Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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~TnnT~ 8P~ITTER WITH CATERPILLAR DRIVING ~ ~M
R~ ~~OUND OF THE INVENTION
a) Field of the invention
The present invention is concerned with an
improvement to the meat processing machines called in the
trade "middle splitters", which machines are used in the
food industry for splitting middles into loins and bellies.
b) Brief description of prior art
In the meat processing industry, it is of common
practice to split the carcass of each processed animal
along the spine thereof, in order to divide this carcass
into two symmetrical parts, called "middles". Usually, such
a splitting is carried out after the shoulders and hinds
have been removed.
Each middle which is so obtained, includes half
of the longitudinally splitted spine and the adjacent ribs,
loin and belly. In order to obtain various cuts for retail
purposes such as chops, ribs and fillets, the middle must
then be splitted into a loin and a belly by cutting it
parallel to the spine. Such a cutting is made with a
machine called "middle splitter".
Figure 1 identified as prior art, is a
perspective view of a middle "M" before it is cut into a
loin "L" and a belly "B". The cutting line is shown in
dotted line.
Traditionally, middles were split manually with
a ribbon saw. The middles were guided through the saw by an
operator in order to follow the curved shape of the spine.
This method, even though efficient, was labor-intensive.
In order to automate the process and obtain a cut
that ultimately respects the curved shape of the spine,
middle splitters have been devised. Such machines are
devised to straighten the spine before it is split, so that
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the cutting can be accomplished quickly and efficiently
with a circular saw.
After the middle is split, the spine recovers its
natural curve. This explains why the dotted line shown in
Fig. 1 is not straight. Then, the loin portion "L" that has
been cut proceeds to another station in order to be cut
into a fillet and chops. The belly "B" also proceeds to
another station, where the ribs "R" are lifted out. In the
case of pork, the remaining belly meat is used to make
bacon by first smoking the meat and then slicing it into
thin slices using a ribbon saw.
As aforesaid, middle splitters are already used
in the industry. They basically comprise a work table onto
which a slotted conveyor belt is mounted to move the
carcass in a forward direction with the shoulder-adjacent
end of the middle positioned forwardly. A circular saw
substantially perpendicular to the conveyor belt, extends
into the slot provided in the conveyor belt. This saw is
positioned in such a manner as to cut the middle laid on
the conveyor belt at a distance of 2 inches from the spine
of the middle when the middle moves forwards. The middle
splitter also includes a guide, parallel to the slot,
slightly above the conveyor belt, to hold the middle flat
against the conveyor belt while it is cut by the saw.
A driving wheel having peripheral corrugations to
engage the middle adjacent the spine, is rotatably mounted
near the circular saw to pull the middle toward the
circular saw while pushing the spine toward the adjacent
guide. This driving wheel which is preferably conical in
shape, is powered by a motor. The wheel exerts pressure on
the spine by way of pressure-exerting means devised to push
the wheel towards the guide to straighten the spine while
the middle is cut so that a straight cut may be obtained.
After the middle is split, the spine recovers its natural
shape. The resulting cut is in practice equivalent to the
one an operator would have obtained by manually splitting
the middle with a ribbon saw, but with far greater
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efficiency.
So far, the driving wheel which, as aforesaid, is
preferably conical, has a top diameter of approximately 22
inches and a bottom diameter of 16 inches. The bottom part
is cylindrical and extends 2 inches towards the conveyor
belt, just slightly above it.
If the middle splitters presently in use are
efficient, there is still some problems associated with
their use.
One problem with middle splitters using a driving
wheel is that they do not engage the middles uniformly.
Indeed, the tangential point of the driving wheel makes
full contact with the middles while a decreasing contact is
obtained for points farther away from this tangential
point. Such a poor contact reduces the traction of the
driving wheel on the middles and thus impairs the
efficiency of the middle splitters.
Another problem associated with the existing
middle splitter is that the guide, which is parallel to the
slot, makes the entry of the middle into the splitter
difficult. Furthermore, as the guide is rigidly mounted on
the machine at a given distance from the conveyor belt, it
does not allow for middles of different sizes and
thicknesses to be easily processed. Thus larger middles
will proceed through the splitter with greater difficulty
as the guide cannot be adjusted.
8UMNARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide
an improved meat processing machine, hereinafter called
"middle splitter", for use to split middles of animals into
loins and bellies.
More particularly, the object of the invention is
to provide an improved middle splitter having an efficient
middle conveying arrangement providing a good traction on
the middles.
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The object of the present invention is also to
provide an improved middle splitter which adapts itself to
middles of different width and thickness.
In accordance with the invention, this object is
achieved by a middle splitter for use to process one half
of a carcass of an animal, hereinafter called "middle", in
such a manner as to split its middle into two parts, said
middle having a shoulder-adjacent end and including half of
the animal's spine.
This middle splitter comprises a work table
having a longitudinal axis and a conveyor belt extending
over said work table to move said carcass longitudinally in
a forward direction with the shoulder-adjacent end of said
middle positioned forwardly. This conveyor belt is
longitudinally slotted.
The middle splitter also comprises a circular saw
lying in a plane substantially perpendicular to the
conveyor belt and parallel to said longitudinal axis. This
saw extends in the slot of the conveyor belt and is
positioned in such a manner as to cut the middle laid on
the conveyor belt when the middle moves forward.
A guide extends from upstream of the saw down to
the same with respect to the forward direction of said
conveyor belt. This guide is parallel to said longitudinal
axis and extends slightly above the conveyor belt to hold
the middle flat against the conveyor belt while said middle
is cut by the saw.
The middle splitter further comprises a
caterpillar driving means extending from upstream of the
saw down to and past the saw with respect to said forward
direction. This caterpillar driving means is parallel to
the conveyor belt and has a contour belt mounted onto a
belt support of longitudinal shape having longitudinal
sides and rounded ends. The contour belt has a series of
adjacent peripheral protruding plates shaped and positioned
to engage the middle adjacent the spine that is part
thereof. The caterpillar driving means also has a first
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rotatably mounted shaft extending perpendicularly to the
conveyor belt. This first rotatably mounted shaft engages
positiv,ely the contour belt.
A motor drives the first rotatably mounted shaft
into rotation, thereby driving the contour belt of the
caterpillar driving means into rotation so that the
longitudinal side of the contour belt nearest the saw moves
in the same forward direction as the conveyor belt, whereby
the caterpillar driving means pulls the middle forward
toward the circular saw and pushes the spine toward the
adjacent guide.
Last of all, the middle splitter comprises a
pressure-exerting means for pushing the caterpillar driving
means towards the guide in a direction substantially
lS transverse to said longitudinal axis so that the
caterpillar driving means exerts a pressure onto the spine
to straighten it up while the middle is cut.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the
invention, the belt support may include the first rotatably
mounted shaft and a second rotatably mounted shaft
perpendicular to the conveyor belt and substantially
distanced along the longitudinal axis from the first
rotatably mounted shaft so that the contour belt surrounds
tightly the pair of first and second rotatably mounted
shafts.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment
of the invention, the guide may be supported by resilient
means allowing said guide to move in a vertical manner when
middles of different thickness are engaged in the machine.
Such resilient means may comprise a spring loaded support
near each longitudinal extremity of the guide, a pivoting
connecting member pivotably attached to the guide and to
the lower end of each support, and a joining arm pivotably
attached to each connecting member. Thereby each extremity
of the guide may move in a vertical manner depending on the
thickness of the middle portion underneath the respective
extremity of the guide.
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Thus in accordance with the invention, there is
provided a middle splitter with caterpillar driving means.
This caterpillar driving means is a very efficient middle
conveying arrangement as it provides good traction on said
middles.
Thanks to its structure, this machine can adapt
itself to middles of different width and thickness with the
help of the pressure exerting means pushing on the
caterpillar driving means. This adaptation is
advantageously completed by the use of resilient means to
support the guide.
BRIBF DE8CRIPTION OF THB DRAWING8
A non restrictive description of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention will here be given with
references to the appended drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a middle.
