Methods and apparatus for processing pork belly slabs

• US 20020098791A1
• Filed: 01/25/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hormel Foods Corporation (Hormel Foods)
• Original Assignee: Hormel Foods LLC (Hormel Foods)
• Inventors: Handel, Gary A., Morrison, Jeffrey J.
• Application Number:
  US09/770,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098791A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 452/150
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2007/011 by clamping claws, e.g. in high speed slicers for food products
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/01 Means for holding or positioning work
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/0641 using chutes, hoppers, magazines
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/18 Means for removing cut-out material or waste

Abstract

Pork belly slabs are arranged into a vertical stack and loaded into a magazine. The lowermost slab is push through a gate on the magazine and then held in place until engaged by a gripper. The gripper pushes the slab into a bacon slicing unit, and then a left over end of the slab is ejected into a receptacle before the process is repeated.

Claims

1. A method of converting pork belly slabs into strips of bacon, comprising the steps of:

providing a bacon cutting machine having an entrance;

providing a magazine configured to hold a plurality of pork belly slabs in a vertical stack;

securing the magazine and the cutting machine relative to one another in such a manner that a lower end of the magazine is generally aligned with the entrance of the cutting machine;

loading a vertical stack of pork belly slabs into the magazine; and

intermittently delivering a lowermost one of the pork belly slabs to the entrance of the cutting machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering step involves pushing the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs through a leaf spring gate on the magazine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the delivering step subsequently involves positively positioning the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs for engagement by a feed member.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the subsequent step of ejecting a remnant of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs to a receptacle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering step involves inserting a pushing member upward into the magazine and rearward of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs.

6. A method of converting pork belly slabs into strips of bacon, comprising the steps of:

providing a bacon cutting machine having an entrance;

providing a magazine configured to hold a stack of pork belly slabs;

mounting the magazine above the cutting machine;

loading a stack of pork belly slabs into the magazine; and

intermittently delivering a lowermost one of the pork belly slabs downward to the entrance of the cutting machine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivering step involves pushing the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs through a leaf spring gate on the magazine.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the delivering step subsequently involves positively positioning the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs for engagement by a feed member.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the subsequent step of ejecting a remnant of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs to a receptacle.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the delivering step involves inserting a pushing member upward into the magazine and rearward of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs.

11. A pork belly processing system, comprising:

a bacon cutting machine having an entrance;

a magazine configured to hold a stack of pork belly slabs; and

a delivering means for delivering a lowermost one of the pork belly slabs from the magazine to the bacon cutting machine, wherein the delivering means includes a positioning means for positively positioning the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs relative to the bacon cutting machine.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an ejecting means for ejecting a remnant of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs into a receptacle.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the delivering means includes a pushing member which is movable into a ready position, inside the magazine and directly behind the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the magazine includes a leaf spring gate disposed directly in front of the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the positioning means includes a clamp disposed between the magazine and the entrance of the bacon-cutting machine.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pusher is selectively movable toward the opening and rotates to a retracted position during movement away from the opening.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein a leaf spring gate extends across at least a portion of the opening.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein relative to a line extending perpendicularly through the pork belly slabs, the front wall angles downward and forward toward the opening.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a clamp occupying a ready position proximate the receiving area.

16. A pork belly processing system, comprising:

a bacon cutting machine having an entrance;

a magazine configured to hold a stack of pork belly slabs, wherein the magazine includes a front wall having an opening that is configured and arranged to accommodate passage of only a lowermost one of the pork belly slabs;

a pusher occupying a ready position directly behind the lowermost one of the pork belly slabs; and

a receiving area disposed between the opening and the entrance of the bacon cutting machine.