US 5,401,210 A · Method of and apparatus for deboning meat

Abstract

In a preliminary dissection operation, a meat-carrying thigh bone is obtained by cutting the metatarsal bone at an intermediate position. The meat-carrying bone is then processed to remove the bone from the meat by grasping the ankle end of the tibia bone in the claim of a pulling mechanism; forming a substantially C-shaped cut reaching the bone circumferentially around the tibia adjacent the ankle end; forming a longitudinal cut in the meat along the bone before or after the bone is grasped in the clamp; stripping the meat off the tibia from the ankle to the knee joint by pulling the bone through the opening of a stripper mechanism, exposing the tibia side tendon near the knee joint; cutting the exposed tibia side tendon; stripping meat from the knee joint, exposing the femur side tendon adjacent the joint; cutting the femur side tendon; and then stripping the rest of the meat off the femur by pulling the femur through the stripper opening. Meat and bone thus can be separated accurately without intrusion of a cutter or the like in the bone.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of deboning meat using a stripper mechanism having an opening for stripping meat off a meat-carrying bone comprising first and second bone parts having free ends and a joint therebetween, said opening being defined by a plurality of stripper members, at least one of said stripper members being movable to change the size of said opening and being biased in a direction to decrease the size of said opening, said method comprising the steps of:

forming a C-shaped cut reaching the bone adjacent the free end of the first bone part of said meat-carrying bone;
positioning the bone with the free end of the first bone part extending through the opening of the stripper mechanism, and grasping the free end of the first bone part in a holder of a pulling mechanism;
subsequently stripping the meat off the first bone part from said free end of the meat-carrying bone to a position adjacent the joint by pulling the first bone part through the opening of said stripper mechanism, whereby a first tendon near the joint is exposed;
cutting the exposed first tendon;
stripping meat off the joint by pulling the joint through the opening of said stripper mechanism, whereby a second tendon is exposed at the joint adjacent the second bone part;
cutting the exposed second tendon, and
stripping meat off the second bone part by pulling the second bone part through the opening of said stripper mechanism.

4 more elements

An apparatus deboning meat from a meat-carrying bone, said apparatus comprising:

a stripper mechanism having a stripper opening for stripping meat off a meat-carrying bone, said opening being defined, by a plurality of stripper members, at least one of said stripper members being movable to change the size of said stripper opening and being biased in a direction to decrease the size of the opening;
a pulling mechanism for grasping an end of a bone extended through said stripper opening and pulling said bone in a predetermined pulling direction through said stripper opening;
and
a cutter mechanism positioned for cutting tendons exposed as said bone is pulled through said stripper opening.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of and apparatus for deboning meat

Life of this patent

Method of and apparatus for deboning meat

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12