Patent ID: 6881138

Claim:
A method for processing half carcasses ( 4 ) where at least one half carcass is advanced stepwise suspended by its hind foot ( 8 ) on hooks ( 10 ) on a conveying rail ( 6 ) across a conveyor ( 14 ) comprised of conveyor belts, to which conveyor ( 14 ) the half carcasses ( 4 ) are transferred when they are released from the hook ( 10 ), and by which method the hind foot ( 8 ) is automatically cut off, characterised by the process steps of: a) advancing the half carcass ( 4 ) over two downwardly inclined receiving bracket arrangements at interspacings of the conveyer belts ( 22 ) of the conveyor ( 14 ) so as to lay the half carcass down upon the belts ( 22 ) of the conveyor with the rind side down; b) stopping the movement of the hook ( 10 ) at a predetermined position at which the hind legs of the half carcass are gripped by two actuator driven gripping mechanisms ( 26 ) between knee joint and heel joint ( 29 ); c) moving the gripping mechanisms ( 26 ) upwards and outwards away from the centre line ( 7 ) of the conveyor rail ( 6 ), whereby the hind feet ( 8 ) are released from the hook ( 10 ) and the ham ( 32 ) is thereby brought to hang in the gripping mechanisms ( 26 ) so that the thickest part of the heel joint ( 29 ) is elevated to the level of the planes of saw blades ( 30 ) on saws ( 28 ), disposed at each side of the overhead conveyor ( 6 ), d) continuing the movement of the gripping mechanisms directed outward and away from the centre line ( 7 ) of the conveying rail ( 6 ) whereby the hind feet ( 8 ) are cut off at the heel joint ( 29 ) by transversely advancing the heel joint across said saw blades ( 30 ); e) further stepwise advancing the hook ( 10 ); f) releasing the grip of gripping mechanisms ( 26 ) on the hind legs and lowering the ham ( 32 ) of the carcass down upon the conveyor belt ( 14 ); g) moving the gripping mechanisms ( 26 ) back to the starting position for receiving the next at least one carcass ( 4 ) advanced by the overhead conveyor ( 6 ).