US3304575A

US3304575A - Machine for treating pig carcasses, more particularly head and legs

Info

Publication number: US3304575A
Application number: US431650A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederiksen Hans Edvard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-02-10
Filing date: 1965-02-10
Publication date: 1967-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-21
Also published as: DK119294B

Description

Feb. 21, 1967 FREDERlKSEN 3,304,575

MACHINE FOR TREATING PIG CARCASSES, MORE PARTICULARLY HEAD AND LEGS Filed Feb. 10. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1967 H. E. FREDERIKSEN 3,304,575

MACHINE FOR TREATING PIG CARCASSES, MORE PARTICULARLY HEAD AND LEGS Filed Feb. 10. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,304,575 MACHINE FOR TREATING PIG CARCASSES, MORE PARTICULARLY HEAD AND LEGS Hans Edvard Frederiksen, Islevdalvej 137-143, Copenhagen-Bronshoj, Denmark Filed Feb. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 431,650 Claims priority, application Denmark, Feb. 10, 1964, 630/64, 631/64 11 Claims. (CI. 17-17) The invention relates to a machine for treating pig carcasses, more particularly head and legs, by means of rotating brushes with comparatively rigid, radial spikes, the carcasses being suspended by their legs from a conveyor moving them through a packing house.

It is common practice to scrape the surface of the carcasses by means of a scraping machine with resilient metal lamellae. Such machines are not capable of treating the areas near the head nor the legs with sufficient effectiveness, and the mechanical treatment has therefore to be followed by a manual after-treatment by means of scraping knives or rotating brushes which are carried and guided by hand. This manual treatment requires the full working hours of several operators and is'a comparatively strenuous and unpleasant work, since water has usually to be supplied to the points of treatment.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a conveniently adapted machine by means of which the said work may be performed automatically and mechanically so that the manual Work is wholly eliminated.

In order to mechanize such operations a machine has to be adapted in such manner that the carcass is subjected to treatment at all places left untreated by the preceding scraping machine, and the treatment has to be reasonably uniform so that no parts of the carcass are subjected to a heavier pressure and consequently a harder brushing than other parts. Since the brushing ope-ration hitherto performed manually has actually to be considered as a finish treatment very suitable, indeed, for manual operation and carried out according to expert judgment, a machine which is to imitate the said operation has to possess special characteristics and to be very closely adapted to this particular work.

It has been found that a machine according to the present invention is capable of satisfying these requirements and of performing a treatment that is very close to and, indeed, often superior to an individually adapted manual treatment, since, of course, the latter treatment depends upon the skill and care of the operators.

The essential feature of the machine according to the invention is that it has a plurality of brushes whose axes of rotation are substantially parallel with the suspended conveyor. The said brushes are mounted on fixed elements in the factory in such a manner, however, that they are capable of pivoting in a vertical plane, substantially at right angles to the suspended conveyor, the brushes being disposed at various levels and at varying distances from a vertical plane through the conveyor.

Such a machine makes heavy demands on the quality of the brushes, since the forced guidance of the carcass between the brushes and e.g. any turning of the carcass, will expose the brushes to actions more powerful than those usually occurring when the brushes are passed over the carcasses by manual operation. An effective treatment of all surface areas of the carcass by mechanical operation will usually cause heavier bendings of the spikes, and it has been found that brushes of the kind hitherto used, in which the rectilinear spikes have so far been made of plant fibres or steel wire, are inadequate for the purpose. Owing to the powerful bending inevitably occurring at fully mechanical treatment, such spikes become ineffective and rapidly lose their elasticity, and a reduced efifect of the brushes is, of course, not liable to be perceived as propmtly in an automatically operating machine as in a manually operated brush. According to the present invention there is provided an entirely new brush design permitting full utilisation of the automatic machine and rendering its perfect operation possible over a long period.

According to this aspect of the invention each brush consists of a plurality of plastic elements mounted beside each other and each composed of a hub portion and a plurality of spikes moulded integral with same. Each of the said spikes extends radially from the hub portion, the outer part of the spike being bent along a curve of great radius so that the spike points into the direction of rotation of the brush.

