This invention relates generally to the separation of meat from bone in a deboning apparatus, but more particularly, pertains to a deboning apparatus that provides the designed support for all of its operating mechanisms in an axially disposed directly driven auger for inducing the separation of bone from meaty material.
A variety of prior art devices have been available for use in the separation of one component from another particularly in the food processing industry. For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,791, to DeBack, discloses the use of a cylinder screen surrounding a compression screw, and having an annular space formed between tapers at one end of the screw for use in maintaining back pressure for inducing the expressing of juice from fruits and vegetables deposited into the shown extractor. This type of extractor is pertinent for disclosing the use of an annular valve like means at the end of its screw for regulating the rate of discharge of the fruit pomace from the extractor during its functioning. The Japanese fish industry has long utilized a sorting apparatus for straining fish meat from its vertebrae structure particularly after the whole fish has been filleted thereby leaving residue meat remaining upon the boney structure of the fish. This type of embodiment is disclosed in the Japanese utility model application publication No. 5757/1965, wherein a screw is disposed within a material feed inlet for conveying the deposited fish meat towards a part of the screw that conveys the material towards a strainer roll that is concentrically arranged around the screw so that the meaty component of the fish will be pressured through the roll while the bones are conveyed towards a pressure or squeezing cylinder so as to maintain back pressure upon the material as it is conveyed along by its screw. The strainer disclosed in this publication shows generally the type of arrangement for pressure cylinders that are currently used in the deboning industry, usually with the entire apparatus itself being projecting usually from a bin that holds the bulk of the boning material prior to its being fed into the strainer assembly as herein defined. One of the main problems with this type of prior art apparatus is that the unsupported aspects of its strainer arrangement generates a high degree of vibration during functioning, which has generally limited the operational characteristics of the roll or screw itself at speeds always well below 500 revolutions per minute. Further problems with this type of prior art strainers is that the motor means providing for rotation of the screw has ordinarily not been directly coupled to the shaft of the screw itself, mainly because thought had not been given to the possibility of locating the motor in a direct drive coupling relationship to one end of the screw, generally because of lack of space thereat, and also because these type of strainers, as previously analyzed, were connected directly into the hopper or bin holding the bulk laden material, and wherein, for sanitary reasons, a motor means generally could not be located. Also, prior art deboners operated at much slower speeds which means that their screws could not be directly coupled to the motor. As a result, all of these prior art strainers generally achieve a turning of their screw by an intermediate gear box, and therefore, they are indirectly driven by the motor or drive means. An example of the more contemporary employment of this type of feature in a deboning apparatus currently being marketed is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,994, to McFarland. In this particular patent, a compression type of screw is arranged within a meat grinder segment, while the extension of its screw is likewise formed as a compression type screw that is arranged within a perforated conduit. More significantly, it should be noted that the entire apparatus shown therein is of the cantilevered type, and mounts directly to a bin, at one end, and from which the boney material is passed into the grinder segment of the apparatus, with the compression screw achieving its drive indirectly through a gear box as shown. Once again, this particular apparatus of the prior art developes extremely high pressure throughout its extent during its functioning, and since it is unsupported, except at one end, as by being mounted only at one end, it generates enormous vibrations in the event that it is operated at any speeds in excess of 400 rpm. Furthermore, this type apparatus constantly developes enormous compressive pressures entirely along the length of its screw, thereby causing a more accelerated deterioration and frequent replacement of its perforated conduit.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a deboning apparatus that is fully supported by an integral base member throughout its length, particularly being bearing mounted at both of its ends so that it may be operated at excessively high revolutions so as to achieve a quicker functioning and greater capacity separation of meat from its boney component during usage of the apparatus.
Another object of this invention is to provide a deboning apparatus wherein its auger means arranged within the pressure and perforated housings is directly driven by a motor means without significant vibrations due to the presence of thrust bearings for absorbing the axial forces generated during functioning of the apparatus.
A related object of this invention is the provision of bearinged pillow blocks integrally upon the base member of a deboning apparatus for fully supporting the operating auger at its approximate ends to thereby eliminate any induced forces or vibration even while the apparatus operates at excessively high speeds.
Another significant object of this invention is to provide a deboning apparatus that can achieve two to three times the meat separation capacity output that can be attained from any other meat separating apparatus currently or heretofore available to the trade.
Another object is the provision of a deboning apparatus that is formed having its driving motor directly and axially coupled to achieve a rotation of its auger.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a deboning apparatus that can operate at speeds in excess of 500 rpm and even up to as high as 1800 rpm.
A further object of this invention is to provide a deboning apparatus incorporating an auger which is separable into a motor coupling, pressure conveying, and valve sections, which are easily separable from each other so as to facilitate either quick assembly, or separation as for cleaning, maintenance, and parts replacement.
Still another object of this invention is the provision of a deboning apparatus in which its infeed means can be pivotally moved for providing intake of the bone laden material from a variety of directions thereby adding to the versatility and portability of the apparatus for usage.
A further principal object of this invention is to provide a deboning apparatus in which the significant pressures to achieve meat separation from its bone are built up almost exclusively within its pressure housing section, with said prepressuring being somewhat maintained and gradually dissipating during conveyance of the boney material through the perforated housing of the apparatus.
Yet another feature of this invention is the functioning of a deboning apparatus wherein the pressure release from the prepressurized bone laden material as it traverses by a perforated housing achieves the expressing of the meat from the housing without necessitating any further build up of pressure within the said housing during functioning of the deboning apparatus thereby lessening the wear upon its said perforated housing.
A related object and benefit achieved from the aforesaid type of function is the reduced abrasion exerted upon the interior of the said perforated housing thereby reducing its incidence for early replacement.
Yet a further object is the provision of a deboning apparatus wherein prepressuring is achieved through the cooperation of a grinder that couples directly to the infeed region of the pressure housing of the deboning apparatus.
Another important object of this invention is the provision of a one piece integral solid metal base member for a deboning apparatus that totally supports all of the operating components of the same.
Another object of this invention is the provision of an axially arranged discharging means directly beyond the valved section of the deboning apparatus so as to achieve a rapid removal and disposal of the boney components away from the perforated housing.
Another object is to achieve a bone abrading separation of fish or meat from its boney components within a perforated housing section that is achieved mainly through a high speed rotation of its contiguous auger.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of the preferred embodiment in view of its drawings.