WO2022226670A1

WO2022226670A1 - Branding machine for animal carcasses

Info

Publication number: WO2022226670A1
Application number: PCT/CL2021/050035
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pedro Hernan RODRIGUEZ GONZALEZ; Luis Edgardo MOLINA ROSALES; Cristian Marcelo SANDOVAL BRAVO; Diego Armando PIZARRO AVENDAÑO; Fernando Andrés GONZALEZ SOTO; Gerson Alejandro CÁRCAMO ARAVENA
Original assignee: Agrosuper S.A:
Priority date: 2021-04-28
Filing date: 2021-04-28
Publication date: 2022-11-03
Also published as: CL2022003527A1

Abstract

A branding machine for the unboned meat or carcasses of animals (28) such as, for example, cattle or pigs, that enables the automation of the marking process of the halves (29, 30) of said unboned meat or carcasses of animals (28) that hang from a feed line (31) by means of a plurality of hooks (31), where said machine has marking heads (11a, 11b) that brand said halves (29, 30). The machine consists of a supporting structure (1) whereon a set of platforms (2) is installed, these acting as a floor for an operator to be able to move on and to operate said branding machine, and as the lower protection for a displacement mechanism (4) that supports and moves a marking carriage (3) having a supporting base (10) to support said marking heads (11a, 11b), the entire perimeter of the set of platforms (2) being surrounded by safety barriers (9), said structure (1) having laterally a lateral stairway (20) for access by the operator.

Description

HEAT MARKING MACHINE FOR ANIMAL CARCASSES

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the slaughtering industry of animals for human meat consumption, such as, for example, beef or pork. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heat tattooing machine for rods or carcasses of animals whose meat will be marketed. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of tattooing animal sticks or carcasses. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In animal slaughter plants, such as cattle or pigs, after they have been eviscerated, the rods or carcasses must be marked or tattooed with the necessary information to track them. In order to carry out this stage within the process, tattoo systems are used with inks that are impregnated in the leather or jowls of the shafts or carcasses, causing the chemical product that makes up the ink to remain in the leather, which it can be harmful for human consumption and unpleasant for sale on the market. The environment of the area tattooed with ink cannot be commercialized or its sale becomes complex due to the red color of the mark or tattoo. Normally, in a pig slaughter plant, the meat with the tattooed leather is discarded or withdrawn for confiscation according to the regulations of the competent authority. The amount of meat that is withdrawn or confiscated is of the order of 0.5 kg per rod or pig carcass and, depending on the size of the plant, this amount can reach 4.3 tons/day. In some industrial animal slaughter plants, the tattooing of beef or pork shafts or carcasses is carried out by means of ink, this action being carried out manually, which requires a greater number of operators, thereby causing a Slow down the production line. Therefore, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a machine that carries out the tattooing of the rod or carcass of the slaughtered animal, without using ink, in order to reduce the removal or confiscation of meat.

A second objective of the present invention is to provide a tattooing machine, which is synchronized with the flow of the rods or animal carcasses that hang from a hook in the transport line, allowing continuous tattooing within the production plant.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide a procedure that carries out the tattooing of the rod or carcass of the slaughtered animal, without using ink, in order to reduce the removal or confiscation of meat. In the state of the art there have been attempts to provide machines and procedures that provide tattooing of animal carcasses without using inks, but only using a mark with heat. Thus, for example, document US6901885 describes an apparatus for applying a tattoo mark to a pig carcass, before sending it to market. The pig carcass is placed inside a grading cage with a scale for detecting the weight of the pig, said cage having a grading gate operated by a control unit in response to the detected weight. The mark is applied by a tattoo head having marking members therein, whereby the impact of the tattoo head on the skin of the pig produces a tattoo mark and a drive mechanism for driving movement of the tattoo head from a retracted position to an operative position for impacting the skin. The drive mechanism is mounted on a separate mounting assembly and attached to the confinement cage. The control unit is arranged, in response to determining the weight of the pig above a predetermined limit, to operate the drive mechanism and apply the tattoo head to the pig's skin with market information.

