阅读说明：本技术 用于处理悬挂在承载件上的半猪屠体部分的方法和设备 (Method and device for processing a carcass part of a pig suspended from a carrier ) 是由 J·J·梅尔丁克 F·T·H·J·范德斯蒂恩 A·埃伯根 R·克雷恩巴格 于 2020-05-01 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于通过在髋骨和脊骨(脊柱骨)之间以及可选地在尾骨和髋骨之间进行切割来分离半猪屠体的中间部段的系统和方法,该半猪屠体以承载件悬挂在高架式输送机上,切割导致半猪屠体部分的中间部段经由重力与剩余的半猪屠体部分部分地分离。此外,沿着顺循限定后腿切块的肌肉的曲线切断与半猪屠体部分的中间部分之间的连接,以将中间部段与半猪屠体部分的其余部分分离,从而导致半猪屠体部分的后腿部分保持为悬挂在承载件上。(A system and method for separating a midsection of a carcass of a hog, suspended with a carrier on an overhead conveyor, by cutting between a hip and a spine (spine) and optionally between a tail and a hip, the cutting causing the midsection of the carcass part of the hog to partially separate from the remaining carcass part of the hog via gravity. Furthermore, the connection with the middle part of the carcass part of the half pig is cut along a curve following the muscles defining the back leg cut to separate the middle section from the rest of the carcass part of the half pig resulting in the back leg part of the carcass part of the half pig remaining suspended from the carrier.)

1. A method of processing a carcass part of a half-pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier, which carrier is engaged with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the half-pig, the method comprising:

detecting the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the half pig,

identify the locations of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st coccyx to 4 th coccyx), spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and based on the identified locations,

cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine by means of a cutting device, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cutting is through a joint.

3. The method of any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the cutting is performed between the hip and sacral vertebrae, and/or wherein the cutting is performed between the sacral vertebrae and the spine.

4. A method as in any of claims 1-3, wherein the cutting is through a sacro-iliac joint.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

performing a further cut through the spine.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

identifying the position between the coccyx and the hip bone, and

performing a further cut between the coccyx and the hip bone.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the further cutting is through a joint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

-breaking the connection of the carcass part of the hog between the mid part of the carcass part of the hog and the cut-out means along a curve which follows the muscles defining the back leg cut-out to separate as much meat as possible onto the mid part rather than onto the back leg part, resulting in the back leg part of the carcass part of the hog remaining suspended in the carrier.

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein detecting the position of bones in the rear section of the carcass part of the half-pig is performed by a detection device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detection device comprises one or more of the following components:

a laser scanner for scanning and generating three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of the carcass part of the half pig,

a digital imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of the carcass part of the half-pig, and

an X-ray device for capturing X-ray data indicative of an internal skeletal structure of the carcass part of the pig, the internal skeletal structure including the position of the ribs of the carcass part of the pig.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising processing the detected data using a control and processing unit connected to the detection device to determine the position of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st to 4 th coccyx), the spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebrae) and the hip bone (ilium).

12. A device for processing a carcass part of a half-pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier, which carrier is engaged with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the half-pig, the device comprising:

-detection means for detecting the position of bones in the back section of the carcass part of the half pig,

identification means for identifying the position of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebra) and hip bone (ilium), and

a cutting device for cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine on the basis of the identified position, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the cutting device is arranged for cutting through a joint.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 or 12, further comprising:

the identification device is adapted to identify a location between the coccyx and the hip bone, and the cutting device is adapted to use this location information to perform further cutting between the coccyx and the hip bone.

15. Use of a device according to any one of claims 12 to 14 for processing a carcass part of a half-pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method and a device for processing a carcass part of a pig at least partially freely suspended on a carrier which engages with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the pig.

