Hide folding system and method
AssigneeCargill, Incorporated
InventorRonn A. Houtz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is a method and system for processing animal hides in a meat processing facility. In one embodiment, the system the system includes a grading station for determining hide grades, a measuring station for determining at least one hide dimension of the animal hide, a hide folding station, a stacking station adapted to deposit hides at a plurality of stacking sites, a conveyor system and a control system.
Claims24
An automated system for processing a plurality of animal hides in a meat processing facility, comprising:
- a grading station for determining at least one grade for each hide;
- a measuring station for determining at least one measurement for each hide;
- a folding station for folding the hides;
- a stacking station adapted to deposit hides at a plurality stacking sites;
- a conveyor system for advancing the hides between the grading, measuring folding and stacking sites;
- and
- a control system including:
- a grading station interface adapted to receive hide grades,
- a measuring station interface adapted to receive hide measurements,
- a stacking station interface adapted to selectively deposit hides at stacking sites, and
- a microprocessor adapted to compare the received hide grades, hide measurements or both with a predetermined stacking protocol, to select a stacking site for each hide and to instruct the stacking station interface to selectively deposit hides at the selected stacking sites.
A method for automated processing of an animal hide in a meat processing facility comprising:
- assigning a hide identifier to the hide;
- determining a grade of the hide;
- determining a measurement of the hide;
- storing the determined hide grade and hide measurement with the hide identifier in an electronic database;
- folding the animal hide to a predetermined shape and size;
- advancing the folded hide to a stacking station having a plurality of hide stacking sites;
- comparing the stored hide grade, hide measurement or both to a stacking protocol to select a stacking site;
- depositing the folded hide at the selected stacking site.
A system for processing a plurality of animal hides in a meat processing facility, comprising:
- means for identifying the hides;
- means for grading the hides;
- means for measuring the hides;
- means for associating the identifying means, the grading means, and the measuring means to record at least one hide grade and hide measurement for each hide;
- means for folding the hides;
- means for conveying the hides to and depositing the hides a plurality of stacking sites;
- means for selecting a stacking site for each hide based on the recorded hide grade, hide measurement or both;
- and
- means for instructing the conveying means to deposit each hide at a selected stacking site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.