Document ES2753302 discloses a manual apparatus for repeated local puncture of human or animal skin, with: a casing, in which a handle is formed, an actuation device, which is arranged in the casing and with which a rotational movement around an axis of rotation through a drive shaft. The apparatus has a conversion mechanism coupled to said drive shaft, which is disposed in the casing and is configured to convert rotational motion to drive motion along a drive motion direction, to forward motion. forwards and backwards, and a lancing device, which is arranged in the housing and has a lancing needle which is arranged on a needle shaft which can be moved back and forth repeatedly along with the lancing needle. along a path of movement and is connected to the conversion mechanism, in which the conversion mechanism features a rod crank device, and a stroke performed by the puncture needle, when moving back and forth is adjustable by changing a relative position between an address axial direction of the axis of rotation and the drive movement direction, characterized in that the direction of movement of the drive is not arranged parallel to the axial direction of the axis of rotation.

Document ES2107074 discloses a marking or printing apparatus consisting of a movable marking member having at least one marking device and a stationary heating structure having at least one heating element to maintain the marking device at a temperature elevated at least A part of the stationary heating structure can be exchanged, removed or modified in order to vary the amount of heat applied to the marking device. In a preferred implementation, the removable portion consists of a tubular heating tube extending into a hollow marker roll, and the heat pipe can be provided in different sizes or segments that can be added or removed as desired. The disclosed apparatus is of particular utility in connection with ink compositions of the type which are solid at normal room temperatures, and which are melting or flowing liquids at elevated temperatures.

None of the state-of-the-art documents discloses a heat tattooing machine for rods or carcasses of slaughtered animals, such as cattle or pigs, which has a support carriage that carries the tattoo heads, which moves forwards and backwards in a continuous manner. perpendicular to the transport line of the rods or carcasses, thereby allowing a tattooing machine to be formed, which is synchronized with the flow of the rods or animal carcasses that hang from a hook on said transport line. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat tattooing machine and method for animal rods or carcasses such as cattle or pigs. The machine preferably operates automatically, but is also adapted to be operated manually by an operator. Basically, the heat tattoo machine is built by a structure of profiles that form a frame on which a first platform is arranged to be used as a floor so that the operator of the machine can move when it works manually. , or, for the maintainer so that it can move during maintenance operations and, a second platform, arranged under the mechanisms that support and move the tattoo cart. The first and second platforms are surrounded by a safety rail attached to the machine frame. To access the first platform or floor of movement of the operator, the machine has a side ladder. The tattoo carriage is arranged at the front of the machine and protrudes from the front rail, leaving the heat tattoo heads in a position facing the rod or casing to be tattooed, which is divided into two symmetrical halves, right at the half of the animal, which comes already divided from the butchering process. The tattoo cart is made up of a support plate that has a front wall and a rear vertical wall, where from said rear wall two movement guides emerge that cross the front wall, which are located on the sides of a pneumatic cylinder whose rod crosses the front wall, joining said two guides and said stem with a plate support from which the tattoo heads emerge. When activating the pneumatic cylinder, its stem advances and moves the plate over the guides and forwards until the tattooing heads join the surface of the animal carcass leather. This operation is performed dynamically during the forward movement of the rod or carcass feeding line. The tattoo heads are heated through an electrical resistance located inside and at the distal end of them. The head temperature is controlled through a closed loop control system, which has a temperature sensor, a controller and a set point. The feed line advance of the animal carcasses is synchronized with a forward and reverse mechanism of the carriage. This mechanism is made up of support bearings confined within a protective box, which has an opening so that it can be traversed by a longitudinal fixed rail to the structure of the machine on which the bearings slide and rest. Under the protective box of bearings, a support bar emerges, at the lower end of which there is a box that has a fixed rack inside, which is hooked on an endless toothed belt moved at one end by a servomotor with a toothed drive pulley and connected to a toothed driven pulley at the second end. The servomotor has a controller that makes it rotate in a first direction so that the endless belt advances synchronously with the feeding line of the rods or casings, so that the tattoo heads arranged on the leather of the casing advance long enough to produce the tattooed and, later, once the tattooing time has elapsed, the controller turns the servomotor in a second direction, so that the endless belt goes back and the carriage is placed in a new initial tattooing position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are included to provide a better understanding of the invention and constitute part of this description and show one of the preferred executions.

