and second section to form shoulder, and a plurality of grooves and slots.
8. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the locking bracket has a locking member connected to a central section, an arm connected to the central section, and a locking pin positioned to selectively engage the arm.
9-20. (canceled)
Priority Applications (1)
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US11193858B2 (en) | 2018-05-01 | 2021-12-07 | Community Blood Center | Tissue planing assemblies and methods |
DE202019105153U1 (en) * | 2019-09-17 | 2020-12-18 | Vemag Maschinenbau Gmbh | Suspension device for transporting and spreading at least one chain of sausages |
US11925184B2 (en) | 2020-03-13 | 2024-03-12 | Marel, Inc. | Method and system for processing an extruded food material |
KR102382787B1 (en) * | 2020-07-10 | 2022-04-05 | (주) 씨엠에스 | Assembly device of speaker grill for cars |
KR102319401B1 (en) * | 2020-07-10 | 2021-10-29 | (주) 씨엠에스 | Jig replacement type assembly device of speaker grill for cars |
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- 2010-09-23 ES ES10760560.2T patent/ES2618409T3/en active Active
- 2010-09-23 JP JP2012535214A patent/JP5626696B2/en active Active
- 2010-09-23 WO PCT/US2010/049944 patent/WO2011056314A1/en active Application Filing
- 2010-09-23 EP EP10760560.2A patent/EP2493322B1/en active Active
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2012
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2014
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US8342916B2 (en) | 2013-01-01 |
JP2013507961A (en) | 2013-03-07 |
JP2014158494A (en) | 2014-09-04 |
JP5626696B2 (en) | 2014-11-19 |
WO2011056314A1 (en) | 2011-05-12 |
US20120252332A1 (en) | 2012-10-04 |
BR112012009845A2 (en) | 2020-11-17 |
DK2493322T3 (en) | 2017-03-27 |
US20110097980A1 (en) | 2011-04-28 |
ES2618409T3 (en) | 2017-06-21 |
US9084430B2 (en) | 2015-07-21 |
EP2493322B1 (en) | 2016-12-21 |
US9089148B2 (en) | 2015-07-28 |
US20120252334A1 (en) | 2012-10-04 |
US8540554B2 (en) | 2013-09-24 |
US20120252335A1 (en) | 2012-10-04 |
US20120252333A1 (en) | 2012-10-04 |
JP6041246B2 (en) | 2016-12-07 |
EP2493322A1 (en) | 2012-09-05 |
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