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a middle
splitter according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the caterpillar
driving means and the guide of the middle splitter shown in
FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of pressure exerting
means of the middle splitter shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the guide shown in
FIG. 2, combined with resilient means.
FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the guide and
resilient means shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the guide and
resilient means shown in FIG. 5 and 6.
FIG. 8 is a side view of a preferred embodiment
of a protruding plate as shown in FIG. 2.
DET~TT~Pn DL--CPTPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of a middle
splitter according to the present invention. As is shown,
the middle splitter 10 comprises a work table 12 which has
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a longitudinal axis "A", shown in FIG. 3, and a conveyor
belt 14 which extends over the work table 12 to move the
middle "M" longitudinally in a forward direction with the
shoulder-adjacent end of the middle "M" positioned
forwardly. The conveyor belt 14 has a longitudinal slot 16.
The middle splitter 10 also has a circular saw 18
which is in a plane almost perpendicular to the conveyor
belt 14 and parallel to the longitudinal axis "A". The saw
18 extends in the slot 16 of the conveyor belt 14 and is
positioned in such a manner as to cut the middle "M" laid
on the conveyor belt 14 when the middle "M" moves forward.
The middle splitter lo has a guide 20 which
extends from upstream of the saw 18 down to the same with
respect to the forward direction of the conveyor belt 14.
The guide 20 is parallel to the longitudinal axis "A" and
extends slightly above the conveyor belt 14 to hold the
middle "M" flat against the conveyor belt 14 while the
middle "M" is cut by the saw 18. If desired, a curved bar
21 can be located opposite of the guide 20, close to the
saw 18, in order to distance the spine of the middle "M"
from the saw 18 as it moves towards the same.
Preferably, the guide 20 has a portion 19 before
the saw 18, that is at an angle with respect to the
longitudinal axis "A" in order to ease the entrance and
positioning of the middle "M".
Also preferably, as shown in FIG. 5, 6 and 7, the
guide 20 is supported by resilient means 100 allowing the
guide 20 to move in a vertical manner when middles "M" of
different thickness are engaged in the middle splitter 10.
The resilient means 100 comprises a spring loaded
support 102, 10~ near each longitudinal extremity of the
guide 20 and a pivoting connecting member 106, 108
pivotably attached via short pivoting arm 116, 118 to the
guide and to the lower end of each support 102, 104. The
resilient means 100 also comprise a joining arm 110
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pivotably attached to each connecting member 106, 108. More
precisely, the pivoting connecting members 106, 108 are off
centered with respect to the lower end of each respective
support 102, 104. Both connecting members 106, 108 are
5 offset in the same direction. The joining arm 110 is
pivotably attached to the rear portion 112 of the
connecting member 108 and is pivotably attached to the
lower extremity 11~. of the short pivoting arm 116. Tabs
122, 124 are pivotably attached to the rear portion of each
10 connecting members 106, 108 and fixed to supporting plates
118, 120 through which pass the spring loaded supports 102,
lOJ,. As a result, each extremity of the guide 20 moves in
a vertical manner depending on the thickness of the middle
"M" portion passing underneath the same. Moreover, because
15 of the joining arm 110, unwanted swinging movements of the
guide 20 are prevented since the lower extremity 114 is
maintained at a fixed distance from the rear portion 112 to
which it is connected via the joining arm 110.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the middle splitter 10
20 has a caterpillar driving means 22 which extends from
upstream of the saw 18 down to and past the saw 18 with
respect to the forward direction. The caterpillar driving
means 22 is parallel to the conveyor belt 14 and has a
contour belt 2~. which is mounted onto a belt support 28.
25 The belt support 28 has a longitudinal shape with
longitudinal sides and rounded ends. The contour belt 24 is
made of a plurality of adjacent units 24 attached to each
other in such a manner as to pivot about a vertical axis
"C". Each pivoting unit 24 has a peripheral protruding
30 plate 26 shaped and positioned to engage the middle "M"
adjacent the spine that is part thereof. Preferably, the
plates 26 are pivotably mounted on the pivoting unit 24
about a horizontal axis parallel to the conveyor belt and
have a curved shape, as shown in FIG. 8, so as make contact
35 with a substantial part of the curved side of the middle
"M".
