According to the International Patent Classification (sixth edition) the invention relates to the Section A-Human necessities: A 22 Butchering; Meat treatment; Processing poultry or fish A 22 B Slaughtering A 22 B 5/08 Scalding; Scraping; Dehairing; Singeing A 22 B 5/16 Skinning knives 2. TECHNICAL PROBLEM The problem which has been solved by the machine according to the invention is how to remove skin and fur from the slaughtered animal by scraping, providing that both the skin and the fur remain in one piece and undamaged. By utilisation of the machine according to the invention, the phase of dehairing the skin, e. g. by scalding and singeing at pigs, becomes completely unnecessary. This results in considerable decrease of : 1. time needed for processing the slaughtered animal to the phase of finished, processed sides, 2. room needed for processing the slaughtered animal, 3. water, electric energy and gas consumption, 4. pollution of the environment, 5. risk of worker injuries.

Furthermore, the level of useful utilisation of animal is improved due to the fact that the skin, fur and lungs could be used as material for further processing. At conventional treatment of the slaughtered animal, which includes scalding and singeing, the skin and lungs had to be thrown away. This unnecessary pollution of the environment adds to existing ecological problems.

3. STATE OF THE ART By long-time experience in meat processing and based on the analysis of technological processes in meat treatment, all the problems making difficult and slow the process of meat treatment from a living animal to the finished, cleaned and processed sides has been identified.

Bottlenecks of this technological process have been identified and different attempts have been made in order to make this process easier and quicker. The processes taking place in the slaughterhouse are crucial for the results of meat-processing industry, as the slaughterhouse is the basic factor in the production of meat and processed-meat products. According to that fact, it has been realised that by making operations in the slaughterhouse easier, efficiency could be increased, and human resources engaged in the processing as well as the time needed for the processing could be decreased. Based on many feasibility studies and surveys, as well as experiments, the machine for scraping and the treatment procedure according to the invention have been developed, as a solution which to a larger extent makes the process of the skin and fur removal from the animal by scraping easier and quicker, which in turn decreases expenses in meat processing.

Known solutions for the treatment of slaughtered animals to the phase of finished, treated sides can be reduced to the following: 1. inefficient usage of time, room and work force needed for the treatment of the slaughtered animal to the phase of finished, treated sides, 2. considerably increased consumption of water, electric energy and gas, 3. considerably increased environmental pollution, 4. increased risk of work force injuries, regardless of whether the slaughterhouse is small, medium or a large one.

4. THE ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION The basic aim of the machine according to the invention is to enable a simple, efficient and quick removal of the skin and fur by scraping the slaughtered animal, providing that both skin and fur remains in one piece and undamaged. Besides, the apparatus provides that meat is kept clean to the highest extent during the whole process of the skin removal by scraping. It is important to emphasise significant influence of mesophilic bacteria normally present on the skin of the animal, on the time limit in which meat can be used. By the classical method of

treatment, the quantity of mesophilic bacteria transferred from the skin to the meat of the animal is significantly increased, which shortens the time limit in which the meat can be used.

The third essential feature of the machine according to the invention is the fact that the process of the skin and fur removal by scraping does not require any heat treatment of the skin and fur.

This means that the temperature of meat is not unnecessarily increased, which is favourable due to decreased meat contamination with bacteria as well as decreased time of meat cooling.

5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS To present the idea of the invention more clearly and for its better understanding, the invention is illustrated by three drawings showing the apparatus, its essential components and their mutual relationship, and the slaughterhouse schematically. Reference signs in the drawings correspond to the numbers from description of the embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows the machine for the skin and fur removal by scraping the slaughtered animal (16) in A-A view and B-B section view. One of several possible embodiments is presented, consisting of the following: 1 hydraulic or pneumatic pump 2 main cylinder with the piston 3 auxiliary cylinder with the piston 4 self-adjustable hook for holding the animal, 5 chain for receiving and removing the skin and fur, 6 euro-hooks for hanging the animal, 7 console, 8 device for controlling the hydraulic or pneumatic pump, the main and auxiliary cylinder, 10 limiter of vertical movement of euro-hook (6).

Figure 2 shows the machine for the skin and fur removal by scraping the slaughtered animal (16). Another embodiment of the machine is presented, consisting of : 9 hoist, 10 limiter of vertical movement of euro-hook (6), 11 point at which the animal is hanged at the transportation line, 12 straining pulley,

13 transfer pulley, 14 steel rope, 15 stretcher.

