WO1988002601A1

WO1988002601A1 - A method and apparatus for pelting or skinning an animal

Info

Publication number: WO1988002601A1
Application number: PCT/DK1987/000121
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bent Juul Larsen
Original assignee: Granly Trykluft Aps
Priority date: 1986-10-09
Filing date: 1987-10-08
Publication date: 1988-04-21
Also published as: FI882727A; FI882727A0; AU8106987A; DK367087D0; DK367087A

Abstract

When an animal, such as a fur animal (25) is to be skinned or pelted, the pelt or skin is cut or slit along the hind legs of the animal, whereafter the skin is loosened along the cut and the inside or flesh side of the skin is turned out. Then, the front part of the animal is inserted in a bag-shaped, flexible membrane (34) which is mounted within a holder or container (10) open at one end. The loosened and turned skin portion (41, 42) is now fastened in relation to the holder or container by means of skin fastening means (38-40), and the skin or pelt is drawn off the carcass or body of the animal by expelling the animal from the holder or container by means of an expulsion member (13) which is connected to the bottom part of the bag-shaped membrane (34). This expulsion member is preferably pneumatically or hydraulically driven. During the expulsion operation the membrane may be pressed into close contact with the animal (25) by introducing a pressure medium, such as pressurized air, into a space (36) defined between the holder or container wall and the membrane through a conduit (37). The holder or container (10) is preferably movably mounted on a stationary frame (32) so that the holder or container is moved backwards from a starting position when the expulsion member is moved in the opposite direction towards an advanced position outside the holder or container.

Description

A method and apparatus for pelting or skinning an animal

When an animal such as a fur animal is to be skinned or pelted, the pelt or skin is cut or slit along the hind legs of the animal, whereafter the skin is loosened along the cut and the inside or flesh-side of the skin is turned out. The hind legs of the animal are now fastened to some kind of support whereafter the loosened and turned free skin portion is exposed to a manually exerted pulling force, whereby the pelt or skin may be drawn from the carcass or body of the animal. The pulling force to be exerted in order to draw the pelt or skin from a fur animal may be quite substantial. Therefore, when a large number of animals are to be skinned or pelted - such as in mink farms or other fur animal farms - the manual work involved in the skinning or pelting operation is rather tiring and strenuous.

In connection with pelting or skinning larger animals, such as sheep, beef stock, pigs, goats and the like, it is known to suspend the animal body or carcass in a pulling device, such as a tackle, and to fasten the loosened rim portion of the pelt or skin to a stationary support. When the animal is pulled upwards by means of the tackle or pull¬ ing device, the pelt or skin will be drawn from the carcass or body of the animal, cf. for example U.S. patents Nos. 3,336,628, 4,099,294, and 4,299,010. While the skinning or pelting apparatuses and methods disclosed in these U.S. patents may be useful for pelting larger animals, these prior methods would be much to complicated, incon¬ venient and time consuming in connection with pelting or skinning smaller fur animals, such as minks.

The present invention provides a method which is especially useful in connection with pelting or skinning smaller animals, such as minks, which are easily handled.

Thus, the present invention provides a method of pelting or skinning an animal, said method comprising cutting or slitting the pelt or skin of the animal at a first end of the animal so as to provide a free skin portion, gripping said skin portion, and drawing the skin or pelt with its inside turned out from the animal carcass or body, and the method according to the invention is characterized in arranging the animal within an open- ended holder or container with said first end of the animal adjacent to the open end of the container, fastening the free skin portion in relation to the holder or container, and subjecting an opposite second end portion of the animal to an expulsion pressure so as to expel the animal from the holder or container through its open end. An operator only needs to place the animal in the holder or container and to fasten the loosened skin portion in relation thereto. Thereafter, the animal may be expelled from the holder or container by an expulsion force provided pneumatically, hydraulically, mechanically, or in any other suitable manner. The expulsion may, of course, also take place manually, for example by means of an expulsion member which may be moved manually by means of lever, a screw spindle or by another type of mechanical advantage. Thus, in any case the pelt or skin may be drawn from the animal carcass or body without requiring any substantial manual effort from the operator.

The holder or container, which may, for example, be in the form of an open-ended, but otherwise closed cylinder, or of a lattice or grid container, may in principle be oriented in any direction. The operator's work of arranging the animal in the holder or container is, however, facilitated when the holder or container is oriented obliquely upwards and is arranged with it open end upwards, as it is then easy to insert the animal in the holder or container with its head downwards.

