Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The field of the invention relates to a ham product and method for production thereof and, more specifically, to separating a bone-in ham into smaller pieces. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    It has been recognized that many consumers are hesitant to purchase an entire bone-in ham because there is more meat than the consumer can conveniently consume. As a result, bone-in hams are commonly sold at retail in half portions. In a conventional method for producing ham portions, the full bone-in ham is cut transversely through a femur bone in order to cut the product into a butt half, which includes the butt end, and a shank half, which includes the shank tip. The butt half includes an aitch bone and part of the femur bone. The shank half includes a shank bone and the remainder of the femur bone. Both the butt half and the shank half are visually appealing in that only the ends of the femur are visible and the product is not unsightly. 
         [0005]    Spirally-sliced bone-in ham products are popular with consumers, largely because of the convenience of being able to easily remove the pre-sliced ham pieces from the product. A spirally-sliced bone-in ham is produced by slicing it in a manner to form a continuous spiral cut around a centrally-located bone, such as a femur bone. Thus, the meat remains substantially connected to the bone such that the spirally-sliced ham remains intact and can be handled and packaged without pieces falling off, folding over, and otherwise deforming. As a result, a spiral-sliced bone-in ham combines the appealing visual characteristics of an intact ham with convenience of slices that are easily detached from the bone and served. Furthermore, since the ham is sold with meat attached to bone, the consumer has reassurance that the meat is not adulterated with undesirable fillers or byproducts. 
         [0006]    Although bone-in ham products of this type have been well received, the amount of meat they contain can still be excessive for consumers and smaller occasions where the product is consumed by only a relatively small number of people. Additionally, as the size of hogs has increased, a bone-in ham is likely to be larger. A consumer does not have as much of a need for such a large bone-in ham. Moreover, family size has been decreasing. Accordingly, families do not desire as much bone-in ham. As prices of pork products increase, consumers desire a lower priced product, which will likely correlate directly with the product weight. 
         [0007]    Consequently, there is the need to cut bone-in hams into smaller products in order to allow consumers the option of purchasing a smaller amount of meat. Products that provide a third or a quarter of a ham are particularly desired to give the consumer a range of purchasing options. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,607 to Dieso (“the &#39;607 patent”) which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a ham product that is formed by cutting a spirally-sliced half-ham longitudinally through the bone. The cut can be made by feeding the half-ham through a band saw blade by hand, by pushing a split cart through the blade, or by feeding the product through the blade on a split belt conveyor. Whatever method is used involves aligning the femur with the saw blade so that the femur is cut longitudinally and the meat remains attached to the bone around approximately half of its original circumference. Each half ham is cut longitudinally through the femur into a pair of substantially mirror image products that are each approximately one-fourth of the full ham. Even though the resulting one-fourth ham product is somewhat delicate, the slices remain attached to the bone securely enough to stay intact so that handling and packaging can be carried out in a commercially acceptable manner. 
         [0009]    The method in the &#39;607 patent presents some issues with regards to non-uniformity of the pieces. When the ham is cut on the “long axis” of the meat as disclosed in the &#39;607 patent (e.g. depicted in  FIGS. 1 through 5 ), the aitch bone is separated unevenly. Almost the entire aitch bone is situated in one of the resulting pieces, and that piece is particularly undesirable for its low meat-to-bone ratio. Consequently, one undesirable piece is produced from each cut ham. This leads to potential waste, as the undesirable pieces may be difficult to sell, and can cause confusion and dissatisfaction among consumers who may unwittingly purchase a piece with a higher bone content than expected. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,403 to Peters (“the &#39;403 patent”), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a product formed by cutting a ham into three or four pieces. The femur is cut only once, in a direction transverse to the femur, thus only the ends of the femur are visible. Each quarter or portion having a bone exposes the bone only along a substantially flat surface on its sides. 
