Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
104f~334
BACKGROUND ~)F T'dE INVEUTION
The invent1on relates to a chewing toy item and,
in particular, an artificial bone for animal pets. Chewing
toy~ for animals should, desirably, be durable and retain
attractivenes~ to the animal throughout their useful l~fe.
I~ighly resiilent material~ formed of rubber and resilient
plastics such as Nylon have been employe~ in the past as
chewable toys because of the strength of the plastic mater~als
to reslst the shearing and tearing forces applied by the
animal. These materials, however, are relatively impermQable
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and nonabsorbent so that flavor and odor components which
could be useful to provide an enticement and attractive-
ness to the toy cannot be readily applied to the toy.
(onsequently, flavor and odor components have, in the
past,,l been only applied to the surface of the toy as a
coating and this coating is quickly lost during the
chewing of the toy.
A number of pliable and absorbent materials such
as woven fibers, rope, etc., have been suggested as use-
ful substrates for chewing toys. While these materials
are absorbent so that flavor and odor components can be
i!mpregnated substantially throughout the substrate of the
toy, the pliable materials lack sufficient strength to
preserve their integrity. The chewing action rapidly
destroys the structure of the toy and a durable and last-
ing product is not achieved. In addition, the lack of
strength of the substrate permits the chewing action to
expose new surface area so that any flavor and odor com-
ponents are extracted in a relatively short time from
the substrate.
Another material which has been employed in the
past is rawhide and toys have been formed of, or coated
with rawhide. The rawhide contains natural flavors that
are attractive to the animals. These products, too, are
readily destroyed or consumed by the animal.
It is an object of this inventicnto provide a
durable chewing toy item for animals.
It is a further object ~f the invention to provide
such a toy item which will retain an attractive flavor
and/or scent throughout its life.
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It is a further object to provide a simple,
integral, one-piece toy item construction which contains
meat flavors and scents absorbed and impregnated therein.
It is a further object of this invention to
provide a method for the preparation of a meat flavor
and scent impregnating solution.
It is a further object of the invention to provide
a method for impregnating highly resilient, plastic,
chewing toy items with meat flavors and scents.
BRIEF STATEMENT OF TI~E I~VENTION
.
This invention comprises a durable chew toy item
for animals which is formed of a resilient, plastic material
and which is thoroughly and completely impregnated with
meat flavors and odor bodies. The toy item is formed of
a Nylon polymer which has a moisture absorbency at am~ient
conditions of from 0.5 to about 5 weight percent, preferably
from 0.75 to about 2.5 weight percent. Nylons are polyamides
with are formed by the condensation of polyfunctional carbo-
xylic acids and polyfunctional amines, e.g., the condensation
of adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine. The close similar-
ity of molecular structure of the repeating units of the poly-
mides to natural proteins, which are the odor and flavor
components, provides a very high affinity between the poly-
amide and such odor and flavor components. This greatly
reduces the volatility of the latter to such a degree that
they are not readily detectable by humans although still
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remaining attractive and pleasing to ~nimals when absorbed
in the polyamide substrate. These polymers are readily
available as molding powders and can be readily molded
into the desired shapes and sizes suitable for chewing
toys, e.g., bones, balls, dumbells, etc.
The aforementioned toy items are impregnated with
flavor and odor components which are obtained from meat
and animal by-products. The flavor and odor components
are condensed and absorbed into a liquid impregnating
solution which is maintained out of direct contact with
the meat and animal by-products during a pressure cooking
operation. This is achieved by suspending the meat and
animal by-products in the vapor phase of a pressure
vessel which contains a pool of water. The vessel is
closed and heated to a temperature from 210 to about 290
degrees F., developing an autogenous pressure from 15 to
about 60 psia and the meat and animal by-products are
cooked in the resultant steam atmosphere generated within
the preseure vessel. Preferably, pressures from about
20 to about40 psia are employed with cooking temperatu~es
from 228 to abpuO 260 degrees F. The volatile flavor and
odor components, which are expelled from the meat and
animal by-products during this operation, are condensed
into the aqueous liquid within the pressure vessel.~ The
aqueous liquid in the pressure vessel, therefore, comprises
a liquid solution of flavor and odor components which is
entirely free of any suspended solide or liquids such as
meat particles and fat globules.
