Abstract: A pair of jaws engage the neck of a hanging freshly slaughtered carcass to deter upward movement of the carcass while the hide is pulled therefrom. The jaws are movable longitudinally in a direction parallel to the direction of carcass movement, vertically for alignment with the necks of different carcasses and laterally from a retracted position to an extended position where the jaws lie on opposite sides of the carcass neck.

Abstract: Beef tongues from a kill floor are trimmed while at a temperature no less than about 92.degree. F., rigidified by chilling them to about 35.degree. to 45.degree. F., and passed several times while in their rigidified condition through a skinning machine which grips a leading end of the skin and pulls the tongue at a velocity no greater than about 60 feet per second into a blade which slices a thin layer including the skin from the surface of the tongue. The skinned tongue is wrapped, boxed and frozen for shipment.

Abstract: Hides are pulled from animal carcasses in a slaughterhouse, and conveyed upwardly through a pneumatic conveyor conduit for further handling. The conduit tangentially enters a vacuum chamber which is connected to a vacuum source. The chamber has a lower discharge opening which is normally closed by a gate; however, when a hide arrives in the chamber from the conduit, the vacuum is reduced to enable the gate to open and release the hide through the discharge opening.

Abstract: An electrical potential is applied to suspended animal carcasses by a cylindrical carcass-contacting electrode which is continuously rotated about its central axis. A rear portion of the electrode circumference is surrounded by an enclosure within which a cleansing spray is directed on the electrode to avoid cross contamination of carcasses.

Abstract: Aerated liquid injected into contaminated wastewater provides minute bubbles which ascend slowly and become attached to contaminants to buoy them to the liquid surface. To produce an intimate mix of the aerated liquid and wastewater, the aerated liquid is injected into the wastewater through opposed mutually confronting openings. Streams emerging from the openings collide to create an area of high turbulence.

Abstract: Apparatus for bending sidewall-attached flaps of a box to positions where they lie interiorly of the box, substantially parallel and adjacent to their respective sidewalls. Opposed first and second flaps are contacted by first and second folder members which are moved arcuately in opposite directions from mutually adjacent retracted positions outside the box to extended positions in the box where they lie adjacent to the respective sidewalls.

Abstract: A roll of sheet material is supported on two spaced apart support rollers. During each dispensing cycle, the angular displacement of one of the support rollers is limited by a mechanism which includes a rotary member and a pivoted member. The rotary member carries a projection and is driven in an amount proportional to the amount of support roller movement. The pivoted member has an abutment surface and a reset surface. The abutment surface and the reset surface are positioned so the projection approaching the pivoted member contacts the abutment surface before coming to the reset surface. The abutment surface lies in the path of the projection to stop rotation of the rotary member and thus stop dispensation of the sheet material. A handle moves the pivoted member to withdraw the abutment from the projection path and to move the reset surface into the projection path.

Abstract: A machine for washing tripe comprising an inclined housing having upper and lower ends with a central opening formed in the upper end thereof. A perforated drum is rotatably mounted in the housing and has an opening formed in its upper end with communicates with the central opening formed in the housing. A first spiral baffle is secured to the inside surface of the perforated drum for loading and agitating the tripe when the drum is rotated in a clockwise direction. A second spiral baffle is secured to the inside surface of the perforated drum for unloading the tripe when the drum is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Means is provided for supplying water to the interior of the housing. Means is also provided for maintaining the water level within the housing so that a portion of the drum is submerged in the water.

Abstract: An integrated facility for breaking dressed animal carcassas includes a continuous flow of the carcasses and their subdivisions through a series of processing areas where the carcasses are broken into primal cuts, the primal cuts are further divided, boned and trimmed along processing lines designated for particular primal cuts, the secondary cuts thus produced are then trimmed and boned as necessary, packaged and sorted according to their weight. Groups of the secondary cuts are placed in boxes which carry machine-readable markings which indicate the box contents. The filled receptacles are carried by a common conveyor to an area where they are sorted into groups according to the machine-readable markings, palletized by groups and placed on unidirectional refrigerated storage conveyors. Orders for products are filled by discharging the pallets from their respective storage conveyors, depalletizing the goods and routing the boxes to designated transport vehicles.