The pelting or skinning operation using the method of the invention is highly facilitated when the movement of the animal is suitably guided during the expulsion from the holder or container. Such a guidance may, for example, be performed by a suitable pulling force being exerted manually or otherwise to the part of the hind quarters of the animal from which the skin has been turned off. In the method according to the inven¬ tion the animal is advantageously guided in relation to the holder or container by means of a bag-shaped, flexible membrane which is fastened to the container and is fitted snugly around the animal. The membrane is then turned off the animal simul¬ taneously with the turning off of the skin or pelt from the animal carcass or body. As mentioned above, this membrane has to be flexible so that it can be turned, but prefer¬ ably it should only exhibit low elasticity, and may, for example, correspond to the mate¬ rial used for the production of fire hoses. The rim of the bag-shaped membrane may be fastened to the wall of the container or the rim of the container surrounding the open end of the container in such a manner that a space is defined between the membrane and the end wall of the container. This space may then selectively be brought into connection with a source of pressurized fluid, for example pressurized air. When a fur animal has been arranged in the container and in the bag-shaped membrane therein, and pressurized air is supplied to the space defined between the membrane and the container wall, the membrane will be pressed into close contact with the body of the fur animal, and at the same time the membrane and thus the fur animal will be pressed in a direction towards the open end of the container. Thus, in principle the membrane may constitute the displaceable expulsion member. However, in the preferred embodi¬ ment the bottom end of the bag-shaped membrane is connected to a more rigid expul¬ sion member which is moved along the longitudinal axis of the container and thus also serves to centre the membrane.

When the free portion or edge of the skin or pelt formed by the slitting has been fas¬ tened at the open end of the holder or container, the expulsion member has to be moved out through the open end of the holder or container to an advanced position which is located at a substantial distance outside the container in order to draw the skin or pelt completely off the fur animal. This may be less convenient for the operator who has to arrange the fur animal in the holder or container and fasten the skin edge in relation thereto, and who therefore normally stands or sits closely adjacent to the open end of the holder or container. According to the invention this problem may be solved by moving the holder or container backwards from a starting position and opposite to the direction of movement of the expulsion member when this expulsion member is moved towards an advanced position outside the holder or container during expulsion of the animal, so that the outermost part of the expulsion member in its advanced position at the most extends to the position of the open end of the holder or container in the starting position.

The present invention also provides an apparatus for pelting or skinning an animal and comprising releasable skin fastening means for releasably holding a free skin portion and means for moving the carcass or body of the animal in relation to the skin fasten¬ ing means so as to draw the pelt or skin of the animal from the carcass or body thereof with the flesh-side of the pelt or skin turned out, and the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the carcass or body moving means comprises an elongated holder or container which is open at one end for receiving the animal therein, and an expulsion member which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the holder or container for expelling the animal body or carcass therefrom. The loosened and turned skin portion or skin edge at the hind quarters of the animal may then be fas¬ tened in relation to the container by means of the releasable skin holding means, and when the expulsion member is then displaced from its starting position inside the con¬ tainer in a direction towards the open end of the holder, the fur animal will be expelled from the holder or container, and at the same time the skin or pelt will be drawn from the animal.

The expulsion member may be activated manually or mechanically in any suitable manner, but in the preferred embodiment it is mounted on the piston rod of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder by means of which the expulsion member may be moved. The operator then only needs to activate a valve to start the movement of the expulsion member so that the animal is expelled from the holder or container.

The fastening means which serve to hold the free skin portion loosened at the hind quarters of the animal in relation to the holder or container may have any suitable form.

Thus, they may comprise two skin or pelt engagement surfaces movable towards each other, for example clamps, the jaws of which are pressed against each other by means of springs or other resilient means. In the preferred embodiment a mutual movement of the pelt engagement surfaces against and away from each other is performed pneumatically, for example by means of pneumatic cylinders. In a more simple embodi¬ ment one of the skin engagement surfaces is stationary while the other is formed on an inflatable member, for example an inflatable elastic hose.

According to the invention the apparatus may have a bag-shaped flexible membrane having a rim portion fastened to the holder or container adjacent to the open end there¬ of and extending into the holder or container so as to define a closed space between the inner wall of the holder or container and the bag-shaped membrane, and valve means may be provided to connect this space with a pressure medium source. Then, as explained above, it is possible to obtain an improved guidance of the animal body or carcass during the expulsion.

