An interchangeable hook-and-bracket system for a manufacturing process is disclosed. The interchangeable hook-and-bracket system may be configured to cooperate with a vertical conveying system of a food-processing system. Interchangeable hooks of the conveyor system may comprise hook portions and bracket portions that may be configured to releasably attach to one another. The bracket portions may be made substantially of a structurally robust material such as a metal and may be non-releasably attached to the conveyor system, and the hook portions may be made substantially of a flexible material such as a polymer-based material. More than one hook portion may correspond to a bracket portion, each hook portion having a configuration corresponding to a particular product, casing, throughput, and/or process condition.

Disclosed are various embodiments of either self-contained, separate or combinations thereof of modular units for the processing of comestible products. The modular unit is configured with sections to create hygienic zoning of food to be processed. The modular unit is can contain components to process food from a raw state, such as an animal carcass or freshly harvested produce, through primary and (optionally) secondary processing. The modular unit can be utilized to process various types of food, and, therefore, the modular unit is provided in various embodiments depending on the food to be processed therein, and the types of processing that are desired. The modular unit is constructed and the sections therein are configured such that as the food undergoes processing, it flows through the sections of the modular unit in an orderly manner, which helps to minimize or prevent food safety problems, such as cross contamination.

Disclosed are various embodiments of either self-contained, separate or combinations thereof of modular units for the processing of comestible products. The modular unit is configured with sections to create hygienic zoning of food to be processed. The modular unit is can contain components to process food from a raw state, such as an animal carcass or freshly harvested produce, through primary and (optionally) secondary processing. The modular unit can be utilized to process various types of food, and, therefore, the modular unit is provided in various embodiments depending on the food to be processed therein, and the types of processing that are desired. The modular unit is constructed and the sections therein are configured such that as the food undergoes processing, it flows through the sections of the modular unit in an orderly manner, which helps to minimize or prevent food safety problems, such as cross contamination.

A method and apparatus for use in the field processing of downed big game animals, without removing the entrails of the animal. The procedure may be implemented by one or more persons with the use of a multi-purpose tool that is portable, relatively light weight and suitable to fit into or on to a backpack when collapsed. The multi-purpose tool has features making it suitable for various outdoor activities; but it is especially adapted to form a sturdy tripod stand having telescoping legs and a rope locking mechanism on its head. When assembled as a tripod stand, rope is used to temporarily lift and hold each leg of the animal individually until each quarter and portion is skinned and removed from the carcass in the field.

In a stick delivering apparatus I, a receiving space D capable of receiving a stick receiving part 2 of a cart II in a stick arrangement direction Y is formed at a position in close proximity to a support arm device 63 in a stick longitudinal direction X. The support arm device 63 includes a stationary stick supporting member 64 extending in the stick arrangement direction Y and a raising/lowering stick supporting member 65 extending in parallel with the stationary stick supporting member 64 in the stick longitudinal direction X. The stationary stick supporting member 64 and the raising/lowering stick supporting member 65 have serrated receiving tooth portions 64A and 65A, respectively, and the receiving tooth portions 64A and 65A have stick sliding edges 64A-1 and 65A-1 which are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The stationary stick supporting member 64 receives the stick by a trough portion serving as a supporting portion of the receiving tooth portion 64A. The receiving tooth portion 65A of the raising/lowering stick supporting member 65 is at a position offset in the stick arrangement direction from the receiving tooth portion 64A of the stationary stick supporting member 64, and the raising/lowering stick supporting member 65 is reciprocatable between a lower position and an upper position with respect to the stationary stick supporting member 64.

A clamping device for a bone-in limb meat according to an embodiment includes: a pair of clamp pieces for holding the bone-in limb meat; a support portion openably/closably supporting the pair of clamp pieces in respective base portions of the clamp pieces; and rotation suppressing portions for suppressing a rotation of the bone-in limb meat, the rotation suppressing portions being respectively disposed so as to protrude from surfaces of the pair of clamp pieces along a direction perpendicular to a plane including opening/closing directions of the pair of clamp pieces. In an opened state of the pair of clamp pieces, the pair of clamp pieces respectively have tip portions at positions closer to a center line between the pair of clamp pieces than the rotation suppressing portions and positions farther away from the support portion than the rotation suppressing portions in a direction along the center line.

A clamping device for a bone-in limb meat according to an embodiment includes: a pair of clamp pieces for holding the bone-in limb meat; a support portion openably/closably supporting the pair of clamp pieces in respective base portions of the clamp pieces; and rotation suppressing portions for suppressing a rotation of the bone-in limb meat, the rotation suppressing portions being respectively disposed so as to protrude from surfaces of the pair of clamp pieces along a direction perpendicular to a plane including opening/closing directions of the pair of clamp pieces. In an opened state of the pair of clamp pieces, the pair of clamp pieces respectively have tip portions at positions closer to a center line between the pair of clamp pieces than the rotation suppressing portions and positions farther away from the support portion than the rotation suppressing portions in a direction along the center line.

The present invention relates to a transfer arrangement for transferring sausage-shaped products, like sausages, to a rod-like element, like a smoking rod, provided in a loading position in a hanging line, each of the sausage-shaped products contain a flowable filling material in a tubular or bag-shaped packaging casing provided with a suspension element, like a suspension loop, through which the sausage-shaped products can be suspended on the rod-like element. The transfer arrangement comprises an infeed device having an infeed conveyor and a guide bar along which the suspension elements of the sausage-shaped products are guided in an infeed direction to the rod-like element, a transport device which is arranged above the rod-like element and the guide bar and which has a conveyor device with transportation elements for transporting the sausage-shaped products along the guide bar towards the rod-like element, and a drive device for driving the conveyor device, and an indexing device for supporting the guide bar. The indexing device includes at least two pairs of indexing pins configured to be reversibly moved pairwise and alternately into an engagement position for engaging with the guide bar for supporting the guide bar and into a release position for disengaging with the guide bar for allowing the passage of a suspension element of a sausage-shaped product to be suspended on the rod-like element in the loading position, wherein the indexing pins of each pair of indexing pins are arranged on opposite sides of the guide bar and at least substantially opposite to each other, and a transmission arrangement for driving and controlling the movement of the indexing pins. The transmission arrangement is driven by the transport device.

A meat processing device for defining a uniform shape of a pork belly, and including a frame, a shoulder defining a confinement space with the frame, and a tine and a retaining member for securing the meat in the confinement space.

Method and system for optically assessing properties of a body on at least one sectional surface of at least one cut introduced in the body in question. The sectional surface is thereby optically recorded directly during the cutting operation by an image acquisition unit, namely, by means of optical sensors of a blade of a cutting tool that is designed for this purpose. The data resulting from a digitization of the sensor signals that have been converted into electrical signals are then processed in an image processing device to visualize the at least one sectional surface on at least one display or/and to create reports in regard to the characteristics of the body or/and in order to classify the body in accordance with a classification system, or/and to derive control signals for a subsequent further processing of the body or of parts produced by the execution of the at least one cut.