         [0011]    In a spirally sliced bone-in ham, the femur provides structural support for the slices. When a spiral sliced bone-in ham is processed according to the disclosure of the &#39;403 patent, a boneless piece is produced that does not include any part of the femur. Without the structural support provided by attachment to the femur, slices of ham may fall off, fold over, and otherwise deform, requiring extra care in packaging and transporting the product, and potentially necessitating insertion of a skewer or other support mechanism. Despite such extra care, such a delicate product may nonetheless exhibit an irregular shape that appears “processed” and makes an unattractive presentation at the dinner table. Thus, the pieces of ham lacking the structural support of the femur may lose some consumer appeal. 
         [0012]    Further, when a ham is processed according to the disclosure of the &#39;403 patent the bones are divided unevenly between the pieces, resulting in different types of pieces having different characteristics. One piece of each ham is essentially boneless, leaving less meat to be divided with the remaining bone and causing the other pieces to have a lower meat-to-bone ratio than the original ham. Among each of the pieces that contain a bone have only a small amount of bone visible on the cut faces, yet the meat-to-bone ratio varies greatly between these pieces. As each piece displays only a small amount of bone on the surface, the bone content of the pieces may not be visually apparent to the consumer. Consumers may be confused by pieces having similar amount of exposed bone but greatly varying meat-to-bone ratios, and may be reluctant to purchase pieces whose bone content appears to be uncertain. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    What is desired is a product and a method for production thereof for separating a bone-in ham into smaller pieces. The desired method can separate a bone-in ham to provide three or four pieces of essentially equal size that each have an essentially equal meat-to-bone ratio. Further, when dividing a spiral-sliced bone-in ham, the desired method retains attachment of the slices to the femur so that the slices stay intact during handling and packaging and the pieces retain the natural shape and easy handling desired by consumers. 
         [0014]    A ham product and method for production thereof described herein separate bone-in hams into smaller pieces. Accordingly, pieces of bone-in ham, even those spirally-sliced, can be cut into smaller products according to the method described herein. Unlike conventional methods, however, each of the pieces of a ham have an essentially equal meat-to-bone ratio. As a result, undesirable pieces having a relatively higher bone content than other pieces are avoided. 
         [0015]    Thus, in one embodiment the invention provides a method of separating a bone-in ham, the method comprising the steps of: separating a bone-in ham into a butt-end piece and a shank-end piece; and separating the butt-end piece into a first portion and a second portion; wherein the weight of aitch bone in the first portion and the second portion differ by less than approximately 25%; and the weight of femur bone in the first portion and the second portion differ by less than approximately 25%. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece is separated into the first portion and the second portion along a plane that divides the femur substantially longitudinally, and the angle between said plane and the long axis of the bone-in ham is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, said angle is between approximately 43 and approximately 47 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, said angle is approximately 45 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece comprises between 55% and 75% by weight of the bone-in ham. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece comprises between approximately 35% and 55% by weight of the bone-in ham. In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises separating the shank-end piece into a third portion and a fourth portion. In an embodiment of the invention, the bone-in ham is spiral-sliced. In an embodiment of the invention, the bone-in ham is not spiral-sliced. In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises removing a shank bone from the ham. In an embodiment of the invention, one or more of the steps of providing a separation comprises cutting the bone-in ham using a knife, a saw, a bandsaw, a table saw, a blade, or combinations thereof. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a bone-in ham product made by a method comprising the steps of: separating a bone-in ham into a butt-end piece and a shank-end piece; and separating the butt-end piece into a first portion and a second portion; wherein the weight of aitch bone in the first portion and the second portion differ by less than approximately 25%; and the weight of femur bone in the first portion and the second portion differ by less than approximately 25%. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece is separated into the first portion and the second portion along a plane that divides the femur substantially longitudinally, and the angle between said plane and the long axis of the bone-in ham is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, said angle is between approximately 43 and approximately 47 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, said angle is approximately 45 degrees. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece comprises between 55% and 75% by weight of the bone-in ham. In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece comprises between approximately 35% and 55% by weight of the bone-in ham. In an embodiment of the invention, the method further comprises separating the shank-end piece into a third portion and a fourth portion. In an embodiment of the invention, the bone-in ham is spiral-sliced. In an embodiment of the invention, the bone-in ham is not spiral-sliced. In an embodiment of the invention, substantially all of the shank bone has been removed from the ham. In an embodiment of the invention, one or more of the steps of providing a separation comprises cutting the bone-in ham using a knife, a saw, a bandsaw, a table saw, a blade, or combinations thereof. 