The holder or container may, for example, have a length which is approximately double the length of the animal, and the skin fastening means may then be arranged near the middle of the container. The skin or pelt will then be drawn substantially completely free of the body or carcass of the fur animal when the expulsion member has been advanced to the open end of the container. However, the apparatus is easiest to oper¬ ate if the skin fastening means are arranged at or adjacent to the open end of the con¬ tainer. The holder or container therefore preferably has a length which substantially corresponds to the length of the fur animal, and the expulsion member may then have a stroke length which is approximately double the length of the holder or container. When the body or carcass of the fur animal is expelled from the holder or container, the turned out skin or pelt of the animal will be able to serve as guide for the body until the pelt or skin has been drawn completely free of the body which will then fall down on the ground or the floor. In order to guide the body or carcass of the fur animal further during expulsion from the container, a support having a length which substan- tially corresponds to the length of the holder or container and being adapted to support the part of the fur animal body or carcass which has been expelled from the container, may be formed at the upper end of the container. According to the invention, the holder or container may be movably mounted on a stationary frame, and the holder or container, the expulsion member and the frame may then be interconnected by means of connecting means so as to move the holder or container backwards from a starting position, when the expulsion member is moved in the opposite direction towards an advanced position outside the holder or container. Thus the expulsion member in its advanced position will not bother an operator who has to arrange the fur animals in the apparatus and remove the drawn skins therefrom.

The invention will now be further illustrated with reference to the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention comprising a cylinder-shaped container having an expulsion plunger arranged therein, the plunger being shown in a retracted position, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view as that shown in Fig. 1 , but with the expulsion plunger in an advanced position, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sectional views of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, with an expulsion member in retracted and advanced posi¬ tions, respectively.

The apparatus shown in the drawings has a cylinder-shaped container 10 which is arranged with its axis extending obliquely upwards and which is open at its upper end. The upper end of the container 10 is mounted on the inner side of a front plate 11 which, together with the container 10, is mounted on a frame (not shown). The periph¬ eral wall of the container 10 is arranged around an inlet opening 12 formed in the front plate 11 , which inlet opening 12 is aligned with the inner space of the container 10. An expulsion plunger 13 is arranged inside the cylindrical container 10 and is mounted at the outer free end of a piston rod 14 of a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 15 which is arranged coaxially with the cylindrical container 10. The piston rod 14 may be moved to an advanced position by a driving piston 16 arranged within the pneumatic cylinder 15 by supplying compressed air to a chamber 18 in the cylinder 15 via a conduit 17, while another cylinder chamber 19 is simultaneously vented to the atmosphere via a conduit 20, and the piston 16 and piston rod 14 may be moved to a retracted position by intro¬ ducing compressed air into the chamber 19 via the conduit 20, while the chamber 18 is vented through the conduit 17.

A clamping collar 21 encircling the inlet opening 12 is arranged on the front plate 11 in spaced relationship therewith, and an inflatable annular hose 22, which also encircles the inlet opening 12, is mounted on the front plate and arranged between this plate and the clamping collar 21 , but closely spaced from the latter. Compressed air may be supplied to the hose 22 via a conduit 23. When the skin or pelt 24 is to be drawn from a fur animal 25, for example a mink, the skin is first cut or slit along the hind legs of the animal, whereafter the skin is loosened along the cut and pulled away from the hindquarters of the animal body. The animal 25 is now arranged within the container 10 with its head downwards, while the expulsion plunger 13 is in its lower, retracted position. The nose region of the animal may, for example, be received in a depression 26 formed in the expulsion plunger 13 as shown. The operator may now insert the free edge portion 27 of the skin between the non- inflated annular hose 22 and the clamping collar 21 , whereafter the skin edge 27 is clamped between the hose 22 and the clamping collar by compressed air being sup- plied to the hose 22 via the conduit 23. The compressed air may, for example, be sup¬ plied to the conduit 23 by means of a foot-operated valve (not shown). The expulsion plunger 13 is then actuated by compressed air being supplied to the chamber 18 via the conduit 17, while the chamber 19 is vented via the conduit 20. The fur animal is now expelled from the container 10 by means of the plunger 13, while the skin edge 27 is retained, which causes the skin or pelt 24 to be pulled off the carcass or body of the animal in an inside-out manner, as shown in Fig. 2. In order for the skin 24 to be pulled completely off the animal carcass or body, the plunger 13 must be moved a distance outwards through the inlet opening 12, and to support the animal body and to guide the expulsion plunger 13 during the last part of the skinning operation, the apparatus may be provided with a trough-shaped guiding plate 28 arranged at the lower part of the clamping collar 21 as shown in Fig^'. 2, and the concave upper surface of the guid¬ ing plate may form an extension of the inner surface of the container 10.

