US3814007A

US3814007A - Injecting apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3814007A
Application number: US00258768A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Korzenowski; D Lumby; J Buerman
Original assignee: Land OLakes Inc
Current assignee: Land OLakes Inc
Priority date: 1972-06-01
Filing date: 1972-06-01
Publication date: 1974-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-04
Also published as: CA998876A

Abstract

An injector head for use in apparatus for injecting the fluid into an object in which there are one or more nozzle passages projecting outwardly with terminal portions adapted to engage the object being injected and in which there is valve means for preventing flow of fluid through the nozzle passage until the pressure of the fluid within the nozzle passage reaches a predetermined value at which time the valve means opens abruptly so as to cause a sudden release of the fluid. The injector head preferably has a plurality of nozzles and there is a valve in each nozzle. The valves preferably have their valving surfaces closely adjacent the terminal portions of the nozzle passages so that the change in pressure due to the opening of the valve is immediately transmitted to the fluid entering the object. The injector head is specifically designed for injection of an irregular object such as a turkey and the terminal portions of the nozzle passages are spaced varying distances from a vertical plane to conform with the surface of the object to be injected. The injector head is provided with a passage for circulation of injecting fluid so that where the injecting fluid is maintained at a temperature above the ambient temperature, this insures that the injector head will be maintained at a temperature close to the desired temperature for injecting the fluid and will not cause cooling of the injecting fluid at the time of injection. In one form of the invention, an annular passage is provided for circulating such fluid. In another form, the fluid is circulated through certain of the nozzle passages until such time as the pressure is increased to injecting pressure; at this time, the flow of circulating fluid is interrupted. In the case of an injector head for injecting a turkey, there are two rows of nozzle passages which diverge outwardly and downwardly, the nozzles projecting outwardly from a vertical plane progressively shorter distances proceeding from top to bottom. With this arrangement, the terminal portions of the nozzles fit closely against the opposite sides of the breast of a turkey or similar fowl.

Description

United States Patent [191 Lumby et a1.

[ June 4,1974

[ INJECTING APPARATUS [75] lnventors: Donovan H. Lumby, Brooklyn Center; James T. Buerman, New Brighton; James P. Korzenowski, Minneapolis, all of Minn.

[73] Assignee: Land OLake Inc., Minneapolis,

Minn.

221 Filed: June 1, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 258,768

[52] US. Cl. 99/532 [51] Int. Cl. A22c 9/00, A23b l/16, A47j 43/16 [58] Field of Search 99/532-536,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,035,508 5/1962 Nelson 99/533 3.738.576

6/1973 ONeill 239/533 Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Frederick E. Lange [5 7 ABSTRACT abruptly so as to cause a sudden release of the fluid. The injector head preferably has a plurality of nozzles and there is a valve in each nozzle. The valves preferably have their valving surfaces closely adjacent the terminal portions of the nozzle passages so that the change in pressure due to the opening of the valve is immediately transmitted to the fluid entering the object. The injector head is specifically designed for injection of an irregular object such as a turkey and the terminal portions of the nozzle passages are spaced varying distances from a vertical plane to conform with the surface of the object to be injected.

The injector head is provided with a passage for circulation of injecting fluid so that where the injecting fluid is maintained at a temperature above the ambient temperature, this insures that the injector head will be maintained at a temperature close to the desired temperature for injecting the fluid and will not cause cooling of the injecting fluid at the time of injection. In one form of the invention, an annular passage is provided for circulating such fluid. 1n another form, the fluid is circulated through certain of the nozzle passages until such time as the pressure is increased to injecting pressure; at this time, the flow of circulating fluid is interrupted.

1n the case of an injector head for injecting a turkey, there are two rows of nozzle passages which diverge outwardly and downwardly, the nozzles projecting outwardly from a vertical plane progressively shorter distances proceeding from top to bottom. With this arrangement, the terminal portions of the nozzles fit closely against the opposite sides of the breast of a turkey or similar fowl.

11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUH 4 1 V $814410? PATENTEDJUH 41914 33141007 7 SHEU 3 0? Q l m H WNW.

1 INJECTING APPARATUS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION The injector head of the present invention is particularly designed for use with apparatus for injecting fluid under very high pressures. The invention is particularly applicable to the injection of a liquid additive into fowl where it is desired to introduce the additive under such high pressure that it penetrates the skin of the fowl without appreciably rupturing the same. Injectingapparatus of this type is shown in the co-pending application of Jagannath M. Kudale and Donovan H. Lumby, Ser. No. 244,804, filed Apr. 17, I972, for Injecting Apparatus and Method now U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,713, issued June 19, 1973. In that application, there is disclosed general apparatus for injecting a liquid additive into a fowl by the use of very high pressures. The present invention is specifically concerned with an injecting head for use with such apparatus.

There has been apparatus in the past for injecting fluid into meat under high pressure. The Tichy U.S. Pat. No. 2,4 l 8,914 discusses such a method but shows no injecting unit. The patent does refer toprojecting the liquid from a nozzle having a pinpoint opening and using very high pressures. There is, however, no specific discussion of the necessary apparatus. The Harper et al. US. Pat. No. 3,016,004 does show a plurality of nozzles in a single injector assembly. Here, however, reliance is placed entirely upon the use of relatively high pressure and the material being injected has a relatively flat surface so that the problem of firmly engaging the material being injected is relatively simple. 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with an injector head in which the fluid is not released through the nozzle opening until the pressure has built up to the desired value and is then released very abruptly. This is accomplished by the use of valve means which is maintained closed until the pressure has reached the desired value, the valve means then opening rapidly. This is accomplished by providing a pressuresurface on the valve which is effectively increased in area as the valve starts to open.

