Patents Examined by T. Price
  • Patent number: 11533919
    Abstract: A power-driven feed roll for rotation about a feed roll axis of rotation in a hand-held, power operated trimming tool, the feed roll including a cylindrical core having an inner surface defining a through bore and an outer surface including a central cylindrical recess bounded by a base and first and second radially extending side walls at opposite ends of the base and first and second flanking portions on either side of the cylindrical recess. The feed roll further includes an annular drive member formed over the cylindrical recess and integral with the cylindrical core, the annular drive member extending along the first and second radially extending side walls of cylindrical recess and protruding radially outwardly, an outer surface of the annular drive member defining a worm gear for driving the feed roll about the axis of rotation. The first and second flanking portions including annular sets of drive teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Bettcher Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Bernard J. Esarey
  • Patent number: 11528915
    Abstract: A closure module and a method for closing and/or separating filled sausage casings connected via a sausage neck, comprising two stamps movable relative to and towards each other and arranged such that a sausage neck can be placed therebetween, the stamps being capable of clamping the sausage neck in a closed condition, and further comprising a first and a second electrode, through which, in a closed condition of the stamps, a current can flow from the first electrode into the sausage neck and via the sausage neck into the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kurt Strohm, Gerhard Schliesser, Manfred Baechtle, Robert Winghart, Florian Osswald, Jochen Merk
  • Patent number: 11528893
    Abstract: A cephalopod rearing cage capable of maintaining a cephalopod alive, wherein at least a portion of the cephalopod rearing cage is constituted by using a mesh sheet of not less than 4 mesh. Also provided is a cephalopod escape prevention sheet capable of maintaining a cephalopod alive, wherein at least a portion of the cephalopod escape prevention sheet is constituted by using a mesh sheet of not less than 4 mesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kagayaki Morishima, Mai Tada, Yoshiro Hirata
  • Patent number: 11523617
    Abstract: A clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products is provided, comprising gathering means for forming a plait-like portion from tubular packaging casing filled with filling material and a closing unit for applying at least four closure means to the plait-like portion. Moreover, a guide unit is provided for guiding closure means to a closing unit of a clipping machine, being configured to supply at least two closure means to a first closing device of the closing unit and at least two further closure means to a second closing device of the closing unit. There is also provided a method for producing sausage-shaped products, comprising filling a portion of tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing with filling material, forming a plait-like portion therefrom and applying at least two closure means to a first section of the plait-like portion while substantially simultaneously applying two closure means to a second section of the plait-like portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Poly-clip System GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Zurwieden, Detlef Ebert
  • Patent number: 11523619
    Abstract: An inclined carving device for a carcass includes a mounting board having a plurality of apertures distributed in the mounting board in a predetermined pattern; retaining pins removably inserted into preselected apertures in the mounting board; and a positioning member pivotally secured to the mounting board for disposing the mounting board in an inclined relationship relative to a surface that the carving device is disposed upon; whereby, the retaining pins ultimately secure a carcass to the mounting board when disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation with the positioning member in a closed position; whereupon, the positioning member is pivoted to an inclined or open position relative to the mounting board, thereby enabling a user of the inclined carving device to carve selected portions from the carcass at an angle selected by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Inventor: Daniel Altiery
  • Patent number: 11503834
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry bodies has a measuring station, arranged along a conveying line, which is adapted to detect the shoulder joint position. Also provided is an arrangement for filleting poultry bodies having such an apparatus for measuring, and to corresponding methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Valentin Fischer, Lasse Riggert, Norbert Sass
  • Patent number: 11497220
    Abstract: An apparatus for fixing and transporting crabs during slaughter has a rotationally driven conveying element guided about deflection and/or drive elements to form an upper and lower run, and at least one holding apparatus for fixing the crabs. Each holding apparatus is attached to the conveying element for transporting the fixed crabs in a transport plane along a transport path in a transport direction from a loading station to at least one processing station. Each holding apparatus has a supporting plate for receiving a crab and at least two holding means arranged transversely to the transport direction at a distance from each other. The holding means are pivotable relative to the supporting plate about an axis AH, lying substantially in or parallel to the transport plane and directed transversely to the transport direction, from a receiving position into a clamping position and back. A corresponding method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Baader North America Corporation