When the skin or pelt 24 has been pulled completely off the carcass or body of the animal 25, the latter will be released and fall down while the skin or pelt 24 will remain hanging with its flesh-side turned out. The skin may, however, be released by venting the hose 22 by operation of the foot valve. The expulsion plunger 13 is now returned to its retracted, lower position, by supplying compressed air to the chamber 19 via the conduit 20 while the chamber 18 is vented to the atmosphere via the conduit 17. The control of the operation of the pneumatic cylinder 15 and thus of the function of the expulsion plunger 13 may, for example, be carried out by means of an electric switch

29 which may control a solenoid-operated compressed air valve. Alternatively, the cylinder 15 may be operated at the same time as the operation of the inflatable annular hose 22, for example so that the expulsion plunger 13 automatically starts expelling the fur animal from the container 10 as soon as the hose 22 has been inflated, and that the expulsion plunger 13 is automatically returned when the hose 22 is vented to the atmosphere. Figs. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. However, the parts corresponding to parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are provided with the same reference numerals. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the cylinder- shaped container 10 is provided with wheels or rollers 30 which may run on rails or tracks 31 mounted on a stationary frame 32. The cylinder 15 is of the type which is without a piston rod, and the piston associated with the cylinder is connected with an upright 33 affixed to the frame 32. This means that the cylinder 15 and its associated container 10 will be moved backwards when the expulsion plunger 13 is moved for¬ wards in relation to the container 10. Thus, in the advanced position of the expulsion plunger 13 shown in Fig. 4, the expulsion plunger will not extend beyond the front of the apparatus.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a bag-shaped membrane 34 of a flexible material is arranged inside the container 10, and the edge 35 of the membrane is fas¬ tened to the container 10 around the open end thereof so that an airtight space 36 is defined between the inner wall of the container 10 and the membrane 34. Compressed air or another pressurized medium may be supplied to the space 36 via a supply con¬ duit 37. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the clamping collar 21 is replaced by three clamping or fastening means 38 which may be moved into and out of engage¬ ment with a flange 40 arranged around the open end of the container 10. The fastening means 38 are movable by means of respective compressed air cylinders 39 and are adapted to fasten the tail 41 and the hind legs 42, respectively, of the fur animal 25 in relation to the container. Compressed air or another pressurized medium may be sup¬ plied to the cylinders 39 via supply conduits 43.

When the operator has arranged a fur animal 25 in the bag-shaped membrane 34 as shown in Fig. 3, and the tail 41 and hind legs 42 of the animal, after the required slitting of the skin, have been clamped between the clamping means 38 and the flange 40 by actuation of the pneumatic cylinders 39, the operator actuates a valve device (not shown), which causes compressed air to be supplied to the cylinder 15 via the conduit 17 and at the same time to the space 36 via the conduit 37. Thus, the membrane 34, the inner end of which is fastened to the expulsion plunger 13 as shown in Fig. 3, is pressed into firm contact with the animal body 25, and at the same time the plunger 13 with the membrane 34 and the animal 25 received therein is pressed outwards. During this expulsion operation the animal body 25 will be guided by the membrane 34 which will be turned inside-out as the skin 24 is pulled off the animal 25. When the expulsion plunger 13 has reached its advanced position shown in Fig. 4, the skin 24 with its flesh side turned out surrounds and covers the membrane 34 which is now turned complete¬ ly inside-out. By venting the compressed air cylinders 39 the skin 24 may be released and removed, and the plunger 13 with the membrane may now be returned to its re¬ tracted starting position by venting the conduit 17 and supplying compressed air to the 5 conduit 20. Thereafter, the process just described may be repeated. The membrane 34 is preferably of a flexible material which permits the said turning inside-out, but the material must be sufficiently stiff to prevent the membrane from being inflated like a balloon in the position shown in Fig. 4.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications of the embodiments

10 shown in the drawings may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the container 10 of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 need not have a closed peripheral wall. This wall may, for example, be replaced by a number of longitudinally extending, peripherally spaced rods. Furthermore, the expulsion plunger 13 need not necessarily be driven by means of a pneumatic cylinder. This pneumatic cylinder may,

15 for example, be replaced by a hydraulic cylinder or by a mechanical driving device which may carry out the desired displacement of the expulsion plunger, for example a screw-nut drive or a rack and pinion drive. Further, the upright 33 may be replaced by a link or lever mechanism interconnecting the cylinder 15 and the container 10 with the