In its specific form, the invention is concerned with a plurality of nozzle passages which are of varying lengths and dispositions so that the terminal portions conform with the surface of an irregular object to be injected. Specifically, where the irregular object is a fowl, there are two rows of nozzles which diverge outwardly and downwardly and extend progressively shorter distances outwardly from a vertical plane proceeding from top to bottom. In this way, the nozzles are particularly adapted to firmly engage and conform with opposite sides of the breast of a fowl.

In one form of the invention, the nozzle passages are in the form of bores extending through a portion of the injector head. In another form, the nozzle passages are formed by nozzle members secured to and projecting from the injector head.

Means are provided for circulating the fluid being injected through the injector head prior to the injecting operation. Thus, where the injecting fluid is heated above ambient temperature, the head is maintained at a temperature close to that of the injecting temperature. In one form of the invention, there is a separate annular passage for circulating the fluid prior to injection. In another form, the fluid is circulated prior to injection by circulating the same through the nozzle passages. When it is desired to inject the fluid, a valve on the outward side is automatically closed as the pressure approaches that of the injecting pressure.

Various other features of the invention will be appar ent from the consideration of the accompanying specifications, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevational view, with portions in section, of one form of our injector head;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the injector head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view, partly schematic, of an apparatus employing the form of injector head shown in FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the pump for supplying liquid additive to the injectorhead, the section being taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an elevational end view of a modified form i of our injector head;

' FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the injector head of FIG. 8 with a portion broken away to show part of the injector head in section;

FIG. I0 is a sectional view of the injector head of FIG. 8 taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the injector head taken along the ling ll-1l of FIG. 10, the injector head being associated with a pump for introducing high pressure fluid into the injector head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, the injector head is broadly indicated by the reference numeral 10. The injector head comprises a main block 11 which has a front wall 20 which slopes downwardly and backwardly. Extend ing out of the front wall are

nozzles

12', 13, 14,15,16, l7, l8 and 19 (see FIG. 2 for nozzles 16', 17, l8 and l9). Nozzles 12-15 are disposed in one row and nozzles 16-19 in another row. As can best be seen in FIG. 2,

the two rows of nozzles diverge from each other mov-' ing from top to bottom. Furthermore, as is evident from FIG. 1, the nozzles l2, l3, l4 and 15 extend outwardly from the back wall of block 11 progressively shorter distances starting from the top. While not shown in the drawing, the same is true of nozzles l6, 17, 18 and 19. It will be evident from FIG. 1 that the

orifices

21 and 22 of

nozzles

12 and 13 are larger than the

orifices

23 and 24 of

nozzles

14 and 15. Similarly, the orifices in nozzles 16 and 17 are larger than the orifices in

nozzles

18 and 19. The purpose of the difference in size of the orifices and the disposition and length of the

nozzles

14 and 15 will be discussed later.

Referring to FIG. 3, the nozzle 13 is shown in section. It will be noted that this nozzle takes the form of a closed tube except for the orifice opening 22. The open end of this tube extends into a cylindrical recess 26 in block 11, the internal diameter of recess 26 corresponding to the external diameter of the nozzle tube.

The nozzle tube of nozzle 13 is retained in place by a plate 27 which has an arcuate inner portion engaging in an arcuate slot 28 in the nozzle 13. The retaining plate 27 fits into a recess-in block 1 1 and is held in position by cap screw 29. The interior of the nozzle 13 communicates with a bore 31 in block 11 having the same internal diameter as the internal diameter of the nozzle 13 so as toform with the interior of the nozzle 13 an uninterrupted cylindrical passage. Disposed within the bore 31 and the nozzle 13 is a cylindrical valve member 33 which has at its inner end a pair of spaced

collar members

34 and 35 between which is disposed an O-ring 36 which engages with the inner wall of bore 31. A spring 37 bears against the outer collar 35 and urges the valve 33 into engagement with an internal seat 39 at the outer terminal portion of the nozzle 13. Each of the other nozzles 12 through 19 is similarly constructed and held in place by similar retaining plates 27.

The block 11 has a circular flange 41 which is secured to a vertical bracket 42 by bolts 43 or other similar fasteners. The bracket 42 issecured to a base plate 45. The vertical bracket 42 has a central aperture 46 therethrough and integrally secured with the bracket 42 is a conduit 47 connecting the opening 46 with an opening 49 in the base plate 45. As will be explained later, the base plate 45 is designed to be secured to the top of a high pressure pump so that fluid under pressure is forced through conduit 47. The opening 46 through bracket 42 communicates with a circular cup-shaped recess 50 bounded by an annular flange 51 projecting inwardly from the vertical bracket 42. This circular cup-shaped recess 50, in turn, communicates with a smaller circular cup-shaped recess 52 in block 11. The recess 52 has openings to eight passages leading to the eight nozzles 12-19. The openings to

passages

56, 57, 58 and 59 are shown in FIG. 1. These passages lead to the

nozzles

16, 17, 18 and 19, respectively. The openings to two

other passages

60 and 61 are shown in FIG. 4,

passages

60 and 61 communicating with

nozzles

14 and 15. A seventh passage is shown in FIG. 3 and designated by the reference numeral 62, this passage going to nozzle 13.

As will be explained in more detail later, when injection is taking place, fluid from the high pressure pump 1 flows through the conduit 47 into the cup-shaped recesses and 52.'From the recess 52, the fluid flows through the

various passages

56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62 and an eighth recess, not shown, to the various nozzles 1219. The action can best be seen in connection with FIG. 3 in which nozzle 13 is shown in section. The fluid passes from recess 52 through passage 62 and into the space between the valve 33 and the bore 31. Pressure builds up and exerts a pressure on the right-hand side of collar 34 tending to move the valve 33 to the left against the action of spring 37 which biases the valve 33 to a closed position by reason of spring 37 being compressed between the outer collar 35 and the inner face of bracket member 42. When the pressure on the right-hand side of collar 34 builds up sufficiently to overcome thebiasing force of spring 37, fluid is immediately admitted past the valve seat 39 so that the end of the valve is now exposed to the pressure of the fluid.

