Safety method and means for stopping meat skinning machines

• US 5,083,973 A
• Filed: 10/26/1989
• Issued: 01/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stork Townsend Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Townsend Engineering Company (Marel HF)
• Inventors: Townsend, Ray T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Little, Willis
• Application Number:
  US07/426,668
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 17/21, 17/50, 17/52, 192/130, 192/131 R, 2/2, 2/16, 2/20, 2/159, 2/161 R, 2/167, 2/168, 452/125, 452/127, 452/198, 452/133, 452/136
• US Class Current: 452/127
• CPC Class Codes: A22B 5/166 Drum skinners
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/12 Apparatus for cutting-off rind skinning instruments A22B5/16

Abstract

This invention utilizes a conventional meat skinning machine having a frame, an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent the blade, an electrical motor operatively connected to the gripping roll and to a source of electrical power, and a danger zone defined by the area approximate to the gripping roll closely adjacent the blade. The motor is a braking motor which has a normally inoperative braking means adapted to stop the motor substantially instantaneously when becoming operative. A safety circuit is electrically connected to the braking motor, the blade and the gripping roll. The safety circuit is normally open and is adapted to be closed when the blade and gripping roll are electrically connected by any electroconducting means, such as an operator'"'"'s glove made of electroconducting material, that simultaneously comes into electrical contact with the blade and the gripping roll. The closing of the safety circuit causes the braking means to be actuated substantially instantaneously to stop the braking motor and to stop substantially instantaneously any further rotation of the gripping roll. The method of the invention includes connecting the blade, the gripping roll and the braking motor in a normally open safety circuit. The safety circuit is closed by electrically connecting the blade and the gripping roll through placing a glove on the hand of the machie operator comprised of electroconducting material. The rotation of the gripping roll is substantially instantaneously stopped by closing the safety circuit through simultaneously contacting the blade and the gripping roll with the operator'"'"'s glove.

Claims

1. A meat skinning machine having a frame, an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll and to a source of electrical power, the improvement comprising,

said motor being a braking motor having a normally inoperative breaking means adapted to stop said motor substantially instantaneously when becoming operative,

a safety circuit electrically connecting said braking motor, said blade and said gripping roll

said safety circuit normally being open and adapted to be closed when said blade and said gripping roll are electrically connected by an electroconducting glove on the hand of a machine operator, and which is free from being hard-wired connected to said machine, that simultaneously comes into electrical contact with said blade and said gripping roll, whereupon said braking means will be actuated substantially instantaneously to stop said braking motor and to stop substantially instantaneously the rotation of said gripping roll,

said electroconducting glove comprising the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said blade has an elongated cutting edge, and said blade has an insulated coating thereover except for said cutting edge.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said safety circuit separates said braking motor from said source of electrical power when said blade and said gripping roll are electrically connected.

5. The device of claim 3 wherein said safety circuit separates said braking motor from said source of electrical power when said electroconducting members are electrically connected.

4. A meat skinning machine having a frame, an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll and to a source of electrical power and a danger zone defined by the area proximate to said gripping roll closely adjacent said blade, the improvement comprising,

said motor being a braking motor having a normally inoperative breaking means adapted to stop said motor substantially instantaneously when becoming operative,

spaced apart electroconducting members on said machine in said danger zone,

a safety circuit electrically connecting said braking motor and said electroconducting members,

a safety circuit normally being open and adapted to be closed when said electroconducting members are electrically connected by an electroconducting glove on the hand of a machine operator, and which is free from being hard-wired connected to said machine, that simultaneously comes into electrical contact with said electroconducting members, whereupon said braking means will be actuated substantially instantaneously to stop said braking motor and to stop substantially instantaneously the rotation of said gripping roll,

said electroconducting glove comprising the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine.

6. A meat skinning machine having a frame, an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll and to a source of electrical power and a danger zone defined by the area proximate to said gripping roll closely adjacent said blade, the improvement comprising,

said motor being a braking motor having a normally inoperative breaking means adapted to stop said motor substantially instantaneously when becoming operative,

an electroconducting means on said machine in said danger zone,

a safety circuit electrically connecting said braking motor and said electroconducting members,

a safety circuit normally being open and adapted to be closed when said electroconducting members are electrically connected by an electroconducting glove on the hand of a machine operator, and which is free from being hard-wired connected to said machine, that simultaneously comes into electrical contact with said electroconducting members, whereupon said braking means will be actuated substantially instantaneously to stop said braking motor and to stop substantially instantaneously the rotation of said gripping roll,

said safety circuit normally being open and adapted to be closed when said electroconducting means in said danger zone is electrically contacted by any second electroconducting means that comes into contact with said first-mentioned electroconducting means, whereupon said braking means will be actuated substantially instantaneously to stop said braking motor and to stop substantially instantaneously the rotation of said gripping roll,

said electroconducting glove comprising the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine.

7. The method of stopping a meat skinning machine having an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll, comprising,

connecting said blade, said gripping roll and said motor in a normally open safety circuit to be closed by electrically connecting said blade and said gripping roll,

placing an electroconducting glove on the hand of the machine operator comprised of electroconducting material,

said closing said safety circuit by simultaneously contacting said blade and said gripping roll with said electroconducting glove to close said safety circuit to substantially instantaneously stop the rotation of said gripping roll,

whereby said electroconducting glove comprises the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine.

8. The method of stopping a meat skinning machine having an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll, an electroconducting means on said machine in said danger zone, comprising,

connecting said electroconducting means and said motor in a normally open safety circuit to be closed by electrically contacting said electroconducting means in said danger zone

placing an electroconducting glove free from electrical connection to said machine on the hand of the machine operator comprised of electroconducting material whereby said electroconducting glove comprises the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine

and closing said safety circuit by contacting said electroconducting means with said glove to substantially instantaneously stop the rotation of said gripping roll.

9. A safety glove for use by operators of power machines, comprising,

a glove body member,

said glove body member being comprised of an electrically conductive rubber material.

10. The glove of claim 9 wherein said glove body member is foam rubber material.

11. The glove of claim 9 wherein said glove body member is impregnated with conductive carbon.

12. A meat skinning machine having a frame, an elongated skinning blade, a rotatable gripping roll closely positioned adjacent said blade, and an electrical motor operatively connected to said gripping roll and to a source of electrical power and a danger zone defined by the area proximate to said gripping roll closely adjacent said blade, the improvement comprising,

electrically operated rotational control means operatively connected to said motor to normally permit said motor to rotate said gripping roll when operational,

spaced apart electroconducting members on said machine in said danger zone,

a safety circuit electrically connecting said motor, said rotational control means, and said electroconducting means, to control said rotational control means,

said rotational control means adapted to stop the rotation of said gripping roll when said electroconducting members are electrically connected by an electroconducting glove on the hand of a machine operator, and which is free from being hard-wired to said machine, that simultaneously comes into contact with said electroconducting members;

wherein said electroconducting glove comprises the only electroconducting means between said operator and said machine was inserted.