Apparatus for electrically stimulating an animal carcass

• US 4,495,676 A
• Filed: 08/02/1982
• Issued: 01/29/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gerald J. Ii Hartmetz
• Original Assignee: Gerald J. Ii Hartmetz
• Inventors: Hartmetz, Gerald J. II
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/404,370
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: 17/1 E, 17/25
• US Class Current: 452/141
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 9/002 by electric treatment

Abstract

An apparatus for electrically stimulating an animal carcass including means applying a series of electrical impulses to the animal carcass having a potential between about 30 and 60 volts and relaxing the muscles of the carcass for a period by interrupting the electrical impulses. The apparatus has a nose clamp and an insert plug. An electrical impulse generator generates low voltage electrical impulses to the nose clamp and insert plug. A step-down transformer reduces the voltage. An interval cycle timer controls the time duration of the stimulation cycle. A repeat cycle pulsation timer automatically controls the on-off of the electric current to the carcass.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electrically stimulating an animal carcass to tenderize the same comprising in combination a nose clamp means and an insert plug means for respectively engaging the animal carcass in proximity to the nose and the hock of the same, a housing, an electrical impulse-generating means positioned in said housing and electrically connected to said nose clamp means and said insert plug means, said impulse-generating means including a step-down transformer to reduce the input voltage from an alternating current power source to between 44 and 48 volts and the amperage to less than about 1 amps., said step-down transformer has a primary winding including one primary terminal connected to the alternating power source and another primary terminal connected to a point terminal strip means, the secondary winding of said step-down transformer includes a pair of secondary terminals that connect to said point terminal strip means, an interval cycle timer means electrically attached to said terminal connected to the alternating power source, and a repeat cycle pulsation timer means electrically connected to said terminal strip means for automatically controlling the on-off of the electric current to the carcass, said interval cycle timer means includes four interval terminals electrically engaged to said terminal strip means, and said repeat cycle pulsation timer means comprises five pulsation terminals electrically engaged to said terminal strip means, one of said interval terminals and one of said pulsation terminals connect to a common terminal on said terminal strip means;

a resistor means engaging a secondary terminal, a first low voltage lamp means electrically engaging the secondary terminal having the resistor means to indicate when low voltage is available for stimulation, a second low voltage lamp means electrically engaged to the first low voltage lamp means and the point terminal strip means;

a first switch means electrically engaging the terminal strip means;

a second switch means electrically engaged to the first switch means and to the terminal strip means which when closed energizes step-down transformer and lights up the first low voltage lamp means; and

a third switch means electrically engaged to the second switch means and the terminal strip means which closed starts said interval timer means and said repeat cycle timer means.