Equipment for transporting and treating meat
United States Patent Hoffman 1 1 Apr. 29, 1975 1 EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORTING AND 3.224.741 12/1965 Mucnch 259/81 R TREATING MEAT 3,734,470 5/1973 Drehcr 259/81 R 3.746.316 7/1973 Christiana 259/81 R [76] Inventor: Louls Adolph Hoffman,  
  Gerasdorferstrasse 1 3 1. A-12 10 vlenna Ausma Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins 22 Filed; Oct 25 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Salter &amp; Michaelson 1211 Appl. No.2 409,643  
 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data l l ABSTRACT Oct. 26, 1972 Switzerland 15692/72 Equipment for transporting and treating meat, in [52] U.S. Cl 99/472; 99/485; 259/81 R; which a meat container, having the shape of a rotary 426/266 body and being mobile on rollers and being adapted to [51] Int. Cl. 865d 1/00 be closed at both of its front ends, is, at a massaging [58] Field of Search 99/472, 467, 473, 477, station, moved into a supporting frame and tilted there 99/478, 479, 483, 485, 644; 259/81 R, 89, together with said frame around a horizontal axis such 90, 3, 175, 176. 177 R; 426/264, 266, 265 that the container will rest on rollers of the supporting frame, by which rollers said container is driven for ro- [56] References Cited tation (FIG. 1).  
 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,367 4/1956 Bachcrt 99/472 12 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORTING AND TREATING MEAT The object of the present invention is an equipment for transporting and treating materials suitable to be filled into containers. particularly meat. Meat treating equipments of usual construction are. in most cases. composed of individual operating stations (such as for example devices for injecting pickling solution. massaging devices. salting devices. mixing devices and so on). between which the material to be treated is transported by means of containers which have to be charged and. respectively. discharged at the operating stations. Such a procedure will not only make difficult and delay the operation cycle within the equipment but will also result in operating stations of relatively complicated design and considerable space requirements. This will particularly apply for those operating stations at which the material to be treated is only subjected to a movement within a container but will not be subjected to a direct and. respectively. directly controlled action by an operator. Such operating stations are for instance used when massaging. salting or mixing meat. noting that such operation is. in general. effected by rotating the container containing the meat during a more or less extended time interval. For instance. it is known to provide a massaging station with a plurality of containers arranged for being moved along a closed path and connected one to another. Within the path of movement&#39;of said containers a treating means is arranged which sequentially disconnects the previously filled and closed containers and then imparts a swivelling movement to each of said containers around a horizontal axis. Such a massaging station necessarily has a great space requirement and relatively considerable expenditures and suffers from the substantial drawback that in such a station it is. for the time being. only possible to treat one single container and. respectively. container charge at the same time and that for charging the massaging station and. respectively. for removing treated material additional containers and for example carriages and so on have to be provided.  
  It is an object of the present invention to improve an equipment of the kind described above such that the material to be treated can always remain in the same container not only during the operation cycle at a movement treatment station but also during charging said operating station and during removal from this operating station. It is another object of the invention to improve an equipment of the kind indicated above such that the movement treatment station will permit simultaneous treatment of a plurality of charges of the material to be treated contained within individual containers. It is a further object of the invention to provide for a movement treatment station which will not have a substantially greater space requirement than the containers themselves.  
  For attaining this object. an equipment according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least one container having the shape of a rotary body and having one of its front ends closed and provided with a roller means. f.i. and under-carriage and having its other or opposed front end open and provided with a cover lid, and in that at a movement treatment station at least one supporting means having a frame is provided to which carrying rollers for the container are coordinated, and-in that at least one of said carrying rolltl lers is arranged for being driven and that the supporting frame is adapted to be tilted from a container engaging position and. respectively. container discharging position into an operating position around a swivelling axis. and in that in this operating position the container engaged by the supporting frame and resting on the carrying rollers is rotable around the container axis by means of the driven carrying roller. Preferably. said swivelling axis is horizontally arranged. The supporting frame is conveniently provided with two sets of rollers having its axes arranged in parallel relation. one of said roller sets being the driven roller set. The carrier rollers could. however. also be arranged on a stationary element of the movement treatment station. As a matter of course. it is advantageous to provide more than one container and a corresponding number of supporting frames. f.i. arranged in a series.  
  Each container has a cylindrical or barrel-like shape and conveniently rests on an under-carriage provided with three or four rollers. Such containers according to the invention are used for transporting the material as well as a treatment container. and in view of the treatment movement being a mere rotational movement around the container axis performed by means of the carrying rollers. the space requirement of the treatment station is reduced to an area which will exceed the outline of the supporting frame and. respectively. the sup porting frames for only a little amount. Further. rotation of the container around its own axis will only consume a relatively small amount of energy. Conveniently. each supporting frame is arranged for independent swivelling movement and is carrying its own driving motor for a driven carrying roller set. Further. each supporting frame is conveniently equipped with a swivelling means. f.i. a pneumatical or hydraulical or mechanical swivelling means. which will provide the possibility to lock the supporting frame in various intermediate swivelling positions.  
