Compression Screw Meat-Bone Separator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing meat processing technologies, such as linear press separators, face limitations in efficiency and bone breakage, leading to high levels of bone matter and calcium in reclaimed meat, and require pre-sizers and are cyclical in operation, limiting production rates.
Innovation Solution
A compression screw apparatus with a root and helical thread, featuring an infeed, compression, and deboning portion, where the channel volume between screw flights decreases from the infeed to the deboning portion, and guide channels and curved fillets inhibit bone co-rotation within the barrel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If linear press separators are used for meat-bone separation, then separation function is achieved, but production rate is limited to about 10,000 lbs/hour due to cyclical operation requiring piston return stroke and chamber reloading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous operation by eliminating the cyclical piston return stroke and chamber reloading mechanism. The separator maintains constant meat-bone separation action through continuous feed and discharge, allowing production rates to exceed 10,000 lbs/hour without interrupting the separation process.
2Manufacturing precision
If pre-sizers are used before linear press separators, then bone size is controlled, but bone breakage increases leading to higher bone matter in reclaimed meat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the pre-sizer component from the separation system entirely. Instead of controlling bone size through mechanical cutting grids that cause breakage, the invention accepts bones of various sizes and achieves effective separation through the continuous screw press mechanism, eliminating the source of premature bone breakage.
3Productivity
If compression screw separators are used as first stage separators, then separation capacity increases, but bone breakage tendency increases leading to higher volume of bone matter in meat fed to second stage separator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different operational characteristics to different stages of separation. The first stage uses gentle compression with larger clearance to handle whole bones and prevent breakage, while the second stage applies more intensive compression for final separation. This localized approach to compression intensity minimizes bone breakage while maintaining high separation capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively separates meat from bone, reducing bone breakage and calcium levels in the meat, and operates at higher production rates compared to traditional linear press separators, while avoiding the need for pre-sizers and improving the efficiency of the meat recovery process.
Implementation Method 1
the compression screw and the barrel cooperate to progressively compress the meat-laden bones to force the meat-laden bones radially outward against an inner wall of the barrel
Implementation Method 2
separating at least a portion of the meat from the meat-laden bones by forcing the meat through apertures in the barrel while inhibiting the meat-laden bones from co-rotating within the barrel
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for separating meat from bone. Meat-laden bones are fed to a compression screw rotating within a barrel. The compression screw and the barrel cooperate to progressively compress the meat-laden bones to force the meat-laden bones radially outward against an inner wall of the barrel as the meat-laden bones move axially along the compression screw. At least a portion of the meat is separated from the meat-laden bones by forcing the meat through apertures in the barrel while inhibiting the meat-laden bones from co-rotating along within the barrel with the compression screw. In one embodiment, inhibiting the meat-laden bones from co-rotating within the barrel along with the compression screw is accomplished by cooperation of guide channels extending axially along an inner surface of the barrel with curved fillets extending between a root of the compression screw and screw flights of the compression screw.