DE4132830A1 - Identifying carcasses in abattoir - by applying machine-readable markings to abattoir hooks - Google Patents

Abstract

Abattoir hooks are provided with a machine-readable marking, to allow identification of a suspended carcass (portion) at the desired location in an abattoir, by (a) cleaning and removing a previous marking from a marking region of the hook; (b) applying a coloured background to cover any residues of a previous marking and to provide a background for the new marking; and (c) applying a marking of contrasting colour onto the background. Also claimed are (i) an abattoir hook having a machine readable marking of contrasting colour on a coloured background; (ii) an abattoir hook having a machine-readable marking formed directly in the hook or in a label attached to the hook; and (iii) a method of identifying carcasses (or portions) on abattoir hooks, in which the hooks are provided with identification holes at various heights, the hole heights of hooks before and/or after the hook to be identified are detected and stored as a sequence associated with the hook, and each hook is identified from its associated, stored, hole height sequence. ADVANTAGE - The hooks can be machine-identified in a rational and inexpensive manner without the need for detachable reusable labels.

Description

In modern, larger slaughterhouses there is one battle line and working day a very high number of animals slaughtered, e.g. B. several thousand pigs. It's over a number of reasons arising from the following Be spelling become clear, useful to everyone Slaughter animal or part of slaughter animal (e.g. pork half, Cattle quarter) of the working day concerned and the be individual slaughter line assign. Because of this labeling, the Slaughter animal or slaughter animal part at a desired Place the slaughterhouse further back in the slaughtering process be recognized or identified. If that's too identifying and identifying slaughter animal or Slaughter animal part - as is usually the case - hanging on a slaughter hook and engaging in the battle Hook hanging through the slaughterhouse can be used for Marking and identifying instead of the battle animal or slaughter part equally well as the assigned Slaughter hooks are used.

Given the prevailing trend towards saving people manpower and the most extensive car possible The aim is to ensure that the labeling order and identifying with suitable devices consequences.  

A particularly prominent field of application of the described Label assignment and identification is the in of modern slaughterhouse practice Target control. This means that slaughter animals or slaughter animal parts with certain classifications characteristics, usually in terms of weight, size, pH of the meat, fat layer thickness and reflection worth of the meat at certain stacking tracks of the Slaughterhouse cold room. In practice does it look like that in the front of the battle line of each slaughtered animal or part of slaughtered animal or each Slaughter hook is provided with a label, that classics measured in the course of the slaughter line characteristics and this marking be assigned to the feed conveyor of the cooling space this marking by a suitable device is recorded or read (i.e. the battle in question animal or, slaughter animal part is identified) and that based on this identification, the feed conveyor with points connecting the individual stacking tracks are controlled so that the individual slaughter animals or parts of slaughtered animals in accordance with the classification features are fed to the individual stacking tracks. You can then target the individual stacking tracks Slaughter animals or animal parts with certain ge subtract the desired classification characteristics.

It is known that the markings are machine-readable Shape to be provided on the individual slaughter hooks. Concrete you have capacitive data carriers, inductive data carriers or radio disk to create a machine Legible markings attached to the slaughter hook. Such media are quite expensive and must be  because usually the slaughter hooks with the Slaughter animals leave the slaughterhouse for business removed from the slaughter hook for reasons before they leave the slaughterhouse. This is an ar laborious process. You also have stickers worked for the slaughter hook, which printed one th bar code or machine-readable digits. This is an un economic point of view Favorable procedure, since the sticker costs per Year and slaughter line on very large amounts sum up.

The invention is based, for the task spoken labeling problem in the slaughterhouse ratio show neller and cheaper solutions.

A first object of the invention is a method for providing slaughter hooks with a machine-read markable, which is an identification of it hanging slaughter animal or part of an animal to ge desired location of the slaughterhouse, characterized,

• a) that a labeling area of the concerned Slaughter hook cleaned and at least roughly by one any previous labeling is exempt;
• b) that a color field on the labeling area Covering any remains of a previous label and applied as a background for the new labeling becomes;  
• c) and that on the color field with a color a color contrasting marking is applied.

This method according to the invention therefore works without disks to be attached to the slaughter hook; the Kenn drawing is rather - with the interposition of the Color field - directly and inexpensively on the Slaughter hook applied. A decrease in data carrier for reuse is not required.

