Acraloc Corporation

David L Chappel

Lawrence D Boody

Scott E Andre

An improved loin knife for a loin puller apparatus having a scribe saw with an associated decelerator and depth gauge immediately in advance of the loin knife for the purpose of cutting through the ribs of the carcass middle. The loin knife has a bight region that is positioned and configured so as to extend through the fatback and to pull the loin portion with the fatback, and in pork carcasses the skin, intact. The bight has a substantially horizontal region that cuts through virtually the entire length of the fingers of lean, which include portions of the serratus dorsalis muscle. To assist in orienting a carcass middle with regard to the scribe saw and loin knife, the apparatus is provided with a load bar that engages the chine and provides for a more uniform alignment of the carcass middle with the loin knife in relation to the position of the chine. Also, a guide bar that is in substantial alignment with the load bar is provided to assist in the initial alignment of the carcass middle as the carcass middle is loaded into the loin puller. A laterally driven impeller is provided to force the chine portion of the carcass middle into the load bar, thus straightening the chine against the load bar. The impeller is also rotatably driven to assist in driving the carcass middle toward the loin knife. A programable logic controller, ('PLC'), is provided to control various operations of the loin puller device.

Growing community of inventors

Loudon, TN, United States of America

David L Chappel