  An embodiment of an equipment according to the invention is schematically represented in the accompanying drawing.  
 In the drawing FIG. 1 shows a side elevation and FIG. 2 a correspondent top plan view of the essential parts of the equipment.  
  The equipment shown is for treating meat parts. f.i. meat chucks. and has a device A for injecting a brine liquid into the meat. a container station B following the device A. a movement treatment station C designed as a meat-massaging station and a container discharge station (not shown).  
  For the equipment shown a plurality of cylindrical containers 1 is provided. Each container is provided with an undercarriage means 2 formed of three rollers at the bottom wall of the container. The open top end of each container 1 can be airtightly closed by means of a flat cover lid 3. This cover lid is conveniently provided with connection fittings via which a vacuum may be produced within the container in a manner known for one skilled in the art. The movement treating station C is composed of a plurality of treatment devices being arranged in lateral relation or in a row. Each of these treatment devices has a supporting frame 4 having a square outline and being pivotally supported for pivotal movement around a swivelling axis 5 at the longitudinal edge of a horizontally arranged base plate 10. Said swivelling axis 5 rests on the ground or is pivotally supported on a socket 6. Said supporting frame 4 being arranged for being swivelled together with the base plate from an upright position with its open side being forwardly directed into a lieing position with its open side facing upwardly around said swivelling axis 5, noting that the supporting frame 4 is supported in its lieing position on the socket 6. In spite of embodiments having manually pivotable supporting frames 4 being conceivable. there is conveniently provided a swivelling means not shown acting on the supporting frame. Such a swivelling means may be. for example. a pneumatic or electrical-mechanical swivelling means. Such a swivelling means may forinstance be formed by a motor-driven screw or spindle bearingly supported in horizontal position within socket 6 and a nut engaging said screw. Said nut is shifted on rotation of said screw and said nut is pivotally connected to one end of a link. pivotally connected with its other end to the supporting frame 4. preferably in the middle of its height. This arrangement allows for intermediate positions of the supporting frame 4 between its upright position and its lieing position in quite a simple manner by rotating said screw or spindle and the self-locking nut allows to lock said supporting frame in said intermediate positions. Within the supporting frame two shafts 7 are arranged in spaced relation and in a vertical or perpendicular position relative to the bottom of the supporting frame. said bottom being formed by the base plate 10. noting that these shafts are each carrying a set of carrier rollers 8. One of these shafts 7 is arranged for being driven together with its carrying rollers 8 rigidly mounted on it by a drive means 9 comprising an electro-motor and a gearing and mounted exteriorily of the supporting frame 4 on one front side thereof. The dimensions of the supporting frame are such that a container I may be fitted into the supporting frame 4 till engagement of the container shell on both sets of carrying rollers 8 without contacting the lateral frame parts of the supporting frame. The arrangement is such that with the supporting frame 4 being swivelled into its upright position shown in FIG. 1 with full lines (and temporarily locked in this position) a container l&#39;can be moved on its rollers 2 in upright position into the supporting frame 4 until engaging both sets of carrying rollers 8. In this moment. at the latest. the cover lid 3 is put on the container 1, whereafter a vacuum may be produced within the container. Now. the supporting frame 4 together with the container 1 brought into position and resting on the bottom plate 10, is swivelled around axis 5 into the desired working position (in the embodiment shown the lieing position illustrated in FIG. 1 by dashed lines). so that the container 1 is freely supported with its container shell on both sets of carrying rollers 8. If an intermediate position (inclined axis of the container) is desired. the container 1 is prevented from falling out of the supporting frame 4 by means for supporting the container such that after starting the drive means 9 rotation of the container 1 around its axis will not be hindered. Such supporting means may, for instance. be formed by the base plate 10. The meat previously charged into the container at station B will on rotation of the container around its axis at station C be caused to continuously change its position. which results in the meat chunks continuously falling one against the other and pell-mell and thus results in an intense massaging and mixing of the meat. Rotating of the container can, according to requirements, be performed continuously during a definite time interval or be performed in a plurality of time intervals and intermediate pauses. The drive means 9 may comprise adjustable clock switches (not shown) for controlling rotation of the container. It is also possible to provide means known per se for reversing the sense of rotation of the container or for changing its revolution speed.  