         [0017]    Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
         [0018]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0019]    The present invention will be more clearly understood from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying exemplary figures wherein: 
           [0020]      FIG. 1   a  shows a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 1   b  shows a butt-end piece of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 1   c  shows a shank-end piece of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 1   d  shows a butt-end quarter of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 1   e  shows a butt-end quarter of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 1   f  shows a shank-end quarter of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 1   g  shows a shank-end quarter of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 2   a  shows a shank bone out (SBO) ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 2   b  shows a butt-end piece of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2   c  shows a shank-end piece of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 2   d  shows a butt-end quarter of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2   e  shows a butt-end quarter of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0032]      FIG. 2   f  shows a shank-end quarter of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0033]      FIG. 2   g  shows a shank-end quarter of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0034]      FIG. 3   a  shows a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0035]      FIG. 3   b  shows a butt-end piece of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0036]      FIG. 3   c  shows a shank-end piece of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0037]      FIG. 3   d  shows a butt-end third of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0038]      FIG. 3   e  shows a butt-end third of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0039]      FIG. 3   f  shows a shank-end of a short-shank ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0040]      FIG. 4   a  shows a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0041]      FIG. 4   b  shows a butt-end piece of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0042]      FIG. 4   c  shows a shank-end piece of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0043]      FIG. 4   d  shows a butt-end third of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0044]      FIG. 4   e  shows a butt-end third of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0045]      FIG. 4   f  shows a shank-end of a SBO ham according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0046]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
         [0047]    Referring to  FIG. 1   a , a short-shank ham is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that the short-shank ham  100  is not drawn to scale and may have any configuration of the bones contained therein, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Short-shank ham  100  typically comprises three bones: a shank bone  170 , a femur bone  130 , and an aitch bone  140 . The aitch bone  140  is positioned substantially at the butt end  150  of the short-shank ham  100 . The shank bone  170  extends substantially from a shank tip  160  of the short-shank ham  100  to the femur bone  130 , which is positioned at a different angle from the shank bone  170 . At the butt end  150  of the short-shank ham  100 , the femur bone  130  is proximate to the aitch bone  140 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the short-shank ham may be spirally-sliced  120  substantially the length of the short-shank ham  100  and substantially centered about the femur bone  130 . A short-shank ham  100  may be separated along a transverse plane  110 , resulting in a butt-end piece  101  and a shank-end piece  102 . 
         [0048]    Referring also to  FIGS. 1   b  and  1   c , shown are views of the cut faces of the butt-end piece  101  and shank-end piece  102 , respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The aitch bone  140  and shank bone  170  are shown crosshatched to indicate that they are inside the meat and thus would not be visible on the cut faces. 
         [0049]    A separation along the transverse plane  110  separates the femur bone  130  into the butt-end piece of the femur  131  and the shank-end piece of the femur  132 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ham may be spirally sliced and the separation along transverse plane  110  may separate a short-shank ham  100  between spiral slices  120 . In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a ham that is not spirally sliced may be separated along the transverse plane  110 . In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  101  comprises between approximately 35% and approximately 55% by weight of the short-shank ham  100 . In another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  101  comprises between approximately 40% and approximately 50% by weight of the short-shank ham  100 . In yet another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  101  comprises between approximately 43% and approximately 47% by weight of the short-shank ham  100 . In still another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  101  comprises approximately 45% by weight of the short-shank ham  100 . 
