A system 10 for analyzing and trimming pork bellies and other three-dimensional food and non-food products which are to be subsequently portioned or sliced so as to achieve an optimum harvest of slices from the food product bearing in mind achieving a maximum yield together with a desired quality level of the portions/slices. The system 10 includes a conveyor 12 for carrying the workpieces (WP) to be trimmed prior to subsequent slicing of the workpiece past a scanning system 14 for scanning the workpiece WP to ascertain the physical characteristics of the workpiece, including, for example, its three-dimensional shape as well as its position on the conveyor.

A cutting station 16 trims the workpiece WP into a desired two-dimensional shape which represents an optimum shape for the workpiece that seeks to maximize the harvest of slices from the workpiece while maintaining a desired quality level for the slices. A slicing station uses high speed cutters or slicers for portioning/slicing the workpiece into portions/slices which have been simulated by a processing system 18 employing a processor or computer 20.

A method of processing a food object while the food object is being conveyed, comprises acquiring image data of the food object, cutting the food object into smaller food pieces, determining, based on the acquired image data, whether the food object contains undesired objects, and in case such undesired objects are detected, identifying which of the smaller food pieces contain the undesired objects.

A vacuum rotary knife is fluidly connectable to a vacuum source conduit. The rotary knife includes an annular blade and a knife head. The knife head supports the blade for rotation about a rotational axis. The knife head presents a vacuum port fluidly connectable to the conduit. The vacuum port is spaced from the blade such that the knife head defines a suction pathway extending between the blade and the vacuum port.

A scribe saw assembly is provided for a loin puller and has substantially reduced wear and increased life of the assembly components. A pinion assembly includes a double keyway and opposing cutouts on the pinion shaft, with dual needle bearings. A bevel gear assembly includes pins for holding the scribe saw blade and dual bearings on the bevel gear shaft to eliminate shaft flex and blade wear. The standard is mounted to the motor housing with load bearing pins to prevent loosening of the mounting bolts. An adjustable ski is provided on the standard to control the cutting depth of the scribe saw blade.

This invention relates to a cutting apparatus for cutting food items conveyed on a conveyor including at least one conveyor belt. A cutter is arranged above a gap extending across the at least one conveyor belt. The cutter is positioned in relation to the gap such that the cutting path of the cutter extends through the food items and the gap and below the surface level of the at least one conveyor belt. The cutter is adapted to be connected to a control mechanism for operating crosswise movement of the cutter along the gap. The gap is formed between adjacent elongated supporting means such as rollers with a fixed internal arrangement, where the adjacent elongated supporting means and the cutter is adapted to be connected to a control mechanism for operating back and forth movement of the adjacent elongated supporting means and the cutter parallel to the conveying direction while maintaining the internal arrangement of the adjacent elongated supporting means and the cutter fixed.

A meat saw pusher device is provided, for use with a table type meat saw machine. The device comprises a pusher panel disposed in sliding cooperation with a feed channel, the feed channel defined by a structure preferably having a smooth, flat bottom surface to promote ease of sliding across a smooth flat table of a meat saw machine. Preferably, the device includes a feed handle mounted for advancing the pusher panel, and a cutting and return stroke handle mounted to one or both sides of the channel structure for moving the entire device laterally in cutting and return stroke directions. A guide panel extending below a base of the channel structure cooperates with an edge of the meat saw table to guide a lateral cutting stroke movement of the device.

A blade housing assembly for a power operated rotary knife including a split blade housing and an expansion sleeve assembly. The split blade housing including an annular blade support section and a mounting section extending from the blade support section. The mounting section includes a split extending through the mounting section and includes a first body portion and a second body portion on opposite sides of the split, the first body portion including a slot extending axially through the first body portion and movable between blade supporting and blade changing positions. The expansion sleeve assembly extends through the slot and includes a split sleeve changeable between first and second circumferences. The expansion sleeve assembly further including a fastener extends through the split sleeve and, when engaged with the split sleeve, maintains the split sleeve in the first circumference and secures the first body portion in the blade supporting position.

A food processing installation for processing food items includes: a food processing enclosure; a cutting device in the food processing enclosure; a particle capturing enclosure; an exhaust vent connected to the food processing enclosure via a vent inlet and connected to the particle capturing enclosure via a vent outlet; and a spray nozzle arrangement separate from the cutting device and located downstream relative to the vent inlet. The exhaust vent is configured to conduct an exhaust flow of exhaust air comprising food aerosols emitted from the food processing enclosure to the particle capturing enclosure, and the spray nozzle arrangement is configured to eject a spray of droplets that coalesce with the food aerosols. A method is provided for filtering air from a food processing installation and a particle capturing device.

A slit forming device according to an aspect includes a damper configured to pass through a plurality of stations arranged on a circumference, a slit forming blade disposed on an outer circumference side or an inner circumference side of a slit forming station among the plurality of stations, and a damper rotating part capable of rotating the damper about a vertical line such that a slit forming surface of a work faces the slit forming blade in the slit forming station.

This disclosure describes methods for growing cells in a controlled environment in a growing room, transporting the cells to a harvest room, and removing the cells from the controlled environment in the harvest room. The disclosed method can limit exposure of cells to contaminants by maintaining a controlled environment through cell growth and additional processing. For instance, the cells may be washed and cooled within the controlled environment. The cells are transferred to a harvest room where they are harvested and removed from the controlled environment.