Overhang rail transport system
AssigneeMarel Meat B.V.
InventorsJan Meerdink, Franciscus Theodorus Henricus Johannes Van Der Steen, Adriaan Ebergen, Ronald Kranenbarg, Cornelis Joannes Janssen, Bastiaan Martinus Cornelis Albers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and a method for automatic transfer of a carcass or carcass parts suspended from a first carrier to being suspended from a second carrier where at least one of the carriers is tilted at least during a part of the transfer. The carcass parts may be a half carcass that may have been eviscerated and cleaned. The first carrier may be an industry standard gambrel or a single carrier, for example a Euro Hook or a modified Euro Hook. The second carrier may be a single carrier, for example a Euro Hook, or a modified Euro Hook carrier.
Claims15
An overhang rail transport system comprising:
- a first carrier being transported by a first overhead conveyor in a transport direction and having a first carcass engaging portion, the first carrier being arranged to selectively carry a carcass part by engaging the carcass part with the first carcass engaging portion,
- a second carrier being transported by a second overhead conveyor and having a second carcass engaging portion, the second carrier being arranged to selectively carry a carcass part by engaging the carcass part with the second carcass engaging portion,
- a vertical aligning device to align the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion in a vertical direction,
- a horizontal aligning device to align the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion in a horizontal direction, so that both the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion simultaneously engage the carcass part,
- a tilting device to tilt the first carcass engaging portion downwards, so that the weight of the carcass part is gradually transferred from the first carcass engaging portion to the second carcass engaging portion, and
- a removing device to remove the first carcass engaging portion completely from engagement with the carcass part.
A method for transferring a carcass part from a first carrier to a second carrier, the first carrier being transported by a first overhead conveyor and having a first carcass engaging portion, the second carrier being transported by a second overhead conveyor and having a second carcass engaging portion, the method comprising the steps of:
- carrying a carcass part in the first carrier by engaging the carcass part with the first carcass engaging portion,
- vertically aligning the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion,
- horizontally aligning the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion, so that both the first carcass engaging portion and the second carcass engaging portion simultaneously engage the carcass part,
- tilting the first carcass engaging portion downwards, so that the weight of the carcass part is gradually transferred from the first carcass engaging portion to the second carcass engaging portion, and
- removing the first carcass engaging portion completely from engagement with the carcass part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.