The area at the end of the valve (minus the area of the.

orifice passage 22) is much greater than the area of the annular area of collar 34. The result is that the effective pressure area for the fluid tending to open the valve is suddenly increased and valve 33 is now moved abruptly to the left. By reason of this action, once the valve 33 starts to open, it moves with a snap action. The advantage of this is that the delivery of fluid is more sudden in character. No fluid is delivered until the pressure in the system builds up enough to open the valve with the fluid acting only on the limited area of collar 34. Once it opens, however, it opens abruptly so that the fluid is very quickly discharged. It will also be noted that seat 39 against which a valve 33 bears is very close to the outer terminal portion of the nozzle 13. It would be possible to have a single valve for all of thEHOZZICS 12-19. If this were done, however, no fluid would be delivered through the nozzle orifices after opening of the valve until all of the nozzles were filled; the fluid delivery would thus not be as abrupt. By placing the valve close to the end of each nozzle, once the valve is opened, the fluid is immediately delivered through the nozzle opening with no time delay or with no diminution of the pressure.

The flange 41 of block 11 is provided with an annular channel 65. As best shown in FIG. 4, this annularchannel 65 communicates with two

pipes

72 and 73 which are integrally joined to the bracket member 42 .and communicate, respectively, with

passages

74 and 75 therein. As indicated by arrows in

passages

74 and 75, the passage 74 is an inlet passage and the passage 75 is an outlet passage. The pipe 72 connected with passage .74 leads from a low pressure pump and the pipe 73 connected to outlet passage 75 is a return conduit leading back to a supply of the fluid additive. The annular passage 65 and the connections thereto provided by

pipes

72 and 73 are for the purpose of enabling circulation of the fluid to be injected through the injector head 10 before injection takes place. As will be explained, it is often desirable to heat the fluid to be injected above the ambient temperature and by circulating the heated fluid around the annular passage 65, the head 10 is maintained at a temperature close to the injecting temperature. This minimizes any tendency of the injecting fluid to cool off when it is introduced into the injector head 10 during the injecting operation.

In order to prevent leakage outwardly from the annular passage 65, an O-ring 69is provided. Similarly, an O-ring 70 is provided adjacent the flange 51 to prevent leakage outfrom the cup-shapedrecesses 50 and 52 into which the high pressure injecting 'fluid is introduced.

In FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, there is shown apparatus employing our novel injector head. This apparatus employs means for positioning the object being injected against the nozzles and for introducing fluid into the annular passage 65 and for introducing injectingfluid into the nozzles during the injecting operation. Referring first to FIG. 5, the numeral generally indicates a frame upon which the injecting apparatus is mounted. The injecting apparatus comprises a table 82 supported on a post 83 mounted in any suitable way on the frame 80. Partially surrounding the table 82 is a platform 87. This platform is supported by

posts

88, 89, and and other posts (not shown). Secured to this platform 87 is the vertical bracket 42 to which the injection head 10 is secured. Thenozzlesl6 through 19 are shown as projecting from the injection head. To avoid an excessive number of reference characters in FIGS. 5 and 6, only nozzles 12, 15,16 and 19 have been specifically identifled by reference numerals in these figures. 'As will be noted in FIGS. 1 and 2, in which a turkey 88 is shown as disposed on the table 82, the turkey is positioned on its back so that the lower portion of the breast is adjacent the uppermost of the nozzles 12 through 19.

It will also be noted that with the turkey 88 lying on its back, the longitudinal axis of the nozzles 12 through 19 is disposed at an angle of approximately with respect to the front wall of the breast of the turkey. The pectoral muscles of the turkey tend to run generally parallel to the lower surface of the turkey (the upper surface in the drawing). The nozzles thus tend to be disposed at an angle of approximately 45 or less with respect to the pectoral muscles. It has been found that it is desirable that the fluid'be injected at an angle of from 15 to with respect to the general disposition of the pectoral muscles.

Disposed at the opposite end of the fowl 88 from the nozzle 12 through 19 is a posterior engaging member 90 shaped in the form of a frustum of a hollow pyramid which is shown as square in cross-section. In other words, the posterior engaging member has four sloping straight walls, all of which slope inwardly as they approach the rear of member 90-. These walls are thus designed to engage and partially surround the posterior portion of the fowl 88 so as to hold it firmly against sidewise movement. Secured to the rear of the posterior engaging member 90 is a yoke 91 which is pivotally scured to a bar 92. This bar 92 is, in turn, pivotally secured at 93 to an ear 94 secured to the vertical post 83. Rigidly secured to the upper end of bar 92 is a handle member 95 which projects in the general direction of the injection head 10. It will be readily apparent that an operator standing to one side of the machine, by grasping handle 95, can pull the bar 92 forwardly about the pivot 93 and press the clamping member 90 into engagement with the turkey 88, moving the breast portion of the same against the nozzles 12 through 19. The nozzles 12-19 are disposed so as to engage the bird on opposite sides and aid in retaining the same against sidewise movement.

The means for supplying the liquid additive to the injector head 10 will now be described. The liquid additive is normally maintained in a tank through which runs a heating coil 101. This heating coil is supplied with hot water from'a suitable source 102 of hot water, there being a pmp 103 to circulate the water from the source 102 through the coil 101. It is, of course, to be understood that an ordinary domestic source of hot water may be employed for supplying the water to coil 101 in which case the normal pressure exerted on the water would make unnecessary the provision of a pump, such as pump 103. As a result of the heating coil 101, the additive is kept in a liquid state. One additive which is particularly desirable in the case of fowl is butter which is normally relatively solid at room temperatures. By heating it through the use of a heating coil, such as coil 101, the butter is maintained in a liquid state.

