Meat separating means and method

Abstract

A meat separating machine for separating meat from a feed material which has an appreciable bone content. The machine includes a foraminous cylinder or screen in which a conveying auger rotates. Feed material is introduced under compression into the infeed end of the cylinder/auger combination. The auger conveys the meat material to the discharge end of the combination. During such conveyance, meat is separated from the bone and exudes through the foramina as de-boned meat. Compacted residue high in bone content discharges through a restricted discharge orifice at the discharge end of the cylinder/auger combination. The flights on the auger have an outer diameter on the infeed end which has substantial radial clearance in the neighborhood of 0.25 inch with respect to the inner diameter of the cylinder. The auger flights taper outwardly toward the discharge end where the radial clearance is from about 0.010 and 0.025. The foramina or holes in the cylinder are much larger at the infeed end than at the discharge end where they may even be eliminated. Good separation efficiencies are achieved and an improved meat product obtained with auger rotation speeds of between 100 to 500 RPM whereas in prior machines of the same general type auger speeds of 500 to 1800 RPM were utilized.