Method and apparatus for automatically segmenting animal carcasses

Abstract

Manually segmenting animal carcasses into primary cuts involves an enormous amount of manual labor and attendant expense. However, known automated systems for segmenting carcasses cannot match the accuracy of expert butchers. The apparatus for segmenting animal carcasses disclosed herein provides an imaging station having a vision system that determines parameters of the interior and / or exterior of the carcass. Using these parameters, a computer determines a cutting path or a plurality of cutting paths for segmenting the carcass. A mounting vehicle, which securely holds the carcass, transports the carcass from the imaging station to a cutting station. In the cutting station, electrically controlled cutting implements, such as high-pressure water jets or lasers, segment the carcass along the determined cutting path or paths.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates generally to meat processing and, more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for cutting animal carcasses into smaller segments.2. Description of the Related ArtIt has been estimated that the beef processing industry suffers from over 10 billion dollars a year in efficiencies, with 3-4 billion dollars of that waste arising in the slaughter houses and packing plants. In a conventional packing house operation, animals are slaughtered, their hides are removed, and the resultant dressed carcass is hung in a storage cooler for subsequent cutting. During the cutting operation, the carcass is manually segmented by skilled workers into primary cuts. For instance, the primary cuts of beef are the shank, the round, the rump, the sirloin, the loin, the flank, the rib, the chuck, the plate, the brisket, and the shoulder. These primary cuts are then further cut and trimmed for sale to consumers. This pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of a motorized joint of the multi-axis control arm illustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG

Problems solved by technology

This primary cutting operation is time consuming and labor intensive, requiring a number of highly skilled butchers to manually segment each carcass.

Although the cuts made by the butchers are not consistently accurate to produce the most effective yield, because carcasses vary in size and build, and because primal cuts are not defined by any precise symmetry, no automated butchering system exhibits more accuracy than butchers.

Although cutting systems of this type have, to some extent, decreased the total man-hours required by skilled butchers, the greater accuracy achieved by the manual cut has been sacrificed.

While this system relieves butchers from the burden of manually cutting carcasses, it still requires skilled cutting specialists to mark each of the carcasses using a proper color code.

Thus, the accuracy of the cut is limited by the accuracy of the color-coded markings on the surface of the carcass and by the limited maneuverability of motor driven knives.

Moreover, motor driven knives require frequent replacement, especially when required to cut through bone as well as chilled or frozen fresh.

Images