G.e. Leblanc Inc.

Jean-Guy Roy

Yvon Dufour

Patrick Fauret

Marcel Couture

Yvon St-Onge

Steeve Lapointe

Steve LaPointe

Jocelyn Genest

Michel Martin

Disclosed is a modular conveyor belt device with a system for easy removal of the belt modules. The belt comprises at least one driving chain and a plurality of belt modules extending transversally and parallely mounted over the entire length of the chains. The belt modules include underside openings, shaped to receive a locking pin extending outwardly from the driving chains and comprising a notch. The belt modules further include side openings intersecting with corresponding bottom openings in which fasteners are removably mounted. Each fastener comprises a projection positionable between a locked configuration and a released configuration. In the locked configuration the projection is embedded in the notch of the locking pin whereas the projection is disembedded from the notch of the locking pin when in the released configuration. The device using the disclosed locking system provides excellent locking capabilities while offering fast and easy removal of the belt modules.

Modular conveyor belt

Disclosed is a loin puller for trimming off the backfat of a loin that has been scribed from a belly. This loin puller has a frame on which is mounted a conveying system for engaging the loin and moving it towards a cutting zone. In this zone, a cutting tool is mounted for engaging the loin when it is moved by the conveying system, and for cutting the backfat to be trimmed off from the loin, with the so-cut backfat remaining attached to the belly. The cutting tool has two blades that are preferably controlled independently from each other. One of these blades is arcuate and positioned onto the frame so as to engage at least one part of the loin from a side of the loin opposite to the belly, and to cut the backfat to be trimmed from the loin. The other blade is L-shaped and positioned onto the frame so as to engage another part of the loin and cut the backfat to be trimmed thereof directly from the scribing line just below the back ribs of the loin. The two blades are long enough to ensure that all the backfat of the loin be trimmed off. Advantageously, the arcuate blade has one end pivotably attached to the frame by a joint and another opposite end attached either to the frame or the L-shaped blade. The use of such a joint gives much more flexibility of the arcuate blade and makes it much more efficient.

Loin puller with two separate cutting blades

Disclosed is a loin puller for trimming off the backfat of a loin that has been scribed from a belly. This loin puller has a frame on which is mounted a conveying system for engaging the loin and moving it towards a cutting zone. In this zone, a cutting tool is mounted for engaging the loin when it is moved by the conveying system, and for cutting the backfat to be trimmed off from the loin, with the so-cut backfat remaining attached to the belly. The cutting tool has two blades that are preferably controlled independently from each other. One of these blades is arcuate and positioned onto the frame so as to engage at least one part of the loin from a side of the loin opposite to the belly, and to cut the backfat to be trimmed from the loin. The other blade is L-shaped and positioned onto the frame so as to engage another part of the loin and cut the backfat to be trimmed thereof directly from the scribing line just below the back ribs of the loin. Both of the blades are long enough so as to ensure that all the backfat of the loin be trimmed off.

Disclosed is a loin puller for trimming off the backfat of a loin that has been scribed from a belly. This loin puller has a frame on which is mounted a conveying system for engaging the loin and moving it towards a cutting zone. In this zone, a cutting tool is mounted for engaging the loin when it is moved by the conveying system, and for cutting the backfat to be trimmed off from the loin, with the so-cut backfat remaining attached to the belly. The cutting tool has two blades that are preferably controlled independently from each other. One of these blades is arcuate and positioned onto the frame so as to engage at least one part of the loin from a side of the loin opposite to the belly, and to cut the backfat to be trimmed from the loin. The other blade is L-shaped and positioned onto the frame so as to engage another part of the loin and cut the backfat to be trimmed thereof directly from the scribing line just below the back ribs of the loin. Both of the blades are long enough so as to ensure that all the backfat of the loin be trimmed off. Advantageously, a plate actuated by a piston is pivotably mounted about a vertical axis in front of the L-shaped blade so as to engage into the scribing line of the loin to be trimmed and push the backribs of the loin laterally away just before the loin reaches the cutting tool.