Background

It is known to transport a carcass part of a slaughtered animal suspended on a carrier which engages in a hole in the leg section of the carcass part. The carcass part may be a carcass half that has been eviscerated and cleaned. The carrier used may be of the hook and loop type, having two opposite carrier ends facing away from each other and coupled together with a cross bar. The cross-bar has a suspension arrangement that cooperates with the overhead transport conveyor system. Another type of carrier may be a variant of Euro Hook (Euro Hook), having a pointed end and a carrier section shaped like a carrier for fishing. The euro-hook also has a suspension arrangement cooperating with the overhead transport conveyor system, similar to the suspension arrangement for the hook rack. The single carrier may conform to DIN5047 (carrier for meat and other food products; sliding carrier for tubular rails).

Traditionally, the carcass of a pig is split into an anterior end, a mid-section and a posterior end (or hind leg) before further deboning and other processing. The splitting into three parts can be carried out on a processing table in which the carcass halves are placed horizontally, or the splitting into three parts can be carried out while the carcasses are still suspended, in a stationary or moving state. The cutting itself is done using a saw-type rotating blade. This has some conceivable disadvantages. First, excess meat and bone debris is produced, which reduces the quality of the product(s) produced. Second, a cut on a rib section will cut through the rib, and a cut across the scapula will cut away a piece of scapula, leaving a sharp bone end that is detrimental to consumer acceptance. Third, since the saw-type rotary blade performs a straight cut, the cut between the rear leg and the middle section leaves a large amount of high-quality meat on the middle section.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the invention preferably seek to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages singly or in any combination. In particular, it may be seen as an object of an embodiment of the invention to provide a method for processing a carcass part of a hog carcass that is at least partly freely suspended on a carrier, wherein the carrier is engaged with the hind leg of the carcass part of the hog. The carcass part may comprise a front end section, but in most cases the front end has been removed from the carcass part of the half pig when using the method according to the invention.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing a carcass part of a pig at least partly freely suspended from a carrier, the carrier being engaged with a hind leg portion of the carcass part of the pig, the method comprising:

detecting the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the half pig,

identify the locations of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st coccyx to 4 th coccyx), spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and based on the identified locations,

cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine by means of a cutting device, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

The invention may advantageously provide a method that enables a partial separation of the middle section of the carcass part of a half pig from the remaining carcass part of a half pig and to utilize gravity for this purpose. Furthermore, it may be seen as an advantage that detecting the position of bones, identifying the position of certain bones, and cutting based on said identified positions may be beneficial: so that the cutting can be performed in an advantageous manner, for example so that it is possible to cut through one or more joints instead of bone and/or so that a greater amount of meat is obtained on one of the two parts.

The "coccyx" can be understood as the 1 st to 4 th coccyx.

The "spine" is understood to be the lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as the last lumbar vertebrae in the caudal (caudal) direction. It is understood that pigs may have a different number of lumbar vertebrae, such as 5 to 7, while the spine is the lumbar vertebra with the highest number (calculated in the head to tail direction), such as for example the "lumbar vertebra 5" in pigs with 5 lumbar vertebrae and the "lumbar vertebra 7" in pigs with 7 lumbar vertebrae.

"hip bone" may be understood as the ilium.

"between the hip and the spine" may be understood as one or more or all of the following: between the hip and sacral (such as across the joint between the hip and sacral, such as across the sacroiliac joint), across or between portions of the sacral (such as across the sacrum), between the sacral and spine (such as between the joint between the sacral and spine, such as across the lumbosacral joint at the lumbosacral junction of the lumbar vertebrae).

According to an alternative first aspect, there is provided a method comprising:

detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the hog, including the position of bones in the back section of the carcass part of the hog,

identify the locations of the coccyx (1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and based on the identified locations,

cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine (spine bone) by means of a cutting device, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

According to one embodiment, the cut is made through a joint, such as through a lumbosacral joint, or sacroiliac joint, located at a lumbar sacral vertebral junction. A possible advantage of this may be that cutting through a joint (such as a joint between two adjacent bones) enables cutting through a bone to be dispensed with, which in turn may enable one or more of the following effects to be achieved: a lower resource demanding cut, less bone chips obtained, less sharp bone ends obtained are achieved.