The term "marking" is intended to refer to any type of machine readable, individualizing information. A The first option is machine-readable numbers and books employees who have the advantage, also from the workers of the slaughterhouse can be read immediately can. Another option is point codes, at which preferably the respective arrangement pattern of the Dots that contain labeling information, or Bal code. The use of point codes is with the Er particularly preferred because it is particularly simple can be applied and machine readable. It goes without saying that preferably each label per slaughter line and is only used once per working day.

The term "slaughterhouse" is in the broadest sense to understand. In particular, it also includes cooling area of the slaughterhouse. The invention is equi valent can also be used in companies that only battle Carry out animal cutting or only refrigerated storage of slaughter animals or parts of slaughter animals.  

As a rule, cleaning and exemption from one any previous labeling of the label Reichs carried out in that the entire transport hook is cleaned. This is preferably done in one cleaning liquid or one after the other in several Cleaning fluids. The cleaning liquid can preferably heated water, which is preferably a Detergent is added. You can also with one Solvent work. The use of ultrasound in the cleaning liquid bath is possible. At least that Marking area of the slaughter hook is after the Cleaning dried before the color field is applied.

The color field and the labeling should be regarding contrast their color so that one looks as possible good machine readability. Particularly preferred is a bright, e.g. B. white, color field and one in darker Color applied marking. The reverse too Combination is possible. The one used for the color swatch Color is preferably a quick drying color, so that the labeling is as short as possible after the Application of the color field can be applied. Man the color field can also be short after application Heat early to further accelerate drying. Furthermore, for the color field and labeling Colors are used that are as simple and simple as possible completely by the cleaning described ent again let away.

Any common is suitable for applying the color field Type of paint application. As concrete preferred types be a color printing process, e.g. B. by means of color printing roller or pad printer, as well as spraying.  

One also comes for applying the label Variety of application types considered. As a concrete, preferred options are the application by a stamping process and especially the application called by means of an inkjet printer.

The second object of the invention is a slaughter hook, as it turns out as a result of the above Procedure results. This slaughter hook is ge indicates that it is in a labeling area Color field and a color applied to it has contrasting, machine-readable identification.

A third object of the invention is a battle hook, characterized in that directly in the Slaughter hook material and / or in one at the battle hook provided label carrier a machine legible identification is incorporated. This training is poorly suited for slaughter hooks that are used in battle farm with the slaughter animal or animal in question leave part. But it is well suited for battle hook, of which the slaughter animals or parts of slaughter animals be removed before leaving the slaughterhouse and which consequently remain in the slaughterhouse. As Battle spreads are particularly preferred. At the slaughter hook with permanently incorporated code So drawing is not per slaughter line and labor remove the old label and open a new one brought, but an existing one in the slaughterhouse enough large number of with permanent, individual Marking of slaughter hooks used. The one work the marking is preferably done by Machining, especially by milling or  Drill. You can either go to a partial depth milling or drilling the material and machine reading make in incident light, or you can go through the whole Mill or drill through the material thickness and then in Machine-reading transmitted light. The labeling can be in a characteristic shape or in a number of holes arranged in a pattern or milling. In the case of the number of in one Patterned holes are practical a point code.

A fourth object of the invention is a method to identify slaughter hooks Slaughter animals or parts of slaughter animals at the desired Location of the slaughterhouse, characterized in that the presence of slaughter hooks in difference holes are drilled to extract a Marking of the individual slaughter hooks is used, by drilling hole heights from before and / or behind the found slaughter hooks and as the be corresponding drilling height sequence assigned to the slaughter hook be saved, and that the slaughter hook each based on their assigned, saved hole sequence of heights can be identified.

This method takes advantage of the more common wise slaughter hook already used have a hole on the actuator side and that the single manufacturer this hole at different heights attach. There in a considered slaughterhouse battle hooks from different manufacturers, you have in practice if you continue along the slaughter line moves or if you move the  Row of slaughter hooks a sequence of different hole heights. This sequence of bore heights is recorded, preferably in very simple way in transmitted light and by means of a electronic camera. Because of this detection one each slaughter hook through a hole sequence of heights "in his neighborhood", namely under Inclusion or without inclusion of its own well height, characterize. If you have enough Boh heights before and / after the battle in question takes into account, you get a clear Labeling or characterization.

The method according to the invention described last can be a simplified but less powerful modify capable process by drilling the hole height sequence not to the full, individualizing Characterization or labeling of each one Slaughter hook, but only for one Monitoring process at a desired point on the Slaughterhouse. So you grasp the beginning of the Slaughterhouse the hole height sequence and checked on a desired inspection body, especially on Feed conveyor to the refrigerator, whether all battle yet hooks are in the correct order. If this check determines that this is not the case can be corrected manually, in particular the control of the switches of the cold room are gripped based on the slaughter animals nor sometimes existing markings, e.g. B. from Have been attached by hand. This simplified ver driving is also an independent object of the Invention.  

