Abstract: An automatic cart wash apparatus. The automatic cart wash apparatus provides improved cleaning of stock carts on a regular basis over manual cleaning by store employees. The automatic cart wash apparatus includes three main stages: a debris removal (vacuum) stage, a cleaning (wash, sanitize, rinse) stage, and a drying stage. The debris removal stage uses forced air and/or suction to remove solid and generally non-soluble waste, such as a paper or other trash and debris, from a stock cart. The cleaning stage uses a selection of detergents, sanitizing agents, and rinse agents to remove soluble or sticky waste, such as food and liquids, and to kill germs, viruses, and bacteria present on the cart. The drying stage removes excess liquids from the cart making it ready for use by the next customer.

Abstract: A contour-following loin puller for separating the loin from the belly through the finger lean. The contour-following loin puller follows the contour of the surface rib line through at least one rib height sensor and positions the z-blade relative to the surface rib line. The contour-following loin puller offers the ability to greatly increase yield by automating the separation of the loin and the belly to produce finger lean even on thin, soft or nearly frozen product which is very difficult to manipulate manually.

Abstract: An improved loin knife for a loin puller apparatus having a scribe saw with an associated decelerator and depth gauge immediately in advance of the loin knife for the purpose of cutting through the ribs of the carcass middle. The loin knife has a bight region that is positioned and configured so as to extend through the fatback and to pull the loin portion with the fatback, and in pork carcasses the skin, intact. The bight has a substantially horizontal region that cuts through virtually the entire length of the fingers of lean, which include portions of the serratus dorsalis muscle. To assist in orienting a carcass middle with regard to the scribe saw and loin knife, the apparatus is provided with a load bar that engages the chine and provides for a more uniform alignment of the carcass middle with the loin knife in relation to the position of the chine.

Abstract: A cloth cutting machine having a base mounted on at one end of an upright standard, and a motor mounted on the other end of that standard. A cloth cutting knife is connected to the standard, and is driven by the motor. A handle connected to the machine is manually gripped by the machine's operator to guide it during use. An air handler device connected to the machine is structured, in preferred form, to direct cooling air against the machine operator's hand which manually grips the handle. Also in preferred form, the cooling device includes a cooling air distribution manifold defined in the standard, that manifold having a hand air port at one end oriented to direct cooling air toward the handle, and a base air port at the other end which exhausts cooling air substantially rearwardly from the standard relative to the cutting direction of the machine so as to cool the standard.