# US 8,540,554 B2 · Meat processing assembly

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- Number: US 8,540,554 B2
- Document ID: US8540554B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/494,248
- Filed: 2012-06-12
- Published: 2012-10-04
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2009-10-26
- Assignees: Stork Townsend Inc.
- Applicants: Andrew W. Maddux
- Inventors: Andrew W. Maddux
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540554B2

## CPC

- A22C 11/0209: {Stuffing horn assembly}
- A22C 11/0245: {Controlling devices}
- A22C 11/08: with pressing-worm or other rotary-mounted pressing-members
- A22C 11/10: Apparatus for twisting {or linking} sausages {(subdividing filled flexible tubes to form packages, involving displacement of contents B65B9/12, by applying pressure and heat successively B65B51/26)}
- A22C 11/104: {by means of shear or blade elements}
- A22C 11/105: {The sheer or blade elements being displaceable parallel to the sausage string in order to create a narrow point free of meat}
- A22C 11/107: {A string passing between two rotary members comprising dividing elements cooperating with each other}
- A22C 15/001: {Specially adapted for hanging or conveying several sausages or strips of meat}
- F04C 2/086: {Carter}
- F04C 2/14: with toothed rotary pistons
- F04C 15/0076: {Fixing rotors on shafts, e.g. by clamping together hub and shaft}
- F04C 13/004: {with means for fluidising or diluting the material being pumped}
- F04C 2230/60: Assembly methods
- F04C 2230/70: Disassembly methods
- F04C 2230/80: Repairing methods
- F04C 2240/81: Sensor, e.g. electronic sensor for control or monitoring
- A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00)
- F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS

## Abstract

An improved processing assembly having a meat emulsion pump connected to a stuffing horn. The stuffing horn positioned to fill casings with meat emulsion which form a strand of processed meat that is received by a twister, then a linker, and subsequently deposited on a conveyor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A meat emulsion pump, comprising:
a drive shaft and an idler shaft extending through bores in a housing;
a first gear lock threadably attached to the drive shaft and a second gear lock threadably attached to the idler shaft wherein the gear locks have a head with a plurality of protrusions that extend outwardly from a central axis of the gear lock; a channel below the head that separates the head from a body of the gear lock; and a stem extending from the body; and
a pair of gears having a bore that fits over the shafts and are received partially in the channel of the gear locks such that when the gear locks are rotated to move away from the shafts the gear locks vertically move the gears.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The pump of claim 1 wherein the shafts have a plurality of protrusions positioned on the outer perimeter and extending upwardly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The pump of claim 1 wherein the gears have a top surface, a bottom surface, and a centrally disposed bore extending therethrough; the bore having a first section that extends from the top surface to a shelf and a second section that extends from the shelf to the bottom surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The pump of claim 3 wherein the diameter of the second section of the bore is larger than the diameter of the shafts.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The pump of claim 3 wherein the first section of the bore is larger than the diameter of the channel on the gear lock.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The pump of claim 3 wherein the shelf has a plurality of openings that align with the protrusions on the head of the gear lock to form a key slot.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The pump of claim 3 wherein a top band and a bottom band are located on the second section of the bore and have a non-contact area therebetween.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The pump of claim 7 wherein the top band and the bottom band fit within a top step and a bottom step formed on the outer surface of the shafts.