Patent ID: 8091390

Claim:
An automated system for processing a plurality of animal hides in a meat processing facility, comprising: a grading station for determining at least one grade for each hide; a measuring station for determining at least one measurement for each hide; a folding station for folding the hides; a stacking station adapted to deposit hides at a plurality stacking sites; a conveyor system for advancing the hides between the grading, measuring folding and stacking sites; and a control system including: a grading station interface adapted to receive hide grades, a measuring station interface adapted to receive hide measurements, a stacking station interface adapted to selectively deposit hides at stacking sites, and a microprocessor adapted to compare the received hide grades, hide measurements or both with a predetermined stacking protocol, to select a stacking site for each hide and to instruct the stacking station interface to selectively deposit hides at the selected stacking sites.