The supply pipe 47 of the injector head forms an integral extension of the outlet of a pump 108, the base plate 45 constituting the upper wall of the pump. The pump 108 is shown in section in FIG. 7. It will be noted that the pump has a piston 109 movable within a cylinder 110. The cylinder 110 is secured in fluid-tight relation to a fluid distributor block 11. The piston 109 is secured to a piston rod 112 which has a transverse passage 113 extending therethrough. Communicating with the transverse passage is a valve seat 114 against which seats a spring pressed valve 115. The fluid distributor block 111 has an inlet passage 117 and an outlet passage 118. A restrictor 119 is placed in the outlet passage. The inlet passage 117 communicates with the space beneath the piston 109 and is in communication with the transverse passage 113.

The inlet passage 117 is connected to a conduit 120 and the outlet passage 118 to a conduit 121. Secured to the distributor block 111 are the two

conduits

72 and 73 previously referred to in connection with FIG. 4. Both conduits are secured to the block in fluid-tight relation, conduit 72 being in communication with'the inlet passage 117 and conduit73 in communication with the outlet passage 118 through the restrictor 119. A suitable seal 124 is provided in the block 61 to guard against loss of fluid around the piston rod 112. As was previously described, the

vertical pipes

72 and 73 are connected to the annular passage 65 in the injector head 10. lt will thus be apparent that fluid entering the inlet passage 117 can pass up through pipe 72, through the annular passage 65 of the injector head, out through passage 73, and back through the restrictor 119 to pipe 121.

Inlet pipe 120 connects with the outlet of a pump 129 operated by a hydraulic motor 129. The inlet of the pump 128 is connected through a pipe 127 to the interior of the tank 100 containing heated butter or other liquid additive. The pipe 127 preferably extends to a point adjacent the bottom of tank 100. Pipe 121 connected to the outlet of pump 108 is also connected to tank 100 and acts as a return line. Thus, when the pump is operating and no liquid is being injected into a fowl, the liquid flows from tank 100, through the pump 128, pipe 120, inlet passage 117 of pump 108, pipe 72, the annular passage 65 of injector head 10, pipe 73, the restrictor 119, and the return pipe 121 back to the tank 100. Thus, heated fluid is constantly circulated through the injector head 10 to maintain it at a proper temperature so that when liquid additive is introduced through pipe 47 for injection through the nozzles 12 through 19, the liquid additive will not be cooled upon being introduced into the injector head.

The hydraulic motor 129 is operated by a hydraulic fluid pump through two

pipes

130 and 131, pipe 131 being the supply pipe and pipe 130 the'return pipe. While we have shown hydraulic motor 129 schematically as a rotary motor, this is for purposes of illustration only and it is to be understood that any suitable hydraulic motor can be employed, such as a reciprocating piston type of motor. In this case, the pump 128 could be a reciprocating piston type of pump, such as pump 108.

Referring to the operation of pump 108, when piston rod 112 is moved upwardly, the valve in the piston 109 is held closed by the spring engaging the same and by the downward pressure of the liquid. The liquid above the piston 109 is thus forced upwardly through pipe 47. At the same time, due to the fact that the valve 115 is closed, liquid additive supplied by pump 128 through pipe flows in on the underside of the piston 109, fllling'the space in the cylinder beneath the piston 109. When the piston rod 112 moves downwardly, valve 115 is forced off of its seat and liquid beneath the piston 109 flows through the transverse passage 113 and past the valve 115 to the space above the piston 109. Thus, the space in the cylinder 110 above the piston 109 is refilled ready for the next upward movement of piston 109. Because of the restrictor 119 in the return line, there is always sufficient pressure in the inlet passage 117 to force valve 115 off of its seat as the piston 109 moves downwardly. It is to be understood that the pressure of the fluid flowing through pipe 47 is much higher than that supplied by pump 128. All that the pump 128 needs to do is to supply sufficient pressure to insure adequate circulation of the fluid through the head 10 and to provide an adequate supply of fluid for introduction into the pump 108 when it is being operated. The pump 108, on the other hand, must supply very high pressures. In actual practice, pressures from 600 to 1,000 pounds per square inch are employed in order to secure the very high pressure necessary to cause the injected liquid additive to pass through the skin of the fowl.

As has been described previously, the valves in the nozzles 12 through 19 open abruptly when the pressure supplied by pump 108 reaches the desired injecting pressure. Thus, the liquid additive is released suddenly through the nozzles.

The piston rod 112 of pump 108 is operated by a hydraulic motor 132 which is of the reciprocating piston type. Hydraulic fluid is supplied to one side of the piston by supply pipe 133 and at the other side of the piston by pipe 134. Piston rod 112 is moved upwardly by hydraulic motor 132 when it is desired to force fluid through pipe 47 into the injector'head 10. When injection is completed, the piston is moved downwardly by the motor 132. 1

Reference has been made to hydraulic fluid flowing through

pipes

130, 131, 133 and 134. The means for forcing hydraulic fluid flow through these pipes will now be described. Located on a platform extension 137 of the main frame 80 are two

hydraulic pump units

135 and 136. Each of these pump units include a container filled with hydraulic fluid and arotary hydraulic pump immersed in the fluid. The conduit 130 previously re ferred to is connected to-the outlet of pump unit 135 and conduit 131 is connected to the inlet passage of the pump unit 135.

Conduits

133 and 134. connected to the hydraulic cylinder 132 are connected to pump unit 136 and to deliver it to the hydraulic motors 129 and 132v in greater volume for a short period of time than would be possible if the liquid were supplied directly by the pumps driven by

motors

138 and 139. Any suitable switching means may be provided to control the energization of

motors

138 and 139.

