Importance

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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. Movement of the kick bar member into the second, extended position provides to the animal's suspended fore legs tension which is opposed by the pull direction of the fore/aft hydraulic power such that removal of the pelt, especially in the delicate shoulder region, is facilitated without damage to carcass or damaging strain to the pelt.

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First Claim