Patent Application
20100058818
The present invention relates to systems and methods for processing animal hides in a meat processing facility. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to automated processes and systems for curing, grading, measuring, folding and stacking animal hides prior to delivering the hides to a tannery.
During commercial meat production in a meat processing facility, an animal (e.g., bovine, porcine, and ovine) carcass is subjected to a number of different procedures. For example, during commercial beef production, an animal is stunned and hung from a conveyor system, such as a trolley running along an overhead rail. The animal is then exsanguinated by severing the arteries at the base of the neck. Next, the animal's hide is removed. Removing the animal's hide typically involves several steps, including making a series of cuts along a hide removal pattern. Portions of the hide are then partially removed by alternating manual and automated steps. The animal is then transported to a downpuller, which engages these partially removed portions of the hide and exerts a downward force on the hide, thereby pulling the remainder of the hide from the animal's carcass.
After removal, the hide is preserved by a process commonly referred to as “curing.” Commercial curing processes generally involve the application of a salt brine to the hide via a tumbler or similar system in order to prevent bacteria from affecting the quality of the hide, and thus, the quality of leather made from the hide. After curing, the hides are advanced along a trolley conveyor to a folding station, where each hide is visually graded for size and quality, manually folded and then stacked on a pallet along with other similarly graded hides for shipping.
Several challenges are presented by this grading and folding process. For example, the process requires significant manual labor. Additionally, hide graders are given a very short period of time just prior to folding to make a grade determination. This results in a significant number of grading errors and/or inconsistencies, which can adversely affect the quality and/or consistency of hides that are delivered to the tannery.
One embodiment of the present invention is a system for processing animal hides. The system includes a grading station for determining hide grades, a measuring station for determining at least one hide dimension of the animal hide, a hide folding station, a stacking station adapted to deposit hides at a plurality of stacking sites, a conveyor system and a control system.
The control system includes a grading station interface, a measuring system interface, a stacking station interface and a microprocessor. The control system is adapted to receive the hide grades and measurements, compare the grades and or measurements with a predetermined protocol and to selectively deposit the hides at one of the plurality of stacking sites based on the comparison.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method for processing an animal hide in a meat processing facility. The method includes the steps of assigning a hide identifier, grading the hide, measuring the hide, storing the grades and/or measurements, folding the animal hide, advancing the folded hide to a stacking station having a plurality of stacking sites, comparing the hide grade and/or hide measurement information to a stacking protocol to select a stacking site and depositing the hide at the selected stacking site.
As illustrated in
At the grading station 52, the hide 53 is laid flat (e.g., flesh side down, hair side up) and a hide grade is obtained. In one embodiment, a qualitative hide grade determination (e.g., Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, or Native) is made by a grader and recorded. In an alternate embodiment, the hide 53 is graded using machine vision equipment, which could automatically assign a hide grade based on a recorded representation of the hide. As discussed in detail below, hide grades are used at the hide stacking station 60 to select a particular hide stacking site 62 to deposit a hide 53.
The hide press 54 removes excess moisture from hides 53 that is naturally present and/or absorbed during the curing process. In the illustrated embodiment, the hide press 54 is a horizontal press that utilizes a series of rollers to squeeze moisture out of the hide. An example of a commercially available press is the Rizzi brand Sammying Machine (Modena, Italy). Removing excess moisture prior to folding may reduce bacterial levels, particularly along the hide crease lines created during the subsequent hide folding step.
The measuring station 56 is used to obtain weight and/or other measurements of the hide 53. Like the hide grade, measurements taken from each hide 53 may be used in selecting a stacking site 62 onto which a hide 53 is to be deposited. Hide dimension data may also be useful for quality control, marketing and/or sales.
The measuring station 56 according to certain embodiments is capable of automatically measuring the length, width, thickness and/or weight of the hides 53 using various sensors including, for example, photoelectrics, proximity sensors, vision technology, electronic scales, etc. In other embodiments, certain measurements may be performed manually or not at all.
In one embodiment, the measuring station 56 could utilize photocells and or machine vision technology to determine the hide length, width and/or thickness dimensions. To determine hide weight, the conveyor 72 could be supported by load cells (not shown), which make and record a weight determination each time a hide 53 passes over the conveyor 72. In another embodiment, hide grading and hide measurement could take place at the same station.
Prior to folding the hide, embodiments of the present invention include an optional disinfecting step (not shown) wherein a disinfectant such as a chlorine mist is applied to either or both sides of the hide to reduce bacterial contamination. This step could be performed using conventional disinfectant applicators (e.g., misters, sprayers, etc.).
After determining the hide dimensions, the hide 53 is automatically folded at the hide folding station 58 (see
The extension of the retracting conveyor 92 is accomplished via horizontal pistons 96 and vertical pistons 97, which extend (and retract) the conveyor 92. Alternatively, two conveyors operating at different actual speeds or moving in opposite directions could be employed to accomplish a similar result.
The reverse approach can be taken to fold the tail after folding the head. For example, after folding the head portion by extending, the retracting conveyor could be retracted as the tail is transferred to the second conveyor 94. The relative speed difference in this case would again fold the tail over the main body. In another embodiment, the second conveyor 94 could change speeds or reverse directions relative to retracting conveyor 92. In yet another embodiment, the second conveyor 94 could also be a retracting conveyor and fold the tail by retracting as the hide 53 is conveyed to the stacking station 60.
