Hide sorting systems and methods
AssigneeNational Beef Packing Company, LLC
InventorsRobert Horst Hein, Kenneth Graham Press
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for sorting hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that enhances the traceability of hides by capturing and utilizing data related to the unloading, tanning, sorting, and packaging of hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency by sorting hides based, at least in part, on data generated during prior tanning processes. Additionally, one or more embodiments facilitate the tanning control system in customizing the sorting and packaging of hides based, at least in part, on one or more hide characteristics and/or customer specifications.
Claims20
A method of hide sorting comprising:
- identifying a batch identifier associated with a plurality of hides;
- determining, using a tanning system database, a batch characteristic associated with the plurality of hides;
- generating a hide identifier for a hide of the plurality of hides;
- associating the batch characteristic with the hide identifier;
- determining, using a classifying device, a grade of the hide;
- associating a device identifier of the classifying device with the hide identifier;
- and
- sorting the hide based on the grade of the hide.
A method of hide sorting comprising:
- determining, using a tanning system database, a batch characteristic associated with a plurality of hides;
- generating a hide identifier for a hide of the plurality of hides;
- associating the batch characteristic with the hide identifier;
- moving the hide of the plurality of hides from a first device to a second device;
- determining, using a classifying device, a grade of the hide;
- associating a device identifier of the classifying device with the hide identifier;
- and
- based on the grade of the hide, moving the hide from the second device to a stacking site selected from a plurality of stacking sites.
A hide sorting system comprising:
- one or more computing devices;
- and
- a non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the system to:
- identify a batch identifier associated with a plurality of hides;
- determine a batch characteristic associated with the plurality of hides;
- generate a hide identifier for a hide of the plurality of hides;
- associate the batch characteristic with the hide identifier;
- and
- sort the hide based on a grade of the hide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.