Figure 3 is a schematic presentation of the technological process in the slaughterhouse, starting with bringing the animals into the slaughter-house and ending with finished, treated sides to the cold room or to the further processing. Characteristic elements, marked with reference signs, present: 17 room for stunning the animals, lifting the stunned animals to the transportation line and slaughtering 18 hoist for lifting the stunned animals to the transportation line, 19 transportation line, 20 basin for scalding, 21 working table for the pre-treatment, 22 auxiliary transportation line, 23 hoist for lifting the animals, 24 working place for removing innards and cutting off front legs, 25 working place for removing the skin and fur by scraping, 26 hoist for removing the skin and fur by scraping, 27 working place for cutting the animal into sides.

6. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 6.1. TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS The technological process of meat processing, from a living animal (e. g. pig, ox, sheep, goat,...) to the finished, processed sides, starts in the slaughterhouse.

The animals are brought into the room (17) where they are stunned (using electricity or otherwise), lifted by the hoist (18) to the transportation line (19), and slaughtered. The slaughtering is performed in the approximately 6m2 large room. In the room there is a hose with the nozzle for sprinkling water to wash the animal before the process of slaughtering itself. After the washing, the animal is stunned by an electric apparatus, and such a stunned animal is lifted by the hoist (18) to the transportation line (19). The hoist (18) could be mechanical, electrical or pneumatic type. After the animal is lifted to the transportation line

(19), it is slaughtered and additionally washed. Then the animal is transported by the transportation line (19) to the working table for pre-treatment (21). The transportation line (19) runs in a way that after it exits the room (17), it goes around the working table (21) with a radius that enables undisturbed work of the workers at the working table (21). At the very end of the transportation line (19) there is a decline in order to avoid lifting the animal at its transfer onto the working table (21), so being carried along the transportation line (19), it falls onto the working table (21) due to the decline. Using the machine according to the invention, the part of the slaughterhouse with the equipment for scalding and hair singeing is not necessary, and in this way this, in the conventional technological process inescapable step, is omitted. On the working table (21) the slaughtered animal is pre-processed-the head skin is removed manually, rear legs are cut and the truss is fixed to the rear legs. The operation at the working table (21) is such that it requires two workers per animal. In order to make it easier to remove the skin manually from the head, above this working place there is an auxiliary transportation line (22) to which chains of inox-steel with a hook are hanged. Through a cut of a knife from the neck to the middle of the lower jaw, the lower jaw is released. The function of the chain with the hook is that the released lower jaw is hooked to the hook and the head is set into a position suitable for removing the skin from the head. In this manner the worker is spared the effort of lifting the head of the animal at removing the skin from the head manually.

The skin is removed up to the ears, i. e. to the part of the head where the fat part begins, using a knife. Another cut on the skin is performed across the groins, from the knuckle of one to the knuckle of the other rear leg. The above described process of the skin removal from the head and the cut between the knuckles of the rear legs are necessary as a preparation to carry out the process of the skin and fur removal by scraping, using the apparatus according to the invention. On the other part of the working table (21) the lower legs with hoofs are removed.

The ligaments are released to which thereafter euro-hooks (6) are hanged or truss attached.

After the animal is prepared in the manner described above, it is lifted from the working table (21) by the hoist (23) to the transportation line (19), in such a manner that the euro-hook (6) or the hook at the truss is clasped. A cut by a knife along the entire belly length, from the groins to the neck, is the final preparatory step for removing the skin by scraping.

The next step of processing is carried out at the working place (24) where the innards are removed and the front legs cut. The animal is hanged to the transportation line (19) by the euro-hooks (6) or the truss, and secured enough for a man to be able to take out the innards very quickly and to cut off the front legs.

In this manner the animal is completely prepared for the procedure of the skin and fur removal by scraping, and it is transported by the transportation line (19) to the working place (25) which is reserved for this operation. At this working place the machine and the procedure according to the invention, described in details above, is utilised.

After the skin and fur are removed, such a skinned animal is transported by the transportation line (19) to the working place (27) where it is cut to sides by means of an electrical saw.

Technological process of primary meat pre-processing is finished by transporting the finished processed sides to the cold store or to the further processing.

6.2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DEVICE The technological process of the skin and fur removal from a slaughtered animal is a bottleneck of every meat-processing industry. The process requires great physical strength of the workers carrying out the operation, and at the same time, it requires several people to be involved in carrying out the operation. By this very fact, quite a lot of space is required for this procedure. What is obtained is not the skin and fur in one piece and undamaged, but mostly full of holes and/or cut to pieces. Such a skin and fur are completely unusable as material for further processing. As organic waist they also impose significant ecological problem.