By cutting through a joint is understood that the cutting is made in a space outside the bone, e.g. only in a space outside the bone. "cutting through a joint" may be understood as not cutting through bone.

According to one embodiment, the cutting is performed between the hip and the sacrum, and/or wherein the cutting is performed between the sacrum and the spine. By cutting in one or both of these two positions, the cutting may separate the hip bone from the spine, such as to enable the mid section of the carcass part of the pig half to be partially separated from the remaining carcass part via gravity without having to cut through the bone.

According to one embodiment, the cut is through the sacro-iliac joint.

"sacro-iliac joint" is understood to mean the sacroiliac joint and/or the joint between the hip bone (ilium) on one side and the sacrum or sacrum on the other side. A possible advantage of this may be that it enables a relatively large amount of meat to be left in the middle section of the carcass part of the pig, such as relative to the back leg section. Another possible advantage may be that, via gravity, natural separation may occur between the coccyx and hip bones. Another possible advantage may be that the coccyx is cut free of the hind leg portion (and optionally attached to the spine so as to remain part of the middle portion).

According to a further embodiment, the method further comprises:

performing a further cut through the spine, such as performing a further cut between the spine and the sacral.

In this context, "spine" may be understood to include the bones of the lumbar spine, the sacral spine and the caudal spine, such as the 1 st to 4 th caudal spine. A further cut through the spine may be performed such that the mid section of the carcass part of the half pig is partially or completely cut open from the hind leg section and/or the tail part.

According to one embodiment, further cuts may be made between the spine and lumbar vertebrae. A possible advantage of this may be that the coccyx may thus be cut free of both the hind leg portion and the middle portion. A further cut between the spine and lumbar spine may be performed such that the middle section of the carcass part of the half pig is partially or completely cut open from the rear leg section and/or the tail part.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of:

identifying the position between the coccyx and the hip bone, and

further cutting is performed between the coccyx and hip bones.

A possible advantage of this may be that the coccyx may be cut free of the hind leg portion. It will be appreciated that the further cuts are different with respect to the cuts described above. Thus, while the possible locations for cutting and further cutting may overlap, the cutting and further cutting may be different in nature.

"between the coccyx and the hip bone" may be understood as one or more or all of the following: between the coccyx and sacral (such as across the joint between the coccyx and sacral), between various portions of the sacral (such as across the sacral), between the sacral and the spine (such as between the joint between the sacral and the spine).

According to further embodiments, the further cut is through the joint. A possible advantage of this may be that cutting through a joint (such as a joint between two adjacent bones) enables cutting through a bone to be dispensed with, which in turn may enable one or more of the following effects to be achieved: a lower resource demanding cut, less bone chips obtained, less sharp bone ends obtained are achieved.

According to yet another embodiment and as can be generally appreciated, the further cutting is different with respect to the cutting. A possible advantage of this may be that a further effect may be achieved by further cutting, such as that the coccyx may be cut free of the hind leg parts, in addition to partially separating the middle section of the carcass part from the remaining carcass part via gravity.

According to another additional embodiment, the further cut is a cut made between the hip and sacral bones, and/or wherein the further cut is a cut made between the sacral and coccyx bones. By cutting in one or both of these two locations, the cut may separate the hip bone from the coccyx bone without having to cut through the bone.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of:

the connection of the carcass part of the pig between the mid part of the carcass part of the pig and the flesh of the carcass part of the pig is broken along a curve which follows the muscles defining the back leg cut by the cutting means to separate as much meat as possible onto the mid part rather than onto the back leg part, resulting in the back leg part of the carcass part of the pig remaining suspended in the carrier.

