Continuous Meat Grinding Reclaiming System

Abstract

An continuous meat grinding reclaiming system that comprises a primary meat grinder unit and a secondary meat grinding unit for continuously and simultaneously processing a meat batch in a single processing run. The primary meat grinder unit is designed to grind a batch of meat by initially separating or extrapolating pure meat from the meat that contains bone; collecting the pure meat into a container; and transferring the meat that contains the bone to the secondary meat grinder unit. The secondary meat grinder unit is designed further grind the batch of meat by separating additional pure meat from the meat that contains the bone; collecting this additional pure meat into the container with the original pure meat; and discard any remaining “undesirables”. The meat grinding reclaiming system also provides an inventive variable valve reducer for controlling the flow of the undesirables through the secondary transfer pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A variable valve reducer, comprising:
 a body having an inlet and an outlet;   an open passageway extending through the body from the inlet to the outlet;   a valve regulator insert situated within the body, the valve regulator insert having a front surface, a back surface, and a second passageway extending through the valve regulator insert and in flow communication with the open passageway;   a wall situated inside the second passageway and adjacent to the front surface, the wall formed into a curved shape and having a proximal end and a distal end, and further defining a constricting plane between them, the constricting plane forming an angle to the front surface; and   means for rotating the valve regulator insert within the body; and   whereby, rotating the valve regulator insert within the body causes the rotation of the wall along the constricting plane between a plurality of positions for controlling the flow through the open passageway.   
     
     
         2 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the curved shape of the wall assists in funneling the flow through the open passageway in any of the plurality of positions. 
     
     
         3 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the curved shape is selected from the group consisting of helical, curvilinear, coiling, corkscrew, spiral, involute, screwlike, and winding. 
     
     
         4 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein as the percentage of the wall extends into the second passageway is increased, the flow through the open passageway becomes more obstructed. 
     
     
         5 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the angle of the constricting plane to the front surface remains fixed as the wall is rotated along the constricting plane between the plurality of positions. 
     
     
         6 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of positions are selected from the group consisting of a fully open position, a second position, a third position, a fourth position, and a fifth position. 
     
     
         7 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 6  wherein, in the fully open position, zero percent of the wall is extended into the second passageway and the flow through the open passageway is unobstructed. 
     
     
         8 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 6  wherein, in the second position, twenty-five percent of the wall is extended into the second passageway obstructing the flow through the open passageway. 
     
     
         9 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 6  wherein, in the third position, fifty percent of the wall is extended into the second passageway obstructing the flow through the open passageway more than in the second position. 
     
     
         10 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 6  wherein, in the fourth position, seventy-five percent of the wall is extended into the second passageway obstructing the flow through the open passageway more than in the third position. 
     
     
         11 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 6  wherein, in the fifth position, one hundred percent of the wall is extended into the second passageway obstructing the maximum flow through the open passageway more than in the fourth position. 
     
     
         12 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the wall is fixedly secured inside the insert body. 
     
     
         13 . The variable valve reducer of  claim 1  wherein the means for rotating the valve regulator insert within the body comprises a sleeve providing access through the body and into the open passageway, a recessed hole situated in the exterior of the valve regulator insert, a lever releaseably inserted through the sleeve and the open passageway and into the recessed hole in the exterior of the valve regulator insert, a plurality of detents located on the front surface, a plunger situated within the body and having a protruding tip, whereby, upon moving the lever in the counter-clockwise direction, the valve regulator insert is rotated counter-clockwise within the body until the protruding tip in the plunger becomes aligned with any one of the plurality of detents located on the front surface to secure the valve regulator insert in any one of the plurality of positions. 
     
     
         14 . A valve, comprising:
 a body having an inlet and an outlet;   an open passageway extending through the body from the inlet to the outlet and defining a flow plane;   an insert releaseably secured inside the body, the insert having having a front surface, a back surface, a hollow passageway extending through the insert between the front surface and the back surface and aligned in the flow plane, and a wall situated inside the hollow passageway; and   means for rotating the insert within the body,   whereby, rotating the insert within the body causes the rotation of the wall and changes the percentage of the wall that extends into the flow plane for controlling the flow through the open passageway.   
     
     
         15 . The valve of  claim 14  wherein the wall is fixedly secured inside the hollow passageway of the insert. 
     
     
         16 . The valve of  claim 15  wherein the insert positions the wall at a depth in the hollow passageway from the front surface. 
     
     
         17 . The valve of  claim 16  wherein the insert is removed from the body and replaced with a second insert, the second insert positions the wall at a second depth in the hollow passageway from the front surface. 
     
     
         18 . The valve of  claim 17  wherein the second insert is removed from the body and replaced with a third insert, the third insert positions the wall at a third depth in the hollow passageway from the front surface. 
     
     
         19 . The valve of  claim 18  wherein the third depth is smaller than the second depth and the second depth is smaller than the depth. 
     
     
         20 . The valve of  claim 19  wherein the third depth further positions the wall to have a greater impact on restricting the flow through the open passageway than the wall positioned at the second depth and the second depth further positions the wall to have a greater impact on restricting the flow through the open passageway than the wall positioned at the depth.