    Inventors: Clinton R. Smith, Tyler Santoro
  • Patent number: 11497204
    Abstract: A mount including a base and a handle. The base is capable of releasably coupling to a pole, for example outrigger poles, fishing rods, and shade poles. A handle of the mount can be loosened to allow the base to be rotated to position the pole in a desired extended direction. When the handle is tightened, the base is restricted from rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: GEM Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Sarnowski, William Ashford Gravely
  • Patent number: 11497222
    Abstract: A poultry leg retainer for use with a poultry carcass having legs with hocks, the retainer having an anchor, a connecting leg, and a bridle portion. The anchor has an anchor beam that extends in a substantially transverse direction of the retainer. First and second outer ends of the anchor beam are pointed and upturned. The connecting leg is coupled on a distal end thereof with a central portion of the transverse anchor beam and extends in a longitudinal direction of the retainer substantially perpendicular to the transverse direction of the anchor beam. A curvilinear member of the bridal portion has a central portion that is coupled with the proximal end of the connecting leg and first and second arcuate portions that define first and second downwardly-facing openings, respectively, configured to engage first and second poultry hocks, respectively. The retainer is also configured to facilitate stacking of multiple retainers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Volk Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Volk, Drew A. Volk
  • Patent number: 11497223
    Abstract: A conveying device, apparatus and method for continuously conveying poultry bodies or parts oriented into different processing positions in a conveying direction. A continuous conveyor, which is provided with receiving elements for holding the poultry bodies revolves in a conveying plane and forms a conveying path. The receiving elements each of which include a saddle element to receive one of the poultry bodies, are arranged on a base element to be pivotable about an axis of rotation lying perpendicular to the conveying direction. The conveying plane is arranged inclined relative to the horizontal by an angle of inclination ? greater than 0° and less than 90°, and the base elements are each arranged on the continuous conveyor by angled elements with an angle of extension ? less than 180° and greater than 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: NORDISCHER MASCHINENBAU RUD. BAADER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Lasse Riggert, Adrian Schulze, Matthias Schröder
  • Patent number: 11497191
    Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems and methods for continuously supplying livestock to a processing plant. The disclosed technology can include an enclosure configured to house livestock. The enclosure can include an enclosure entrance, an enclosure exit, and moveable walls to partition the enclosure into separate pens and automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure entrance toward the enclosure exit. A passageway can be connected to the enclosure exit and include moveable walls to automatically direct the livestock from the enclosure exit toward a processing plant. The moveable walls can be configured to move at a predetermined speed such that the plurality of livestock enter the enclosure as offspring, are reared in the enclosure, and are directed through the enclosure exit into the passageway approximately when the plurality of livestock have reached slaughter weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Limin' Innovations LLC
    Inventor: Scott S. Blackstock
  • Patent number: 11490626
    Abstract: A low profile water bath co-extrusion process for sausage manufacturing is disclosed, along with machines for accomplishing this process. The process is an automated assembly line which begins with co-extruded food product, such as a sausage emulsion coated with collagen and finishes with cooked, boxed, packaged link sausage. The process includes the steps of co-extrusion, linking and cutting the co-extruded food product to individual links. Following these steps and prior to a liquid smoking step, the casing is prepared by steps which includes chemical treatment of the individual links in a water bath, while dehydrating the product in a salt solution, the water bath being a two-part process and following the water bath using a forced hot air drying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventors: Shawn Brammall, Danny Janecka
  • Patent number: 11479419
    Abstract: An automated unloading machine for unloading cut and trimmed raw poultry meat pieces from an upstream poultry meat cutting machine. The automated unloading machine is operably associated with a feed conveyer configured to support the cut and trimmed poultry meat pieces provided by the meat cutting machine. The automated unloading machine comprises one of an exit conveyor movable in a second direction and a packaging machine, an electronic controller configured to receive and process position and orientation data of the poultry meat pieces located on the feed conveyer, and a robotic picking device operatively associated with the electronic controller and configured to pick the poultry meat pieces from the feed conveyer and place them onto one of the exit conveyor and the packaging machine so that the cut and trimmed poultry meat pieces are arranged on one of the exit conveyor and the packaging machine in a desired orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: F.R. Drake Company