A possible advantage may be that this embodiment enables a larger amount of meat on the middle section than on the rear leg section, which in turn may facilitate leaving a larger amount (or a larger amount) of high quality meat on the middle section. This may be beneficial, for example, to increase the value (in terms of availability and/or cost) of the obtained sections, such as the middle section and the rear leg section.

The step of detecting the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the half pig may be performed by a detection device.

The step of detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the pig, including the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the pig, may be performed by a detection device.

In one embodiment, the detection device may include one or more of the following components:

a laser scanner for scanning and generating three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of the carcass part of the half pig,

a digital imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of a carcass part of a half-pig, and

an X-ray device for capturing X-ray data indicative of an internal skeletal structure of the carcass part of the pig, the internal skeletal structure including the position of the ribs of the carcass part of the pig.

The method may further comprise processing the detected data using a control and processing unit connected to the detection device to determine the location of the coccyx (1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (7 th lumbar in the case of pigs with 7 lumbar vertebrae) and hip bone (ilium).

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for processing a carcass part of a half-pig suspended at least partly freely on a carrier, which carrier is engaged with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the half-pig, the device comprising:

detecting means for detecting the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the half pig,

identification means for identifying the position of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and

a cutting device for cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine on the basis of the identified position, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

According to an alternative aspect, there is provided a device for processing a carcass part of a pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier, which carrier is engaged with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the pig, the device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the pig, the at least one characteristic property comprising the position of bones in the back section of the carcass part of the pig,

identification means for identifying the position of the coccyx (1 st coccyx, such as 1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (lumbar vertebrae adjacent to the sacral vertebrae, such as 7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and

a cutting device for cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine (spine bone) on the basis of the identified position, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

According to an embodiment, the cutting device is arranged for cutting through a joint.

The apparatus may further comprise:

the identification device is adapted to identify a location between the coccyx and the hip bone, and the cutting device is adapted to use this location information to perform further cutting between the coccyx and the hip bone.

According to a third aspect, a use of a device according to the second aspect for handling a carcass part of a half pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier is proposed, such as for performing any of the methods according to the first aspect.

Thus, a method and a device and a use of the device are provided which allow, inter alia, an automated separation of a suspended semi-carcass into a front end section, an intermediate section and a back leg. Furthermore, by allowing precise cuts along the muscle contours and bone structure, the yield of each part is optimized.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a semi-carcass suspended on an overhead transfer system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2a is a schematic side view showing the half-carcass after a first cut has been made between the coccyx and hip bone.

Fig. 2b is a schematic side view showing the carcass half after a first cut has been made between the coccyx and hip and between the hip and spine.

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view showing the half-carcass after the first cut and the first part of the second cut have been made.

Fig. 4 is a schematic side view showing the carcass half after the second part has been second cut and the middle section is being separated from the rest of the carcass.

Fig. 5 shows a bottom view of the bone parts seen from below the pig.

Detailed Description

With reference to fig. 1, advantageously, the eviscerated and cleaned, pig's half-carcasses 10 are suspended on a carrier 15 of an overhead transport system 20. The transport system is depicted as a simple single hook conveyor system but may be any type of overhead transport system suitable for carrying and transporting the carcass halves of pigs with any type of suitable carrier. There are several suitable known transport systems that may be used and are known to those skilled in the art.

The carcass half 10 is suspended from the carrier 15 via a hole or opening 18 in the back leg 25 of the carcass. The carcass half has a spine section 35, which spine section 35 is visible after the entire carcass has been opened along the spine in a previous operation (not shown). Furthermore, many bones are visible in the posterior section of the carcass: coccyx 40 (1 st to 4 th), spine 55 (the 7 th lumbar vertebra in the case of the depicted pig having 7 lumbar vertebrae), and hip 45 (ilium).

