GB2328361A - Mechanical meat tenderiser - Google Patents

Abstract

Meat is loaded into a part-cylindrical drum 14 which has a rotatable paddle assembly 16 mounted co-axially therein. The paddle assembly 16 includes paddles 24 at each end and angled in different senses such that when the paddle assembly is rotated the paddles 24 tend to urge meat product from the end of the container back towards the middle. Likewise further paddles 26 are mounted on the shaft, trailing by 90‹, but acting in the same sense. In the middle of the shaft is a two arm paddle assembly 28 whose paddles act in different senses, alternately to move meat product to opposite ends of the container.

Description

Meat Processinq Apparatus and Methods This invention relates to meat processing apparatus and methods and in particular to apparatus and methods for tenderising meat.

Meat is often tenderised prior to sale to improve its texture and to break down fibres in the muscles. However it is important to ensure that, when working the meat to tenderise it, it is not worked too harshly otherwise there will be "drip loss" from the meat leading to a loss in weight and deterioration in the texture of the meat. It is therefore important to ensure that, whilst the meat is being tenderised it is not overworked.

Accordingly we have designed an apparatus and a method which tenderises the meat without excessive drip loss.

Accordingly, in one aspect of this invention, there is provided meat processing apparatus comprising a container for receiving meat to be processed, a rotary shaft disposed in said container, said rotary shaft including a plurality of generally radially extending paddle means secured thereto, and means for rotating said rotary shaft the paddle means and the container being adapted so that, in use, meat introduced into the chamber is caused to be moved back and forth between the ends of the chamber, by the paddle meas, as the shaft rotates.

Preferably the container is of cylindrical or partcylindrical shape with an access opening through which meat may be introduced into and removed from the container. Preferably, the cylindrical or part-cylindrical- region of the container is generally concentric with the rotary axis of said shaft. Preferably, the shaft includes, at either end, paddle means arranged on rotation of said shaft to deflect and move meat at the respective ends of the container back towards the middle. The rotary shaft also preferably includes adjacent its mid-portion a paddle having a plurality of paddle arms, and arranged such that on rotation of said shaft each successive paddle arm causes the meat to move towards alternate ends of the container.

Preferably, the container includes bars, plates, or the like for interrupting movement of the meat as it is moved in the container.

In another aspect, this invention provides a method of processing meat to tenderise it, said method comprising loading said meat into a container and using a rotary shaft to cause the meat to move back and forth between the ends of said container.

Whilst the invention has been described above, it extends to any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description.

The invention may be performed in various ways and, by way of example only, an embodiment of meat tenderising apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a side view, partly in section, of the embodiment of meat tenderiser.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a wheeled chassis 10 which supports a drive motor 12, a container for meat 14, a paddle assembly 16 and a cover 18.

The container 14 in this example is part cylindrical being of generally u-shaped section. The container 14 may be pivoted about a generally horizontal axis A to empty the contents of the container onto a work surface 20. The container may be locked in the operating or emptying position by means of a spring-loaded plunger knob 22.

Within the container 14 the paddle assembly 16 is mounted for rotation against the same rotary axis A. The paddle assembly 16 includes a number of paddles 24 of radial dimension to fit within the cylindrical portion of the container. In this example, the paddle assembly includes two major end paddles of a twisted plate form which tend to urge meat at the ends of the container 14 back towards the middle when the paddle assembly shaft is rotated clockwise as viewed on the right hand end of the shaft seen in the Figure. Two further paddles 26 are mounted on the shaft, acting in the same sense as the adjacent end paddles, and angularly trailing therefrom by 900. In the middle of the paddle assembly is a double-ended paddle 28 disposed at an angle to the shaft so that the opposite ends are of opposite sense when the paddle assembly is rotated and so opposite ends of the centre paddle have the effect of alternately urging the meat towards one end of the container and the other end of the container. In addition to the central paddle, the container has plates 30 mounted on posts which interfere with movement of the meat back and forth.

The container cover 18 can be lifted upwardly about a pivotal axis B to allow meat to be loaded in the container.

In use, meat pieces are loaded into the container up to about the level of the shaft.

The paddle assembly 16 is driven by means of the electric motor 12 connected to a gearbox 32 by means of a vbelt drive 34. The output of the gearbox is a sprocket drive 36 connected by a chain 38 to a larger sprocket 40 secured to the end of the paddle assembly shaft.

In addition, the apparatus has a safety interlock mechanism whereby the motor can only be switched on when the cover is closed, and opening the cover immediately turns off the motor.

Claims (9)

Claims

1. Meat processing apparatus comprising a container for receiving meat to be processed, a rotary shaft disposed in said container, said rotary shaft including a plurality of generally radially extending paddle means secured thereto, and means for rotating said rotary shaft, the paddle means and the container being adapted so that, in use, meat introduced into the chamber is caused to be moved back and forth between the ends of the chamber, by the paddle means, as the shaft rotates.

2. Meat processing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the container is of cylindrical or part-cylindrical shape with an access opening through which meat may be introduced into and removed from the container.

3. Meat processing apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the cylindrical or part-cylindrical region of the container is generally concentric with the rotary axis of said shaft.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein respective paddle means are disposed at opposite ends of said shaft and arranged on rotation of said shaft to deflect and move meat at the respective ends of the container back towards the middle.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim. wherein the rotary shaft includes adjacent its mid-portion a paddle means having a plurality of paddle arms, and arranged such that on rotation of said shaft each successive paddle arm causes the meat to move towards alternate ends of the container.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the container includes bars, plates, or the like for interrupting movement of the meat as it is moved in the container.

7. A method of processing meat to tenderise it, said method comprising loading said meat into a container and using a rotary shaft to cause the meet to move back and forth between the ends of said container.

8. Meat processing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

9. A method of processing meat, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.