Meat dressing/boning method and system

Abstract

A meat dressing and boning method and a system thereof can dress and bone meat and carcass in short work-hours, while avoiding bacterial contamination. The system includes a clamp mechanism for holding a meat block with bones, a hanger connected to clamp mechanism and movably suspended from a support rail, and a guide rail or rails having a tubular or rod-like configuration for supporting the meat block positioned along and below the support rail. The hanger has at least two pivots to allow the meat block held by the clamp mechanism to rotate about at least first and second axes, which are perpendicular to each other. The meat and carcass can be broken up and boned while being moved along the support rail, with the swinging directions of hanger regulated by the guide rail or rails.

1 . A system for dressing/boning a meat block with bones, the system comprising: 
 a support rail extending along a processing line;    a clamp mechanism for holding meat block;    a meat-block support suspended from the support rail and attached to the clamp mechanism;    a guide made of a pipe or bar extending along and below the support rail for supporting the meat block with bones,    wherein the guide is configured so that the meat block with bones comes into a line contact with the guide, and    wherein the meat-block support includes at least first and second pivot to allow the meat block held by the clamp mechanism to rotate about at least first and second axes.    
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meat-block support includes a supporting bar, a support-rail connector pivotally connected to the supporting bar to provide the first pivot, and a clamp-mechanism connector pivotally connected to the supporting bar to provide the second pivot, wherein the clamp-mechanism connector is connected to the clamp mechanism, and wherein the support-rail connector is movably connected to the support rail and is pivotally connected relative to the support rail to provide a third pivot.  
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the clamp mechanism is rotatably connected to the clamp-mechanism connector to provide a fourth pivot.  
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the support-rail connector is pivotable relative to the support rail about the third axis, wherein the supporting bar is pivotable relative to the support-rail connector about the first axis, and wherein the clamp-mechanism connector is pivotable relative to the supporting bar about the second axis, and wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second and third axes.  
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the processing line direction, wherein the first pivot comprises a first pivot joint provided between the support-rail connector and the supporting bar, the supporting bar being pivotable about the first axis, which is parallel to the support rail, wherein the second pivot comprises a second pivot joint provided between the supporting bar and the clamp-mechanism connector, the clamp-mechanism connector being pivotable about the second axis, which is perpendicular to the first axis, and wherein the movement of the meat block with bones about the first and second axes is restricted by the contact of the meat block with bones with the guide rail.  
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide includes a pair of guide rails extending along the support rail, each of the guide rails having an inclined section for raising the meat block with bones and a horizontally extending section continuing from the inclined section and extending substantially parallel to the support rail.  
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide includes a movably mounted guide rail extending along the support rail, the guide rail being movable toward and away from a worker.  
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the guide rail is connected to links that are pivotally supported on a platform so that the guide rail is pivotable relative to the platform, and further including an actuator for pushing or pulling the guide rail away from or toward the worker.  
   
   
       9 . The system according to  claim 8 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder or air cylinder.  
   
   
       10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meat block has a bone with a root part that forms a bone joint, and the clamp mechanism is for holding the root part of bone in the meat block.  
   
   
       11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the clamp mechanism includes a plate with a slot adapted to received the root part of the bone in the meat block.  
   
   
       12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the clamp mechanism is rotatable relative to the meat-block support to allow the meat block held by the clamp mechanism to rotate about a third axis.