To start processing the carcass part of the half pig, at least one characteristic property of the half pig carcass 10 is detected using the detection device 50, which at least one characteristic property comprises the position of the coccyx 40, the spine 55 and the hip bone 45 of the carcass part of the half pig. The detection device 50 may include one or more of the following components:

a laser scanner for scanning and generating three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of the carcass 10 of the half pig,

a digital imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of a carcass 10 of a half pig, an

An X-ray device for capturing X-ray data indicative of an internal skeletal structure of the carcass 10 of the half pig, the internal skeletal structure including the position of the skeleton of the carcass of the half pig.

The obtained data, e.g. X-ray data, are processed using a control and processing unit 60 connected to the detection device 50 to determine the position of the bone. Based on the determined locations, reference point A (the joint between the coccyx and the hip) and reference point B (the joint between the hip and the spine) may be determined. All these data, in particular the reference points a and B, can then be stored in the memory of the control and processing device 60. The location may be marked directly on the pig carcass. The marking may be done using a visible light beam (not shown) or a consumable dye (or any other form of indicator) to, for example, inform an operator or an automated cutting device where to begin the first cut. It is to be understood that "first cut" may refer to a process comprising a plurality of (first) cuts, such as a first portion of the first cut and a second portion of the first cut.

At least the head (top) of the fillet (not shown) must be removed before the first cut of bone is made, optionally the entire fillet may be removed in this step.

In one embodiment, a first cut is made by cutting device 70 having cutting blade 75, wherein the cut is through the joint marked by reference point a and reference point B, such as a first portion of the first cut is through the cut of the joint marked by reference point a (such as between the coccyx and the hip, such as between the hip (ilium) and the sacrum), and a second portion of the first cut is through the cut of the joint marked by reference point B (such as between the hip and the spine, such as between the sacrum and the spine). Note that the joint marked by reference point B is marked with a dashed line, indicating that the joint is located behind the ilium (relative to the viewer in the current side view). Cutting, such as a first cut, such as a first part of the first cut, results in the intermediate section 80 of the carcass half 10 being partially separated from the remaining back leg of the carcass half 10 via gravity. The first cut may be performed automatically, for example using a robotic arm carrying a cutting blade, or manually in the case of an operator using a cutting blade to perform the cut. Fig. 2a shows the situation after a first cut, such as the (only) first part of the first cut (in fig. 2a the cut through the joint between the hip (ilium) and the sacrum) has been made, wherein, via gravity, a natural separation occurs between the coccyx 40 and the hip 45, such as the entire hip. Fig. 2a also shows the sacrum 90 (sacrum) hidden from view in fig. 1 under the hip bone 45. Thus, the coccyx is cut free of the posterior leg portion and attached to the spine 35 so as to remain part of the middle portion. In a further embodiment, FIG. 2b illustrates the situation after a first cut, such as a first portion of the first cut and a second portion of the first cut, has been made, wherein, via gravity, natural separation occurs between the coccyx 40 and the hip 45 and between the hip 45 and the spine 55. Next, the coccyx is separated from the spine by a cutting device. Thus, here, the coccyx has been cut free of both the hind leg portion and the middle portion.

Note that according to an alternative embodiment, the order of the first portion of the first cut and the second portion of the first cut may be reversed.

According to a further alternative embodiment, the first cutting comprises cutting through the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine by means of a cutting device, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity. This first cut may correspond to either or both of the first portion of the first cut and the second portion of the first cut as described above with reference to fig. 2A-2B. According to further embodiments (relative to this other embodiment), the method further comprises performing a further cut between the coccyx and the hip bone.

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 3, a second cut first part 65 may be made by means of a cutting blade 75 to break the carcass connection between the hind leg part of the carcass part of the half pig and the back of the carcass part of the half pig. The path of the cut is designed so that the maximum yield of meat is retained in the middle section.

