Carcass stabilizer

摘要

A carcass stabilizer for holding a carcass and preventing swinging motion parallel to a carcass rail has a pair of arms that open widely to grasp a swinging carcass as the carcass moves at a point below the suspension point of the carcass. The arms continuously move with the carcass as a carcass processing operation is performed and also preferably move down during the processing operation to exert a downward pull on the carcass and thereby straighten the centerline of the carcass and more accurately hold it in an aligned position.

主权项

1. A carcass stabilizer for stabilizing a carcass as it is continuously moved along a carcass rail, the carcass stabilizer comprising:
at least two arms mounted for motion parallel to the carcass rail; an open/close driver connected to the at least two arms to drive the arms between open and closed positions, the arms opening to accept the carcass therebetween when in the open position and the arms closing to contact the carcass on opposed sides of the carcass when in the closed position; a horizontal driver, the horizontal driver moving the arms substantially parallel to the carcass rail to track the motion of the carcass as the carcass is continuously moved along the carcass rail; and a pivoting driver, the pivoting driver pivoting the at least two arms about an axis substantially parallel to the carcass rail between an operating position and a retracted position, the open/close driver closing the at least two arms in the operating position around the carcass at a point below an upper end of the carcass to stabilize the carcass and prevent the carcass from swinging in a direction parallel to the carcass rail.