It is desirable to adjust the amount of liquid injected by high pressure pump 108 through the nozzles 12 through 19 in accordance with the weight of the fowl. For this purpose, we have provided a switch-145. This is connected through

conductors

146 and 147 to'a solenoid valve 154 which controls the connection of conduit 133 from the pump unit 136 to hydraulic motor vertical position of switch 145 is adjusted by a cam 151 which is secured through any suitable mechanical conthat as arm 153 is adjusted in accordance with the weight of the bird being injected, the cam 151 is similarly adjusted to act on lever 149 to move the switch 145 up or down. Switch 145 is of the precision snap switch type having a button projecting downwardly therefrom. This button is designed to be engaged by a collar 162 secured to the piston rod 112. Obviously, as the hydraulic unit 132 moves the piston rod 112'upwardly to actuate piston 109 of the pump 108, the collar 162 will eventually engage the button of switch .145. When this happens, switch 145 is actuated to affect the energization of solenoid valve 154 to stop operation so that no more fluid is injected into the bird. While I have I shown the switch 145 as controlling the amount of fluid delivered through the nozzles, it. will be appreciated that any other suitable form of volume limiting transducercan be used.

The solenoid valve 154 may control the flow of hydraulic liquid through the

hoses

133 and 134 in any suitable manner. For example, when the

circuit including conductors

146 and 147 is interrupted by opening of switch 145, the solenoid valve 154 may be effective to interrupt the connection of conduit 133 to pump unit 136 and to connect conduit 133 to a return to the reservoir to permit the hydraulic fluid beneath the piston of hydraulic motor 82 to return to the reservoir.

The conduit 131 supplying fluid to pump 129 is connected to a second solenoid valve 155.1The solenoid valve 155, when deenergized, is effective to terminate flow of hydraulic fluid through

pipes

130 and 131 and pump 129 even though the motor 138 is running; For example, solenoid valve 155 may interrupt the supply of fluid to supply pipe 131 and bypass it to the reservoir in the container of the pump unit 135. Thus, solenoid valve 155, like solenoid valve 154, controls whether liquid is supplied to the hydraulic motor 132 associated therewith.

OPERATION or THE INJECTOR HEAD OF FIGS.

When it is desired to inject fowl, an adequate supply of the additive is placed in container 100 and the pumpe 103 is started to circulate hot water through the heat exchanger 101 to insure that the additive, such as butter, is in a liquid state before the injecting operation is to start. The proper switch buttons are actuated to start the

motors

138 and 139 to, in turn, place into operation the pump units and 136. A suitable switch button is operated to actuate the solenoid to admit hydraulic fluid to the hose 131 and to interrupt its bypass connection with the reservoir. This causes a flow of hydraulic fluid through the

hoses

130 and 131 to actuate the hydraulic motor 129 to, in turn, operate pump 128. This causes liquid additive to flow from the supply line 127 through pump 128, pipe 120, inlet passage 117 of pump 108, pipe 72, the annular passage 65 in injector head 10, pipe 73, restrictor 119 and pipe v121 back to the tank 100 containing the liquid additive. As soon as this has taken place for a sufficient period of time to cause the injector head 10 to be warmed up, it is now possible to inject liquid additive into a fowl.

A fowl is now placed on the able 82 with the back of the fowl resting on the table. After the weight of the bird has been determined either by estimating it or by weighing it, the arm 153 is adjusted to adjust the positionof switch 145 to adjust the amount of liquid additive to be introduced in accordance with the weight of the fowl. The handle 95 is now grasped and pulled forwardly to move the fowl 88 towards the nozzles 12 through 19 until the nozzles firmly engage the breast of the fowl. Solenoid valve 154 is now energized so as to admit fluid to conduit 133 and to interrupt its bypass connection with the reservoir. This causes operation of hydraulic motor 132 to force the piston rod 112 upwardly. The upper movement of piston rod 112 forces piston 109 of pump 108 upwardly to force fluid into the injector head under very high pressure such as, for example, from 600 to 1,000 pounds per square inch.

The fluid entering the injector head 10, as previously explained, enters the

recesses

50 and 52 through the

various passages

57, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 63 and the passage (not shown) to the interiors of the nozzles 12 through 19. As has been described in connection with the nozzle 13, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure on the right-hand shoulder of the collar 34 will open the valve and as soon as this happens, the pressure face on which the pressure is acting increases abruptly to open the valve in the nozzle with a snap action. Because the valve action occurs at the end of the nozzle, the fluid is immediately released through the nozzle orifices. Thus, simultaneously, fluid is released at high pressure through all of the nozzles 12 through 19. As has been previously explained, the orifice openings in the upper nozzles are somewhat larger than those in the lower nozzles so that a proportionally greater amount of fluid is introduced through the upper nozzles than through the lower nozzles. This is particularly important in connection with the injection of fowl where the fowl is placed on its back, as shown in FIG. 5. Under these conditions, the nozzles 12 through 19 are pressing against the breast of the turkey and the

upper nozzles

12, 13, 16 and 17 are pressing against the portion ofthe breast with a large amount of muscle tissue. It is hence desirable to introduce more fluid into these portions of the breast of the fowl. The disposition of the nozzles and the. high pressure at which the additive is introduced causes the additive to penetrate the fowl through the skin without appreciably rupturing the same and causes the additive to penetrate through a substantial portion of the fowl. The angular disposition of the nozzles with respect to the pectoral muscles tends to cause the liquid additive to splatter within the fowl as it hits the various muscle walls.'As soon as the piston has moved an amount corresponding to the desired injec-" tion of the fluid, the collar 162 engages the button of switch 145 to deenergize the solenoid valve 154, interrupting the connection of pump 136 to line 133 and connecting this line to a bypass to the reservoir in the pump unit 136. The injecting process is now completed and the handle 95 can be released and the turkey removed.

MODIFICATION OF FIGS. 8 TO 11 In the embodiment of the injector head shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the nozzle members were secured within a block and the standby circulation of injecting fluid was in an annular passage in the base of the block. In the modification of FIGS. 8 through 11, the nozzle passages are formed as bores in a plurality of plates attached to the main block and the standby circulation is through these nozzle passages.

