Butchering – Conveyer – Orienting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-13
2001-01-30
Little, Willis (Department: 3643)
Butchering
Conveyer
Orienting
C452S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179701
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an overhead conveyor system for slaughtered chickens or other poultry, comprising:
a track supported above the floor,
a number of suspension hooks which are movable along the track and are positioned one after the other, each having two brackets for receiving the legs of a chicken,
a continuous chain or cable to which each suspension hook is connected,
means for moving the chain or cable with the suspension hooks connected thereto,
and means mounted beneath the track to enable the suspension hooks to be rotated through 90°.
A system of this type is known and is intended to convey slaughtered chickens via cutting units where they are cut into portions, wings, legs, breasts and the like. The portions cut off fall onto conveyor belts or into trays and then have to be further processed individually. For example, the breasts must be filleted, the wings packed, etc. The logistics of this processing in a small area are difficult.
The aim of the invention is so to improve the system mentioned in the preamble that, with the conveyor system running at relatively high speed, the chickens can be rotated, hinged away from the normal transport path and can be moved up and down over a small distance. Another aim is so to improve the conveyor system that the processing operations to be carried out on the chickens can be performed selectively and efficiently, for example cutting off certain portions can be carried out depending on the weight or the length of the chickens or on the desired number of portions cut off.
According to the invention, the overhead transport system specified in the preamble is characterised in that each suspension hook is provided with:
a bar which connects the said brackets,
a disc connected to the top section of the bar,
a rotation bush of square cross-section which forms part of the bar or is connected thereto and has a twisted shape in the longitudinal direction,
a guide bush which is arranged around the said bar and allows both a limited longitudinal movement and a rotary movement of the bar,
a hinge pin which is joined to the guide bush and which always extends in the direction of transport of the suspension hooks and is mounted on trolleys having wheels engaging on the track in such a way that the guide bush, with bar and brackets, is able to hinge in a plane perpendicular to the direction of transport of the suspension hooks,
and in that the means enabling rotation of the suspension hooks through 90° comprise, on the one hand, a ramp which is able to engage on the underside of the said disc of the suspension hooks and, on the other hand, sloping contact tracks which are able to engage on the rotation bush of twisted shape.
Various locking systems are possible to enable the suspension hooks to be locked either in a position perpendicular to the direction of transport or in a position parallel to the direction of transport, for example a system with which the disc connected to the top section of the bar is provided on its underside with a cylindrical housing having four recesses, distributed around the periphery, to be able to accommodate the said hinge pin in two mutually perpendicular positions of the bar, in order to lock the rotation of the bar.
The disc is preferably in the shape of a cross.
To enable the suspension hooks to be hinged away to the side, for example beyond the range of cutting or other processing machines, use can be made of means which comprise, on the one hand, a ramp which is able to engage on the underside of the said disc of the suspension hooks and, on the other hand, sloping contact tracks which are able to engage on the rotation bush of twisted shape.
Means are also mounted beneath the track to allow the suspension hooks to be hinged into a sloping position. Said means preferably comprise a guide track having a curved section terminating some distance away from the trajectory of the suspension hooks and a switching element that is movable between a position in which the suspension hooks are guided in contact with the guide track and a position in which this is not the case.
A weighbridge, for weighing each chicken individually, can also be incorporated in the said ramp. The weight can be fed to a computer which, for example, can be programmed such that chickens above a certain weight are not subjected to any processing and chickens below that weight are subjected to processing.
The invention also relates to a suspension hook to be used with the system described above.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3518717 (1970-07-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 3684078 (1972-08-01), Nielsen
patent: 4213229 (1980-07-01), Helmer et al.
patent: 5092815 (1992-03-01), Polkinghorne
patent: 5366406 (1994-11-01), Hobbel et al.
patent: 5487700 (1996-01-01), Dillard
patent: 6010398 (2000-01-01), Mente
patent: 0 086 700 (1983-08-01), None
patent: 0 343 700 (1989-11-01), None
patent: WO 93/13671 (1993-07-01), None
Little Willis
Tielman Food Equipment B.V.
Young & Thompson
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