Method and device for splitting an animal carcass
AssigneeDurand International (Societe Anonyme)
InventorJean Van Horeebeck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention concerns a cutting device for use in slaughtering animals, wherein: the swinging bar is associated with a position sensor assessing the back-pivoting of the swinging bar corresponding to the escape of the lower roller with respect to the lower end of the carcass, the swinging bar is connected to an actuator whose functioning is controlled by the detector to provoke displacement of said bar in the direction for which it pushes the carcass and moves it away from the cutting member before the latter reaches the lower end. The invention is applicable to limiting the splitting of carcasses to the major part of the spine.
Claims14
A method for splitting the carcass of an animal suspended from a conveyor by its rear legs, of the type consisting in introducing a cutting member between the rear legs, in applying against the inner dorsal face of the carcass an inner guiding member formed by a swinging bar mounted to pivot on a horizontal pin and bearing two superposed guiding rollers, in pressing against the outer face of the carcass an outer guiding member incorporating rollers acting against the inner guiding member, in setting the cutting member in operation and in displacing the assembly along a vertical cutting plane,
- wherein, in order to interrupt splitting at a distance from the lower end of the carcass, said method further comprising:
- detecting the lower end by anticipation,
- employing the detection to control a mobile member relatively to the cutting member and located therebeneath,
- displacing the mobile member to act on the suspended carcass and to move it away from the cutting member in the plane of action of said member.
A device for splitting an animal carcass suspended from a conveyor by its rear legs, comprising a vertically mobile chassis;
- a bearing beam mounted to move horizontally with respect to the chassis to be guided, from a retracted position, to traverse a vertical displacement plane followed by the carcass to be split;
- a cutting member borne by the beam;
- a retractable outer guiding member borne by the front part of the beam to be applied on the outer dorsal face of the carcass and an inner guiding member borne by the beam to be located beneath the cutting member;
- a swinging bar mounted to pivot on a horizontal pin and bearing two assemblies of superposed idle rollers;
- a position sensor for assessing the back-pivoting of the swinging bar corresponding to the escape of the lower roller with respect to the lower end of the carcass and
- an actuator connected to the swinging bar, said actuator being controlled by the detector to provoke displacement of said bar in the direction for which it pushes the carcass and moves it away from the cutting member before the latter reaches the lower end, whereby the action of the cutting member is interrupted at a distance from the lower end of the carcass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.