Similarly, as shown in fig. 4, a second cut of the second part 66 may be made along a curve that follows the muscles defining the back legs to completely separate the intermediate section 80 from the rest of the carcass part 10, resulting in the back leg part of the carcass part of the half pig remaining suspended in the carrier. The path of the cut is designed so that the maximum yield of meat is retained in the middle section. This section that is cut away from the rear leg portion and left on the middle portion is commonly referred to as the flank. The intermediate section 80 falls into a collection device (not shown) for further processing.

Note that the order of the steps in fig. 3 and 4 may be reversed. In addition, the flank cuts described above may be performed prior to cutting the coccyx.

Fig. 5 shows a bottom view of the bone parts seen from below the pig (where both sides are included for clarity) including a part of the hip bone (ilium) 45 (where in fig. 5 the lower part is omitted so as not to cover the caudal part of the sacrum and the caudal vertebra), the last four lumbar vertebrae 92 and the spine 55 (in the caudal direction), the sacrum 90 (sacrum) and the 1 st to 4 th caudal vertebra. FIG. 5 also shows the joint marked by reference point A and reference point B (as in FIG. 1), such as joint A between the hip (ilium) 45 and the sacrum 90 and joint B between the sacrum 90 and the spine 55.

The above description of possible embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Factors such as cost, mechanical stability and weight of the components will determine which solution to choose for each situation.

Clause and subclause

Furthermore, a method of processing a carcass part of a hog being at least partially freely suspended on a carrier and a device for processing a carcass part of a hog being at least partially freely suspended on a carrier are proposed below according to the following clauses, which clauses can be combined with any of the preceding claims and/or with any of the appended claims:

1. a method of processing a carcass part of a half-pig at least partly freely suspended from a carrier, which carrier is engaged with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the half-pig, the method comprising:

detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the hog, including the position of bones in the back section of the carcass part of the hog,

identify the locations of the coccyx (1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (7 th lumbar vertebra), and hip bone (ilium), and based on the identified locations,

cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine (spine bone) by means of a cutting device, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

2. The method of clause 1, further comprising:

identifying the position between the coccyx and the hip bone, and

further cutting is performed between the coccyx and hip bones.

3. The method of clause 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

the connection of the carcass part of the pig between the mid part of the carcass part of the pig and the flesh of the carcass part of the pig is broken along a curve which follows the muscles defining the back leg cut by the cutting means to separate as much meat as possible onto the mid part rather than onto the back leg part, resulting in the back leg part of the carcass part of the pig remaining suspended in the carrier.

4. The method according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the hog, including the position of the bones in the back section of the carcass part of the hog, is performed by a detection device.

5. The method of clause 4, wherein the detection device includes one or more of the following components:

a laser scanner for scanning and generating three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of the carcass part of the half pig,

a digital imaging device for capturing three-dimensional image data of one and/or both sides of a carcass part of a half-pig, and

an X-ray device for capturing X-ray data indicative of an internal skeletal structure of the carcass part of the pig, the internal skeletal structure including the position of the ribs of the carcass part of the pig.

6. The method of clauses 4 or 5, further comprising processing the detected data using a control and processing unit connected to the detection device to determine the location of the coccyx (1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (7 th lumbar vertebra) and hip bone (ilium).

7. A device for processing a carcass part of a half-pig at least partly freely suspended on a carrier, which carrier is in engagement with a hind leg part of the carcass part of the half-pig, the device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one characteristic property of the carcass part of the pig, the at least one characteristic property comprising the position of bones in the back section of the carcass part of the pig,

identification means for identifying the position of the coccyx (1 st to 4 th coccyx), spine (7 th lumbar vertebra) and hip (ilium), and

a cutting device for cutting through a section of the carcass part of the pig between the hip bone and the spine (spine bone) on the basis of the identified position, the cutting resulting in the intermediate section of the carcass part of the pig being partially separated from the remaining carcass part of the pig via gravity.

8. The apparatus of clause 7, further comprising:

the identification device is adapted to identify a location between the coccyx and the hip bone, and the cutting device is adapted to use this location information to perform further cutting between the coccyx and the hip bone.