With the machine according to the invention, the procedure of the skin and fur removal can be carried out considerably quicker, only one worker and approximately 2 m2 of space per animal is sufficient. As a final result, the skin and fur in one piece and undamaged are obtained, which makes them suitable as material for further processing in the tanning-yard.

The animal is delivered to the working place (25) for the skin removal by the transportation line (19), being fixed by the truss, cleaned from the innards and with the skin removed from the head manually. Prepared in this manner, the animal is placed into the machine for the skin and fur removal by scraping.

The principle of the machine operation, in the variant of embodiment according to fig. 2, is as follows: 1. The skin and fur removal by scraping is carried out in an approximately vertical position, i. e. the animal is hanged to the transportation line (19) by the rear legs and with the head downward.

2. At the upper side of the transportation line (19) there is the limiter of vertical movement (10) of euro-hook (6), which is of special importance for the process of scraping itself. The

function of the limiter (10), positioned at suitable distance, is to hinder the freedom of movement of the euro-hook (6) in the vertical direction.

3. At the lower side there is a hook which is, through the steel rope (14), attached to the stretcher (15). The drive of the stretcher (15) could be electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic type. The jaw of the animal is clasped by the hook, and through the straining pulley (12) and transfer pulley (13) the animal is stretched by the stretcher (15). By this procedure the animal is fixed in an approximately vertical position, and all degrees of movement freedom are prevented.

4. Above the place at which the animal is hanged to the transportation line (11) there is a rigidly fixed hoist (9) of suitable carrying capacity, at height that equals minimum two lengths of the animal (aprox. 4-7 m). By lowering the movable part of the hoist to the height of animal's head (16), it is enabled that the hoist clutches the skin previously removed from the head. It is important to point out that the hoist (9) is positioned at the rear side of the animal, i. e. at a distance from the straining pulley (12) of approximately 0,5 m. In such a manner a slight inclination of the vertically fixed animal from the right angle is obtained. The angle at which the animal is positioned, when it is fixed and strained, equals approximately 80°-100°. This defines the direction of the skin during the scraping procedure. After the head skin is clasped to the hoist (9), the scraping begins. By hoist (9) the skin is pulled upwardly, while the dragging force of the stretcher (15), through the pulleys (12 and 13) and the steel rope (14), as well as the weight of the hanged animal impose counter-force to the lifting force of the hoist (9). The difference between the forces causes breaking i. e. cracking of the tissue at its weakest place, which is the connection between the skin and the fat at the neck end of the knife cut of the skin, which goes along the belly from the groins to the neck of the animal.

This is the principle of the skin removal by scraping using the machine according to the invention. It is important to notice that not every species of animals (ox, pig, sheep, goat, fox, rabbit, nutria..) is of the same size, nor is it the case with each animal of the same species.

Because of this, guiding rails for adjusting the position of straining pulley (12) and parallel to the bearing of the hoist (9) are provided, in order to be able to bring each animal in the optimal position for the skin removal. According to the experience, the optimal position is the one defining an angle of 80°-100° between the longitudinal axis of the animal and the horizontal line. This is an important fact, because only in this range of angles a force equally distributed over the whole animal is obtained. In this case the skin removal is uniform, without breaking

and without rests of the fat at the inner side of the skin. The angle of 90° is an ideal case because, in that case, there is no horizontal component of the force. Because this is practically impossible to obtain, among other reasons, and because of the shape of the animal, it is proved in practice that the angle between 90° and 100° guarantees perfect removal of the skin by scraping.

Aside from variations in size, variations in elasticity and strength of skin of individual animals are inevitable, which depends on the animal species, age and other factors. Due to that fact, forces and speed of scraping should be able to be adjusted in a suitable range.

In case that the jaw of the animal had been broken during tightening of the stretcher (15), the animal can be fixed and strained by clasping around the body above the front legs.

The hoist (9) which is used could be mechanical, electrical or pneumatic type. A mechanical hoist makes the starting investment cheaper, but it makes the processing more expensive due to the slowness and necessity of an additional working place. The other types of the hoists are advantageous because they can be controlled from the working place of the person who carries out the entire procedure of the skin removal by scraping.

The variant of embodiment of the machine according to fig. 1 includes a base into which two vertical hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders-the main (2) and the auxiliary (3)-are built-in. The auxiliary cylinder (3) is used for holding and adjusting the clasping of the lower part of the animal body through the piston and self-adjustable hook (4). The main cylinder (2) is used for removing the skin by scraping by means of the mechanism consisting of the console (7) and self-adjustable chain (5). Prepared head skin including the ears is clasped by the chain (5) and the main cylinder is started to move upwardly.

