Plant for the continuous processing and packing of meat products

Plant for treating and packaging meat product in a non-stop operation comprising:

• a brine injection station (10) for injection brine to the meat product to be treated;
• a maceration station (20) for the injected meat product including:
• a rotating massaging drum (22) for the injected meat product provided with a loading/unloading mouth (23) and means for tilting the said drum (22) in order to unload it through the said loading/unloading mouth (23);
• a plurality of quiescent tanks (24) for the massaged meat product connected to drawing means for moving the tanks (24) forwards step-to-step along a closed path (26) around such rotating drum (22);
• and
• a packaging station (30) for the treated meat products, wherein such stations are coupled to each other for a non-stop operation, linked by
• a unit for accumulating and loading (40) the injected meat product in the rotating drum (22), located between the outlet of such injection station (10) and the inlet of the said maceration station (20), comprising:
• at least a first and a second hoppers (42, 44);
• a distributing device (46) for distributing the meat product coming from the injection station (10) alternatively to the said first and second hoppers (42, 44);
• and
• transferring means (42a) for selectively transferring the load from the first and second hoppers (42, 44) into the rotating drum (22) of the maceration station (20),
• a reloading unit (50) located between the said maceration station (20) and the said accumulating and loading unit (40) comprising means for newly transferring the massaged-settled meat product coming from the said quiescent tanks (24) to the said second hopper (44) to be reloaded in the said rotating drum (22);
• and
• a unit for transferring (60) the treated meat product to a feeding hopper (62) of the said packaging station (30), located between a given point of the said path (26) of the maceration station (20) and the packaging station (30), including in addition a unit for cleaning (70) the quiescent tanks (24) at a point of the path (26) after the unit for transferring (60) and at least a computer control centre being provided for coordinating the steps of such stations and units operation so that at any moment of a plant working cycle at least one of such stations is operating, a time being provided for cleaning each station, unit or part thereof during the said cycle, keeping the plant non-stop operation characterized in that it comprises first loading and second massaging alternative automatic operation tops (21, 28) for such loading/unloading mouth (23) of such rotating drum (22), such tops (21, 28) having different characteristics for performing different functions depending on the steps in the working cycle:
• The first loading top (21) connected to a hose (25) directing the meat product coming from the said transfer means to the accumulating and loading unit (40) and mounted on a first moving arm (27) driven to switch over the said loading top (21) between an idle position, withdrawn from the said loading/unloading mouth (23) and a working position coupled to the loading/unloading mouth (23), when the drum (22) is stopped, to proceed to load by sucking due to a depression created by a vacuum pump within the drum (22) through a duct located at a blind axial end of the drum (22), opposed to the loading/unloading mouth (23);
• and
• The second massaging top (28) is mounted on a support (95) fixed on the free end of a second moving arm (29) driven to switch over the said second top (28) between an idle position, withdrawn from the said loading/unloading mouth (23), and a working position coupled to the loading/unloading mouth (23) either when the drum is stopped or rotating during a massaging sub-cycle, the said support (95) includes means to allow the massaging top (28) to rotate around a shaft (86) integral with it and to absorb small circular translations of the said shaft (86) when rotating jointly with the drum (22), due to possible misalignments between the shaft (86) and an actual spin axis of the drum (22).

Plant for treating and packaging meat product in a non-stop operation of the kind comprising:

