Loin puller conveyor
AssigneeHall Fabrication, Inc.
InventorDavid Chappell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor for a loin puller machine has a plurality of rigid belly slats and chine slats to support the carcass which is carried past knives or blades on the machine for skinning, trimming, and cutting the meat carcass. The belly slats and chine slats are attached to chains extending around a drive roller and an idler roller to form an endless loop. The belly slats have a flat upper surface and the chine slats have a curved upper surface corresponding to the belly portion and chain portion of the carcass. The belly slats and chine slats are spaced apart from one another to define a gap through which the cutting blades of the machine extend.
Claims18
A loin puller machine having a conveyor for carrying pork carcasses for cutting by blades on the machine, the conveyor comprising:
- an endless loop chain assembly mounted on the machine;
- a drive system including a drive roller and an idler roller about which the chain assembly is operatively mounted;
- a first set of belly slats mounted on the chain assembly to support a belly portion of the carcass;
- and
- a second set of chine slats mounted on the chain assembly to support a chine portion of the carcass;
- whereby the first and second slats form an endless loop, with the carcass being supported by a portion of the loop.
A method of conveying a pork carcass for cutting on a loin puller machine, comprising;
- supporting a belly portion of the carcass on top of a plurality of first slats having flat upper surfaces;
- supporting a chine portion of the carcass on a plurality of second slats having curved upper surfaces;
- the pluralities of first and second slats being connected to an endless loop chain assembly;
- and
- driving the chain assembly around end rollers to move the pluralities of first and second slats and carcass past cutting blades on the machine, without the slats sagging due to the weight of the carcass.
A conveyor for a loin puller machine having blades for cutting a meat carcass, comprising:
- a plurality of rigid slats to support the carcass;
- the slats including a first set of flat slats to support a belly portion of the carcass and a second set of curved slats to support a chine portion of the carcass;
- and
- a chain drive connected to the slats to move the slats in an endless loop and thereby move the carcass for cutting by the blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.