Figure 1 shows a top left front perspective view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses. Figure 2 shows a lower left front perspective view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses.

Figure 3 shows a top right front perspective view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses.

Figure 4 shows a lower right front perspective view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses.

Figure 5 shows a front view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses.

Figure 6 shows a side view of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses. Figure 7 shows an upper left front exploded perspective view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses. Figure 8 shows a top right exploded perspective view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses.

Figure 9 shows a plan view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses, where the tattooing heads are in the extended position.

Figure 10 shows a plan view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses, where the tattooing heads are in the retracted position. Figure 11 shows a side view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses, where the tattooing heads are in the extended position.

Figure 12 shows a side view of the tattooing carriage of the heat tattooing machine for animal carcasses, where the tattooing heads are in the retracted position.

Figure 13 shows a top right rear perspective view of the animal carcass feeding line next to the heat tattooing machine for said animal carcasses.

Figure 14 shows a top left rear perspective view of the animal carcass feed line next to the heat tattooing machine for said animal carcasses.

Figure 15 shows a plan view illustrating a first relative movement between the tattooing carriage and the animal carcass feeding line. Figure 16 shows a plan view illustrating a second relative movement between the tattoo carriage and the animal carcass feed line.

Figure 17 shows a plan view illustrating a third relative movement between the tattoo carriage and the animal carcass feed line.

Figure 18 shows a plan view illustrating a fourth relative movement between the tattoo carriage and the animal carcass feed line. Figure 19 shows a plan view illustrating a fifth relative movement between the tattoo carriage and the animal carcass feed line.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a heat tattooing machine for rods or carcasses of animals such as, for example, cattle or pigs. The machine preferably operates automatically, but is also adapted to be operated manually by an operator. Basically, the heat tattoo machine is made up of a support structure (1) on which a set of platforms (2) is mounted that acts as a floor so that the operator can move and as a lower protector of a movement mechanism (4). ) that supports and moves a tattooing carriage (3) which moves forwards and backwards in sync with the feed line (32) of animal carcasses (28) to be tattooed. The entire perimeter of the set of platforms (2) is surrounded by safety rails (9). So that the operator can access the set of platforms (2) and operate the tattoo cart (3), the machine has a side ladder (20). All this, as exemplified in figures 1 to 19.

The support structure (1) is made up of four support columns (5) on which a frame (6) is attached that supports the set of platforms (2) and the safety rails (9).

The set of platforms (2) is made up of a first displacement platform (7) intended for the machine operator, when it operates in manual mode and so that the maintainer can move during the maintenance operation, and a second platform (8 ) arranged in front of and above the first movement platform (7), the latter being under the movement mechanism (4) that supports and moves the tattoo cart. In order for the operator to access the first displacement platform (7), a lateral ladder (20) is arranged on one side of the support structure (1).

The tattoo cart (3) is made up of a support base (10) which is formed by a floor (21) that has a front wall (22) and a rear wall (23). Within the space between the front and rear walls (22, 23), a pneumatic cylinder (24) is located centrally, which activates a carrier plate (26) that carries the tattoo heads (11 a, 11 b), so that when the stem of the pneumatic cylinder (24) extends, as do the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) until they contact the leather of the rod or carcass of the animal (28). The tattooing car (3) is synchronized with the feeding line (32) of rods or animal carcasses (28), so that when the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) have advanced enough to leave the tattooed casing, the piston rod of the pneumatic cylinder (24) retracts causing the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) to retract as well. To maintain the stability of the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) on the tattoo cart (3) during the tattooing process, the support base (10) has two displacement guides (25) which are located on the sides of the pneumatic cylinder. (24). These displacement guides (25) are attached to the carrier plate (26) and go through the front and rear walls (22, 23) allowing said carrier plate (26) not to twist during the extension and retraction of the tattoo heads (11a , 11b). The temperature of the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) is controlled through a closed loop control means, which has a temperature sensor, a controller and a set point.

