Conveyor Skinning Device with Rotating Tooth Roll
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing skinning devices for animal carcasses require manual labor and result in reduced throughput and yield due to irregular carcass surfaces and simultaneous removal of valuable fat with the skin.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor-based skinning device with a motor-driven tooth roll and cutting blade system that automatically rotates and adjusts to engage and remove skin from animal carcasses, minimizing fat retention and eliminating the need for manual labor, utilizing a sensing structure to trigger movements and a control unit for customizable processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual labor is used to move the animal carcass over the stationary skinning device, then the skin can be removed, but the throughput is reduced and manual labor is required at all times
Solution Approach 1:
The skinning device is mounted on a conveyor system that automatically moves the animal carcass through the skinning station, eliminating the need for manual labor to position the carcass. The conveyor system dynamically adjusts the movement of the carcass through the skinning device, enabling continuous automated processing and significantly increasing throughput while removing the requirement for manual intervention.
2Productivity
If the surface of the animal carcass is irregular, then the skinning process becomes more difficult, but the throughput is reduced because the operator must move the animal carcass several times through the stationary skinner
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system dynamically adjusts the movement and positioning of the animal carcass as it passes through the skinning device, accommodating irregular surfaces by continuously adapting the conveyance path. This eliminates the need for repeated manual repositioning and maintains consistent throughput despite surface irregularities.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system automatically handles the positioning and movement of the animal carcass through the skinning station without requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates the conveyance process to accommodate irregular surfaces, eliminating the need for operator involvement in handling the carcass.
3Ease of manufacture
If fat is removed simultaneously with the skin removal, then the skinning process is simplified, but the yield is affected because fat is typically worth more than the skin
Solution Approach 1:
The skinning process is segmented into distinct functional zones within the conveyor system: a skin removal section and a fat retention section. The support structure is designed to selectively engage with the skin while allowing the fat to remain on the animal carcass, enabling separate processing of skin and fat to maximize yield while maintaining process simplicity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4a~4d
AI summary
This invention relates to a skinning device for removing skin from an animal carcass or carcass parts when conveyed by a conveyor means. The skinning device includes a frame, a housing rotatably mounted on the frame using a rotation mechanism, a motor driven tooth roll mounted on the housing, a support structure mounted on the housing encasing at least a portion of the tooth roll, a cutting blade positioned adjacent to the support structure betweenthe support structure and the tooth roll, and a sensing structure for sensing incoming animal carcass or carcass parts. The rotation mechanism is operably connected to the housing and adapted to execute, in response to a reaction from the sensing structure, a movement of the housing including rotational movement around an longitudinal axis of the tooth roll from a first angular position to a second angular position, the first angular position being a starting position where the tooth roll engages the skin of an incoming animal carcass or carcass part and pulls the skin towards the cutting blade, where subsequently the angular position is adjusted from being in the first angular position towards the second angular position such that the animal carcass or carcass part is moved over the skinning device while the skin is being pulled along the arc between the support structure and the tooth roll causing simultaneous removal of the skin from the animal carcass or carcass part upon reaching the second angular position.