WO1991007095A1

WO1991007095A1 - A method in connection with the primal cutting of a carcass

Info

Publication number: WO1991007095A1
Application number: PCT/FI1990/000261
Authority: WO
Inventors: Harri Tamminen; Heimo Kirjavainen; Antti PIETILÄ
Original assignee: Tuottajain Lihakeskuskunta
Priority date: 1989-11-08
Filing date: 1990-10-31
Publication date: 1991-05-30
Also published as: FI895310A0; AU6602290A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method in connection with the primal cutting of a carcass and with the cutting of the primal cuts, wherein the cutting of meat is carried out by means of a knife. In order to lighten and speed up the work, compressed air is fed between the lean meat portion (2) and the fat portion (3) before the cutting step in such a way that the lean meat portion (2) and the fat portion (3) are separated from each other along membranes without damaging the lean meat portion (2).

Description

A method in connection with the primal cutting of a carcass

The invention relates to a method in connection with the primal cutting of a carcass and with the cutting of the primal cuts, wherein the cutting of meat is carried out by means of a knife.

Such ways of cutting meat are today well-known. In the prior art meat is cut by means of a knife. A problem therewith is that the lean meat portion has to be separated from the fat portion solely by means of a knife, which is relatively strenuous for the worker. Due to the strenuousness of the work and the repetitive working movements, stress injuries are relatively common among the workers in the field. Absences caused by the stress injuries reduce con¬ siderably the productivity of the labour. Another drawback of the prior art methods and procedures is the distortion of the yield of raw material, which is due to the fact that the prior art methods and pro¬ cedures, which in many cases have been used for tens of years, do not particularly well meet the require¬ ments of today as the eating habits have changed con¬ siderably in the course of time. The object of the invention is to provide a method by means of which the drawbacks of the prior art can be eliminated. This is achieved by means of a method of the invention, which is characterized in that compressed air is fed between the lean meat por- tion and the fat portion before the cutting step in such a way that the lean meat portion and the fat portion are separated from each other along membranes without damaging the lean meat portion.

A major advantage of the invention is that it lightens the work. A further advantage is that it speeds up the work and makes it more precise. Still another advantage is that the work gets more inter¬ esting and safety at work is improved. This is be¬ cause the work becomes lighter and more versatile, that is, the cutting step is considerably lighter than in the prior art and the cutting is not performed at such a forced pace as previously because an essential step according to the invention is carried out by compressed air, which interrupts the relatively monotonous cutting procedure. It is well- known that the meaningfulness of work in view of the worker is increased and the productivity is improved if monotonous work is interrupted in a way suitable for the work process. In the invention, the use of compressed air both interrupts the work and lightens it, so that the invention provides a substantial im¬ provement over the prior art. A further advantage of the invention is that it is simple so that it can be applied without any extensive and costly apparatus investments. For this reason, the method of the in¬ vention can be applied in an advantageous manner in existing slaughterhouses and other similar meat pro¬ cessing installations.

In the following the invention will be de- scribed in greater detail by means of a preferred embodiment shown in the attached drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates the use of the method of the invention in the production of straight-cut ham; and ^' Figure 2 illustrates the penetration of com¬ pressed air between the lean meat portion and the fat portion.

Figure 1 shows generally the use of the method of the invention in the production of straight-cut ham. The reference numeral 1 indicates generally a cut from which so-called . straight-cut ham is produced.

According to the basic idea of the invention, compressed air is fed between a lean meat portion 2 and a fat portion 3 in such a manner that the lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3 are separated from each other along membranes between these por¬ tions without damaging the lean meat portion 2. The cutting itself is carried out by means of a knife. The lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3, often called simply the joint and the fat in the art, appear from Figure 2.

Compressed air can be fed between the lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3 by means of a prong- like nozzle 4 to be inserted between the portions.

The idea of the invention is that when com¬ pressed air is fed between the lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3 as shown in the figures, it is passed on along obstacles coming in front of it, such as membranes, so that it separates said portions 2 and 3 from each other. The cutting itself is then carried out lightly with a knife along boundary lines formed by the membranes. The pressure of compressed air has to be chosen so that the air will not penet- rate through the lean meat portion but along the boundary lines of the lean meant portion. The inven¬ tion thus utilizes the natural boundary lines of the lean meat portions 2, that is, the lean meat portion and the fat portion are separated from each other by compressed air led along the natural boundaries of the portions, whereafter the cutting is carried out with a knife along cutting lines 5 formed by the com¬ pressed air. The cutting line 5 formed by the com¬ pressed air, that is, the line along which the knife is passed at the cutting step, is shown in Figure 2 . This way of cutting can be called anatomic as the knife does not penetrate the lean meat portion.

A major advantage of the invention is that the hard cutting step of the prior art methods, that is, the separation of the lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3, is carried out by compressed air in the invention. In the prior art, the separation of the lean meat portion 2 and the fat portion 3 is wholly carried out with a knife, which requires great effort and heavy torsional movements which further increase the amount of work to be carried out when cutting up a carcass. The invention eliminates the above draw¬ backs so that the productivity of work is improved because the work is lighter and more versatile than previously.

The embodiment described above is by no means intended to restrict the invention, but the invention can be modified as desired within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the equipment utilizing the invention need not necess¬ arily be exactly similar to that shown in the figures, but other solutions are possible as well. The invention is in no way restricted to the production of straight-cut ham described above, but the invention can be applied to the production of any other corresponding meat products. The method of the invention can be applied in the handling of the car¬ casses of pigs, cattle, etc.

Claims

Claims:

1. A method in connection with the primal cutting of a carcass and with the cutting of the primal cuts, wherein the cutting of meat is carried out by means of a knife, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that compressed air is fed between the lean meat portion (2) and the fat portion (3) before the cutting step in such a way that the lean meat portion (2) and the f t portion (3) are separated from each other along membranes without damaging the lean meat portion (2).

2. A method according to claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that compressed air is fed between the lean meat portion (2) and the fat portion (3) by means of a pronglike nozzle means (4) inserted between said portions.