Butchering – Conveyer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-07-03
Little, Willis (Department: 3643)
Butchering
Conveyer
C452S086000, C452S180000, C452S182000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254471
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus for gripping the feet of sitting or standing poultry supplied on a conveyor and pointing with its head in the same or opposite direction to that of the conveyor.
In preparation of the mechanized slaughter and additional treatment of poultry, the same will generally be suspended by the feet on an overhead conveyor. Presently, this suspending is mostly done manually, since the poultry is being delivered alive and is thus in very varying positions. It is true that many attempts have already been made to automate the suspension of poultry, but a completely satisfactory method, and respective apparatus, has not been developed up till now.
One of the problems, with which one is confronted when one wants to automatically suspend live supplied poultry by the feet is, that the poultry is inclined to sit down on a conveyor belt, so that the feet are not or barely accessible to the mechanical gripping means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for gripping the feet of poultry which, in a way not further depicted has previously been positioned such that its head points in the same or opposite direction to that of the conveyor, and which poultry is being supplied in standing or sitting position. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
For this purpose the apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by a tunnel surrounding, among other things, the conveyor, of which, viewed in the transport direction, the vertical distance between the tunnel ceiling and the conveyor at least initially diminishes. This aids progressive engagement of the head of the poultry, and by a guide extending in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel in the vicinity of the tunnel floor which is formed by the conveyor, of which, viewed in the transport direction, the vertical distance to the conveyor increases at least initially, and which is placed centrally to aid progressive engagement of the breast between the feet of the poultry and finally, by gripping members engaging and enclosing the feet of the poultry.
Surprisingly it has been shown that when the poultry enters said tunnel, by the cooperation between the tunnel ceiling and the guide the poultry takes a position such that the feet are being stretched to make them easily accessible for the gripping means. The underlying mechanism can be elucidated as follows. The decrease in the vertical distance between the tunnel ceiling and the conveyor ensures that the poultry is enclosed inside the tunnel and is sitting in such a way that the position of the feet is known, namely alongside of the body of the poultry. Then the guide engages between the feet below the breastbone, whereby the distance between the breastbone and the conveyor will be increased. Nearly at the same time, the gripping means will enclose the middle section of the foot (the part of the foot between the walking toes and the ankle), since at that moment the position of the feet of the poultry can still be fairly accurately determined. During the further increase of the distance between the guide (the breastbone) and the conveyor the poultry will be enclosed more tightly between the guide and the tunnel ceiling, and be inclined to stretch its feet in order to keep in contact with the floor formed by the conveyor. This aids the feet further in assuming a suitable position with respect to the gripping means. As soon as the feet are gripped in the correct way, the distance between the tunnel ceiling and the conveyor may optionally gradually increase again, slowly releasing the poultry for further processing and/or manipulations.
In order to obtain an optimal positioning of the guide between the feet of the supplied poultry, it is further possible within this framework that the beginning of the guide is formed by a stationary guide in the form of a V, of which the tip is pointing opposite to the direction of transportation. The walking toes will come partly under this V-shaped guide, because the increase in the V-shape causes this automatically. At this point the gripping means come into operation, by which the middle section of the foot becomes enclosed. As in the sitting position the middle section of the foot (almost) horizontal, the increasing V-shaped guide at least causes the walking toes to come underneath it, whereby a slight stretching effect will occur. However, in this horizontal position the ankle itself may also come between the gripping means. The further increase of the distance from the breastbone to the conveyor will increase the stretching effect, so that the middle section of the foot will rotate from a horizontal to a vertical position allowing the gripping means to engage properly between the ankle and the walking toes.
Furthermore, an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is mentioned, whereby the guide consists mainly of a conveyor belt with a transport speed that corresponds with that of the conveyor. Although a stationary guide also leads to the desired effect, such a moving guide has the advantage that this also prevents as much as possible any disturbance of the poultry. For, as is known, stress in poultry prior to slaughter leads to an inferior quality of the meat.
Constructively an embodiment of the apparatus is advantageous, whereby at least the tunnel ceiling is being formed by two, viewed in the cross section of the tunnel, reversely positioned V-shaped conveyor belts. The transport speed of these conveyor belts can correspond to the transport speed of the conveyor. In this way the head of the poultry will be pushed down in the desired way, without causing a major disturbance to the poultry.
Within this framework it is further preferred that engaging support parts be applied to the upper side of the inverted V-shaped positioned conveyor belts. These support parts prevent the head of the poultry from shooting through between the two V-shaped positioned conveyor belts at the tip of the V.
Corresponding to another preferred embodiment of the invention it is possible within this framework that the support parts consist of plate portions bent to a V-shape, being enabled by means of a parallelogram construction to offset the effect of gravity or spring action, and to be swivellingly suspended. The suspension by means of a parallelogram construction provides on the one hand a reliable support of the conveyor belts while on the other hand, in order to adjust to various circumstances (poultry of different sizes), it allows an adjustment of the position of the support parts.
Furthermore, it is convenient, when the gripping means are being formed by powered strings extending substantially parallel to the conveyor, that cooperate in pairs in lifting up and gripping the feet of the poultry between them. After the feet of the poultry have been stretched in the above mentioned way, the strings can engage the feet from both sides and clamp them between. Subsequently the poultry is transported further with the help of the strings. The strings can be bearing-supported by spring action, so that the different body sizes of the poultry can again be taken into account.
In order to present the poultry, of which the feet have been griped in the above mentioned way, to the overhead conveyor, it is further preferred that the strings extend around turning wheels for the hanging upside-down of the poultry gripped by the feet between the strings. Initially the poultry can be found in a normal position, either sitting or standing. During the feet's passage through the apparatus, they are being stretched and gripped by the gripping means. Finally, the poultry is becoming suspended upside-down, in which position the poultry can be delivered to an overhead conveyor.
The present invention will be elucidated below with reference to the drawing, in which an embodiment of the apparatus accordin
Dority & Manning
Little Willis
Meyn Food Processing Technology B.V.
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