Claims
- 1. A machine for injecting fluid into meat products, comprising,
- a meat product support means on said machine,
- a fluid manifold means on said machine over said support means, and being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a plurality of first injector needles comprising a group of individual injector needles on said fluid manifold means, and extending towards support means,
- power means on said machine for moving said fluid manifold means and said first injector needles towards said support means to inject fluid into a meat product on said support means, and
- separate control elements on each individual injector needle of said first injector needles to individually control the amount of fluid each needle injects into a meat product on said support means.
- 2. A machine for injecting fluid into meat products, comprising,
- a meat product support means on said machine,
- a fluid manifold means on said machine over said support means, and being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a plurality of injector needles on said fluid manifold means, and extending towards support means,
- power means on said machine for moving said fluid manifold means and said first injector needles towards said support means to inject fluid into a first meat product on said support means,
- first weighing means on said machine for weighing a first meat product prior to injection of fluid thereinto by said injector needles,
- second weighing means on said machine spaced from said first weighing means for weighing a first meat product after it has been injected with fluid,
- means on said machine for comparing the weight of a fluid injected first meat product with a target weight to determine any variance between the actual weight of an injected first meat product with said target weight, and
- means on said machine for increasing or decreasing the flow of fluid through said injector needles so that variance in weight with respect to said target weight will be minimized to permit a second meat product similar in weight to that of a first meat product to be injected with fluid and to achieve said target weight.
- 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for increasing or decreasing the fluid flow through said first injector needles is a means for adjusting the pressure on said fluid.
- 4. A machine for injecting fluid into meat products, comprising,
- a meat product support means on said machine,
- a fluid manifold means on said machine over said support means, and being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a plurality of first injector needles on said fluid manifold means, and extending towards support means,
- power means on said machine for moving said fluid manifold means and said first injector needles towards said support means to inject fluid into a meat product on said support means,
- separate control elements on each of said first injector needles to individually control the amount of fluid each needle injects into a meat product on said support means, a plurality of upwardly extending second needles are secured to said support means,
- said second needles adapted to simultaneously penetrate a meat product being penetrated by said injecter needles to provide voids in said meat product to receive fluid injected into said meat product by said injector needles.
- 5. The device of claim 4 wherein said first injector needles and said second needles have substantially vertical axes, with the axes of said first injector needles being offset with respect to the axes of said second needles.
- 6. A machine for injecting fluid into meat products, comprising,
- a meat product support means on said machine,
- a fluid manifold means on said machine over said support means, and being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a plurality of first injector needles on said fluid manifold means, and extending towards support means,
- power means on said machine for moving said fluid manifold means and said first injector needles towards said support means to inject fluid into a meat product on said support means,
- separate control elements on each of said first injector needles to individually control the amount of fluid each needle injects into a meat product on said support means,
- said injector needles are hollow and are each slidably mounted within an elongated substantially vertical stripper tube having upper and lower ends,
- a normally closed valve in the upper end of said tube and being in communication with a source of fluid under pressure,
- a valve seat on the upper end of each of said injector needles and adapted to seat said valve to close fluid flow into said needles,
- a separate stripper pad on the lower end of said stripper tubes slidably embracing the needles mounted within each stripper tube,
- said stripper tubes being slidably mounted on said fluid manifold means whereby said valve will be unseated from said valve seat to allow fluid under pressure to flow into said needle when the downward movement of said fluid manifold means causes said stripper pad to engage a meat product to slidably move said stripper tube upwardly with respect to said injector needle and said fluid manifold means.
- 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said stripper tube has an elongated vertical slot extending downwardly from said valve seat, a key element on said fluid manifold means extending into said slot and abutting said needle to prevent said needle from moving downwardly with respect to said fluid manifold.
- 8. The device of claim 6 wherein said valve has a spring loaded movable valve plunger that has an effective increment of travel greater than the necessary increment of travel to engage the valve seat on the upper end of said needle so that said valve will remain engaged with said valve seat for a short increment of time when said stripper tube is slightly displaced in an upward direction in said fluid manifold, whereupon said valve will remain closed for said short increments of time after said needle enters a meat product and just before said needle exits a meat product.
- 9. A machine for injecting fluid into meat products, comprising,
- a meat product support means on said machine,
- a fluid manifold means on said machine over said support means, and being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a plurality of first injector needles on said fluid manifold means, and extending towards support means,
- power means on said machine for moving said fluid manifold means and said first injector needles towards said support means to inject fluid into a meat product on said support means,
- separate control elements on each of said first injector needles to individually control the amount of fluid each needle injects into a meat product on said support means,
- said fluid manifold means includes a plurality of separate groups of needles each in communication with a separate individually pressured controlled fluid reservoir, each group of needles and each fluid reservoir being connected to a source of fluid under pressure,
- a fluid pressure control valve operatively connected to each fluid reservoir, and
- an air dampening element operatively associated with said fluid pressure control valve to control the amount of pressurized fluid delivered to each of said fluid reservoir,
- said air dampening element being operatively connected to a source of compressed air by an air control regulator, whereupon varying degrees of fluid pressure can be delivered to various of said reservoirs to vary the pressure on the fluid among said groups of needles.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of copending application(s) Ser. No. 08/503,455 filed on Jul. 17, 1995.
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
503455 |
Jul 1995 |
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