Referring first to FIG. 8 in which the injector head is shown in end elevation, looking directly at the nozzles, the nozzle passages are formed in two flat blocks or plates and 161 secured to the sides of a central block 162. The sides of the block 162 to which the nozzle blocks 160 and 161 are secured diverge away from each other extending from the top of the block to the bottom. Thus, the two rows of nozzle passages located in

blocks

160 and 161 are likewise disposed so that they diverge outwardly proceeding from top to bottom. This is'the same type of disposition of the nozzles as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4 in which separate nozzle tubes were employed. The

blocks

160 and 161 are secured to the central block 162 by studs 164 or other suitable fastening means. The central block 162 is in turn held in position on a manifold block 165.

The disposition of the nozzle blocks 160 and 161 on the central block 162 is also shown in FIG. 9 which is a top plan view of the injector head. It will be noted that the central block 162 is relatively short as compared with the

nozzle block

160 and 161. It will also be noted that the

blocks

160 and 161 have their rear ends somewhat forward of the rear end of block 162. Secured to the rear end of block 162 is a plate 167. This plate 167 extends beyond the center block 162 to overlie the ends of

blocks

160 and 161 in spaced relation thereto.

In FIG. 10, the injector block is shown with a vertical section being taken through the center of the manifold block and a central section through the nozzle block 160, the section line being shown in FIG. 11 and designated by the numeral 1010. It will be noted from the section through block 160 that there are four

nozzle passages

170, 171, 172 and 173. In each of these nozzle passages, there is disposed a valve member. Since the valves in the uppermost passage and the lowermost passage 173 are identical except for length, each is designated by the same reference character 174 and only one of these two valves will be described. Each valve 174 has a tapered outer end 175 which cooperates with a valve seat, 176 immediately behind an orifice 177. Towards the rear end of the valve there is a collar portion 178. The outer diameter of the collar portion 178 is the same as the inner diameter of the nozzle passage so that the collar serves to slidably engage the interior of the wall of the nozzle passage. Spaced further to the rear of the nozzle passage is a further collar portion 179. An O-ring is disposed in the groove between

collar portions

178 and 179. At the rear end of collar portion 179, it is enlarged to form a collar 180 having a diameter substantially greater than that of the nozzle passage, the collar 180 being disposed behind the nozzle block 160 and between the nozzle block and the plate 167 previously referred to. A spring 182 surrounds the rear end of the valve mem ber 174 engaging the rear wall of the collar 180. The spring fits into a slight recess in the plate 167 and is compressed between plate 167 and a collar 182 so as to urge the valve 174 to the right into engagement with the valve seat 176. One of the functions of plate 167 is to retain in position the springs 182 of the various valve members in the nozzle passages.

Orifice 177 of nozzle passage 170 has been referred to. The orifices of nozzle passages 171, 172 and 173 are respectively indicated by the

reference numerals

185, 186 and 187. These orifices are likewise visible in FIG. 8. It will be noted that as with the species of FIGS. 14, the

upper orifices

177 and 185 are larger than the

lower orifices

186 and 187. It will be appreciated that the same relationship exists between the upper and lower orifices in nozzle block 161.

The outer portions of

nozzle passages

170, 171, 172 and 173 are connected by a diagonal passage 190. This may be formed by drilling a diagonal passage in the block 160 starting from the bottom of the block and closing the end with a plug 191. As will be presently explained, the circulation of liquid prior to injection is accomplished by introducing liquid into the inner or left hand portion of nozzle passage 173 and circulating it through the nozzle passage 173, the diagonal passage 190 and the nozzle passage 170 back to a return. The purpose of this is the same as the circulation of the heated liquid through annular passage 65 in the modifications of FIGS. 1 through 4. In this connection, it will be noted in FIG. that there is an opening 193 communicating with the left hand or inner portion of passage 173. This passage 193 constitutes an inlet for the fluid and is connected through an internal channel in circulated through

nozzle passages

173 and 170 as traced above. The outlet opening 194 communicates with a return pipe back to the supply of liquid, as will be presently explained It was noted above that the valves in

nozzle passages

170 and 173 are identical except for length. The valves in intermediate passages 171 and 172 are different from those in the outermost passages in that in lieu of collars 178 at the rear of the valves, the similar collars are located near the forward end of the valves just behind the diagonal passage 190. Referring specifically to the valve in passage 171, this has been designated by the reference numeral 224. Like valve 174, it has an enlarged collar 180 at the rear which is engaged by a spring 182. Unlike valve 174, however,- the valve 224 has a collar 228 near its forward end just behind diagonal passage 190. This collar is spaced from a main enlarged portion of the valve sufficiently to permit the insertion of an O-ring 229. By reason of the collar being just back of the diagonal passage 190, fluid cannot enter the space between the major portion of valve 224 and the internal wall of bore 171. This is for the purpose of reducing as much as possible the amount of fluid present between the valve and the chamber and hence to reduce any inertia or lag in the injection of the fluid. It is to be understood that the valve 224 in passage 172 is likewise spaced just back of the diagonal passage 190. It is also to be understood that the valve in the nozzle passages in block 161 correspond to those just described in block 160. In other words, the valves in the upper and lower nozzle passages of block 161 have their collars back toward the rear of the block while the valves in the intermediate passages have their collars disposed near the front end of the valve just back of the diagonal passage in that block.

Before going further into the manner in which the fluid is circulated, the arrangement by which the central block 162 is attached to the manifold block 165 will be discussed. As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8 and in section in FIG. 11, the bottom of the central block 162 has a frustoconical projection 197 which fits into a corresponding recess in a gasket member 208 of some suitable plastic material such as polytetrafluoroethylene disposed in a. counterbore in manifold block 165. The block is held in place on the manifold by a pair of cap screws 203 extending centrally through the block 162 into the manifold block 165. The frustoconical projection 197 is machined and cooperates with the gasket 208 to provide a high pressure seal when the cap screws 203 are tightened.

