Method and apparatus for cutting controlled-volume meat portions from a segment of fresh whole-muscle meat
AssigneeFormax, Inc.
InventorLouis R. Richards
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A predetermined volume of the face part of a segment of boneless fresh whole-muscle meat (e.g. strip loin, tenderloin, top sirloin butt, or ribeye roll) is positioned in engagement with a stop plate and constrained in a first shaping clamp of given cross-sectional configuration and thickness, and an additional part of the meat segment is constrained in a second shaping clamp of approximately the same cross-sectional configuration, with both shaping clamps solidly filled; cutting the meat segment between the two shaping clamps forms a steak or other meat portion of closely controlled volume and weight.
Claims10
The method of cutting successive controlled-volume meat portions from the face of a segment of fresh whole-muscle meat, comprising the following steps:
- A. advancing a fresh whole-muscle meat segment along a given meat advancement path transverse to the face of the meat segment, into firm engagement with a stop plate, without appreciable constraint on the cross-sectional configuration of the meat segment;
- B. constraining only the face part of the meat segment, immediately adjacent the stop plate in a direction parallel to the face of the meat segment, in a shaping clamp of given thickness and of a given cross-sectional shape generally corresponding to the natural cross-sectional shape of the meat segment, thereby constraining a predetermined volume of the meat in the shaping clamp, without constraint of the remainder of the meat segment;
- C. cutting off the face part of the meat segment, immediately behind the shaping clamp, while still under constraint, to form a controlled-volume meat portion in the shaping clamp;
- D. removing the controlled-volume meat portion from the shaping clamp;
- and
- repeating steps A through D to form additional controlled-volume meat portions, cut from the same meat segment.
The method of cutting successive controlled-volume meat portions from the face of a segment of fresh whole-muscle meat, comprising the following steps:
- A. advancing a fresh whole-muscle meat segment along a given meat advancement path transverse to one face of the meat segment, into firm engagement with a stop plate, without appreciable constraint on the cross-sectional configuration of the meat segment;
- B. constraining the face part of the meat segment, immediately adjacent the stop plate in a direction parallel to the face of the meat segment, in a first shaping clamp of given thickness and of a given cross-sectional shape generally corresponding to the natural cross-sectional shape of the meat segment, thereby constraining a predetermined volume of the meat in the shaping clamp;
- B'. constraining an additional part of the meat segment, immediately adjacent the first shaping clamp, in a direction parallel to the face of the meat segment, in a second shaping clamp of the same cross-sectional shape as the first clamp, steps B and B' being carried out without constraint of the remainder of the meat segment;
- C. cutting off the face part of the meat segment, between the two shaping clamps, with the meat segment still under constraint in both clamps, to form a controlled-volume meat portion in the first shaping clamp;
- D. removing the controlled-volume meat portion from the first shaping clamp;
- and
- repeating steps A through D to form additional controlled-volume meat portions, cut from the same meat segment.
A meat slicing device for cutting successive controlled-volume meat portions from the face of a segment of fresh whole-muscle meat, comprising:
- a stop plate;
- support means for supporting a fresh whole-muscle meat segment with the face of the meat segment aligned in surface-to-surface engagement with the stop plate, the support means permitting the meat segment to retain its normal cross-sectional configuration;
- shaping means, including the stop plate, for constraining only a predetermined thickness of the meat segment immediately adjacent the stop plate into a configuration of given cross-sectional shape and thickness, without constraint to the remainder of the meat segment, the shaping means comprising a constrictive clamp having a clamp element movable in a direction parallel to the face of the meat segment, and having a cross-sectional shape generally corresponding to the natural cross-sectional shape of the meat segment;
- and cutting means for cutting off the constrained face portion of the meat segment, immediately behind the shaping means, while still under constraint, to form a controlled-volume meat portion.
A meat slicing device for cutting successive controlled-volume meat portions from the face of a segment of fresh whole-muscle meat, comprising:
- a stop plate;
- support means for supporting a fresh whole-muscle meat segment with the face of the meat segment aligned in surface-to-surface engagement with the stop plate, the support means permitting the meat segment to retain its normal cross-sectional configuration;
- first shaping means, including the stop plate, for constraining a predetermined thickness of the meat segment, at its face, into a configuration of given cross-sectional shape and thickness;
- second shaping means for constraining an additional part of the meat segment, immediately adjacent the first shaping means, into approximately the same cross-sectional configuration as the first shaping means without constraint to the remainder of the meat segment;
- each shaping means comprising a constrictive clamp having a clamp element movable in a direction parallel to the face of the meat segment, and having a cross-sectional shape generally corresponding to the natural cross-sectional shape of the meat segment;
- and cutting means for cutting off the face portion of the meat segment, between the two shaping means, while still under constraint in both shaping means, to form a controlled-volume meat portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.