         [0050]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1   b ,  1   d  and  1   e , pieces of a short-shank ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the butt-end piece  101 . The butt-end piece  101  may be separated along the longitudinal plane  111 , resulting in a first piece  103  and a second piece  104 . The separation along longitudinal plane  111  is made such that the aitch bone is divided into pieces of substantially equal weight. The longitudinal plane  111  is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the butt-end piece  101 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  111  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  112  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  111  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  112  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  111  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  112  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0051]    Separation of the butt-end piece  101  along the longitudinal plane  111  divides the aitch bone  140  into a first aitch bone piece  141  and a second aitch bone piece  142 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first aitch bone piece  141  and the second aitch bone piece  142  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0052]    Separation of the butt-end piece  101  along the longitudinal plane  111  also divides the butt-end piece of the femur  131  into a first butt-end piece of the femur  133  and a second butt-end piece of the femur  134 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first butt-end piece of the femur  133  and the second butt-end piece of the femur  134  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0053]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1   c ,  1   f  and  1   g , pieces of a short-shank ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the shank-end piece  102 . The shank bone  170  is shown crosshatched to indicate that it is inside the meat and thus would not be visible on the cut face. The shank-end piece  102  may be separated along a first longitudinal plane  113  or a second longitudinal plane  114 , resulting in a first piece  103  and a second piece  104 . The plane along which the separation is made is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the shank-end piece  102 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  115  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  115  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  115  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0054]    According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shank-end piece  102  may instead be separated along the long axis of the shank piece  115 , in which case the shank bone would also be divided between the resultant pieces. In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of two pieces of the shank bone would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0055]    Whether the shank-end piece  102  is separated along the first longitudinal plane  113 , the second longitudinal plane  114 , or the long axis  115  of the shank piece, separation of the shank-end piece  102  divides the shank-end piece of the femur  132  into a first shank-end piece of the femur  135  and a second shank-end piece of the femur  136 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first shank-end piece of the femur  135  and the second shank-end piece of the femur  136  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0056]    Referring to  FIGS. 1   d ,  1   e ,  1   f , and  1   g , a short-shank ham is shown divided into four pieces according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the weights of the heaviest and the lightest pieces differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the total weight of bone in the piece having the most bone and the piece having the least bone differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In yet another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the ratio of meat to bone in the piece having the highest ratio of meat-to-bone and the piece having the lowest ratio of meat-to-bone would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0057]    Referring to  FIG. 2   a , a shank bone out (SBO) ham is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that the SBO ham  200  is not drawn to scale and may have any configuration of the bones contained therein, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. SBO ham  200  typically comprises two bones: a femur bone  230 , and an aitch bone  240 . The aitch bone  240  is positioned substantially at the butt end  250  of the SBO ham  200 . At the butt end  250  of the SBO ham  200 , the femur bone  230  is proximate to the aitch bone  240 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the SBO ham may be spirally-sliced  220  substantially the length of the SBO ham  200  and substantially centered about the femur bone  230 . A SBO ham  200  may be separated along a transverse plane  210 , resulting in a butt-end piece  201  and a shank-end piece  202 . 
         [0058]    Referring also to  FIGS. 2   b  and  2   c , shown are views of the cut faces of the butt-end piece  201  and shank-end piece  202 , respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The aitch bone  240  is shown crosshatched to indicate that it is inside the meat and thus would not be visible on the cut face. 
         [0059]    A separation along the transverse plane  210  separates the femur bone  230  into the butt-end piece of the femur  231  and the shank-end piece of the femur  232 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ham may be spirally sliced and the separation along transverse plane  210  may separate a SBO ham  200  between spiral slices  220 . In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a ham that is not spirally sliced may be separated along the transverse plane  210 . In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  201  comprises between approximately 35% and approximately 55% by weight of the SBO ham  200 . In another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  201  comprises between approximately 40% and approximately 50% by weight of the SBO ham  200 . In yet another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  201  comprises between approximately 43% and approximately 47% by weight of the SBO ham  200 . In still another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  201  comprises approximately 45% by weight of the SBO ham  200 . 