Prior to the beginning of the skin removal, the body of the animal is, using the euro-hooks (6) or truss, placed to the transportation line (19) by which it is transported to the other phases of treatment. The limiter (10) above the euro-hooks (6) prevents the body, together with the euro- hooks (6), to jump out from the transportation line (19) in case of an increased speed of the skin removal by scraping and its detachment from the body.

An embodiment of the machine at which the main (2) and auxiliary (3) cylinder are mounted bellow the floor level is presented in fig. 1. An embodiment with the cylinders (2 and 3) at the floor level is also possible. In the specific case, the embodiment depends on the available space in the workshop in relation to the transportation line (19) and the ceiling and floor construction.

The main (2) and auxiliary (3) cylinder are controlled by the controlling device (8).

At the vertical position of the animal the skin removal procedure by scraping is carried out at an angle from 90° to 100° relative to horizontal. It is the mentioned range of the scraping angle which makes the basic principle of the operation of the device according to the invention, and the basic advantage when it is compared to other known technological processes currently in use.

The machine and the procedure according to the invention could be adjusted by changing corresponding factors (e. g. dimensions, mechanical forces, speed, level of complicity of the control part) to be suitable for a wide variety of types and sizes of animals to be scraped, regardless of what the most important product of the slaughterhouse is: -meat, at e. g. oxen, pigs, sheep or goats, -skin and fur, at e. g. musk-rats, foxes or leopards, -both, at e. g. rabbits and nutrias.

It is important to point out that with the described procedure of scraping, the fur is obtained in one piece and undamaged from the outer side of the skin. At the animals with usable and precious fur which is used in clothing industry (e. g. musk-rat, nutria, fox, rabbit, lamb of the astrakhan sheep, leopard,...) this is very important for further treatment and processing of the fur.

6.3. ADVANTAGES OF UTILIZATION OF THE MACHINE AND SCRAPING PROCEDURE The machine for the skin removal from animals by scraping, and above described procedure, have practically unlimited possibilities of utilisation in small, medium-size and large slaughterhouses. Basic advantages, when compared to the known classical devices and procedures, are: a) can be built-in into all existing slaughterhouses regardless of the size and age, b) can be built-in by relatively simple modifications of existing slaughterhouses, c) the duration of the entire technological process of the primary meat processing is considerably reduced (up to 50%), d) the number of workers required is decreased (up to 50%), e) the consumption of energy is considerably decreased; electrical energy up to 50%, and gas even up to 100% if it is used only for hair singeing and skin disinfecting, f) the consumption of water is considerably decreased,

g) as a final result, undamaged skin in one piece is obtained, which makes it suitable as the material for further processing in tanning-yard, h) the undamaged fur in one piece is obtained, which is important at animals with usable and precious fur, i) the same processing line can be used for warm treatment of the sides, e. g. French or Milan cut, j) the whole fat tissue can be used, with no need of skin removal, k) time needed for cooling treated sides is decreased; due to the fact that there is no skin serving as a good thermal insulator and due to the fact that there is no temperature increase during the process of scalding and hair singeing, 1) by usage of the skin, fur and lungs as materials for further processing, the factor of animal utilisation is increased and environmental pollution by organic waste is decreased, m) the risk of work force injuries is decreased (there is no open flame for hair singeing nor hot water for scalding), temperature of the atmosphere in the plant is lower with decreased humidity percentage (primarily due to the absence of vapour, an inevitable companion of scalding water), and the cause of significantly lower noise level in the slaughterhouse is noiseless operation of the machine.

Above mentioned percentages should be taken approximately. They are obtained by an analysis and experiments on the small number of specimens. They depend on a large number of factors and will probably be corrected to some extent by a wide utilisation of the machine and procedure. It is, however, certain that in a larger capacity slaughterhouse the achieved savings are more significant.

7. UTILIZATION OF THE INVENTION Building-in and utilisation of the machine according to the invention and, accordingly, the modification of some steps of the technological process of treatment procedures of the slaughtered animals, is possible at all processing lines of existing processing plants of the kind. Parameters of the plant, such as e. g. capacity, size or age, play no role in that. Specific parameters of the plant will certainly be an important factor at designing and mounting the machine according to the invention.

The experts in the field will appreciate that it is possible to make a number of modifications of the described machine and procedure without abandoning the idea and the scope of the invention.