    Inventor: Andre G. Richards
  • Patent number: 11464236
    Abstract: Methods for separating lean and fat from beef or other meats and the separation apparatus are disclosed. The methods use microbiocidal fluids to reduce or eliminate possible sources of contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventor: Julie Garwood
  • Patent number: 11464235
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for improving tenderness of raw meat and meat products by mechanical vibration. In the method, the raw meat is vibrated to loosen meat tissue and improve meat tenderness, or is vibrated during curing to reduce curing time while improving the tenderness. The method mechanically vibrates the raw meat to loosen the structure of the raw meat, and ultimately improves the meat tenderness; or vibrates during curing to improve the tenderness while reducing the curing time, effectively ensuring the sensory meat quality. The method of the present disclosure not only effectively solves the problem of the tenderness of meat and meat products, but also improves sensory quality and safety thereof, enables wider popularization and utilization of meat and meat products, and directly increases economic benefits of enterprises and opens up a new way for future development thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Nanjing Agricultural University
    Inventors: Yingbo Peng, Yawei Zhang, Lu Yang, Chao Wang, Zengqi Peng
  • Patent number: 11458480
    Abstract: A separation assembly for a food product separating machine configured to separate meat product from bone product includes a separation chamber defined by a circumferential side wall, a longitudinal axis, and a radius. The separation chamber includes a plurality of apertures disposed in the circumferential side wall and at least one V-shaped groove disposed along an inner surface of the circumferential side wall. The V-shaped groove is defined by a vertex and an angle bisector of the vertex and is formed in an inner surface of the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: PROVISUR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Philippe Henri Rochedreux
  • Patent number: 11457640
    Abstract: A shrimp processing machine includes a frame assembly and a processing assembly operably coupled with the frame assembly. The processing assembly includes a drive assembly, a clamp mechanism, and a decapitation system. The drive assembly is operably coupled with the frame assembly. The clamp mechanism is adapted to engage the shrimp. The decapitation system is adapted to separate the shrimp body from the shrimp head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: GREGOR JONSSON INC.
    Inventors: Michael Dancy, James Groff, Kevin Herrera
  • Patent number: 11457638
    Abstract: A method for hanging poultry in an overhead conveyor provided with carriers and can include an overhead-conveyor-section of the overhead conveyor and a first conveyor for conveying the poultry towards a section thereof being below the overhead-conveyor-section. The poultry can be conveyed by the first conveyor towards the section. An operator picks the poultry or parts thereof and hangs the poultry in the carriers being conveyed along the overhead-conveyor-section. The operator may be carried via a second conveyor beside the section of the first conveyor and in the direction of the carriers in the overhead-conveyor-section while the operator is picking and hanging the poultry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: MEYN FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY B.V.
    Inventor: Aloysius Christianus Maria van Steijn
  • Patent number: 11457639
    Abstract: Deskinning apparatus for a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg, including a conveyor with conveyor hooks from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and rollers below the conveyor that are rotatable in opposite directions and are provided with meshing teeth that are contactable with a skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg that is suspended from the conveyor hooks for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, wherein the rollers are movable up and down.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: MEYN FOOD PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY B.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Hermen Van der Waal, Peter Martin Andeweg
  • Patent number: 11445731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for tying multiple portions of a mass filled into a casing (8) at tying points provided for this purpose using a thread (10). The device comprises a rotor (1) and a guide device (20) which is connected to the rotor (1) for guiding the thread (10). The rotor (1) has a receiving section (18) for receiving multiple windings of the thread (10), and the device is designed such that the thread (10) is guided from the receiving section (18) by the guide device (20) and is wound about the tying point during a rotation of the rotor (1). The device additionally has a reservoir for receiving the thread (10), wherein the device additionally has a supply device (9), and the supply device (9) is designed to either supply the thread (10) from the reservoir (12, 15) to the receiving section (18) or to remove the thread from the receiving section (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Inotec Gmbh Maschinenentwicklung und Vertrieb
    Inventors: Luigi Pedroia, Stefano Pedroia