         [0060]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2   b ,  2   d  and  2   e , pieces of a SBO ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the butt-end piece  201 . The butt-end piece  201  may be separated along the longitudinal plane  211 , resulting in a first piece  203  and a second piece  204 . The separation along longitudinal plane  211  is made such that the aitch bone is divided into pieces of substantially equal weight. The longitudinal plane  211  is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the butt-end piece  201 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  211  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  212  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  211  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  212  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  211  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  212  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0061]    Separation of the butt-end piece  201  along the longitudinal plane  211  divides the aitch bone  240  into a first aitch bone piece  241  and a second aitch bone piece  242 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first aitch bone piece  241  and the second aitch bone piece  242  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0062]    Separation of the butt-end piece  201  along the longitudinal plane  211  also divides the butt-end piece of the femur  231  into a first butt-end piece of the femur  233  and a second butt-end piece of the femur  234 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first butt-end piece of the femur  233  and the second butt-end piece of the femur  234  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0063]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2   c ,  2   f  and  2   g , pieces of a SBO ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the shank-end piece  202 . The shank-end piece  202  may be separated along a first longitudinal plane  213  or a second longitudinal plane  214 , resulting in a first piece  203  and a second piece  204 . The plane along which the separation is made is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the shank-end piece  202 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  215  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  215  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the plane along which the separation is made and the long axis of the shank-end piece  215  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0064]    According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shank-end piece  202  may instead be separated substantially along the long axis of the shank piece  215 . 
         [0065]    Whether the shank-end piece  202  is separated along the first longitudinal plane  213 , the second longitudinal plane  214 , or the long axis  215  of the shank piece, separation of the shank-end piece  202  divides the shank-end piece of the femur  232  into a first shank-end piece of the femur  235  and a second shank-end piece of the femur  236 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first shank-end piece of the femur  235  and the second shank-end piece of the femur  236  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0066]    Referring to  FIGS. 2   d ,  2   e ,  2   f , and  2   g , a SBO ham is shown divided into four pieces according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the weights of the heaviest and the lightest pieces differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the total weight of bone in the piece having the most bone and the piece having the least bone differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In yet another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the ratio of meat to bone in the piece having the highest ratio of meat-to-bone and the piece having the lowest ratio of meat-to-bone would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0067]    Referring to  FIG. 3   a , a short-shank ham is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that the short-shank ham  300  is not drawn to scale and may have any configuration of the bones contained therein, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Short-shank ham  300  typically comprises three bones: a shank bone  370 , a femur bone  330 , and an aitch bone  340 . The aitch bone  340  is positioned substantially at the butt end  350  of the short-shank ham  300 . The shank bone  370  extends substantially from a shank tip  360  of the short-shank ham  300  to the femur bone  330 , which is positioned at a different angle from the shank bone  370 . At the butt end  350  of the short-shank ham  300 , the femur bone  330  is proximate to the aitch bone  340 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the short-shank ham may be spirally-sliced  320  substantially the length of the short-shank ham  300  and substantially centered about the femur bone  330 . A short-shank ham  300  may be separated along a transverse plane  310 , resulting in a butt-end piece  301  and a shank-end piece  302 . 
         [0068]    Referring also to  FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c , shown are views of the cut faces of the butt-end piece  301  and shank-end piece  302 , respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring also to  FIG. 3   f , shown is a side view of shank-end piece  302 . The aitch bone  340  and shank bone  370  are shown crosshatched to indicate that they are inside the meat and thus would not be visible on the cut faces. 