The caterpillar driving means 22 also has a first
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rotatably mounted shaft 30 which extends perpendicularly to
the conveyor belt 1~. The first rotatably mounted shaft 30
engages positively the contour belt 24.
The caterpillar driving means 22 further has a
second rotatably mounted shaft 34 which extends
perpendicular to the conveyor belt 14. This second shaft is
at a distance from the first rotatably mounted shaft 30
with respect to the longitudinal axis "A" so that the
contour belt 24 surrounds tightly the pair of first and
second rotatably mounted shafts 30, 3~.
Advantageously, a third shaft 36 is rotatably
mounted in between the first and second rotatably mounted
shafts 30, 3~. The first rotatably mounted shaft 30 is
transversely offset away from the guide 20 so that the
contour belt 24 bends partly around the third rotatably
mounted shaft 36. Such structure eases entrance of the
middle "M" into the middle splitter 10.
A motor 32 is provided to drive the first
rotatably mounted shaft 30 into rotation and thus to drive
the contour belt 24 of the caterpillar driving means 22
into rotation so that the longitudinal side of the contour
belt 24 nearest the saw 18 moves in the same forward
direction and preferably at the same speed as the conveyor
belt 14. Thereby, the caterpillar driving means 22 pulls
the middle "M" forward toward the circular saw 18 and
pushes the spine toward the adjacent guide 20.
Referring now to FIG. 4, pressure-exerting means
50 are provided to push the caterpillar driving means 22
towards the guide 20 in a direction substantially
transverse to the longitudinal axis "A" so that the
caterpillar driving means 22 exerts a pressure onto the
spine of the middle "M" to straighten it up while the
middle "M" is cut.
As is shown, the pressure exerting means 50
3S preferably comprises first and second posts 52, 54 fixed to
the belt support in between the first and second shafts 30,
34 such posts 52, 54 are perpendicular to the conveyor belt
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1~. The pressure exerting means also comprises first and
second rotating members 56, 58 which are supported over and
perpend,icularly to the work table 12. The rotating members
56, 58 each have an upper and a lower extremity.
A V-shaped joint arm 60 extends parallel to the
work table 12 to connect the first rotating member 56 to
the first post 52. The jointed arm 60 has a first end 62
fixed to the first post 52 and a second end C~ fixed to the
lower extremity of the first rotating member 56. The joint
of the jointed arm 60 iS pointing away from the guide 20
and the extremity of the jointed arm 60 attached to the
caterpillar driving means 22 is slanted with respect to the
longitudinal axis "A" so that when it is pushed away from
the guide 20 it rotates the first rotating member 56.
A straight arm 66 extends parallel to the work
table 12 to connect the second rotating member 58 to the
second post 5~. The straight arm 66 has a first end 68
fixed to the second post 5~ and a second end 70 fixed to
the lower extremity of the second rotating member 58. The
extremity of the arm 66 attached to the guide is slanted
with respect to the longitudinal axis "A" so that when it
is pushed away from the guide 20, it rotates the second
rotating member 58 in the same direction as the first
rotating member 56.
The pressure exerting means 50 also has first and
second lever parts 72, 7~ fixed respectively to the upper
extremity of the first and second rotating member 56, 58.
A spring loaded arm 76 extends along the longitudinal axis
"A" and is fixed at one end to a first extremity 78 of the
first lever part 72 and on another end to a first extremity
80 of the second lever part 74. The spring loaded arm 76
ensures that both rotating members 56, 58 rotate together
in the same direction and at the same time although
possibly over different distances. The difference in
distances is compensated by compression or extension of the
spring in the spring loaded arm 76.
Resistance means 82 are connected to the second
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extremity 8~ of the second lever part 74 to provide a
resisting force against any rotation caused by a distancing
of the ,first and second posts 52, 5~ from the guide 20 due
to the varying width of the middle "M". Preferably, such
resistance means 82 consists of an hydraulic cylinder 82
positioned along the longitudinal axis "A".
