Gladd Industries, Inc.

Ralph J MacKay

Andrew J Gladd, Sr

Andrew Gladd, Jr

An elongated meat processing system including an improved lifting mechanism for lifting products from a conveyor during conveyance through a treatment zone defined by a housing of the system so as to control the rate of advancement of the products and the time the products are present in the treatment zone. The system preferably includes a plurality of the conveyors arranged in a vertically spaced relationship with each of these conveyors being of a reciprocating type including a pair of laterally spaced reciprocating beams that carry product sticks on which the products are hung. The lifting mechanism includes laterally spaced lifters along the length of the system for lifting the products after forward reciprocation of the conveyor beams so the products are suspended and do not move rearwardly during subsequent rearward beam reciprocation. Prior to a subsequent forward reciprocation, the lifters return the products to the beams to provide product advancement. Elongated control members are pivotally supported along their lengths extending laterally between the laterally spaced lifters to provide coordination of the lifters. Actuators located at one side of the conveyors pivot the control members to operate the lifters.

System for processing meat

An overload indicator particularly adapted for use with driving and driven components of a meat processing system conveyor to indicate when an overload condition takes place. A frangible member of the indicator is preferably embodied as a shear pin that normally connects the driving and driven components and includes an internal gas chamber which is communicated with the environment as the pin fractures in shear due to overloading. Pressurized gas supplied to the gas chamber of the shear pin decreases in pressure as the pin fractures and this pressure decrease is sensed to indicate the occurrence of an overload condition. A conduit for supplying the pressurized gas to the gas chamber of the shear pin preferably includes a restricted orifice through which the gas is fed by a compressor, and a pressure sensitive valve downstream from the restricted orifice senses the pressure decrease due to an overloading pin fracture. The driving and driven components of a meat processing system conveyor incorporating the indicator are preferably a driven reciprocating beam and a drive cylinder that reciprocates the beam. A flexible hose is connected to the shear pin within a housing of the system and feeds the pressurized gas to the shear pin which moves along with the reciprocating beam. The overload indicator is preferably interconnected with the drive cylinder operation so as to terminate its operation when an overload condition occurs.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Ralph J MacKay