         [0069]    A separation along the transverse plane  310  separates the femur bone  330  into the butt-end piece of the femur  331  and the shank-end piece of the femur  332 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ham may be spirally sliced and the separation along transverse plane  310  may separate a short-shank ham  300  between spiral slices  320 . In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a ham that is not spirally sliced may be separated along the transverse plane  310 . In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  301  comprises approximately 55% to 75% by weight of the short-shank ham  300 . In another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  301  comprises approximately 60% to 70% by weight of the short-shank ham  300 . In yet another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  301  comprises approximately 63% to 67% by weight of the short-shank ham  300 . In still another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  301  comprises approximately 65% by weight of the short-shank ham  300 . 
         [0070]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3   b ,  3   d  and  3   e , pieces of a short-shank ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the butt-end piece  301 . The butt-end piece  301  may be separated along the longitudinal plane  311 , resulting in a first piece  303  and a second piece  304 . The separation along longitudinal plane  311  is made such that the aitch bone is divided into pieces of substantially equal weight. The longitudinal plane  311  is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the butt-end piece  301 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  311  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  312  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  311  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  312  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  311  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  312  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0071]    Separation of the butt-end piece  301  along the longitudinal plane  311  divides the aitch bone  340  into a first aitch bone piece  341  and a second aitch bone piece  342 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first aitch bone piece  341  and the second aitch bone piece  342  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0072]    Separation of the butt-end piece  301  along the longitudinal plane  311  also divides the butt-end piece of the femur  331  into a first butt-end piece of the femur  333  and a second butt-end piece of the femur  334 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first butt-end piece of the femur  333  and the second butt-end piece of the femur  334  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0073]    Referring to  FIGS. 3   d ,  3   e , and  3   f , a short-shank ham is shown divided into three pieces according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the weights of the heaviest and the lightest pieces differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the total weight of bone in the piece having the most bone and the piece having the least bone differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In yet another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the ratio of meat to bone in the piece having the highest ratio of meat-to-bone and the piece having the lowest ratio of meat-to-bone would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0074]    Referring to  FIG. 4   a , a shank bone out (SBO) ham is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that the SBO ham  400  is not drawn to scale and may have any configuration of the bones contained therein, as known to one of ordinary skill in the art. SBO ham  400  typically comprises two bones: a femur bone  430 , and an aitch bone  440 . The aitch bone  440  is positioned substantially at the butt end  450  of the SBO ham  400 . At the butt end  450  of the SBO ham  400 , the femur bone  430  is proximate to the aitch bone  440 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the SBO ham may be spirally-sliced  420  substantially the length of the SBO ham  400  and substantially centered about the femur bone  430 . A SBO ham  400  may be separated along a transverse plane  410 , resulting in a butt-end piece  401  and a shank-end piece  402 . 
         [0075]    Referring also to  FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c , shown are views of the cut faces of the butt-end piece  401  and shank-end piece  402 , respectively, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring also to  FIG. 4   f , shown is a side view of shank-end piece  402 . The aitch bone  440  is shown crosshatched to indicate that it is inside the meat and thus would not be visible on the cut face. 
         [0076]    A separation along the transverse plane  410  separates the femur bone  430  into the butt-end piece of the femur  431  and the shank-end piece of the femur  432 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the ham may be spirally sliced and the separation along transverse plane  410  may separate a SBO ham  400  between spiral slices  420 . In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a ham that is not spirally sliced may be separated along the transverse plane  410 . In an embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  401  comprises approximately 35% to 55% by weight of the SBO ham  400 . In another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  401  comprises approximately 40% to 50% by weight of the SBO ham  400 . In yet another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  401  comprises approximately 43% to 47% by weight of the SBO ham  400 . In still another embodiment of the invention, the butt-end piece  401  comprises approximately 45% by weight of the SBO ham  400 . 
