US-RE50883-E1 - Cutting system for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system

Abstract

A cutting system is provided for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system. A detection device is provided for determining a cutting position of an incoming carcass part. At least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structure is provided and a moving mechanism is mechanically connected to the at least one cutting device for controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position. A carcass displacement device is arranged to initiate displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier and is located between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge.

Inventors

• Jan MEERDINK
• Franciscus Theodorus Henricus Johannes Van Der Steen
• Cornelis Joannes Janssen
• Bastiaan Martinus Cornelis ALBERS
• HEINZ MADSEN
• Leonardus Jozephus Antonius Tiggeloven
• Niels Antonio William Koster

Assignees

• MAREL MEAT B.V.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20240829

Priority Date

20200609

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A cutting system for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system, the system comprising: a detection device for determining at least one cutting position of an incoming carcass part, at least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structures and an upstream cutting edge and a downstream edge, a moving mechanism mechanically connected to the at least one cutting device for controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position, and a carcass displacement device arranged to initiate displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier is located between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge.
2. 2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the carcass displacement device comprises the at least one cutting device that at least partly contribute in displacing the carcass part away from the cutting position via the moving mechanism by means of controlling height displacement of the at least one cutting device.
3. 3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein controlling the height displacement of the at least one cutting device is performed such that subsequent to cutting the carcass part into two pieces, a re-positioning of the at least one cutting device for a subsequent incoming carcass part is carried out in accordance to a determined cutting position for the subsequent carcass part, where the height displacement is carried out such that the upwardly facing surface structure of the at least one cutting device either temporarily acts as a support structure for thea resulting first sub-piece attached to a carrier causing it temporarily lift the first sub-piece until it passes the at least one cutting device, or such that the downwardly facing surface structure at least one cutting device acts as a pusher for a second sub-piece causing it to be removed from the carcass part.
4. 4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the carcass displacement device comprises a guiding structure configured to side-wise guide and/or push the carcass part during the cutting so as to remove the cut carcass part, or the resulting sub-part, carried by a carrier side-wise from the at least one cutting device before the cut carcass part, or the resulting sub-part, carried by a carrier reaches the downstream edge of the at least one cutting device.
5. 5 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting device comprises a circular rotating cutting saw positioned such that an upwardly facing side of the circular rotating cutting saw defines the upwardly facing surface structure, and a downwardly facing side of the circular rotating cutting saw defines the downwardly facing surface structure, where e.g. the circular rotating cutting saw rotates around a rotation axis, such as around vertical rotational axis or a rotation axis having an angle in relation to a vertical axis.
6. 6 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting device comprises a band saw positioned such that an upwardly facing side of the band saw defines the upwardly facing surface structure, and a downwardly facing side of the band saw defines the downwardly facing surface structure.
7. 7 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , wherein the detection device comprises one or more of the following: a three-dimensional (3D) sensor for capturing a 3D profile of the carcass parts, or a light source such as including a laser light source for illuminating on the carcass parts where a cut is desired, and a sensor for capturing reflected light from the carcass parts, or a color sensor such as a Red Green Blue (RGB) sensor for capturing color differences on the surface of the carcass parts, or a X-ray apparatus for capturing X-ray image of the carcass parts.
8. 8 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , further comprising a positioning structure configured to interact with the carcass parts while being moved and adjust their angular position such that the carcass parts have a pre-defined angular position when the carcass parts are cut.
9. 9 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , further comprising an engaging device for engaging with the carcass parts for maintaining the carcass parts in a stationary position relative to the carriers while the cutting takes place.
10. 10 . The cutting system according to claim 9 , wherein the engaging device comprises at least one suction device configured to engage with the carcass part by means of a suction force while the cutting takes place, and where the suction device is attached to the at least one manipulation arm.
11. 11 . The cutting system according to claim 1 , wherein the moving mechanism comprises a robotic system having at least one manipulation arm, and where the at least one cutting device is attached to the at least one manipulation arm, and where the height displacement of the at least one cutting device is carried out by the at least one manipulation arm.
12. 12 . The cutting system according to claim 11 10 , wherein the at least one cutting device and the suction device are attached to different manipulation arms.
13. 13 . A carcass cutting system having a plurality of carriers comprising gambrel carriers, each gambrel having a first end area arranged to carry a first carcass part and an opposite end arranged to carry a second carcass part, wherein the cutting of the first and the second carcass parts is performed simultaneously with two cutting systemsaccording to claim 1 ; wherein each of the two cutting systems include the following: a detection device for determining at least one cutting position of an incoming carcass part, at least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structures and an upstream cutting edge and a downstream edge, a moving mechanism mechanically connected to the at least one cutting device for controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position, and a carcass displacement device arranged to initiate displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier is located between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge.