The manner in which the fluid is circulated through the nozzles prior to injection is best shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the pump 196 corresponds generally to the pump 108 of FIG. 7 but is slightly different in the fluid distributor block beneath the pump. In order to enable a ready comparison of the

pumps

108 and 196, similar reference characters have been applied to corresponding elements which are similar in the two pumps. No attempt will be made to repeat the explanation of these elements. In the case of the present pump, the fluid distributor block 198 has a somewhat different configuration than the block 111 of pump 108. In the case of block 198, there is a single passage 199 which is connected to the inlet pipe 'leading, as in connection 1 with the previous embodiment, to pump 128. Fluid entering this pipe 120 passes through the passage 199,

past the check valve 115 and into the passage 195 in the manifold block 165. It will be understood that the manifold block is secured to the cylinder 110 of pump 196 by cap screws 200 or other similar fastening means. A suitable gasket is maintained between the members to prevent fluid'leakage therebetween. From the passage 195, fluid passes upwardly through a central passage 201 in the central block 162 and from there into a transverse passage 202 which extends completely across the block 162 communicating with the inlet openings 193 in the nozzle blocks and 161.

There is a further transverse passage 204 in the upper cated a spool valve 207 having a central aperture 209- therethrough which communicates with the passage 205. The spool valve 207 is biased against the righthand end of the chamber 206 by a spring 210. It is adapted when the pressure exerted on its right-hand face exceeds a-predetermined value to move to the left against a fixed valve member 211 and to seal off the passage through the valve 207. A suitable O-ring gasket 208 is provided in the outer wall of spool valve 207 to engage thewall of valve chamber 206 to prevent leakage past the valve when it is seated against the valve means 211. A plurality of diagonal passages 213 are provided adjacent the valve member 211 and when the valve 207 is in the position shown, the fluid passing through

passages

205 and 209 passes through the diagonal passages 213. These passages communicate with a passage 214 in the end plate 167. Secured to the end plate 167 is a sanitary pipe fitting 216 which is, in turn, coupled through any conventional type of coupling used in such sanitary fittings with the return pipe 121 returning to the tank 100.

In normal operation, prior to the time that it is desired to inject fluid, the heated fluid from tank 100 is pumped by pump 128 through pipe 120 through the passage 199, past the check valve 115, through the passage 195 in block 165, through transverse passage 202 to the openings 193 in

blocks

160 and 161. The two blocks are mirror images of each other and the operation in connection with block 160, shown in FIG. 10, is the same as that of block 161. The fluid entering the inlet passage 193 passes through the nozzle passage 173, as previously described, through the diagonal passage 190, through the nozzle passage 170, through the. opening 194, through the transverse passage 204, through the longitudinal passage 205, through passage 209v of the spool valve 207 and through the diagonal passages 213 and through opening 214 in plate 167 to the'return pipe 121 which leads back to the tank l00. It will be readily appreciated that this operation results in the circulation of heated fluid through the nozzle blocks themselves. This has the advantage over the arrangement of F lGS. 1 through 4 in that the heating is not confined to the base of the block but extends throughout the nozzle blocks. It will also be appreciated that the circulation just described results in the area above the piston 109 being filled with fluid and with all of the space between the valves 174 and the nozzle passages in

blocks

165 and 161 being filled with fluid. Due, however, to the location of the collars 228 of valves 224 just behind the diagonal passage 190, very little fluid is retained betwen the valves 224 of nozzle passages 17] and 172.

Let it be assumed now that it is desired to inject and the necessary action is taken to cause operation of hydraulic motor 132 in the manner previously described in connection with the previous embodiment. The piston 109 is now moved upwardly to exert very high pressure on thefluid in the nozzle passages and to cause a large volume of fluid to flow. This will result in an increased pressure-being exerted upon the right-hand side of the spool valve, 207 tending to cause the latter to move to the left to engage the valve 211. when this happens, flow of fluid through passage 209 is blocked and the pressure within the nozzle passages in the nozzle blocks 160 and 161 builds up rapidly. The pressure exerted by this fluid or collar 178 against the action of springs 182 results in the

various valves

174 and 224 moving away from their seats. As soon as this happens, the pressure faces against which the fluid is working to open the valves increases abruptly so that the

valves

174 and 224 move quickly away from their seats to cause an immediate release of the fluid through the nozzle 177. The same action occurs almost simultaneously in connection with each of the nozzles so that there is an immediate release of the extremely high pressure fluid.

it will be seen that the modification of H68. 8 through 11 produces the same result of releasing the high pressure fluid abruptly. In the case of a fowl, this results in the liquid additive passing through the skin without appreciably rupturing the same. The arrangement of P168. 8 through 11 does have the advantage that its construction makes it much easier to comply with the desirable sanitary requirements. It will be noted that there is a minimum of area in which the injecting fluid stands prior to injection. The location of the collars 228 for the intermediate valves prevents fluid from entering the space between these valves and the nozzle passages. As for nozzle passages and 173, there is a constant circulation of fluid through these passages so that they tend to be self-scrubbing. Furthermore, it will be readily apparent that by removal of plate 167, all of the valves in the various nozzle passages can be easily removed and cleaned. The entire nozzle can be readily disassembled for cleaning purposes. Thus, a high degree of sanitation can be readily obtained in connection with the nozzle block of FIGS. 8 through 11.

