A bone removal device for a chicken bonjiri includes a rotating conveyor mechanism that moves a plurality of receivers which are arrayed in a circumferential direction about a center of a disc taken as a support shaft, intermittently at a constant speed in a horizontal direction and rotates; a holder of a stamping punch mechanism that stamps and removes a coccyx in each of the bonjiris, which are mounted on the receivers, from the bonjiri in a state where this rotating conveyor mechanism is stopped; and an arm of a processed meat delivery mechanism that carries the bonjiri, from which such a bone is removed, out to the device by reversing each of the receivers.

A saw blade illumination device includes a waterproof main body that houses a light source to be directed along the length of a bandsaw blade. The device includes a mounting bracket for securing the main body onto a guide post of the band saw. The light source includes a laser assembly having a laser diode, and a lens for producing a generally planar beam of light. A vibration isolator is disposed along the mounting bracket at a location between the main body and the guide post. A power unit is connected to the light source and includes a step down transformer and an electrical connector for engaging the power source of the band saw.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass and identifies an age-indicating indicia. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A robotic carcass processing system uses a pair of robotic arms having multiple axes of motion, a saw mounted thereon, and a controller. The controller moves the saw in Cartesian space via inverse kinematics with interpolation control over the multiple axes of the robotic arm to synchronously move the saw relative to a carcass on an assembly line. The controller also determines when one of the robotic arms has moved its saw out of a defined space to indicate that space is clear and to permit the other robotic arm to enter that space. A sensor on the assembly line identifies location of the absence of a supported carcass, a supported carcass that requires special handling, or weight or length of a carcass. The controller sends a signal to the robotic arms to either effect a standard cut or to modify the standard cut at the identified location or carcass.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass and identifies an age-indicating indicia. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A system for processing a suspended beef carcass as the carcass is moved along a defined path. A robotic arm is carried on a moveable table and has mounted thereon a servo motor-driven band saw capable of effecting a splitting operation on the beef carcass. The band saw is counterbalanced by a mass having a weight less than the weight of the band saw, and the robotic arm has a maximum load-carrying capacity less than the weight of the band saw. A torque monitor for the servo motor detects breaks in the band saw or breaks in the support for the band saw. A vision-based sensor system detects location of a tail bone on the beef carcass. The system includes a controller in communication with the carcass rail, the carcass processing device and motor, and the vision-based sensor system.

A robotic carcass processing system uses a pair of robotic arms having multiple axes of motion, a saw mounted thereon, and a controller. The controller moves the saw in Cartesian space via inverse kinematics with interpolation control over the multiple axes of the robotic arm to synchronously move the saw relative to a carcass on an assembly line. The controller also determines when one of the robotic arms has moved its saw out of a defined space to indicate that space is clear and to permit the other robotic arm to enter that space. A sensor on the assembly line identifies location of the absence of a supported carcass, a supported carcass that requires special handling, or weight or length of a carcass. The controller sends a signal to the robotic arms to either effect a standard cut or to modify the standard cut at the identified location or carcass.