         [0077]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4   b ,  4   d  and  4   e , pieces of a SBO ham may be made according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention by separating the butt-end piece  401 . The butt-end piece  401  may be separated along the longitudinal plane  411 , resulting in a first piece  403  and a second piece  404 . The separation along longitudinal plane  411  is made such that the aitch bone is divided into pieces of substantially equal weight. The longitudinal plane  411  is substantially perpendicular to the cut face of the butt-end piece  401 . According to an embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  411  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  412  is between approximately 40 degrees and approximately 50 degrees. According to another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  411  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  412  is between approximately 43 degrees and approximately 47 degrees. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the angle between the longitudinal plane  411  and the long axis of the butt-end piece  412  is approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0078]    Separation of the butt-end piece  401  along the longitudinal plane  411  divides the aitch bone  440  into a first aitch bone piece  441  and a second aitch bone piece  442 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first aitch bone piece  441  and the second aitch bone piece  442  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0079]    Separation of the butt-end piece  401  along the longitudinal plane  411  also divides the butt-end piece of the femur  431  into a first butt-end piece of the femur  433  and a second butt-end piece of the femur  434 . In an embodiment of the invention, the weights of the first butt-end piece of the femur  433  and the second butt-end piece of the femur  434  would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0080]    Referring to  FIGS. 4   d ,  4   e , and  4   f , a SBO ham is shown divided into three pieces according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the weights of the heaviest and the lightest pieces differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. In yet another embodiment of the invention, in the pieces made from a single ham the ratio of meat to bone in the piece having the highest ratio of meat-to-bone and the piece having the lowest ratio of meat-to-bone would differ, for example, by less than approximately 25%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 20%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 15%, or in another embodiment by less than approximately 10%, or in yet another embodiment by less than approximately 5%, and in still another embodiment by less than approximately 1%. 
         [0081]    The invention is not limited to making separations in any particular order. For example, without intention to be limited thereto, the present invention contemplates spiral slicing before or after separating a ham into pieces, or making the separations that divide the femur longitudinally before or after making the separations that divide the femur transversely. 
         [0082]    In an exemplary embodiment, the bone-in ham  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  is spirally-sliced substantially about the femur bone  130 ,  230 ,  330 ,  430 . Methods for spiral-slicing bone-in hams are known to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the bone-in ham  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  can be spirally-sliced according to the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,470,078 and 2,599,328 to Hoenselaar, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The spiral-sliced meat of the bone-in ham  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  can extend up to the femur bone  130 ,  230 ,  330 ,  430 , substantially near the femur bone  130 ,  230 ,  330 ,  430 , or any distance from the femur bone  130 ,  230 ,  330 ,  430 . The spiral slicing can extend from one end of the bone-in ham  100 ,  200 ,  300 ,  400  to the other end, or any variation of length and configuration therebetween. 
         [0083]    Separating portions of the bone-in ham along the longitudinal or transverse planes can be accomplished by any means known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In an embodiment of the invention, separating is performed by cutting with a serrated instrument. In another embodiment of the invention, a bone-in ham can be cut with any suitable instrument such as a knife, saw, bandsaw, table saw, blade, or other cutting instruments, or combinations thereof. In another embodiment of the invention, each of the cuts may be made with a different instrument or a different type of instrument, or one or more of the cuts may be made using the same instrument or same type of instrument. 
         [0084]    Although this description uses the term “quarter,” it is not intended to be limited to an exact quarter portion of a bone-in ham. In fact, the term is used to reflect that an approximate half of a bone-in ham has been further separated in approximately half. If each approximate half were separated substantially in half, then four substantial quarters are produced. Similarly, although this description uses the term “third,” it is not intended to be limited to an exact third portion of a bone-in ham. In fact, the term is used to reflect that a bone-in ham has been separated into an approximate two-thirds and an approximate one-third. If the approximate two-thirds was separated substantially in half, then three substantial thirds are produced. 
         [0085]    The embodiments described above are intended to be exemplary. One skilled in the art recognizes that numerous alternative components and embodiments that may be substituted for the particular examples described herein and still fall within the scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 1