After folding, the hides are advanced to the stacking station 60, where the hide grade and/or measurement information is used to selectively deliver the hide to a particular hide stacking station 62 along conveyor 100. In one embodiment, each hide stacking station 62 is assigned a predetermined hide grade and/or measurement such that hides 53 having corresponding grades and or measurements are deposited at the appropriate stacking site 62. The number of stacking sites used depends on a variety of factors include the grading method, the number and type or measurements obtained, space limitations and/or customer preferences. In one embodiment, between six and twelve stacking sites are utilized.
From this scale, a stacking site protocol can be established. In one stacking protocol, the number of stacking sites corresponds directly with the number or stacking categories in the scale. In another protocol, certain stacking categories may be the basis for multiple stacking sites and/or one stacking site may encompass multiple categories.
Each stacking site includes one or more pallets which are configured to receive multiple hides. Once full, the pallets are transferred via forklift or similar methods for further processing, storage and/or distribution. In an alternate embodiment, pallet systems described in U.S. published application 20070006782, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety could be utilized in place of traditional pallets.
In one embodiment, hides 53 are selectively deposited at predetermined stacking sites 62 using a control system.
The microprocessor 152 can be any microprocessor capable of communicating with the interface components to carry out the control functions detailed below. In one embodiment, the microprocessor is configured to associate information relating to the processed hides (e.g., grade, weight, length, etc.) with a unique identifier in, for example, an electronic database. This identifier could also be associated with information relating to the source carcass.
Hide identifiers can be assigned in a variety of ways. In one embodiment, each processed hide 53 is assigned sequential numeric or letter identifiers. In another embodiment, identifiers assigned to the hide during curing are used. In a further embodiment, identifiers originally assigned to the source animal or carcass are used. In these embodiments, information related to a hide could then be associated with other information relating to the corresponding animal and/or carcass. In one embodiment, these identifiers are assigned at the grading station, for example, at the time a hide grade is entered. By employing a first-in, first-out method, the microprocessor could track hides through the processing steps. In other embodiments, various electronic or mechanical sensors could be used to assign identifiers and/or track identified hides.
In another embodiment, electronic tracking identification such as bar codes tags, RFID tags or similar electronic identifiers could be associated with each hide. In this embodiment, various sensors or readers in communication with the microprocessor 152 could be used.
The hide grade interface 154 is configured to obtain or receive a hide grade such that each hide grade can be associated with the corresponding hide identifier in an electronic database or the like. For example, the hide grade interface 154 may include a computer terminal or a similar processor interface via which the grader can enter and record a grade determination for subsequent use at the stacking station 60. In another embodiment, the interface may include one or more buttons designating a particular grade. In a further embodiment, a default grade is recorded unless a different grade is entered into the interface. In yet a further embodiment, the hide grade interface 154 includes machine vision equipment that automatically determines a hide grade. In each case, the interface may be in communication with the microprocessor 152, in order to associate the hide grade with the hide identifier corresponding to the graded hide in, for example, an electronic database.
The hide measurement interface 156 is configured to obtain and/or receive one or more hide measurements in order to associate such measurements with the corresponding hide identifier. In one embodiment, the hide measurement interface 156 includes the various measurement sensors (e.g., weight, length, width, etc.) described above with respect to the hide measurement station 56. In another embodiment, the hide measurement interface 156 includes one or more user interfaces into which such measurements can be entered. In either case, the hide measurement interface 156 may be in communication with the microprocessor 152 in order to associate the hide measurements with the hide identifier corresponding to the measured hide in, for example, an electronic database.
The stacking station interface 158 is configured to receiving instructions from the microprocessor and to operate the stacking station to selectively deposit hides 53 at selected stacking sites 62 based on the stacking protocol and the recorded hide grade and/or hide measurement associated with that hide's identifier. For hide stacking station 60, for example, the stacking station interface 158 operates the conveyor 100 to convey the hide 53 to a selected stacking site 62 and to retract the retracting conveyor 102 such that the hide 53 is deposited onto a pallet at the selected.
In one embodiment, the control system 150 functions as follows. The hides 53 are assigned an identifier, prior to or at the time of grading, which is received by the microprocessor 152 and recorded in an electronic database. The hide grade and hide measurements are then determined, entered into and/or recorded by the hide grade interface 154 and hide measurement interface 154. The microprocessor 152 receives the hide grade and hide measurement information and associates it with the appropriate hide identifier in the electronic database. After each hide 53 is folded and conveyed to the stacking station, the hide 53 is identified by its hide identifier and the associated hide Grade and hide measurement information is accessed. The accessed information is then compared to a hide stacking protocol and a stacking site is selected. The microprocessor 152 then instructs the stacking station interface 156 to operate conveyor 100 to convey the hide 53 to the selected stacking station and to retract the retracting conveyor 102 to deposit the hide onto a pallet.
In one embodiment, when a pallet at a stacking station is full such as shown in
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US07/76083 | 8/16/2007 | WO | 00 | 11/23/2009 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60822591 | Aug 2006 | US |
