Method of deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat therefrom and apparatus for performing the method

摘要

A method and apparatus are disclosed for mechanically deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting the meat therefrom. The method includes the steps of grasping a thigh bone of an animal thigh at a hip knuckle with a bone holder, cutting tissue adjacent a knee knuckle, cutting tissue near the hip knuckle, and engaging the thigh bone adjacent the bone holder with a meat stripper. The method also includes moving the bone holder and meat stripper away from one another in a direction substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extent of the thigh bone, allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle, and collecting the meat separated from the bone. The apparatus includes a plurality of processing stations for carrying out the individual steps, with the processing stations being arranged along a path of conveyance defined by a conveyor chain moving through a predefined path.

主权项

1. An apparatus for separating and collecting meat from animal thighs, each animal thigh having a thigh bone with a hip knuckle at one end. and a knee knuckle at an opposite end, the apparatus comprising:
a conveyor defining and movable along a processing path; a plurality of bone holders coupled to the conveyor in spaced relationship and movable with the conveyor along the processing path to define a path of conveyance, each bone holder comprising a hip knuckle gripper for gripping a configured to grip the thigh bone of an animal thigh adjacent the hip knuckle thereof: a first processing station disposed along the processing path and comprising at least one cutting blade arranged to cut meat tissue attaching the meat to the thigh bone at a designated location adjacent the hip lower knee knuckle as the animal thigh is conveyed past the first processing station; a second processing station disposed along the processing path and comprising at least one cutting blade arranged to cut meat tissue attaching the meat to the thigh bone at a designated location adjacent the knee upper hip knuckle as the animal thigh is conveyed past the second processing station; a third processing station disposed along the processing path and comprising a meat stripper configured to engage and substantially surround the thigh bone at a location between the hip knuckle gripper and the knee knuckle; a mechanism for moving the meat stripper and the hip knuckle gripper away from each other to strip the eat tissue from the bone in a direction toward the knee knuckle, the meat stripper moving over the knee knuckle to separate the meat tissue from, the thigh bone; and a collection station for collecting the meat separated from the thigh bone.