Animal pelt removal
AssigneeTranshumance Holding Company, Inc.
InventorDavid Charles Lipsitt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An end effector of a pelt removal apparatus has a rotatable effector base on which is mounted a pair of elongated gripper bars parallel to a rotation axis of the effector base. One of the gripper bars is fixed in position, while the other one is radially spaced from and freely pivotal about a pivot axis parallel to rotation axis. When rotated in a tightening direction from a start position in which the pelt is located in a transverse gap between the gripper bars, the free gripper bar moves, without dedicated actuation of the free gripper bar, to pinch the pelt between the bars, thus gripping the pelt and allowing removal thereof by the pelt removal apparatus.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an apparatus body;
- and
- an end effector that is mounted on the apparatus body and that is configured for gripping an animal pelt to enable pulling of the pelt from an animal carcass, the end effector comprising:
- an effector base mounted on the apparatus body to be rotatable relative to the apparatus body about a rotation axis that operatively extends substantially horizontally;
- a fixed gripper bar that is fixedly mounted on the effector base, projecting therefrom substantially parallel to the rotation axis;
- and
- a free gripper bar mounted on the effector base to extend substantially parallel to and transversely spaced from the fixed gripper bar, the free gripper bar being suspended from the effector base to hang freely from a pivot axis substantially parallel to the free gripper bar, the free gripper bar being arcuately displaceable relative to the pivot axis, such that rotation of the effector base in a first direction causes reduction in a transverse gap between the fixed gripper bar and the free gripper bar, thereby in use to grip part of an animal pelt located in the transverse gap.
A device for gripping an animal pelt to enable pulling of the pelt from an animal carcass, the device including:
- a rotatable base mountable on an apparatus body to rotatable about a rotation axis that operatively extends substantially horizontally;
- a fixed gripper bar that is fixedly mounted on the rotatable base and that projects therefrom substantially parallel to the rotation axis;
- and
- a free gripper bar mounted on the rotatable base for non-actuated movement of the free gripper bar relative to the rotatable base, the free gripper bar extending substantially parallel to the fixed gripper bar and being spaced therefrom by a transverse gap, the mounting and positioning of the free gripper bar being such that rotation of the rotatable base in a first direction causes part of an animal pelt located in the transverse gap to be pinched between the free gripper bar and the fixed gripper bar, thus gripping the animal pelt for pulling by movement of the rotatable base.
A method comprising:
- positioning an animal carcass such that part of a pelt to be pulled from the animal carcass is located in a horizontal gap defined by an end effector mounted on a pelt pulling apparatus, the end effector comprising:
- an effector base mounted on the pelt pulling apparatus to be rotatable a rotation axis that is oriented substantially horizontally;
- a fixed gripper bar that is fixedly mounted on the effector base, projecting therefrom substantially parallel to the rotation axis;
- and
- a free gripper bar mounted on the effector base for non-actuated movement of the free gripper bar relative to the effector base, the free gripper bar extending substantially parallel to the fixed gripper bar and being spaced therefrom such that the horizontal gap is defined between the free gripper bar and the fixed gripper bar;
- rotating the effector base in a first direction that causes automatic movement of the free gripper bar under gravity towards the fixed gripper bar, so that the horizontal gap is closed and part of the animal pelt is pinched between the free gripper bar and the fixed gripper bar;
- and
- further rotating the effector base such that a tensile force between the pelt and the free gripper bar urges the free gripper bar against the fixed gripper bar, thus gripping the pelt to enable pulling of the pelt from the animal carcass by further actuated movement of the end effector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.