Method of preparing a meat skinner blade and meat skinner blade prepared thereby
In one aspect, a method of preparing a meat skinner blade is provided which includes: abrading an upper edge of a steel strip to form an angularly-offset two-facet blade edge; and, honing the two-facet blade edge of the steel strip to impart a vertical taper along the two facets of the two-facet blade edge. Advantageously, the subject invention provides a blade for meat skinning, de-membraning, and derinding having, in use, a downwardly-turned edge with vertical tapering. This provides for a robust design capable for more cuts, and, thus, longer use life, than standard meat skinner blades.
1 . A method of preparing a meat skinner blade, the method comprising:
grinding an upper edge of a moving steel strip to form a single-facet blade edge, wherein the moving steel strip includes opposing first and second faces, the single-facet blade edge being formed between the first and second faces, wherein the moving steel strip is elongated to extend along a longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis lying in a longitudinal plane which extends along the steel strip and which is spaced from both the first and second faces, the longitudinal plane being coplanar with a reference vertical plane during the grinding; then,
skewing the moving steel strip relative to the reference vertical plane so that the longitudinal plane is angularly offset from the reference vertical plane so that the reference vertical plane intersects the first face, wherein the skewing the moving strip is achieved by passing the moving steel strip through a set of rollers which are angularly offset from the reference vertical plane; then,
at a first honing station, honing the single-facet blade edge of the moving steel strip to form a two-facet blade edge; and, then,
at a second honing station, honing the two-facet blade edge of the moving steel strip to impart a vertical taper along the two facets of the two-facet blade edge,
wherein, the second honing station is spaced from the first honing station with the moving steel strip moving to the second honing station after exiting from the first honing station.
2 . A method as in claim 1 , wherein the skewing the moving steel strip includes angularly offsetting the longitudinal plane of the moving steel strip an angle in the range of 1-10 degrees from the vertical reference plane.
3 . A method as in claim 2 , wherein the honing the two-facet blade edge of the moving steel strip to impart a vertical taper along the two facets of the two-facet blade edge includes:
moving the steel strip through a nip defined by two intermeshed honing wheels.
4 . A method as in claim 3 , wherein each of the honing wheels includes a helical groove defined therein, the helical groove forming spaced-apart spiral lands, wherein the diameter of the spiral lands vary in the direction of movement of the moving steel strip.
5 . A method as in claim 4 , wherein the diameters of the spiral lands vary in the direction of movement of the moving steep strip to define a concave shape along the respective honing wheel.