Method of skinning small animals

A method of removing hides or pelts from small animals. The skinning is begun in the usual manner by making incisions along the inside of each hind leg and peeling a short section of hide away from the hindquarters. The skinning is performed with the aid of a pair of rigid plate members, one of which is anchored in a fixed position, and both of which have openings through which the animal's body may pass. The short section of hide is wrapped around the movable plate and firmly engaged between the movable and fixed plates with the hind legs extending through the aligned openings. The carcass is pulled through the openings as the hide is stripped away due to its engagement between the stationary plates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to methods of skinning animals, particularly 
small, fur-bearing animals. 
Animals such as raccoon, mink, etc., which are hunted or grown primarily 
for the fur pelts which they provide are generally skinned by an entirely 
manual process. Cuts are made in the hide along the inside of each hind 
leg, allowing the hide to be stripped back, with the aid of a knife, over 
the animal's hindquarters. Skinning is continued and completed by 
continuing to pull the hide away from carcass in one continuous piece so 
that it is turned inside out, i.e., the pelt is in the nature of a bag or 
pouch open only at one end with the fur on the inside when skinning is 
completed. 
It is the usual practise in most fur-producing operations to skin a number 
of animals consecutively. Thus, skinning may proceed for a number of hours 
or even several days. Since the hides of most animals adhere very tightly 
to the carcass, the skinning operation is very strenuous and tiresome, 
particularly after the same person has skinned a number of animals. 
Although a few hours of apparatus for aiding in skinning operations have 
been proposed in the past, they tend to be large and expensive, suited 
primarily for slaughterhouse application to large animals, and/or 
unsuitable for protecting the quality and integrity of fur pelts. 
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a 
method of skinning small animals which is easy and efficient, while 
requiring only very simple and inexpensive hardware in its application. 
A further object is to provide a method of skinning small animals which may 
be performed by a single individual without unduly strenuous and fatiguing 
labor. 
Another object is to provide a method of skinning small animals which may 
be performed rapidly and easily without substantial danger of damage to 
the pelts. 
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the foregoing objects, the invention contemplates a 
method of skinning small animals which is carried out with the assistance 
of two rigid plate members, each having a circular opening of appropriate 
size though which the bodies of the animals to be skinned may pass. 
Skinning is commenced in the usual manner by cutting the hide along the 
hind legs and peeling a short section of hide over the hindquarters. The 
hind legs are then passed through the opening in one of plate members, 
which is annular in form, up to the point to which the hide has been 
stripped. 
The stripped section of hide is then wrapped around the annular plate so 
that the free edge of hide is on the same side of the plate as the hind 
legs. The free edge of hide is then firmly engaged between the annular 
plate and the second plate which is firmly anchored in a fixed position. 
The openings in the two plates are aligned and the hind legs extend 
through both. As the body is pulled by the hind legs through the openings 
in the two plates, the hide is stripped from the carcass because of the 
engagement of the free edge thereof between the stationary plates. 
Preferably, the pulling is accomplished with the aid of a block and tackle 
connected to hooks in the hind legs in order to provide a mechanical 
advantage requiring much less force to strip the hide from the carcass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to the drawing, in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a small animal such 
as a raccoon, mink, or the like, denoted generally by reference numeral 
10. Prior to supporting the animal in the position shown in FIG. 1, 
skinning has been commenced in the conventional manner of making cuts 
along the inside of both hind legs 12 and separating the hide from the 
hind legs and for a short distance over the animal's hindquarters. The 
short section of hide thus separated is denoted generally by reference 
numeral 14. After this initial step, the apparatus which is used to assist 
in the skinning method is then employed. 
The apparatus includes a pair of rigid plate members, a preferred form of 
which is shown in FIG. 3. Plate 16 is annular in form, having a circular 
central opening 18 and concentric outer periphery 20. The other plate is 
preferably provided in two separate sections 22 and 24 each having an open 
semi-circular area 26 and 28, respectively, extending into one edge 
thereof. Inwardly facing channel members 30 are welded or otherwise 
rigidly affixed to the upper ends of legs 32 which are anchored at their 
lower ends, e.g., by being bolted to the floor as indicated in FIG. 1 at 
34. 
Section 22 of the second plate is rigidly attached to channel members 30 
and section 24 may be slidably inserted therein for abutment of edges 36 
and 38 of sections 22 and 24, respectively, whereby a circular opening is 
formed by semi-circular areas 26 and 28. The opening thus formed by 
sections 22 and 24 of the second plate is of the same size as opening 18 
in the first plate 16. When section 24 is supported along its two side 
edges by channel members 30 and edges 36 and 38 are in abutting relation, 
sections 22 and 24 form, in effect, a single rigid plate member supported 
in a fixed position which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a 
substantially horizontal plane. 
In order to skin animal 10 according to the method of the invention, after 
removing short section of hide 14 as previously described, hind legs 12 
are passed through opening 18 in plate 16. When the inside (skin) of hide 
section 14 is in contact with one side plate 16, section 14 is wrapped 
around outer periphery 20 of the plate and folded over to contact the 
opposite side. Thus, the skin side of hide section 14 contacts both sides 
of plate 16 and the fur side of hide section 14 is facing outward, about 
the plate. 
At this time (or prior to wrapping hide section 14 about plate 16, if 
desired) hooks 40 are engaged with hind legs 12, supporting animal 10 in 
the position shown in FIG. 1. A conventional block and tackle mechanism, a 
portion of which is indicated in FIG. 1 at 42, supports hooks 40 and 
animal 10. With hind legs 12 positioned in the space defining the opening 
formed by plate sections 22 and 24 when assembled, section 24 is inserted 
in channel members 30 and edges 36 and 38 are brought into abutting 
relation. Animal 10 is then raised by any amount necessary to cause the 
portion of hide section 14 on the upper side of plate 16 to be firmly 
engaged between plate 16 and the lower side of plate sections 22 and 24 in 
the area surrounding the opening formed thereby. 
It is apparent that once hide section 14 is engaged between the two plates, 
an upward force exerted on hind legs 12 will serve to engage the hide 
section even more firmly. Thus, as animal 10 is drawn upward through the 
aligned openings in the juxtaposed plates the hide will be stripped away 
from the carcass. In FIG. 2, hide 44 is mostly stripped from carcass 46 as 
animal 10 has been drawn completely through the openings in the two 
plates. Continued upward movement from the position of FIG. 2 will result 
in complete separation of hide and carcass with the hide essentially in 
the form of a pouch open at the end adjacent hide section 14 and fur side 
48 on the inside. Plate 16, of course, is easily removed once hide 44 is 
completely separated. Although most animal hides adhere tightly and may by 
manually removed only with a great deal of effort, the mechanical 
advantage provided by block and tackle 42 reduces greatly the force 
required to move the animal as the hide is held stationary at one end.