Patent ID: 9380791
Filing Date: 2016-07-05
CPC Classification: A22C

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus for macerating raw meat pieces, the apparatus comprising: a first arbor set having upper and lower rotatable arbors defining a first distance between the upper and lower rotatable arbors, the first arbor set being configured to receive a large variety of sizes and configurations of raw meat pieces, to advance the raw meat pieces therethrough, and to reduce the thickness of at least some of the raw meat pieces advancing therethrough thereby reducing variations in thickness among the meat pieces; a second arbor set having upper and lower rotatable arbors defining a second distance between the upper and lower rotatable arbors, the second distance being smaller than the first distance, the second arbor set being configured to receive the raw meat pieces, to advance the raw meat pieces therethrough, and to increase the surface area of at least some of the raw meat pieces advancing therethrough; a first conveyor configured to receive whole muscle meat and deliver the raw meat pieces to the first arbor set; and a second conveyor configured to receive the raw meat pieces discharged from the first arbor set and deliver the raw meat pieces discharged from the first arbor set to the second arbor set; wherein the first and second arbor sets are spaced from each other by a sufficient distance to prevent the raw meat pieces from being engaged by both arbor sets at the same time, thereby avoiding excessive tearing of the raw meat pieces; the upper and lower arbors of the first arbor set have first set projections and recesses disposed in an offset arrangement such that first set projections of the upper arbor are positioned opposite the first set recesses of the lower arbor; and the upper and lower arbors of the second arbor set have second set projections and recesses disposed in an offset arrangement such that the second set projections of the upper arbor are positioned opposite the second set recesses of the lower arbor.