Method and apparatus for detaching meat from bone

• US 5,823,867 A
• Filed: 06/02/1997
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Freezing Machines, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Freezing Machines, Inc.
• Inventors: Roth, Eldon, Yockey, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Little, Willis
• Application Number:
  US08/867,175
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 452/138, 452/141
• US Class Current: 452/138
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/04 Bone cleaning devices

Abstract

Bones (10) with meat attached thereto are suspended in a substantially fluid medium (14). The fluid medium or matrix (14) includes meat, fat and other soft material (16) which behaves similarly to a fluid when a pressure is applied thereto. The substantially fluid medium (14) also includes a substantially compressible material (18) such as a gas included in voids within the matrix. Once the bones (10) are properly suspended, the entire matrix of material (14) is compressed from an initial pressure to a detachment pressure which may be in a range of 5 pounds per square inch over atmospheric to 1000 pounds per square inch over atmospheric. The meat attached to the bones (10) within the matrix (14) tends to migrate away from the bone and eventually detach from the bone. However, since of all of the bones (10) remain suspended in a substantially fluid medium, pressure is applied evenly across the entire surface of the bones without breaking the bones and contaminating the meat with bone fragments.

Claims

1. A method of detaching meat from bone, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a matrix of material comprising bones, a compressible medium, and soft material, including meat attached to at least one of the bones; and

(b) applying fluid pressure to the entire surface area of each bone in the matrix of material so as to increase the compressive force on each bone in the matrix of material from an initial pressure to a detachment pressure, the bones in the matrix being subjected substantially only to fluid pressure throughout the compression from the initial pressure to the detachment pressure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the detachment pressure is over 5 pounds per square inch and the initial pressure is substantially atmospheric pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressible medium included in the matrix of material comprises a gas.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) including the step of containing the matrix of material within a vessel during the step of applying the fluid pressure; and

(b) wherein the step of applying the fluid pressure comprises advancing a piston into the vessel containing the matrix of material.

5. A method of detaching meat from bone, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) suspending a piece of bone and meat attached thereto, in a substantially fluid medium including a substantially compressible medium; and

(b) increasing the pressure applied to the substantially fluid medium from an initial pressure to a meat detachment pressure.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the substantially compressible medium comprises a gas contained within the substantially fluid medium.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of:

(a) containing the gas in at least one bladder.

8. The method claim 7 wherein the step of containing the gas comprises:

(a) containing the gas in a plurality of sealed bladders distributed throughout the matrix of material.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the substantially fluid medium comprises meat, fat, soft material associated with meat, the compressible medium, and bones suspended within the meat, fat, soft material, and compressible medium.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein:

(a) the step of suspending the piece of bone in the substantially fluid medium is performed within a vessel; and

(b) wherein the step of increasing the pressure in the substantially fluid medium comprises advancing a piston into the vessel.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the meat detachment pressure is over 5 pounds per square inch over atmospheric pressure.

12. The method of claim 5 wherein the substantially compressible medium comprises at least one fluid-filled bladder and further comprising the step of:

(a) reducing the volume of the fluid-filled bladder as the pressure applied to the substantially fluid medium increases.

13. The method claim 12 wherein the step of reducing the volume of the fluid-filled bladder comprises removing fluid therefrom.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the bladder is filled with a gas at a pressure less than the detachment pressure so that the bladder may decrease in volume as the pressure in the vessel is increased from the initial pressure to the detachment pressure.

14. An apparatus for detaching meat from bone, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a vessel capable of containing a matrix of material as the material is compressed from an initial pressure to a detachment pressure;

(b) a vessel input associated with the vessel, and through which the matrix of material may be introduced into the vessel;

(c) compressing means associated with the vessel for increasing the compressive force applied to the matrix of material within the vessel from the initial pressure to the detachment pressure; and

(d) wherein the matrix of material comprises soft material associated with meat, a compressible medium, and bones having meat attached thereto, the volume of meat and soft material being sufficient in relation to the volume of bones and compressible medium to ensure that fluid pressure is applied to the entire surface area of each bone in the matrix of material as the pressure in the vessel increases from the initial pressure to the detachment pressure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein:

(a) the vessel comprises a cylinder having a first end and a closed second end; and

(b) the compressing means comprises (i) a piston adapted to advance toward the second end of the cylinder in response to a piston drive force and (ii) means for applying the piston drive force.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the initial pressure is approximately atmospheric pressure and the detachment pressure is over 5 pounds per square inch over atmospheric pressure.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the compressible medium in the matrix of material comprises a gas.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

(a) at least one bladder contained within the vessel.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein each bladder contains a fluid and further comprising:

(a) a separate passage associated with each bladder, each passage allowing fluid communication between the respective bladder and an area external to the vessel.