Method and apparatus for removing skin from animal parts
AssigneeFoodmate US, Inc.
InventorRobert Steve Sosebee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moves into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moves forwardly along its path of travel.
Claims19
A method of removing skin from meat of animal parts, comprising:
- conveying the animal parts along a path of travel;
- moving the animal parts through a skinning station;
- as each animal part moves through the skinning station, engaging each animal part with at least one guide;
- engaging each animal part with a series of skinning rolls of the skinning station;
- capturing a portion of skin of the animal part between the skinning rolls;
- and
- pulling the skin of each animal part downwardly at an angle as the animal parts continue moving forward along their path of travel, such that the skin is removed from each animal part in a substantially straight downward motion away from the meat of the animal part;
- wherein at least part of the at least one guide is formed from a resilient and/or compressible material adapted to bias the animal parts toward the skinning rolls sufficient to cause a portion of skin of the animal parts to be drawn into an engagement area between the skinning rolls and away from meat of the animal parts, without pressing the meat of the animal parts into engagement with the skinning rolls.
An apparatus for processing animal parts, comprising:
- a conveyor having a plurality of carriers mounted therealong, the carriers configured to support the animal parts as the animal parts are moved along a predefined path of travel by the conveyor;
- at least one processing station positioned at a selected location along the path of travel of the animal parts;
- wherein the at least one processing station comprises a skinning unit arranged along the path of travel, the skinning unit comprising:
- at least one guide arranged adjacent the conveyor in a position to engage the animal parts as the animal parts are moved into the skinning station;
- at least one pair of skinning rolls downstream from the at least one guide and oriented at a downwardly sloping angle with respect to the path of travel of the animal parts;
- wherein the at least one guide is configured to bias the animal parts toward the skinning rolls;
- wherein the animal parts are urged against the skinning rolls as the animal parts are moved through the skinning station and into engagement with the guide so as to cause a portion of skin of the animal parts to be pulled into a gap between the skinning rolls and away from meat of the animal parts.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a conveyor moving a series of animal parts along a predefined path of travel;
- a skinning unit arranged along the path of travel of the animal parts, and including:
- a series of skinning rolls each oriented at a downwardly sloping angle with respect to the path of travel of the animal parts;
- and
- at least one guide configured to engage and bias the animal parts toward the series of skinning rolls as the animal parts are moved along the path of travel;
- wherein the at least one guide is resilient and/or compressible so as to urge the animal parts against the skinning rolls sufficient to cause a portion of skin of the animal parts to be pulled into an engagement area between the skinning rolls and away from meat of the animal parts, without pressing the meat into engagement with the skinning rolls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.