It is emphasized that in the previous description described marking of slaughter hooks or off use of the hole height sequence of the slaughter hooks as well the identification of the animals for slaughter based on this, not only for the others mentioned above and in more detail below described target control can be used, but that you can also do other tasks in the Abattoir can solve cheap. In this context statistical processing is particularly mentioned the working day of the slaughter line concerned and the Accounting of the slaughterhouse in the broadest sense, the up to automatic invoicing for certain Slaughterhouse customers and the like can go. So you can for example, at the end of the working day find out how many animals slaughtered in a certain slaughter line how many animals with which classifications features were available and what deliveries with how many animals to which customers to have. You can also deliver to the one individual customers taking into account the classifications characteristics of the slaughtered animals or slaughter delivered parts together with the prices to be calculated for this menu and machine for the individual customers the bills, broken down by number and class features, create. In addition, at for example the slaughter day, the producer of the delivered goods battle, animals or the one in use Slaughter team to be carried as information.

The invention and embodiments of the invention will be in the following with the help of drawings management examples explained in more detail. It shows:  

Fig. 1 in a schematic plan view of a slaughter line with a cooling area at the end, only the most important stations of the sequence are shown for understanding;

Figure 2 shows a slaughter hook in side view.

Fig. 3 is a Schlachtspreize in side view;

Fig. 4 schematically shows a series of slaughter hooks from the side to illustrate the detection of a hole height sequence.

In the slaughter line shown in FIG. 1, the following processes essentially take place for each slaughter animal (pigs are considered as an example) in the following order: The animals are first stunned in station 2 , e.g. B. electrically in a restrainer. Then the animals in section 4 are tapped and exsanguinated, both z. B. lying on a parting and bleeding conveyor. This is followed by the depilation of the pigs in station 6 , e.g. B. in a continuous scalding and dehairing machine. Then at position 8 each pig is attached to a slaughter hook with its hind feet; from now on the slaughter hooks will be moved through the slaughterhouse by means of chain conveyors. In the next station 10 , the belly side is opened for each pig and the organs (intestines, abdominal organs, lungs) are removed. In station 12, the pigs split along the spine. From now on, a separate half of the pig hangs on each slaughter hook. The pork halves go to a feed conveyor 14 of a cold room 16 . Between the station 12 or the arrow 36 (see below) there are usually several, sometimes quite long conveyors with lifts in between, and in this area there is the greatest risk of interference, e.g. B. the "crash" of half a pig. From the Zubringeförderer 14 in sequence a series of staple track 18 branches off, which can be controlled by means of switches on the beginning of each track stack 18, in wel ches stacking track a considered pig half ge reached. From the stack tracks 18 , the pigs can be halved by means of a pull-off conveyor 20 who, depending on the customer's order, for. B. three pork halves from the first stacking track, two pork halves from the fourth stacking track, etc. By means of the discharge conveyor 20 , the pork halves are loaded.

With 22 an empty hook conveyor track is designated, which opens before the attachment point 8 in the slaughter line. Before they are used for attaching, the slaughter hooks go through the following stations: cleaning in station 24 , for example a liquid bath. Then dry at least one identification area of the respective slaughter hook in station 26 , for example by means of a warm air blower. Then apply a color field in the marking area of the relevant slaughter hook in station 28 . Immediately after the pigs are attached to position 8 , each slaughter hook is provided with a mark that a dot code is applied to the color field of the marking area by means of an inkjet printer. This process is briefly referred to below as the coding of the slaughter hook and takes place at the point on the slaughter line marked 30 . For the understanding of the inven tion, it is easiest to imagine that the coding of the slaughter hooks in a continuous numbering of the slaughter hooks starting with the number "1" at the beginning of the working day up to, for example, the number "2000" at the end of the working day consists. The ink jet printer switches by one number after each labeling application, and the labeling applications are saved in a connected computer.

If a pig or half of a pig in question, hanging on a pair of slaughter hooks or a single slaughter hook, continues to move through the slaughter line, specific measured values are determined for each pig or half of a pig, for example weight, length, pH value of the meat, bacon thickness and reflectance value of the meat. This is with the arrow points 32 , 34 , 36 ,. . . Illustrated light, which are located behind the splitting station 12 , but may also be at least partially further ahead in the slaughter line. Using the example of weight determination, it is now described what happens to the determined values. The same procedure is followed for the other values determined.