  As soon as the treatment of the meat has been terminated. the supporting frame 4 is swivelled in its upright position with the container I placed within the supporting frame 4. so that the container 1 is again put on its rollers 2 and thus may be moved out of the supporting frame 4 and transported to a subsequent operating station or to a storage station (not shown).  
  The equipment described is not only space-saving and simple in construction and operation but can also be brought to any desired greater production capacity by adding further supporting frames 4 and. respectively. by mounting further rows of supporting frames and providing a corresponding number of containers 1. However. as a matter of course. it is principally possible to provide an equiptment having only one single container l and one single supporting frame 4 for this container. If the containers 1 are provided with four rollers arranged in pairs on diameters intersecting one another at a right angle. one pair of rollers can be arranged at a lower level than the other pair of rollers. so that the container may be shaken around the diameter of the rollers arranged at the lower level.  
  The principle for the equipment described and consisting in the use of mobile transport containers as containers for a rotating treatment of materials in cooperation with a tiltable frame and driven carrying&#39;rollers can not only be used in a meat treatment equiptment having massage and mixing stations but also in any case in which material suitable for being filled into containers is to be temporarily subjected to a kneading or falling or mixing movement as can be produced by rotating a container having the shape of a rotary body.  
 What I claim is:  
  1. An equipment for transporting and treating materials suitable to be filled into containers. comprising:  
 at least one container having the shape of a rotary body and having its one front end closed and adapted to be transported on a roller means, the other front end of said container being provided with a cover lid. a movement tratment station having at least one supporting means for supporting said container, carrying rollers for said container,  
 a drive means for driving at least one of said carrying rollers,  
 each of said supporting means being arranged for angular movement around a swivelling axis from a container engaging position into a container operating position, wherein in said container operating position the container is engaged by said supporting means and rests on said carrying rollers so that said container can be rotated around the container axis by means of said driven carrying roller.  
  2. An equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said swivelling axis extends horizontally.  
  3. An equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein shafts are provided for said carrying rollers, said shafts extend perpendicularly relative to a bottom plate of said supporting means. one of said shafts is arranged for being driven by said drive means mounted on the supporting means exteriorily thereof,&#34; said supporting means comprises a frame having an open side. the dimensions of said open side of said frame are such that said container can be inserted into said frame till said container engages said carrying rollers. when said supporting means are in said container engaging position.  
  4. An equipment as claimed in claim 3. wherein said shaft of said carrying rollers extend vertically when said supporting frame is in said container engaging position and extend horizontally when said supporting frame is in said container operating position.  
  5. An equipment as claimed in claim l. wherein said container is cylindrical in shape.  
  6. An equipment as claimed in claim 1. wherein a tilting means is provided for tilting said supporting means and locking said supporting means in at least one intermediate position located between said container engaging position and said container operating position.  
  7. An equipment as claimed in claim 1. wherein means are provided for controlling the revolution speed of said driven carrying roller.  
  8. An equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein means are provided for controlling the sense of rotation of said driven roller.  
  9. An equipment as claimed in claim 1. wherein means are provided for controlling the duration of rotation of said container within said supporting means.  
  10. An equipment as claimed in claim 1. wherein said cover lid of said container is provided with fittings for producing a vacuum within said container.  
  11. An equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of containers is provided. said movement treatment station comprises a plurality of supporting means arranged in a series. each of said supporting means being individually tiltable and provided with two parallel sets of said carrying rollers. one of said sets of carrying rollers of each of said supporting means being driven by said drive means.  
 12. An equipment for transporting and treating meat comprising:  
 at least one container for said meat and having the shape ofa rotary body with its periphery shaped as a surface of revolution and having its one front end closed and adapted to be transported on a roller means.  
 a cover member for closing the other front end of said container.  
 a rotational movement meat treatment station having at least one supporting means for supporting said container so that it can be rotated around the axis of said surface of revolution.  
 carrying rollers for rotationally supporting said container on said supporting means.  
 a drive means for driving at least one of said carrying rollers.  
 each of said supporting means being adapted for angular movement around a swivelling axis from a container engaging position into a container operating position. wherein in said container engaging position the container can be transported on said roller means into a position in which it is engaged by said supporting means while in said container operating position of said supporting means said container rests on said carrying rollers so that said container can be rotated around said axis by means of said driven carrying roller.  
  UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 880 O67 Dated April 29 1975 Inventor(s) LOuiS AdO lph Hoffmann It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below Inventor&#39;s last name is incorrectly spelled as &#34;Hoffman&#34; and should appear as &#34;Hoffmann&#34;. (Both places name appears on top sheet of patent.)  
 Signed and Scaled this twenty-fourth Day of February 1976 [SEAL] A ttest:  
 RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (ommissiuner oj&#39;Patents and Trademarks