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104Ç~334
This liquid solution can be used by immersing the
toy items to be impregnated beneath the liquid level of the
solution and subjecting it to cooking temperatures and
pressures. Preferably, the impregnation is performed simul-
taneously with the aforementioned cooking operation. In
this manner, a simultaneous cooking and impregnating can be
practiced by charging the toy items for impregnation into
the liauid within the vessel and placing a fresh supply of
meat and animal by-products in a basket that is suspended
in the vapor phase within the vessel. Typically, the toy
items are impregnated at a temperature of from 210 to about
290 degrees F. at autogenous steam pressure and for a period
; of time from 3 to about 20 hours, preferably from 7 to about
12 hours, to achieve thorough impregnation. In the preferred
embodiment, the meat and animal by-products are, of course,
subjected to similar conditions of time, temperature and
pressure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates a chew toy item formed
in accordance with this invention;
Figure 2 illustrates the first step in preparation
; of the impregnating solution;
Figure 3 illustrates the loading of a pressure
vessel for impregnating of the chew toy items; and
Figure 4 illustrates the step of impregnating
of the chew toy items.
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DESCRIPTION OF T~E PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figure 1 illustrates a typical chew toy item in
accordance with this invention. This item is formed of a poly-
amide substrate, typically l~ylon, having a water absorbency
from about 1 to about 2 weight percent. These polyamides
are commercially available as Nylons from the DuPont Chemical
Company. The polyamides, such as Nylon, also provide a sub-
strate which exhibits surface roughening upon being chewed.
The chewing action actually produces short tuffs or frizzles
of material projecting from the surface of the bone. As the
animal chews into the bone, its teeth sink into the frizzle
and the teeth are cleaned by a scouring action of the frizzle.
The thickness and location of the frizzle on the surface of
the bone varies with the particular animal and its chewing
habits. It will, however, be formed on the locations of
the bone which are chewed the most by the animal and, hence,
will develop a surface which is characteristic for each animal.
As illustrated in Figure 1, 10 represents the substrate which
i8 formed by molding or other plastics shaping operations
into a desirable size and shape, e.g., into an artificial
bone. The substrate is uniformly and thoroughly impregnated
with flavor and odor components which are presented as 11,
it being understood that these materials are dispersed through-
out the body 10in lecular or near molecular dispersion. The
toy item is completely free of any coating or outer skin formed
of meat products such as solids and fat globules, and this
thorough impregnation without the formation of an outer sealing
or protecti~e covering is achieved by the method of impreg-
nation used in this invention.
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104S334
The method for impregnating of the polymide sub-
strate in a uniform and thorough manner without the form-
ation of an outer skin or coating is achieved by the use
of an aqueous solution of meat and animal by-product fla-
vor and odor bodies which is free of suspended solids
and emulsified liquids such as meat and bone particles or
fat globules. This is achieved by the method of the
invention which comprises the cooking of meat or animal
by-products in a vapor zone surrounded by steam which is
in direct contact with the aqueous solution.
The~cooking operation is illustrated in ~IG~R~ 2
wherein a pressure vessel 20 is shown containing an
aqueous liquid 22 which partially fills the cavity of the
pressure/vessel and thereby provides liquid and vapor
phases. The vapor phase 24 is shown to $~rround a fora-
minous receptacle, e.g., wire basket 26, in which are
suspended meat or animal by-products 28. The preferred
materials are smoked ham and chicken and by-products.
Ham hocks, scraps, shank ends, turkey or chicken necks,
backs, ox tails, etc. can be used and constitute pre-
ferred materials.
` Vessel 20 is illustrated as a convention, low pres-
sure vessel having a removable lid 30 secured thereto by
suitable and conventional clamp means 32. The vessel
Z0 suitably(~can be de~igned for operation at pressures
from about 5 to about 100 psia, preferably from 15 to
about 60 psia. These pressures correspond to autogenous
pressures of steam at temperatures of 160 to about 328,
, preferably from 210 to about 290 degrees F. Basket 26 is
shown as suspended from lid 30 of the vessel; other suit-
able means, such as
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upright, internal stands, etc., can, of course, be used
to insure that the meat and animal by-products within
the basket 26 are retained out of contact with liquid 22
of vessel 20. A coil of tubing 21 can be provide~ in the
liquid zone of vessel 20 and a suitable heat exchange
fluid can be passed therethrough to effect heating or
cooling of the liquid 22. Other conventional heating or
cooling means can also be used.
FIGURE ~illustrates the vessel as employed for
the preparation of a fresh impregnating solution. Typically
the vessel is charged with water and meat and animal
by-products in weight proportions from 2:1 to about 1:2
parts meat and animal by-products per part of water. In
preparation of a resh impregnating solution, the mater-
ials in vessel 20 can be subjected to the cooking condi-
tions for a period of from 0.5 to about 10, preferably
from about 2 to 6 hours. Optionally, the meat and ani-
mal by-products can be removed from the basket and
replaced with fresh products and the cooking can be
repeated. Upon completion of the aforementioned period,
there will be obtained an aqueous liquid containing dis-
solved meat odor and flavor components, free of a~ sus-
pended solid and liquid materials. This solution can
be used for impregnation of the polyamide toy items with-
out formation of any protective film on the polyamide
~strates.
