or Improved, Carcass-stretcher, and Suspension Apparatus for Slaughter-houses.
Year: 1894

page_text: New or Improved, Carcass-stretcher, and Suspension Apparatus for
Slaughter-houses.
12
i
A communication from JOHN EVARISTE PERL, Osage Mission, Nevcho County,
State of Kansas, United States of America.
1, ALFRED' JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this automatic carcass-stretcher and suspension apparatus for
slaughterhouses, abattoirs etc., is to suspend the carcass of a slaughtered animal by
the hind-legs, in such manner that while suspended the said hind legs shall be
kept fully-stretched by the weight of the carcass itself, and then to transport the
carcass, in the out-stretched state to a workroom or compartment and there
dispose it so that it may be sawn asunder and cut up in a convenient and suitable
manner.
The arrangement is such that by the weight of the suspended carcass the hind-
legs are stretched out by means of the appropriate stretching apparatus, and that
the removal thence of the carcass upon suspended or overhead rails ensues so that
the carcass remains in outstretched position thereon while the stretching apparatus
is immediately available for use in suspending, and stretching another carcass and
so on continuously..
The stretching apparatus may be drawn up to the removal apparatus in order
that the carcass suspended from roller-hooks-inay-be transferred to the overhead
rails, upon which the rollers of the hooks are adapted to run so as to transport the
carcass to the other end of the workroom (or cutting-up compartment) and thus one
carcass after another is disposed in a row upon the rails. ?
The stretching apparatus comprises two sliding or draw-out beams or bars, guides
and bent or angle arms.
+
The bars or beams each carry secured to the inner end, an enclosing band or
frame to which are attached respectively the ends of two chains which pass over
rollers suitably, mounted in bearings in the guides. The other ends of the chains
are secured to the central suspension ring on which the entire apparatus is carried
raised and lowered by means of a pulley-block or other suitable-mechanism.
In the centre the bars pass through, a strap or hoop
મ
This strap consists of two flat pieces of iron bent to, a right-angle and fastened
together by screws so as to form a rectangular sleeve or guide for the sliding
movement of the bars, in order that the latter may not, before the carcass is
suspended be drawn apart by the weight of the apparatus itself, a plate spring
being provided which, by means of a small projection engages in a recess in the
rectangular, guide sleeve or strap, so as to remain stationary, when the: bars -slide
in and out. 7"
!:.1
t
Now, if a carcass be hung by the hind legs on the hooks of the arms the chains
are immediately tightened and, their ends being secured to the end frames of the
bars, these are naturally drawn from the centre. outwards on both. sides, and the
hind legs of the suspended carcass are fully stretched out, automatically. i
-
The guide bows in which the rollers etc.are, mounted are made in two parts and
rivetted together. Each half carries on the one hand the half axle of the rollers

page_text: and on the other hand-the half, shoulder for the support of the cradle in which
the bars slide. All these parts may be very conveniently used as they come from
the casting-mould so that nothing more requires to be done than to place the rollers
on their axles and put the cradle in its place, when the other half-bow can be put
on and the two halves rivetted together, to provide for the mounting of the rollers
and the guides for the sliding bars..
·
Then the stretching apparatus is drawn up so that the ends of the bars are
caused to slide up along the guide-rails until they reach the points of rest, so that
the weight of the hooks upon the bent arms depresses these latter so as to rest
upon the rails and thus present an even and somewhat-sloping-descent for the book-
rollers which consequently roll off, with the suspended carcass on to the rail-track.
The stretching apparatus is thereby set free, and can then be hoisted higher,
sliding upwards along the guides and raising the elastic spring rail-ends; thence,
sliding out and being again-lowered, the apparatus slides down along the outside
of the rails and becoming entirely free over the projection or shoulder of the rails,
when it is lowered into position to be used again for the suspension and
outstretching of another cafcass, bearing which it is again drawn up and so on,
continuovole
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
-
New or Improved Carcass-stretcher and Suspension Apparatus for
.1.
.:
Slaughter-houses...
A communication.from. JOHN EVARISTE PERL, Osage Mission, Nevcho County,
State of Kansas, United States of America.
1 -
=
::"
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn,lin the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent dol hereby declare, the nature of this invention, and' in
what manner the same is. to be performed; "to be particularly... described. and
ascertained in and by the following statement
This invention relates to a new or improved carcass stretcher and suspension-
apparatus for slaughterhouses.
1
The object of this automatic carcass-stretcher and suspension apparatus for
slaughterhouses, and the like illustrated by way of example in Figs. 1 to 16 of the
accompanying drawings, is to suspend-the carcass of a slaughtered animal by the
hind-legs, in such manner that, while suspended the said hind legs shall be kept
fully stretched, by the weight of the carcass itself; and thus to transport the
carcass, in the out-stretched state, to a work-room or compartment and there
dispose it so that it may be sawn asunder and cut up in 'convenient and suitable
manner...G'
*
ד.
T..
The arrangement is such that by the weight of the suspended carcass the hind-
legs are stretched out, by means of the appropriaté ¿éretching" Apparatus, and (dät
the removal of the caress upon suspended or overhead rails ensues so that the
carcass remains in outstretched position thereon, while the stretching apparatus
is immediately available for use in suspending, and stretching another carcass, and
so on continuously:ad
1.1
Fig. is a perspective view of the stretching apparatus A in the position it
occupies when drawn up to the-removal-apparatus Bin order that the carcass,
suspended from roller books such as 'a; may be transferred to overhead rails C, upon
which the rollers 6 of the hooks a are adapted to run; so as to transport' the carcass
to the other end of the workroom (or cutting-up compartment), and thus one

