Hide sorting systems and methods
AssigneeNational Beef Packing Company, LLC
InventorsRobert Horst Hein, Kenneth Graham Press
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for sorting hides are provided. In particular, one or more embodiments comprise a tanning control system that enhances the traceability of hides by capturing and utilizing data related to the unloading, tanning, sorting, and packaging of hides. Furthermore, one or more embodiments enable the tanning control system to improve efficiency by sorting hides based, at least in part, on data generated during prior tanning processes. Additionally, one or more embodiments facilitate the tanning control system in customizing the sorting and packaging of hides based, at least in part, on one or more hide characteristics and/or customer specifications.
Claims20
A method of hide sorting comprising:
- identifying a batch identifier associated with a plurality of hides;
- determining, by at least one processor and based on the batch identifier, a batch characteristic associated with the plurality of hides, the batch characteristic created during a prior tanning process applied to the plurality of hides;
- associating, by the at least one processor, a hide identifier with a hide of the plurality of hides;
- associating, by the at least one processor, the batch characteristic with the hide identifier;
- receiving a grade of the hide;
- associating, using the at least one processor, the grade of the hide with the hide identifier;
- and
- sorting the hide based on the grade of the hide and the batch characteristic.
A method of hide sorting comprising:
- determining, by at least one processor and based on a batch identifier associated with a plurality of hides, a batch characteristic associated with the plurality of hides, the batch characteristic created during a prior tanning process applied to the plurality of hides;
- after determining the batch characteristic, moving a hide of the plurality of hides, without human intervention, from a first device to a second device;
- classifying the hide, at the second device, into a hide classification;
- based on the batch characteristic and the hide classification, routing the hide, without human intervention, from the second device to a stacking site selected from a plurality of stacking sites;
- and
- stacking, without human intervention, the hide at the stacking site.
A hide sorting system comprising:
- one or more computing devices;
- and
- a non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, cause the system to:
- identify a batch identifier associated with a plurality of hides;
- determine, based on the batch identifier, a batch characteristic associated with the plurality of hides, the batch characteristic created during a prior tanning process applied to the plurality of hides;
- associate a hide identifier with a hide of the plurality of hides;
- associate the batch characteristic with the hide identifier;
- receive a grade of the hide;
- associate the grade of the hide with the hide identifier;
- and
- sort the hide based on the grade of the hide and the batch characteristic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.