In a suitable embodiment the hub portions may be composed of a number of segments, each carrying a corresponding number of spikes, and the said segments may have means for engaging the other segments of the hub portion involved and further be provided on each side with engagement means to fix the hub portions in relation to the adjacent hub portions. The engaging means may conveniently be so adapted that the hub segments are staggered peripherally in relation to each other. All the hub portions may be assembled by means of two discs having guide means to engage the guide means provided on the sides of the outer hub portions. It is furthermore preferred to have radial holes in the hub portions so that water can be supplied to the spikes from the space surrounded by the hub portions.

An embodiment of a machine according to the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic representation through the first section of the machine, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the suspended conveyor,

FIGURE 2 is the second section, viewed in the same direction,

FIGURE 3 is a schematic showing of the upper part of the machine with the lower brushes removed,

FIGURE 4 is a schematic view of the lower part of the machine,

FIGURE 5 is a brush unit, viewed in perspective,

FIGURE 6 is a brush segment, viewed from the side,

FIGURE 7 is the hub segment according to FIGURE 6, viewed from the opposite side,

FIGURE 8 is an axial section through four hub segments, and

FIGURE 9 a section through a brush according to the invention, viewed 'from the side.

By means of a carrying rail 1 of a suspended conveyor pig carcasses 2 are advanced automatically in the direction of the arrow A in FIGURE 3 and the machine according to the invention is surrounded by screens 3 enclosing two successive compartments I and II which constitute the two sections of the machine. Between the said sections is provided a mechanism 4 known per se and adapted to turn the carcass about a vertical axis.

At the upper end of the first section are mounted two

brushes

5 and 6 on one side of a vertical plane through the carrying rail 1. According to FIGURE 1 the said two brushes are located at the same distance from the carrying rail, but at slightly different levels. On the other side of the said plane is provided a brush 7 at a slightly lower level than the

brushes

5 and 6.

At the lower end of the section 1 are provided two

brushes

8 and 9 on the same side as the

brushes

5 and 6, substantially at the same distance from the vertical plane 10 through the carrying rail 1 as the

discs

5 and 6, and

3 on the opposite side of the said plane are provided two

brushes

11 and 12.

As will appear from FIGURE 5, each brush is mounted on abar 13 which together with another bar 14 constitutes a bracket pivotally supported on a fixed frame (not shown) in such manner that the bar 13 may be pivoted in a vertical plane about the axis of rotation 15 of the bracket. To the bracket is attached a motor 16 driving the brush 5, and the bracket is so formed that the force of gravity acting on the unit in the working position of the brush will tend to force the said unit towards the plane 10 so that the brush is pressed against the surface of the carcass 2.

The bracket 13 may be provided with an adjustable guide rod 23 (FIGURE 5) to keep the carcass at a definite distance from the brush disc 5 during the passage of the carcass.

There may also be provided a feeler member which cooperates with the pigs head and is capable of-via an adjustment mechanismautomatically adjusting the level of the brush discs in accordance with the varying lengths of the different pigs.

The brush, which is shown in detail in FIGURES 6-9, consists of a plurality of hub portions mounted side by side to form a tube 24 (FIGURE 9). Each annular hub portion is composed of a number of segments 25 moulded of a suitable plastic material of the necessary strength and flexibility, and being in particular capable of resisting a multitude of bendings. As will appear from FIGURE 6, the segment 25 carries a plurality of spikes 26, only five of these, however, being shown, but it is to be understood that the spikes are everywhere as densely disposed as indicated in the left-hand side of the figure.