• a brine injection station (10) for injecting brine to the meat products to be treated;
• a maceration station (20) for the injected meat product including:
• a rotating massaging drum (22) for the injected meat product;
• a plurality of quiescent tanks (24) for the massaged meat products coming from the said rotating drum (22);
• drawing means to move the quiescent tanks (24) forwards step-to-step along a closed path (26) around such rotating drum (22), with a stop under the loading/unloading mouth (23) for receiving meat product from the said drum (22) and keep it settling during a predetermined time, the tanks (24), the tanks adapted to be unhooked off such drawing means at least in some predetermined stop positions;
• and
• a packaging station (30) for the treated meat products
• such stations are coupled to each other for a non-stop operation, linked by
• a unit for accumulating and loading (40) the injected meat product in the rotating drum (22), located between the outlet of such injection station (10) and the inlet of the said maceration station (20), comprising:
• at least a first and a second hoppers (42, 44);
• and transferring means for selectively transferring the load of the first and second hoppers (42, 44) to the rotating drum (22) of the maceration station (20),
• a reloading unit (50) located between the said maceration station (20) and the said accumulating and loading unit (40) comprising means for newly transferring the massaged-settled meat product coming from the said quiescent tanks (24) to the said second hopper (44) to be reloaded in the said rotating drum (22);
• and
• a unit for transferring (60) the treated meat product to a feeding hopper (62) of the said packaging station (30), located between a given point of the said path (26) of the maceration station (20) and the packaging station (30), including in addition a unit for cleaning (70) the quiescent tanks (24) at a point of the path (26) after the unit for transferring (60) at least a computer control centre being provided for coordinating the steps of such stations and units operation so that at any moment of a plant working cycle at least one of such stations is operating, a time being provided for cleaning each station, unit or part thereof during the said cycle, keeping the plant non-stop operation characterized in that such quiescent tanks (24) are provided with wheels (100) and can rotate on a track (103) arranged around the said rotating drum (22), each quiescent tank (24) is provided in addition with fastening means for releasably fasten a related drawing truck (101) guided along a rail (102) fixed on the floor, such rail (102) defining such closed cycle path (26) along such track (103) all such drawing trucks (101) being linked to each other by means of hinged bars (105) forming an endless flexible transmitting element along the said rail (102) driving, coupling and guiding means (106, 107, 108, 109) being provided for successively coupling each of such drawing trucks (101) when it is located in a predetermined position and moving it, drawing the rest of the drawing trucks (101) together with all the quiescent tanks (24) one step until the following drawing truck (101) occupies such predetermined stop position and then disconnect such drawing truck (101) and newly coming backwards to the predetermined position.

Plant for treating and packaging meat product in a non-stop operation comprising:

• a brine injection station (10) for injecting brine to the meat product to be treated;
• a maceration station (20) for the injected meat products including a rotating massaging drum (22) for the injected meat product;
• a plurality of quiescent tanks (24) for the massaged meat product coming from such rotating drum (22);
• drawing means to make such quiescent tanks (24) move forwards step-to-step along a closed path (26) around such rotating drum (22), with a stop under the loading/unloading mouth (23) for receiving meat product from the said drum (22) and keep it settling during a predetermined time, the tanks (24) adapted to be hooked off such drawing means at least in some predetermined stop positions;
• and
• a packaging station (30) for the treated meat products,
• such stations are coupled to each other for a non-stop operation, linked by
• a unit for accumulating and loading (40) the injected meat product in the rotating drum (22), located between the outlet of such injection station (10) and the inlet of the said maceration station (20), comprising at least a first and a second hoppers (42, 44);
• and transferring means for selectively transferring the load of the first and second hoppers (42, 44) to the rotating drum (22) of the maceration station (20),
• a reloading unit (50) located between the said maceration station (20) and the said accumulating and loading unit (40) comprising means for newly transferring the massaged-settled meat product coming from the said quiescent tanks (24) to the said second hopper (44) to be reloaded in the said rotating drum (22);
• and
• a unit for transferring (60) the treated meat product to a feeding hopper (62) of the said packaging station (30), located between a given point of the said path (26) of the maceration station (20) and the packaging station (30), including in addition a unit for cleaning (70) the quiescent tanks (24) at a point of the path (26) after the transfer unit (60) and where the said accumulating and loading (40) and transferring (60) units include lifting-tippling apparatuses (52,64) provided with means for taking one of the quiescent tanks (24), filled, from a related stop position from the path (26), lifting and tippling it to transfer its contents to the said second hopper (44) of the accumulating and loading unit (40) or to the said hopper (62) of the transfer unit (60), respectively, and bring it back, empty, to the related stop position of the path (26), at least one computer control centre being arranged for coordinating the operation steps of the said stations and units so that at any moment of a working cycle of the plant at least one of the stations is operating, a time being provided for cleaning each station, unit or part thereof during the said cycle, keeping the non-stop operation of the plant, characterized in that, each of the said lifting-tippling apparatuses (52,64) comprises:
• a structure (51), having a suitable height, open by one of its side faces leaning on the path (26), such structure (51) incorporating an unloading ramp (53) at the top end of another of its side faces;
• means (55,56,59,61) for lifting one of such quiescent tanks (24) sufficiently to disconnect holes (114) located in plates (115) horizontally protruding from a side of the quiescent tank (24) from upright stubs (112) integral with platforms (113) associated to a corresponding drawing truck (101) of the quiescent tanks along the path (26) and transfer such quiescent tank (24) hooked off the path (26) to the inside of the structure bottom (51);
• and
• means for fastening and uprightly lifting the quiescent tank (24) inside the said structure (51) and tippling it on the said unloading ramp (53) at the top end of the structure (51).