page_text: carchss after another is disposed in row upon the rails C, the roller-hobks taking
up such positions as are indicated in Fig. 16:1
The overhead rails C are, in the present instance, timbers with metal wearing
surfaces or strips pp bolted on the sides thereof, so as to project therefrom.
Figs. 2 to 14 show various details of the stretching apparatus A which comprises
the two fixed and parallel bars d°; two sliding or draw-out beams or bars d and d';
the guides e e¹ attached to the ends of the bars do, and the bent or angle arms f
and f
!-
44.
The bars or beams d d' each carry secured to the inner end; an enclosing bahd
or frame g or g¹ to which are attached, respectively, the ends of two chains í and,
which pass over the rollers and h³ h³, suitably mounted in bearings in the
guides e, and e. The other ends of the chains are secured to the central
suspension ringh on which the entire apparatus is carried, raised, and lowered by
means of a pulley-block or other suitable mechanism. The arrangement of these
chains and their connections will be best seen in Fig. 6.
In the centre, the bars d d pass through a strap or hoop 1, shown'in cross section
in Fig. 2, and in horizontal longitudinal section in Fig. 3.
This strap consists of two flat pieces of iron and bent to a right angle and
fastened together by screws and l, so as to form a rectangular sleeve or guide
for the sliding movement of the bars d d'; in order that the latter may not, before
the carcass is suspended, be drawn apart by the weight of the apparatus itself, A, a
plate spring is provided which by means of a small projection engages in a recess
in the rectangular sleeve or strap 1 so as to remain stationary when the bars slide
in and out.
Now, if a carcass be hung by the hind-legs on the hooks a of the arms ff', the
chains are immediately tightened and, their ends being secured to the end
frames of the bars d and d¹, these are naturally drawn from the centre outwards
on both sides, and the hind-legs of the suspended carcass are fully stretched out
automatically.
Figs. 4 and
show in elevation and plan respectively the apparatus extended.
Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the apparatus compressed.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show on an enlarged scale in plan, elevation and underside view
respectively the details of this contrivance, in reference to the means for regulating
the sliding in and out of the bars d and d', that is to say, the rectangular guide
sleeve or strap 1, the end-frames g g¹ fixed to the bars d and d¹, and the plate-
spring; while .
Figs. 10 and 11 show the arrangement of the rollers h and h¹ or h³ and A³; the
guide-bows.ee in which these rollers are mounted are made in two parts and
rivetted together. Each balf carries, as shown in the drawings, on the one hand
the half axle of the rollers h and ¹ or h² and h³, and on the other hand the half-
shoulder for the support of the cradle in which the bars d and d' slide. All these
parts may be very conveniently used as they come from the casting-mould, so that
nothing more requires to be done than to place in one bow the rollers on their
axles, and put the cradle in its place, when the other half-bow can be put on and
the two halves rivetted together, to provide for the mounting of the rollers and the
guides for the sliding bars.
The stretching apparatus after receiving its load is drawn up so that the ends
of the bars d d' are caused to slide up along the guide-rails m m², until they reach
the points of rest m² m³, (Figs. 1, 15 and 16) so that the weight of the books a
upon the bent arins ffdepresses these latter, so as to rest with their rails n n¹
upon the rails p p' and present an even and somewhat sloping descent for the hook-
rollers a which consequently roll off, with the suspended carcass on to the rail-
track pp', as shown in Figs. 15 and 16 with and without the stretching apparatus.
The stretching apparatus is thereby set free, and can then be hoisted higher, sliding
upwards along the guides q g' and raising the elastic spring rail-ends or points ri
at ss; thence, sliding out and being again lowered, the apparatus slides down
along the outside of the rails r¹ and becoming entirely free over the projection

page_text: or shoulder of the rails at t t¹, when it is lowered into position to be used again for
the suspension and outstretching of another carcass, bearing which it is again drawn
up, and so on, continuously.
This sequence of operations-loading and raising the stretching apparatus, and
depositing the load, and subsequently drawing the stretching apparatus still higher
to release and set it entirely free by a final lowering--is clearly illustrated in
Fig. 16.
The bent arms ff play an important part in the working and delivering of the
roller hooks on which the carcass is suspended, and they are therefore shown in
Fig. 12 in horizontal section on the line A-B of Fig. 14; in Fig. 13, as seen from
the back; and in Fig. 14 in a side-elevation.
From the figures shown in the drawing and the foregoing description the remainder
of the general arrangement of the entire apparatus will readily be understood, and
needs no further special description.: .
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. A. carcass-stretcher so constructed that the act of raising the stretcher effects
automatically the stretching of the carcass.
2. In a carcass-stretcher the combination with a frame constituted by the bars.do
and guides e e¹ of sliding bars such as d d¹ to which the carcass is to be connected
connections which serve as a lifting sling and also to run out automatically the
bars d d and means for retaining the bars d d except when a full load comes upon
the sling, substantially as described...
3. In a carcass-stretcher guide-bows such as e el constructed substantially as and
for the purpose herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
:
4. The combination with a carcass-lifting device such as A having roller hooks
supported by arms ff¹ thereon of a stationary rail-track provided at its end with
bent guide-rails such as mm² and spring "points" such as adapted to guide the
rails of the roller-hooks into coincidence with those of the stationary track and
to guide them afterwards into position for a further operation substantially as
described.
5. In carcass-suspending apparatus the combination with a stationary rail-track
of guide rails such as m m' and spring points such as substantially as 'and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. The carcass-stretcher substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings..
Dated this 18th day of April 1895