Each spike is formed as a lamella of a width somewhat greater than its thickness as will appear from FIG- URE 8, and the flat part of the lamella is facing the direction of rotation of the brush, indicated by an arrow in FIGURE 6. From the said figure it will be seen that each spike 26 has its lower rectilinear part extending radially from the hub segment 25 while its upper part 27 is bent along a curve of comparatively great radius and having the spike ends pointing forwardly in the d1rectron of rotation. This is a very essential design with a view to ensure effective treatment of the carcass surface by the spikes. Each hub segment 25 is provided with a pro ecting part 28 which is adapted to be received in a corresponding recess 29 at the end of the success ve hub segment and to be attached thereto by snap action, pms 30 on either side of the projection 28 engaging holes 31. On either side of each hub segment are furthermore provided peripherally extending grooves 32 and ribs 33. As will appear from FIGURE 8, the ribs 33 engage the grooves 32, and owing to the arrangement of these the segments 25 can only be mounted beside each other in staggered relationship, so that the joints between the individual segments of an annular hub portion are staggered in relation to the hub portions located side by side.

As will appear from FIGURE 9, the hub portions are assembled by means of

discs

34 and 35 which are resting in contact with the outwardly facing sides of the outer hub portions, and they are provided with corresponding ribs and grooves such as shown in FIGURE 8 to engage the grooves 32 and the ribs 33 of the hub segments. The whole brush is very securely assembled by means of a nut 36 on a shaft 37.

The shaft 37, which is identical with the shaft of the electromotor 16, is provided with a passage 38 which opens into the inner space 39 that is surrounded by the hub portions 25, and as will appear from FIGURE 8 the hub portions have radial passages 40 communicating at their lower end with the space 39. Water supplied through the passage 38 may thus be conveyed to all the brush spikes 26 so that these are cleaned and the surface of the carcass supplied with water during its treatment.

In comparatively small brushes it is not necessary to build up the hub portions of segments 25. It will be possible to mould the hub portions as integral annular members carrying all the spikes 26, but in the case of large brushes it will often be necessary for purposes of manufacture to assemble the hub rings of segments.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rotatable brush for treating a pig carcass comprising an assembly of a plurality of arcuate hub portions, each of said hub portions interlocked axially and circumferentially with similar hub portions to form said brush, each of said hub portions consisting of a substantially rigid, arcuate rail member provided with a plurality of spike members, each of said spike members being integrally attached at one end thereof to the outer surface of said arcuate rail member and extending substantially radially therefrom and having an axial width at the point of attachment to the arcuate rail member substantially equal to the axial width of said arcuate rail member, and each of said spike members at the other end being curved in the direction of rotation of said brush.

2. The rotatable brush of claim 1 wherein each arcuate rail member is provided at opposite arcuate ends with means circumferentially interlocking said hub portion with arcuately adjacent similar hub portions.

3. The rotatable brush of claim 2 wherein said interlocking means includes on one of said opposite ends of said arcuate rail member projection means on the surface thereof with pin means, and on the other end of said arcuate rail member recess means having aperture means removably engaging the projection means of the next circumferentially similar adjacent hub portion whereby the pin means of said next adjacent hub portion is yieldably received into said aperture means.

4. The rotatable brush of claim 1 wherein opposite sides of each arcuate rail member are provided with means axially interlocking said hub portion with axially adjacent similar hub portions.

5. The rotatable brush of claim 4 wherein said axial interlocking means includes on each of said opposed sides of said arcuate rail member groove means and rib means, the groove means of one of said opposed sides being in substantial alignment with a rib means of the other of said opposed sides, said groove means and rib means interlocking with rib means and groove means respectively of similar and axially adjacent hub portions whereby said interlocked hub portions are in circumferential staggered relation with each other.

6. The rotatable brush of claim 1 wherein each of said arcuate rail members is provided with a radial aperture opening between adjacent spike members to provide passage of water to said adjacent spike members.

7. The rotatable brush of claim 1 including means for securing said circumferentially and axially interlocked plurality of hub portions in assembled relationship comprising disc means mounted on the outermost sides of the assembled hub portions and having corresponding interlocking means engaged with the grooves and ribs of said outermost sides of said assembled hub portions.

