# US 2013/0157553 A1 · Waterless skinner with pressure roller and comb scraper

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- Number: US 2013/0157553 A1
- Document ID: US20130157553A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/525,899
- Filed: 2012-06-18
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-20
- Assignees: Baader Linco, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Stephen HAINES; Kevin Scott Leakey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157553A1

## CPC

- A22C 21/0092: {Skinning poultry or parts of poultry}
- A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00)

## Abstract

A skinning machine for separating skin from the tissue of a poultry part is provided, which includes a frame supporting a skin roller comprising bands of teeth and grooves for engaging the skin, a pressure shoe disposed adjacent to the skin roller for removing the skin from the tissue, a pressure roller assembly for biasing the skin and tissue against the skin roller, and a scraper interfacing with the skin roller for removing the skin from the skin roller. The pressure shoe is releasably mounted to the frame allowing removal and cleaning thereof. The pressure roller assembly includes a body that deforms against the poultry part to accommodate parts of varying sizes and thickness without damaging the tissue. The scraper interfaces with the teeth and grooves of the skin roller allowing removal of poultry skin and fat from the roller with little or no need for water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A skinning machine for removing skin from tissue, comprising:
a frame;
a skin roller rotatably connected to the frame, the skin roller comprising:
a plurality of circumferential bands of teeth for gripping the skin; and
a circumferential groove adjacent each band of teeth;
a pressure shoe including a front edge for removing the skin from the tissue, the pressure shoe connected to the frame and disposed adjacent to and partially circumscribing the skin roller;
a pressure assembly for biasing the skin and tissue against the skin roller, the pressure assembly comprising a pressure roller rotatably connected to an arm, and the arm pivotally connected to the frame; and
a scraper movably attached to the frame, the scraper comprising:
a plurality of teeth interfacing with the grooves of the roller for breaking the surface tension between the skin and the roller; and
a plurality of grooves allowing passages of the roller teeth.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The skinning machine of claim 1, further comprising:
a mounting pin extending outward from the pressure shoe;
a bracket disposed between the pressure shoe and the frame, the bracket connected to the frame for releasably connecting the pressure shoe to the frame; and
an inwardly open channel in the bracket for receiving the mounting pin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The skinning machine of claim 2, wherein:
the channel in the bracket is an upwardly open channel;
a bore extending forward and rearward through the bracket; and
a pin received within the bore for connecting the pressure shoe to the bracket.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The skinning machine of claim 3, further comprising:
a mounting plate connected to the frame where the frame is disposed between the bracket and the mounting plate;
wherein the bracket further includes an exterior face and a channel extending forward and rearward in the exterior face; and
a tab extending inward from the mounting plate and slidably received within the channel in the exterior face of the bracket.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The skinning machine of claim 4, further comprising:
an aperture extending upward and downward in the mounting plate;
a fastener received within the aperture for connecting the mounting plate to the frame, and for vertically adjusting the pressure shoe.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The skinning machine of claim 5, wherein vertical movement of the pressure shoe moves the front edge of the pressure shoe forward and rearward about the skin roller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The skinning machine of claim 4, further comprising:
a cam bore extending between the interior face and exterior face of the mounting plate;
a cam including an offset bore rotably received within the cam bore;
a fastener rotably received within the offset bore, and threadably received within the bracket; and
wherein the cam may be rotated about the fastener thereby moving the pressure shoe toward and away from the skin roller.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The skinning machine of claim 1, wherein the pressure roller comprises:
a body; and
a plurality of blades extending from the body, the blades extending the length of the body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 11)

The skinning machine of claim 11, wherein the blades further comprise:
an outer edge; and
wherein the blades taper from a narrow outer edge toward a broad base at the body.

### Claim 10 (depends on 11)

The skinning machine of claim 11, wherein the pressure roller further comprises a bore extending the length of the body for mounting the pressure roller on the arm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 11)

The skinning machine of claim 11, wherein the body has a Shore A durometer hardness of between about 65 A to about 70 A.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The skinning machine of claim 11, wherein the pressure roller comprises a plurality of segments.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The skinning machine of claim 12, wherein the segment comprises:
a body;
a plurality of fins radiating outward from the body; and
a core disposed within the body for connecting the segment to the arm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The skinning machine of claim 13, wherein the body further includes:
a plurality of ribs extending inward from the body and connecting to the core; and
a cavity separating each rib.

### Claim 15

A pressure shoe assembly for a skinner having a skin roller rotably connected between the sidewalls of a frame for removing skin from the tissue, the pressure shoe assembly comprising:
a pressure shoe including an elongated body and a front face disposed adjacent to and partially circumscribing the skin roller;
a bracket connected to each sidewall within the frame; and
wherein the body is connected to and disposed between the brackets.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 15, further comprising:
a mounting pin connected to the pressure shoe; and
a channel in the bracket for receiving the pin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 16, further comprising:
a bore extending forward and rearward through the bracket; and
a pin received within the bore for retaining the mounting pin within the channel.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 15, further comprising:
a mounting plate connected to the bracket and the sidewall for adjusting the position of the pressure shoe relative to the skin roller.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 18, further comprising:
wherein the sidewall is disposed between the bracket and the mounting plate;
wherein the bracket further includes a channel open toward the mounting plate extending forward and rearward on the bracket; and
a tab extending from the mounting plate and slidably received within the channel.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 19, further comprising:
a cam bore extending through an interior face and an exterior face of the mounting plate;
a cam including an offset bore rotably received within the cam bore;
a fastener rotably received within the offset bore and threadably received within the bracket; and
wherein the cam may be rotated about the fastener thereby moving the pressure shoe toward and away from the skin roller.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 18, further comprising:
an elongated aperture extending through the mounting plate; and
a fastener received within the aperture for adjustably connecting the mounting plate to the frame.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The pressure shoe assembly of claim 15, further comprising:
a bore in the bracket; and
a fastener received in the bore for selectively positioning the pressure shoe relative to the skin roller.

### Claim 23

A pressure roller assembly for a skinner having a skin roller rotably connected between the sidewalls of a frame for removing skin from tissue, the pressure roller assembly comprising:
a roller movably connected to the frame, comprising:
a body;
a plurality of blades extending from the body, wherein the blades taper from a generally narrow outer edge toward a generally broad base adjacent the body.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The pressure roller assembly of claim 23, wherein:
the body is an elongated tubular body;
the plurality of blades extend the length of the tubular body; and
a bore extending the length of the body for mounting the body to the frame.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The pressure roller assembly of claim 23, wherein the roller comprises a plurality of segments.

### Claim 26

The pressure roller assembly of 25, wherein the segment comprises:
a core disposed within the body for connecting the core to the frame;
a plurality of ribs extending inward from the body and connecting to the core; and
a cavity separating each rib.

### Claim 27

The pressure roller assembly of 26, wherein a cavity is formed by the area bound by the body, ribs, and core.

### Claim 28

A scraper assembly for a skinner having a skin roller rotably connected between the sidewalls of a frame, the skin roller including a plurality of circumferential bands of teeth for griping skin, and a circumferential groove adjacent each band of teeth, the scraper assembly comprising:
a plurality of teeth interfacing with the grooves of the skin roller;
a plurality of grooves interfacing with the bands of teeth of the skin roller; and
wherein the scraper teeth cooperate with the skin roller to break the surface tension between the skin and the skin roller.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The scraper assembly of claim 28, further comprising a mount connected to the scraper and to the frame for adjusting the distance between the scraper and the skin roller.