Patent ID: 8070568
Filing Date: 2011-12-06
Classification: A22B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for cleaning a carcass, comprising: an elongate housing formed by a main frame, said elongate housing including a plurality of stations where each station has at least one rotating device rotatably mounted to said main frame; said main frame having a horizontal longitudinal axis and a horizontal transverse axis, said main frame having a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent, said longitudinal extent exceeding said transverse extent; said main frame including an overhead conveyance system for transporting a carcass in a horizontal path of travel that extends along the longitudinal extent of said main frame; said carcass being suspended from a top of said overhead conveyance system so that said carcass lies in a substantially vertical plane under the influence of gravity as it is transported from an entrance end of said elongate housing to an exit end of said elongate housing along said, horizontal path of travel, said top of said overhead conveyance system having a height that exceeds a vertical extent of said carcass in said substantially vertical plane; said main frame including a first station including a first set of two vertical, parallel posts that are longitudinally spaced apart from one another; each post of said parallel posts of said first set having a common height that exceeds the vertical extent of said carcass in said substantially vertical plane; a first frame mounted in interconnecting relation to said parallel posts of said first set; said first frame being adjustably mounted to said parallel posts of said first set at any preselected height along said vertical extent of said parallel posts of said first set; a first station first rotating device mounted to said first frame, said first station first rotating device having an axis of rotation that is angularly adjustable relative to said horizontal longitudinal axis; and said first station first rotating device being mounted for rotation in a first predetermined direction.