Back to results
US 12,201,119 B2Granted
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.
Claims20
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;
- wherein the skinning station comprises at least one pair of stacked skinning rolls positioned along the path of travel;
- as the animal parts move through the skinning station, urging each animal part into contact with the skinning rolls such that a portion of the skin of each animal part is captured between the skinning rolls;
- and
- pulling the skin from the animal parts;
- wherein the skinning rolls are oriented at a downwardly sloping angle with respect to the path of travel such that the skin is of each animal part is pulled in a substantially straight downward motion and away from the meat of each animal part by the skinning rolls as the animal parts continue to move forward along the path of travel.
4 more elements
An apparatus for processing animal parts, comprising:
- a conveyor having a plurality of shackles, the shackles configured to support the animal parts as the animal parts are moved along a predefined path of travel;
- at least one skinning assembly arranged along the path of travel, the at least one skinning assembly 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 at least one skinning assembly;
- and
- at least one pair of skinning rolls adjacent the at least one guide, the at least one pair of skinning rolls comprising an upper skinning roll having helical teeth extending at a first helix angle and a lower skinning roll having helical teeth extending at a second helix angle, and wherein the second helix angle has a substantially equal magnitude and opposite sine to the first helix angle;
- wherein the at least one guide is configured to urge the animal parts against the skinning rolls as the animal parts are moved through the at least one skinning assembly 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;
- and
- wherein the upper skinning roll and the lower skinning roll of the at least one pair of skinning rolls are arranged in a stacked arrangement and are oriented at a downwardly sloping angle with respect to the path of travel of the animal parts such that as the animal parts continue movement along their path of travel, the skin is pulled in a substantially straight downward motion and away from the meat of each animal part by the skinning rolls.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a conveyor moving a series of animal parts along a predefined path of travel;
- at least one processing station positioned along the path of travel of the animal parts;
- wherein the at least one processing station includes at least one skinning assembly including at least one pair of stacked skinning rolls positioned along one side of the path of travel of the animal parts;
- wherein the skinning rolls are oriented at a downwardly sloping angle with respect to the path of travel and each include helical teeth;
- and
- at least one guide positioned along an opposite side of the path of travel of the animal parts from the at least one pair of stacked skinning rolls, the guide configured to urge the animal parts into contact with 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 as the animal parts continue to move along the path, of travel of the animal parts without pressing the meat into engagement with the skinning rolls.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.