; FIGURE 3 illustrates the charging of the vessel 20
with the items for impregnation. As shown in FIGURE 3,
lid 30 is removed, the animal and meat by-products 28 in
basket 26 are replaced with fresh materials and the toy
items, molded of a polyamide such as Mylon, are charged
to liquid 22. It is preferred to cool the contents of
vessel 20 to near ambient conditions b-efore opening the
vessel so that the loss of volatile
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odor and flavor components is minimized. Accordingly, liquid
22 is preferably cooled to a temperature below about 120
degrees F., and most preferably to a temperature below 100
degrees F. before opening vessel 20. This can be accomplished
by circulation of a cooling fluid through tubing 21.
The molded toy items 34 are charged to the solution
in an amount from about 5:1 to 1:5 weight parts toy items
per weight part of solution, preferably from 2:3 to about 3:2
parts by weight per part of solution. The liquid 22 within
the vessel 20 should be sufficient to completely immerse the
products charged to the vessel 20 and, if necessary, some fresh
water can be added to insure that the items 34 are completely
immersed. The basket 26 is also charged with fresh meat and
animal by-products by removing those present in the basket
and placing therein fresh meat and animal by-products . With
each charge of lded toy items, approximately 0.1 to about
2 pounds, preferably from about 0.2 to about 1 pound of meat
and animal by-products per pound of toy items are charged.
The lid 30 is then replaced on the vessel and secured thereto
by clamps 32 and the vessel is heated to the cooking conditions,
sufficient to generate an autogenous steam pressure of from 15
to about 60 preferably from about 20 to about 40 psia. This
corresponds to the aforementioned temperatures of from 210 to
about 290 degrees F., preferably from 228 to about 260 degrees
F. This step in the impregnating process is illustrated in
Figure 4where the molded toy items 34 are shown immersed
with liquid 22 and the freshly charged meat and animal by-
products 28 are contained within the foraminous basket 26 ~ -
within the closed pressure vessel 20. The impregnation
is continued for a period of time from 3 to about 20
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104S334
hours, preferably for about 7 to about 12 hours and there-
after the vessel is cooled, depressured and opened, and
the impregnated items are removed and rinsed in cold,
fresh water to remove an occluded impregnating solution
from the surface of the items. The duration of the impre-
gnating period will control the length of usefulness of
the toy item. The longer the impregnation period, the
longer lasting will be the scent of the item. Typically
imprenation for 1 hour provides an item with a useful
life of 6 months; for 4 hours provides a life of 1 year;
fpr 16 hours provides a life of 2 years. There~fter the
vessel can again be used for impregnating of the toy lt~s
by repeating the steps illustrated by FIGURES 3 and 4.
EXAMPLE
An impregnating solution was prepared by charging
vessel 20 with two gallons wate~r and basket 26 with eight
pounds of ham and eight poùnds of chicken backs and necks.
The vessel was closed and heated to approximately 250F.
and maintained at that temperature for 5 hours under an
autogenous steam pressure of 30 psia. After 5 hours,the
vessel was cooled, depressured, opened and the meat pro-
ducts were removed from basket 26. Water was added to
the liquid solution 22 within the vessel to bring its
volume to the original 2 gallons and the basket 26 was
refilled with 16 pounds of ham and chicken by-products.
The vessel was then closed and again heated to 250F. and
maintained at that temperature for an additional 5 hours.
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Thereafter, the vessel was cooled, depressured,
opened and 120 regular size dog bones molded of Nylon 101,
approximate total weight of 25 pounds, were placed within
the liquid of vessel 20 and sufficient water was added thereto to
completely immerse the toy bones. The meat basket 26 was
emptied and fresh meat products in the amount of 3 pounds ham and
3 pounds chicken by-products were placed in the basket.
The lid was placed on the vessel, secured thereto, and the ,~
vessel contents were heated to 259 F. and maintained at
that temperature for a period of about 10 hours. The auto-
genous pressure within the vessel was approximately 35 psia.
After completion of the 10 hour period, the vessel
was cooled, depressured and opened and the toy items were
removed from the liquid solution 20 and rinsed in cold, clear
water, dried and packaged for sale. The meat products within
basket 26 were removed and the vessel was employed for addi-
tional impregnation of toy bones by charging the bones thereto
together with fresh animal and meat by-products in the afore-
described manner. This procedure was repeated to impregnate
a large quantity of molded toy bones of polyamides.
The invention has been described with reference
to a presently preferred mode of practice. It is not
intended that this illustration be unduly limiting of the
invention which is to be defined by the steps, and their
obvious equivalents, set forth in the following claims :
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