The weight determination point 32 is a scale. There is an electronic camera that reads the code of the slaughter hook on the scale. The scale is also connected to the computer described and forwards the information to it: "The pork half with the code 'n' has the weight 'x'". In the case of human-readable coding, the camera could be omitted and an operator of the scale could enter the information mentioned into the computer.

After going through the described valuation 32 , 34 , 36,. . . Thus, the values for each pig or each pig half are stored in the computer which are required for a classification according to the desired classification features. If, for example, it is now intended to halve all pigs with the classification characteristics "weight more than 'x'", and "pH value in the range 'y1' to 'y2'" (any other classification characteristics as desired) the first stack track 18 of the cold room 16 to supply, the computer can determine the weld half with the codes that meet these classification criteria on the basis of its stored data and, whenever such a pig comes, can control the switches at the entrance of the stacking tracks 18 so that these weld halves just into that first stack track 18 arrive. The same applies to other combinations of classification features that should be fed to other stacking tracks.

For this purpose, an electronic camera is located on the feed conveyor 14 in front of the first switch at point 38 , which determines which pork half with which code is just passing point 38 (the computer containing the measurement values assigned to this pork half stored). The camera at point 38 is connected to the computer, as are the switches at the beginning of the stacking tracks 18 and the conveyors of the stacking tracks 18 .

The deduction conveyor 20 , the switches between the stack tracks 18 and the deduction conveyor 20 and the conveyor 18 assigned to an individual stacking tracks are also connected to the computer. For example, if a customer order "10 pork halves with a first combination of classification features and 25 pork halves with a second combination of classification features" is to be executed, the computer controls the device in such a way that exactly this order is carried out and the said pork halves from the slaughterhouse be promoted to a removal vehicle. Furthermore, a control camera connected to the computer can be provided on the conveyor line to the removal vehicle, which finally controls the correct execution of the customer order.

In FIG. 2 a slaughter hook is drawn to a larger scale in side view 40 are. The upper hook part 42 consists essentially of a curved steel strip with a rectangular cross-section, so that the viewer of FIG. 2 in the central region of the upper hook part 42 faces a substantially flat vertical surface. The lower hook part 44 consists essentially of a curved round steel made of stainless steel, which has an obliquely upwardly projecting tip 46 at the bottom. The lower hook part 44 is fastened to the upper hook part 42 so as to be rotatable about an axis vertical in FIG. 2.

In a marking area used for a marking 50 of the flat surface of the hook upper part 42 facing the viewer of FIG. 2, a sprayed-on color field 52 of white color is present, the upper and lower boundaries of which are illustrated by wavy lines 54 . The marking 50 consists of a dot code which is sprayed onto the color field 52 in dark color by means of the described inkjet printer. A continuous, e.g. B. horizontal, also sprayed dark line can make the machine easier to read.

Furthermore, a bore 56 can be seen in FIG. 2 in the essentially vertical central region of the upper hook part 42 . Hooks 40 from different manufacturers have the bore 56 at different heights.

In Fig. 3 is a Schlachtspreize is marked 60, which is a special case of a slaughter hook and on a tubular track of the slaughter line can be moved with its upper range as the position shown in Fig. 2 slaughter hooks 40 slidably along. The battle strut 60 is bifurcated in its lower region and has a tip 46 which projects obliquely upwards at the two lower ends. A plate 62 made of stainless steel is welded onto the spreader at a suitable point, in such a way that it projects freely vertically downwards with most of its surface. A marking or coding 50 is incorporated into the plate, here again illustrated as a point code, which is generated by a number of holes 64 arranged in a specific pattern and passing through the plate. The code 50 is not changed in a considered Strut 60 again, and it is understood that all circulating in a slaughterhouse spreading 60 different codes have Liche 50th The code 50 can be read, for example, by means of an electronic camera when the plate 62 is illuminated from behind. The plate 20 can have additional edge holes 66 , which makes code reading easier because the camera can detect the position of the code 50 relative to the edges of the plate 62 more precisely.

Fig illustrated. 4, as one 56 can exploit for the production of an identification for each viewed hooks 40 present in the slaughter hooks 40 at different heights holes. If you imagine at the coding 30 of Fig. 1, an electronic camera and lighting from behind, then the camera connected to a computer can determine the height of a just passing hook 40 has its bore 56 . In Fig. 4, the case is shown as an example that there are three different heights of the holes 56 , namely "top" (o), "center" (m) and "bottom" (u). In this case, it is sufficient if the camera recognizes whether the bore 56 of a hook is at the top, at the top or at the bottom.

