Abstract: A mechanism for ejecting a cutting blade from a knife assembly in a meat skinning machine includes a shoe with a supporting surface for the blade and a releasable clamping assembly for clamping the cutting blade to the supporting surface. The clamping assembly includes a clamp and releasable fasteners. Together the shoe and clamp form an elongated open slot adjacent to the blade when clamped together by the fasteners. A pair of ejectors extend into the slot and are slidably mounted with respect to the shoe and the clamp so as to engage the blade. The ejectors can be pushed into the blade to eject the blade when the clamp is released. The ejectors are rigid elongated rods longitudinally spaced along the edge of the blade opposite the cutting edge. The ejector rods include a guide bulb thereon, with cam surfaces thereon to engage and lift the clamp when moved rearwardly to lift the loosened clamp from the blade.

Abstract: A stuffing tube mounting assembly has an elongated cylindrical barrel with a longitudinal center axis and forward and rearward ends. The barrel has a first barrel portion at the rearward end, a second barrel portion at the forward end, and an intermediate barrel portion in between the first and second barrel portions. The first and second barrel portions have outer surfaces concentric with the longitudinal center axis. The intermediate barrel portion has an outer surface with a center axis parallel to but eccentrically offset from the longitudinal center axis. A hollow elongated stuffing horn has a rearward end detachably telescopically mounted on the second barrel portion. A hollow collar has a longitudinal bore extending therethrough comprised of an eccentric bore portion and a concentric bore portion. The concentric bore portion extends around and embraces the rearward end of the stuffing tube mounted on the second barrel portion of the barrel.

Abstract: The machine for skinning meat has a frame, an input conveyor, a gripper roll, a skinning blade assembly comprising a shoe with a skinning blade thereon, a hold down roll to apply downward pressure on a meat product to be skinned, and an outlet conveyor. The skinning blade assembly is supported on a pair of control arms that can be selectively positioned by cam elements to place the blade assembly in a desired position with respect to the gripping roll. A pair of sensor controlled air cylinders are secured to the control arms to move the blade skinning assembly with respect to the gripping roll. A cam controls the attitude of the blade gripping assembly as it is moved with respect to the gripping roll. The hold down roll is mounted on a pair of arms which are also controlled by a pair of sensor controlled air cylinders.

Abstract: An integrally formed injection moulded tubular plastics container body open at one end and closed at the other end. A sleeve (10) of sheet material lies outwardly of the injection moulded plastics (28) of the tubular wall and a layer (20) of sheet material lies inwardly of the injection moulded plastics (30) of the end wall, both sheets (10,20) being secured to the plastics (28,30) during the moulding operation. In producing the container, the sleeve (10) is inserted into the female mould and the other sheet (20) is inserted so as to lie transversely across the mould, partway along the sleeve, and hold the sheet to the mould walls while the male mould member is inserted, carrying the transverse sheet (20) to the end of the mould.