The tattoo carriage (3) moves in synchronization with the feeding line (32) of rods or animal carcasses (28) by means of a movement mechanism (4). This movement mechanism (4) is made up of a protective bearing box (12) located under the floor (21) of the support base (10) of said tattoo cart (3), which houses inside some support bearings ( not shown) that move on a longitudinal fixed rail (13) and act as a support for the tattoo cart (3). The longitudinal fixed rail (13) crosses said bearing housing (12) through lateral openings (27), said longitudinal fixed rail (13) being attached to the support structure (1) of the tattoo machine. Under the bearing protection box (12), a vertical support bar (14) emerges, at the lower end of which there is an open compartment on its lateral faces, which houses a fixed rack (15) inside, which hooks into an endless toothed belt (16) that is moved at a first end by a servomotor (17) that drives a toothed driving pulley (18), said endless toothed belt (16) being connected at the second end to a toothed driven pulley (19 ). The servomotor (17) has a controller (not shown) that makes it rotate in a first direction, so that the endless toothed belt (16) advances linearly together with the feeding line (32) of animal carcasses (28). ), so that the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) arranged on the leather of the rod or casing (28) to be tattooed, advance a sufficient time to produce the mark or tattoo and, later, once the tattoo time has elapsed, The controller rotates the servomotor (17) in a second direction, so that the endless toothed belt (16) goes back, until positioning the tattoo carriage (3) in a new initial tattoo position.

In addition, the present invention refers to a method of tattooing animal sticks or carcasses (28), whose stages can be seen in figures 13 to 19, in which a feeding line (32) is shown with a plurality of hooks (31) from which hang the sticks or animal carcasses (28) to be tattooed. In the example shown in said figures, a rod or casing (28) is divided into two halves (29, 30) that must be tattooed. For this purpose, the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) previously heated to a previously determined temperature, are positioned facing both halves (29, 30). As shown in figure 15, the cycle begins with a first stage in which the tattooing heads (11a, 11 b) in an extended position and in contact with the halves (29, 30) of a first casing (28a) heat the leather while the tattooing car (3) advances together and at the same speed as the feeding line (32). Once the contact time between the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) and the halves (29, 30) of said first casing (28a) has elapsed, said tattooing heads (11a, 11b) retract, as shown shown in figure 16. Once the tattooing heads (11a, 11b) retract completely, the tattooing carriage moves back until it is positioned in front of the halves (29, 30) of a second casing (28b), as can be seen in Figures 17 and 18. After the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) are facing the halves (29, 30) of a second casing (28b), said tattoo heads (11a, 11b) extend from the tattoo carriage ( 3) until contacting said halves (29, 30) of said second casing (28b), thus continuing with the tattooing process.

Taking into account the previous description, it is possible to state the procedure for tattooing the halves (29, 30) of the rods or animal carcasses (28), which is carried out by means of the previously described tattooing machine, according to the following stages: (a) position the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) of the tattoo carriage

(3) facing said halves (29, 30) of a first animal carcass (28a);

(b) activate the pneumatic cylinder (24) to extend from the tattoo carriage (3) the carrier plate (26) that carries the tattoo heads (11a, 11 b), until said tattooing heads (11a, 11b) contact said two halves (29, 30) of said first casing (28a);

(c) advancing the tattoo carriage (3) with the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) at the same speed as the feed line (32); (d) waiting until said tattoo heads (11a, 11b) heated to a predetermined temperature, mark said two halves (29, 30) of said first shell (28a);

(e) retracting said tattooing heads (11a, 11b) towards the tattooing carriage (3); (f) moving the tattoo carriage (3) back until it is positioned in front of the halves (29, 30) of a second casing (28b);

(g) extending said tattoo heads (11a, 11b) until they contact said halves (29, 30) of said second housing (28b); Y

(h) repeating steps (a) to (g).