If the row of hooks 40 drawn in FIG. 4 moves from left to right past the camera, the camera detects a hole height sequence which is stored in the connected computer. Due to the memory values of the computer can respect of each hook 40 a characteristic code, ie an identifier determined by relating, for example, the height sequence values for the three hook before the hook 40, the hole height value of the respective hook 40 and the bore height values of the three nachfol constricting hook 40 can be grouped together. In the drawn example, the hook A would have the label "omummou" and the hook B the label "mummoum". Depending on the number of hooks 40 used per slaughter line and working day and depending on the number of different height positions of the bore 56 , simple tests can be used to determine how many hooks in front of and behind a hook 40 in question must be taken into account in order to arrive at a marking that - at least with very high probability - does not appear twice at the same slaughter line in the course of a working day. For the computer, this label assignment is then of the same information value as any other label, the hook for hook is available individually. Instead of the cameras described in connection with FIG. 1 for code reading, in the embodiment according to FIG. 4 there are in turn cameras for determining the bore height sequence, and the computer "knows" exactly which specific hook 40 is scanning itself in front of the drilling height sequence Camera is located. On the basis of this information, the feed of the pig halves to the individual stacking tracks 18 can be controlled, as described in connection with FIG. 1.

It is possible additional on the hook 40, preferably simple markers such. B. edge notches at a certain height or additional small holes, in order to have a further differentiation criterion, whereby the number of hooks to be taken into account in front of and / or behind the hook 40 in question is reduced for a clear identification.

In a simplified embodiment, the drilling height detection can only be used to determine whether all the hooks 40 with pig halves are still present on the feed conveyor 14 of the cooling space 16 and that a pig or a half of a pig is not present due to any malfunction in the slaughter line, e.g. B. Her fall a half of a pig from a slaughter hook, does not arrive at the feed conveyor 14 . A comparison of the bore height sequence determined at the front with the bore height sequence determined on the feed conveyor 14 solves this in the simplest way. Then a signal can be triggered by the computer, whereupon a manual correction can take place, e.g. B. Pushing the last half of the pig out of the "wrong" stacking track and pushing it into the "right" stacking track.

There are several places in the present application a camera for "reading" the machine-readable data addressed. It is emphasized that this term is any Kind of machine data reading device include should, e.g. B. photodiodes, inductance sensors and same.

Claims (10)

1. A method for providing slaughter hooks ( 40 ) with a machine-readable identification ( 50 ), which enables identification of the slaughtered animal or part of slaughtered animal attached to it at the desired location of the slaughterhouse, characterized in that

• a) that a marking area of the slaughter hook ( 40 ) in question is cleaned ( 24 ) and at least roughly freed of any previous marking ( 24 );
• b) that a color field ( 52 ) for covering any remnants of a previous marking and as a background for the new marking ( 50 ) is applied to the marking area;
• c) and that a color-contrasting marking ( 50 ) is applied to the color field ( 52 ) with a color.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that that the labeling area with a cleaning liquid cleaned (24) and then dried net (26). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the color field ( 52 ) is applied by a color pressing process. 4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the color field ( 52 ) is applied by a spray process. 5. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the marking ( 50 ) is applied by a stamping process. 6. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the marking ( 50 ) is applied by means of an inkjet printer. 7. slaughter hook, characterized in that it has a color field ( 52 ) and a color-applied, color-contrasting, machine-readable marking ( 50 ) in a marking area. 8. slaughter hook, characterized in that a machine-readable marking ( 50 ) is incorporated into the slaughter hook material and / or into a marking carrier ( 62 ) provided on the slaughter hook. 9. slaughter hook according to claim 8, characterized in that the marking has a milling characterizing shape or a number of holes arranged in a pattern ( 50 ) or milling. 10. A method for identifying slaughter animals or parts of slaughter animals attached to slaughter hooks at the desired location of the slaughterhouse, characterized in that the presence of slaughter hooks ( 40 ) with bores ( 56 ) at different heights is used to obtain identification of the individual slaughter hooks ( 40 ) is detected by drilling heights of before and / or behind the relevant slaughter hook ( 40 ) located slaughter hook ( 40 ) and stored as the relevant slaughter hook ( 40 ) associated drilling height sequence; and that the slaughter hooks ( 40 ) are each identified on the basis of the stored hole height sequence assigned to them.