_- frame 32 in such a manner that the container is only moved half the distance back¬ wards in relation to the frame as the plunger 13 is moved forwards in relation to the container. The plunger 13 will then in its advanced position shown in Fig. 4 have sub¬ stantially the same position as the flange 40 of the container in the starting position shown in Fig. 3. As the size of the container 10 - both with regard to diameter and ₅ length - should preferably be approximately adapted to the size of the animal 25 to be skinned, the apparatus may conveniently have two or more adjacent containers 10 having different dimensions. For example two different containers may be used, one intended for male animals and one for the generally smaller females. The mutual move¬ ment between the holder or container 10 and the frame 32, which - in the embodiment ₀ shown in Figs. 3 and 4 - is obtained by fixing the piston of the cylinder 15 in relation to the frame and by moving the container together with the cylinder itself, may also be obtained by means of a suitable chain drive. For example, one end of a chain which is passed over a sprocket mounted on the frame 32 may be fastened to the cylinder which is displaceable in relation to the frame, while the other end of the chain may be

. fastened to the piston of the cylinder.

Claims

1. A method of pelting or skinning an animal (25), said method comprising cutting or slitting the pelt or skin (24) of the animal (25) at a first end of the animal so as to pro¬ vide a free skin portion (27), gripping said skin portion, and drawing the skin or pelt with its inside turned out from the animal carcass or body, characterized in arranging the animal (25) within an open-ended holder or container (10) with said first end of the animal adjacent to the open end (12) of the container, fastening the free skin portion (27) in relation to the holder or container (10), and sub¬ jecting an opposite, second end portion of the animal to an expulsion pressure so as to expel the animal from the holder or container through its open end.

2. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the animal (25) is expelled from the holder or container (10) by means of an expulsion member (13, 34) which is arranged within the holder or con¬ tainer and is movable outwardly through the open end (12) thereof.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in guiding the animal (25) when being expelled from the holder or con¬ tainer by means of a bag-shaped, flexible membrane (34) which is fitted snugly around the animal and turned off the animal simultaneously with the turning off of the skin or pelt (24) from the animal carcass or body.

4. A method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in moving the holder or container (10) backwards from a starting position and opposite to the direction of movement of the expulsion member (13, 34) when this expulsion member is moved towards an advanced position outside the holder or con¬ tainer during expulsion of the animal.

5. An apparatus for pelting or skinning an animal (25) and comprising releasable skin fastening means (21, 22, 38-40) for releasably holding a free skin portion (27) and means (13, 34) for moving the carcass or body of the animal in relation to the skin fastening means so as to draw the pelt or skin (24) of the animal (25) from the carcass or body thereof with the flesh-side of the pelt or skin turned out, characterized in that the carcass or body moving means comprises an elongated holder or container (10) which is open at one end (12) for receiving the animal (25) therein, and an expulsion member (13, 34) which is movable in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the holder or container (10) for expelling the animal body or carcass therefrom while the free skin portion is being held by the skin fastening means (21 , 22, 38-40).

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the moving means further comprises a pressure medium cylinder (15) having a piston rod (14) to which the expulsion member (13, 34) is connected so that the expulsion member may be moved within the holder or container by means of the pressure medium cylinder.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the moving means further comprises a bag-shaped flexible mem¬ brane (34) having a rim portion (35) fastened to the holder or container (10) adjacent to the open end (12) thereof and extending into the holder or container so as to define a closed space (36) between the inner wall of the holder or container and the bag-shaped membrane, and means (37) for providing a superatmospheric pressure within said space.

8. An apparatus according to any of the claims 5-7, 5 characterized in that the holder or container (10) has a length corresponding substan¬ tially to the length of the animal (25) to be pelted or skinned, and that the length of the stroke of the expulsion member (13, 34) is approximately double the length of the holder or container (10).

0 9. An apparatus according to any of the claims 5-8, characterized in that the holder or container (10) is movably mounted on a stationary frame (32) and that the holder or container (10), the expulsion member (13, 34) and the frame (32) are interconnected by connecting means (33) so as to move the holder or container (10) backwards from a starting position when the expulsion member is moved 5 in the opposite direction towards an advanced position outside the holder or container.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the connecting means (33) are adapted to move the holder or container backwards a distance which is at least half the distance which the expulsion _Q member is moved in a forward, opposite direction.

5