14. 14 . A method for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system, where the cutting is performed using a at least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structures, the method comprising: determining, by a detection device, a cutting position of an incoming carcass part, controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position, and initiating displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier is located between the an upstream cutting edge and the a downstream edge.
15. 15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the carcass parts are half carcasses from a four leg animal such as beef, lamb, pork, and where the cutting position is between adjacent ribs, such asincluding between 2nd and 3rd, between 3rd or 4th, between 4th and 5th, and/or at fore end resulting in that the fore ends define second sub-pieces and optionally a subsequent middle cut such that the middle cuts define the second sub-pieces after the fore end cuts.
16. 16. The cutting system according to claim 1 , wherein the carcass part includes a pre-cut done on an upstream side of the cutting system.
17. 17. The cutting system according to claim 16 , wherein the detection device is configured to identify the pre-cut and set the determined cutting position as a position of the pre-cut.
18. 18. The cutting system according to claim 8 , wherein the positioning structure is configured to interact with the carcass parts below the determined cutting position.
19. 19. The cutting system according to claim 18 , wherein the positioning structure adjusts the angular position of the carcass parts by moving relative to the carriers at a different speed until the pre-defined angular position is obtained.
20. 20. The method according to claim 14 , wherein a distance between adjacent carcass parts is less than 100 mm, and wherein a diameter of the at least one cutting device is greater than said distance between the adjacent carcass parts.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cutting system and a method for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In existing cutting system commonly used in slaughterhouses, carcass parts such as half beef carcasses, that are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system need to be cut into smaller pieces. A common initial cut is to cut such carcass parts into two pieces, one which remains on the carrier and the other piece drops down onto e.g. an underlying conveyor. The cutting device that is applied is often a circular rotating saw that rotates around a vertical rotation axis or a band saw. Such circular saws can have a diameter of 750 mm, and the vertical cutting position of these circular saws depends on the size and shape of the incoming carcasses. An example of such a cutting process is to utilize a detection device that detects a cutting position on an incoming carcass part, and this is used as an input command in adjusting a vertical height position of circular saw. After the carcass part has been cut into two pieces and after the remaining piece carried by the carrier has passed the circular saw the process is repeated and the height of the circular saw is adjusted for the subsequent incoming carcass part while the circular saw is located between adjacent carcasses. In order to make this possible, the distance between adjacent carcass parts must be at least 750 mm, possible around 1000 mm. This decreases the throughput of the cutting process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION On the above background it is an object of embodiments of the present invention to enhance the throughput of the cutting process for carcass parts that are conveyed with an overhang transport system. The term carcass part may as an example be understood as a front or hind leg of any four leg animal such as pork, beef, lamb, or it may be half carcass of such a four leg animal, where the carcass parts are carried by carriers. The term carcass part may as an example be understood as a front or hind leg of any four leg animal such as pork, beef, lamb, or it may be a half carcass of such a four leg animal, where the carcass parts are carried by carriers. In general, the invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art singly or in any combination. In particular, it may be seen as an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a cutting system that solves the above mentioned problems, or other problems. To better address one or more of these concerns, in a first aspect of the invention, a cutting system is provided for cutting carcass parts while the carcass parts are carried by carriers connected to and moved by an overhang transport system, the system comprising: at least one detection device, such as a detection device, for determining at least one cutting position of an incoming carcass part,at least one cutting device having at least one upwardly and downwardly facing surface structures and an upstream cutting edge and a downstream edge, or at least one cutting device having an upwardly and downwardly facing surface structures and an upstream cutting edge and a downstream edge, or at least one cutting device having an upwardly facing surface structure and a downwardly facing surface structure and an upstream cutting edge and a downstream edge,a moving mechanism mechanically connected to the at least one cutting device for controlling the position of the at least one cutting device on the basis of the determined cutting position, anda carcass displacement device arranged to initiate displacement of the carcass part away from the at least one cutting position while the carcass part or a resulting sub-part carried by a carrier is located between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge. The throughput of the cutting process may thus be increased because the limitation to make the height adjustment of the at least one cutting device when it is positioned between adjacent carcass parts, i.e. await until the carcass part or a resulting sub-part has fully passed the at least one cutting device, is no longer an obstacle meaning that the distance between adjacent incoming carcass parts part may be shortened. By ‘initiate displacement of the carcass part’ may be understood displacement of the entire carcass part or one or more or all sub-parts of the entire carcass part. By ‘between the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge’ may be understood between positions on an axis along the conveying direction corresponding to the positions of the upstream cutting edge and the downstream edge. In one embodiment, the carcass displacement device comprises the at least one cutting device that at least partly contributes in displacing the carcass part away from the cutting position via the mov