8. A hub member adaptable to be assembled in axial and circumferential interlocking relation with similar hub portions to provide a rotatable brush for treating a pig carcass comprising a substantially rigid arcuate rail member provided with a plurality of spike members, each of said spike members being integrally attached at one end thereof to the outer surface of said arcuate rail member and extending substantially radially therefrom and having an axial width at the point of attachment to said rail member substantially equal to the axial width of said rail member, each of said spike members at the other end being curved, said arcuate rail member being provided at opposite arcuate ends with means for circumferentially interlocking said hub portion with arcuately adjacent similar hub portions, said circumferential interlocking means comprising projection means provided on the surface thereof with pin means at one of said opposed ends and recess means provided with aperture means at the other of said opposed ends, said recess means adapted to removably engage similar projection means of a next circumferentially adjacent similar hub portion whereby said pin means of said next adjacent hub portion is yieldably received into said aperture means and wherein opposed sides of said arcuate rail member are provided with means for axially interlocking said hub portion with axially adjacent similar hub portions comprising groove means and rib means on each opposed side, the groove means of one of said opposed sides being in substantial alignment with the rib means of the other of said opposed sides, said groove means and rib means adaptable to interlock with rib means and groove means respectively of similar and axially adjacent hub portions whereby said interlocked hub portions are in circumferential staggered relation with each other.

9. The hub member of claim 8 wherein said arcuate rail member is provided With a radial aperture opening between adjacent spike members to provide passage of water to said adjacent spike members.

10. A hub member adaptable to be assembled in axial interlocking relation with similar hub members to provide a rotatable brush for treating a pig carcass comprising a substantially rigid annular rail member provided with a plurality of spike members, each of said spike members being integrally attached at one end thereof to the outer surface of said annular rail member and extending substantially radially therefrom and having an axial width at the point of attachment to said rail member substantially equal to the axial width of said rail member, each of said spike members at the other end being curved, opposed sides of said annular rail member being provided with means for axially interlocking said hub member with axially adjacent similar hub members comprising groove means and rib means on each opposed side, the groove means of one of said opposed sides being in substantial alignment with the rib means of the other of said opposed sides, said groove means and rib means adaptable to interlock with rib means and groove means respectively of similar and axially adjacent hub members.

11. A rotatable brush for treating a pig carcass comprising an assembly of a plurality of annular hub members, each of said hub members interlocked axially with similar hub members to form said brush, each of said hub members consisting of a substantially rigid annular rail member provided with a plurality of spike members, each of said spike members being integrally attached at one end thereof to the outer surface of said annular rail member and extending substantially radially therefrom and having an axial width at the point of attachment to the annular rail member substantially equal to the axial width of said annular rail member, each of said spike members at the other end being curved in the direction of rotation of said brush and opposed sides of each of said annular rail members being provided with axial interlocking means comprising groove means and rib means, the groove means of one of said opposed sides being in substantial alignment with the rib means of the other of said opposed sides, said groove means and rib means interlocking with rib means and groove means respectively of similar and axially adjacent hub members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 882,719 3/1908 Smith 17--14 889,716 6/1908 Preston 1716 1,332,401 3/1920 Kohlhepp 17-18 1,617,002 2/1927 Zerbe 17-14 2,492,065 12/1949 Rayburn 17-18 X 3,021,557 2/1962 Pinta et a1. 1717 3,119,145 1/1964 Weprin 1714 X LUCIE H. LAUDENSLAGER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

10. A HUB MEMBER ADAPTABLE TO BE ASSEMBLED IN AXIAL INTERLOCKING RELATION WITH SIMILAR HUB MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A ROTATABLE BRUSH FOR TREATING A PIG CARCASS COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID ANNULAR RAIL MEMBER PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPIKE MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID SPIKE MEMBERS BEING INTEGRALLY ATTACHED AT ONE END THEREOF TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULAR RAIL MEMBER AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY THEREFROM AND HAVING AN AXIAL WIDTH AT THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT TO SAID RAIL MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE AXIAL WIDTH OF SAID RAIL MEMBER, EACH OF SAID SPIKE MEMBERS AT THE OTHER END BEING CURVED, OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID ANNULAR RAIL MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR AXIALLY INTERLOCKING SAID HUB MEMBER WITH AXIALLY ADJACENT SIMILAR HUB MEMBERS COMPRISING