Method and facility for cutting off hind feet of half carcasses

A method for processing half carcasses (4) where at least one half carcass is advanced stepwise suspended by its hind foot (8) on hooks (10) on a conveying rail (6) across a conveyor (14), to which conveyor (14) the half carcasses (4) are transferred when they are released from the hook (10), and by which method the hind foot (8) is automatically cut off, characterised by the process steps:

• a) that the half carcass (4) during advancing with inclination downward in over two receiving bracket arrangements at the side (12) of the conveyor (14) is laid down upon the belt (22) of the conveyor with the rind side down;
• b) that the movement of the hook (10) is stopped at a predetermined position, that the hind legs of the carcasses are gripped by two actuator driven gripping mechanisms (26) between knee joint and heel joint (29);
• c) that the gripping mechanisms (26) are moved upwards and outwards away from the centre line (7) of the conveyor rail (6), whereby the hind feet (8) are released from the hook (10) and the ham (32) is thereby brought to hang in the gripping mechanisms (26) so that the thickest part of the heel joint (29) is elevated to the level of the planes of the saw blades (30) on saws (28), disposed at each side of the overhead conveyor (6),
• d) that the movement directed outward and away from the centre line (7) of the conveying rail (6) of the gripping mechanism (26) is continued whereby the hind feet (8) are cut off at the advancing of the heel joint (29) transversely of said saw blades (30);
• e) that the hook (10) is advanced further stepwise;
• f) that the gripping mechanisms (26) release their grip whereby the ham (32) of the carcass falls down upon the conveyor belt (14);
• g) that the gripping mechanisms (26) are moved back to the starting position for receiving the next at least one carcass (es)(4) advanced by the overhead conveyor (6):