The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 09, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 13, 1998
Kenneth Ballard, Orange, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
An animal carcass rib spreader and method of use. The rib spreader includes two carcass engaging members coupled to a frame. Each of the carcass engaging members is adapted to engage opposite halves of a rib cage of an animal carcass. A first carcass engaging member of the two carcass engaging members is mounted to a carriage unit. The carriage unit is coupled upon an elongate member of the frame by a mechanically progressive mechanism that is used for causing movement relative to that elongate member. The mechanically progressive mechanism is engaged upon the elongate member and configured for manual actuation. The mechanically progressive mechanism incrementally advances the first carcass engaging member away from a second carcass engaging member for spreading the rib cage of the animal carcass. Preferably, the mechanically progressive mechanism is a ratchet mechanism driven by a pivotable actuator of a handle assembly that is connected to the carriage unit. The handle assembly includes a leverage extension configured to permit a user to manually grasp the leverage extension and the pivotable actuator in one hand thereby facilitating a squeeze action by a user of the handle assembly for mechanically spreading the rib cage of the animal carcass. A release mechanism is associated with the mechanically progressive mechanism for disengaging the mechanically progressive mechanism from locked engagement with the elongate member of the frame. This allows the first carcass engaging member to return toward the second carcass engaging member for disengaging the carcass engaging members from the animal carcass. Preferably, the release mechanism is a depressible lever configured for permitting a user to disengage the mechanically progressive mechanism using the same single hand utilized to actuate the mechanically progressive mechanism.