Claims

1.- A heat tattooing machine for rods or animal carcasses (28) such as, for example, cattle or pigs, which allows to automate the process of tattooing the halves (29, 30) of said rods or animal carcasses (28 ), which hang from a supply line (31) by means of a plurality of hooks (31), where said machine has tattoo heads (11a, 11b) that mark said halves (29, 30) by heat, CHARACTERIZED because It comprises a support structure (1) on which a set of platforms (2) is mounted that acts as a floor so that an operator can move and operate said tattoo machine and as a lower protector of a movement mechanism (4) that supports and moves a tattoo cart (3) that has a support base (10) to support said tattoo heads (11 a, 11 b), the entire perimeter of the set of platforms (2) being surrounded by safety rails (9), laterally having said structure (1) a side ladder (20) for the operator access.

2.- A tattoo machine according to claim 1,

CHARACTERIZED in that said support structure (1) is made up of four support columns (5) on which a frame (6) is attached that supports the set of platforms (2) and said safety rails (9).

3. A tattoo machine according to claim 2,

CHARACTERIZED because said set of platforms (2) is made up of a first displacement platform (7) intended for the machine operator, when it operates in manual mode, or for the maintainer when maintenance work is carried out; and a second platform (8) arranged in front of and above said first displacement platform (7), the latter being found under the movement mechanism (4).

4. A tattoo machine according to any of claims 1 to 3, CHARACTERIZED in that said support base (10) of said tattoo carriage (3) is constituted by a floor (21) that has a front wall (22) and a rear wall (23), having centrally between said front and rear walls (22, 23) a pneumatic cylinder (24) that drives a carrier plate (26) that carries said tattoo heads (11a, 11b), said support base also having two displacement guides (25) which are located on the sides of the pneumatic cylinder (24), said two displacement guides (25) being attached to said carrier plate (26), which cross the front and rear walls (22, 23 ).

5.- A tattoo machine according to any of claims 1 to 4, CHARACTERIZED in that the temperature of the tattoo heads (11 a, 11 b) is controlled through a closed loop control means, which has a temperature sensor , a controller and a set point.

6. A tattoo machine according to claim 4, CHARACTERIZED in that said movement mechanism (4) is composed by a protective bearing box (12) located under the floor (21) of the support base (10) of said tattoo cart (3), which houses inside some support bearings that move on a longitudinal fixed rail (13 ) which crosses said protective bearing box (12) through lateral openings (27), said longitudinal fixed rail (13) being attached to the support structure (1) of said tattoo machine.

7.- A tattoo machine according to claim 6, CHARACTERIZED in that under the protective bearing box (12) emerges a vertical support bar (14) at whose lower end there is an open compartment on its lateral faces, which houses in its inside a fixed rack (15), which hooks onto an endless toothed belt (16) that is moved at a first end by a servomotor (17) that drives a toothed drive pulley (18), said endless toothed belt (16) being ) connected at the second end to a toothed driven pulley (19).

8.- A procedure for tattooing the halves (29, 30) of rods or animal carcasses (28), which is carried out by means of a tattooing machine according to any of claims 1 to 7, CHARACTERIZED because it comprises the following stages:

(a) positioning the tattoo heads (11a, 11b) of the tattoo carriage (3) facing said halves (29, 30) of a first casing (28a); (b) activating the pneumatic cylinder (24) to extend from the tattooing carriage (3) the carrier plate (26) that carries the tattooing heads (11a, 11 b), until said tattooing heads (11a, 11b) contact said two halves (29, 30) of said first shell (28a); (c) advancing the tattoo carriage (3) with the tattoo heads (11a,

11 b) at the same speed as the feed line (32);

(d) waiting until said tattoo heads (11a, 11b) heated to a predetermined temperature, mark said two halves (29, 30) of said first shell (28a); (e) retracting said tattooing heads (11a, 11b) towards the tattooing carriage (3);

(f) moving the tattoo carriage (3) back until it is positioned in front of the halves (29, 30) of a second casing (28b);

(h) repeating steps (a) to (g).