A loin puller for processing a carcass-half comprising a loin and a flank partially separated by cutting, the loin comprising a layer fat to be trimmed off. The machine has a frame which is fixed an elongated rectilinear working surface intended to receive and support the loin of the carcass-half to be processed. A conveying system is mounted onto the frame above the working surface for engaging and pressing the loin and moving it together with the flank connected thereto up to a cutting zone. An arcuate cutting blade is mounted to the frame in the cutting zone for engaging the loin when the frame is moved by the conveying system and for cutting the layer fat to be trimmed off the same. Advantageously, the frame is devised to let the flank fall down from the working surface while the carcass-half is moved by the conveying system. As a result, more visibility is left for evaluating an optimum position for the cutting blade.

Loin puller for trimming off the fat from the loin of a carcass-half

An automatic device for cutting the legs of pork carcasses laying transversally onto a conveyor. A support carrier is mounted onto a frame extending close to the conveyor in such a manner as to be movable toward and away from the conveyor. The support carrier supports a circular saw extending in a vertical plane parallel to the moving direction of the conveyor at a sufficient height to cut the legs projecting away from the same. The support carrier also supports a device called 'feeler' that is pivotably hung to a horizontal pivot at a predetermined distance from the saw, which corresponds to the average length for the legs to be cut. A control system is operatively connected to a presence sensor mounted in such a manner to detect the legs of the carcasses when these legs reach the feeler. The control system is also connected to a motion detector that detects any swing of the feeler, and to a power jack for moving the support carrier. The control system is actuated as soon as the presence sensor detects a leg, and it operates the power jack in order to move the support carrier towards the conveyor in order to bring this device in contact with the leg if this one is not already in contact with the same, or to move the device in the opposite direction to bring it out of contact with the detected leg if this leg is already in contact with it. Such a generated contact or lack of contact with the legs is detected by the motion detector which gives a signal for stopping the motion of the support carrier and, accordingly, of the saw which is then automatically positioned to cut the detected leg.

Automatic device for cutting the legs of pork carcasses

A middle splitter for use to split an animal's middle into two parts. The splitter has a work table and a conveyor belt to move the middle forward. The splitter also has a circular saw which extends in a longitudinal slot in the conveyor belt. A guide extends from upstream down to the saw. This guide is parallel and extends above the conveyor belt in order to hold the middle against it. The splitter further has a caterpillar drive which extends before and past the saw. The drive is parallel to the conveyor belt and has a contour belt mounted onto a support of longitudinal shape. The contour belt has protruding plates shaped and positioned to engage the middle. The conveyor belt is driven into rotation by a shaft connected to a motor, so that the side of the contour belt nearest the saw moves forward. As a result, when the motor rotates the belt, the drive pulls the middle forward toward the circular saw for it to be cut. A pressure device is provided to push the drive towards the guide to push on the spine and straighten it up while the middle is cut.

Middle splitter

Disclosed is a middle splitter for use in splitting middles of processed animals. This middle splitter has a work table onto which a conveyor belt is mounted. The conveyor belt is slotted along its length. A circular saw extends in the slot of the conveyor belt to cut the middle laid on the conveyor belt as it moves forward. A guide extends parallel to the slot and above the conveyor belt. This guide holds the middle flat against the belt as it is cut. A driving wheel having a vertical axis and peripheral corrugations is driven by a motor to pull the middle towards the saw and push the spine of the middle towards the guide while exerting a pressure to it. The guide includes two proximity switches operatively connected to the pressure-exerting device in such a manner that the pressure exerted by the wheel onto the spine is varied while the middle moves forward. The guide may further include a block located opposite the saw to distance the spine from the saw. The driving wheel is preferably conical, the top part being wider than the bottom part and the bottom part being cylindrical and flat and lying at a predetermined distance above the conveyor belt. This middle splitter is useful for avoiding cutting a portion of the shoulder blade that may be present in the middle.

An apparatus for transferring while turning upside down a piece of meat such as loins from a supply surface on which the loins are in one position to a receiving conveyor on which a plurality of saddles are mounted at regular intervals to receive the loins in another upside down position. The apparatus has an L-shaped rack for receiving the loins from the supply surface. This rack is pivotable between a stopping position and a delivering position in which its surface acts as an extension of the supply surface on which the loins may slide to reach the saddles. An inverting member is mounted onto the rack and pivotably movable therewith between the stopping and delivering positions. This inverting member is shaped and positioned in such a manner as to extend in the same plane or under the supply surface when the rack is in its stopping position in order to collect the loin that is on the supply surface, and then to cause it to turn upside down onto the receiving surface while the rack is rotating down into its delivering position.

Growing community of inventors

Saint-Anselme, Canada

Jean-Guy Roy