Inventors:
Gary L. Ekiss - Ellensburg WA
William R. Wragge - Ellensburg WA
Jerry L. Bradford - Dixon CA
Assignee:
Transhumance DBA Superior Packing Co. - Davis CA
International Classification:
A22B 516
Abstract:
A pelt puller apparatus and method utilizing hydraulic power means for stripping a pelt from an animal carcass suspended by both fore and hind legs in an upside down cradle position. The pelt puller apparatus includes a puller assembly and a kick bar assembly. The puller assembly is generally defined as an L-shaped frame structure and includes a pair of hydraulically operated clamp assemblies for holding the worked up sock portions of the animal pelt. The vertical frame portion of the L-shape framework includes a pair of telescopingly adjustable frame members and a hydraulic power means for providing vertical height adjustment of the clamp assemblies with respect to the animal carcass. The puller assembly framework is connected to an overhead rail system via a wheeled carriage assembly and includes hydraulic power means for providing fore/aft (push/pull) movement to the puller assembly. The kick bar assembly includes a kick bar member and hydraulic power means operative to move the kick bar member between a first, neutral position and a second, extended position.