CONCLUSlON It will be seen thatwe have provided a unique form of injector head for use with injecting apparatus in which the material is injected abruptly at very high pressures. It will also be seen that the injector head provides for circulation of injecting fluid while injection is not taking place so as to maintainthe injector head at the desired injecting temperature. The-injector head-is particularly adapted for injecting meat and fowl, especially the latter; this is because of the shape and dispo-,

sition of the nozzles. Furthermore, the injector head of the present invention is particularly adapted for use with meat or poultry where it is necessary to maintain a high degree of sanitation. While we have shown certain specific embodiments. of the invention for the purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that the scope is to be limited solely by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus for engaging a non-planar surface of an irregularly shaped object and injecting a fluid into the object:

an injector head for engaging the object and injecting fluid therein, said injector head having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure,

said injector head having a plurality of nozzle passages therein connected to said inlet opening and projecting outwardly varying distances from a plane substantially perpendicular to said passages so that the terminal portions of said nozzle passages approximately conform with the non-planar surface of the injected object engaged by the injector head,

valve means for preventing flow of fluid through said nozzle passages,

and means for maintaining said valve means closed until the pressure of the fluid reaches a predetermined value, said valve means being effective to open abruptly upon opening movement being initiated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the valve means consists of a plurality of valves, one for each of said nozzle passages, and in which each of said valves has a valving surface closely adjacent the terminal portion of the associated nozzle passage.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the injector head has a passage connected to said inlet opening, and an outlet opening connected to said passage for circulating the fluid to be injected therethrough prior to the injection operation so that the injector head is maintained at a temperature approximatelycorresponding with the temperature of the fluid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the passage for circulation of fluid through said injector head is an annular passage located closely adjacent the inlet portion of the nozzle passage.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the passage for circulating fluid to be injected prior to the injecting operation includes a plurality ofsuch nozzle passages and in which valve means is provided for interrupting such circulation when the injection operation is to be initiated.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 in which said valve means for interrupting such circulation is pressure actuated and is responsive to the establishment of a pressure above a predetermined value to actuate said valve means to interrupt such circulation of fluid through the injector head.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which saidnozzle passages are in the form of bores extending through a portion of said injector head.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said nozzle passages are formed by nozzle members secured to and projecting from the injector head.

9. ln apparatus for injecting a fluid additive into the flesh of a fowl to improve the eating qualitites thereof:

an injector head for engaging the breast of the fowl to inject fluid therein; said injector head'having two rows of nozzle passages diverging downwardly away from each other, said nozzle passages of each row projecting outwardly progressively shorter distances, proceeding from one end of the row to the other, from a plane, substantially perpendicular to said passages so that the terminal portions of said passages approximately conform with the surface of the breast of a typical fowl; and

said injector head having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of fluid additive under high pressure and said inlet opening communicating with each of said nozzle passages.

10.The apparatus of claim 9 in which the orifice through the terminal portion of the uppermost of said nozzle passages is greater than that through the lowermost of said nozzle passages so that a greater amount of fluid is injected in the portion of the breast of the fowl adjacent the upper nozzle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which-a valve is located in each of said nozzle passages with the valving surface of the valve closely adjacent the terminal portion of the nozzle passage so that the change in pressure upon the valve opening is immediatelytransferred to the fluid entering the object.

} UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CERTIFICATE F QRRECHGN 3,814,007 Dated June 4, 1974 Donovan H. Lumby, James T. Buerman, and James P. Korzenowski Patent No.

Inventor(s It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading, Item [73] the name of the Assignee should be changed from "Land O'Lake Inc." to Land O'Lakes, Inc. Column 5, line 28 change "soured" to secured line 46, "pmp" should be pump line 66, "block 11" should be block 111 Column 6, line 25, the numeral "129" at the end of the line should be 128 Column 9, line 3, "able 82" should be table 82-. Column 13, line 35, the numeral "165" should be 160 Signed and sealed this 5th day" of November 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. Attesting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Comissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 FORM PO-1050 (10-69) a u.s. covznumzm PRINTING OFFICE I969 0-366-334

Claims

1. In apparatus for engaging a non-planar surface of an irregularly shaped object and injecting a fluid into the object: an injector head for engaging the object and injecting fluid therein, said injector head having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, said injector head having a plurality of nozzle passages therein connected to said inlet opening and projecting outwardly varying distances from a plane substantially perpendicular to said passages so that the terminal portions of said nozzle passages approximately conform with the non-planar surface of the injected object engaged by the injector head, valve means for preventing flow of fluid through said nozzle passages, and means for maintaining said valve means closed until the pressure of the fluid reaches a predetermined value, said valve means being effective to open abruptly upon opening movement being initiated.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the injector head has a passage connected to said inlet opening, and an outlet opening connected to said passage for circulating the fluid to be injected therethrough prior to the injection operation so that the injector head is maintained at a temperature approximately corresponding with the temperature of the fluid.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the passage for circulating fluid to be injected prior to the injecting operation includes a plurality of such nozzle passages and in which valve means is provided for interrupting such circulaTion when the injection operation is to be initiated.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said nozzle passages are in the form of bores extending through a portion of said injector head.

9. In apparatus for injecting a fluid additive into the flesh of a fowl to improve the eating qualitites thereof: an injector head for engaging the breast of the fowl to inject fluid therein; said injector head having two rows of nozzle passages diverging downwardly away from each other, said nozzle passages of each row projecting outwardly progressively shorter distances, proceeding from one end of the row to the other, from a plane, substantially perpendicular to said passages so that the terminal portions of said passages approximately conform with the surface of the breast of a typical fowl; and said injector head having an inlet opening adapted to be connected to a source of fluid additive under high pressure and said inlet opening communicating with each of said nozzle passages.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which the orifice through the terminal portion of the uppermost of said nozzle passages is greater than that through the lowermost of said nozzle passages so that a greater amount of fluid is injected in the portion of the breast of the fowl adjacent the upper nozzle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 in which a valve is located in each of said nozzle passages with the valving surface of the valve closely adjacent the terminal portion of the nozzle passage so that the change in pressure upon the valve opening is immediately transferred to the fluid entering the object.