Butchering – Viscera processing – Gripper or hook type eviscerator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-20
2001-01-23
Little, Willis (Department: 3643)
Butchering
Viscera processing
Gripper or hook type eviscerator
C452S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176772
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device and a method for removing the crop of slaughtered poultry. The invention further relates to a crop probe for a suchlike device and method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices for removing at least the crop from slaughtered poultry, also known as crop removers or (de)croppers, are known among others from the applicant's firm and from European patent application 0.162.254 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,578, for example. A suchlike crop remover is installed downstream from an eviscerating machine. In the crop remover, with the help of a rotating crop probe which passes into the poultry carcass via the vent, the whole crop and the trachea as well as everything else attached to the neck is removed. The crop remover is subsequently removed through the opposite neck opening of the carcass in order to permit delivery of the loosened parts to a tray placed under that and to be cleaned, after which the crop remover can be retracted again to an out-of-operation position.
In slaughter lines, in particular in the so-called eviscerating lines, a number of stations are arranged after the crop remover, such as station where the neck is broken, a station where the inside of the carcass is cleaned and a station where the outside of the carcass is cleaned. Applicant already offers for sale a neck breaker, which breaks the neck and in one embodiment removes it without unnecessarily damaging the skin of the neck and in another embodiment removing the neck together with the skin of the neck. For this reference can be made to the applicant's Dutch patent application 79.04779. In addition, a combination neck breaker/final control machine is part of the applicant's delivery programme, in which not only the neck is broken but also the inside of the carcass is sucked clean. With the help of a pipe provided with a slanting end introduced from above, the lungs and other parts not suitable for consumption, which remained behind after evisceration, are removed. In addition, the applicant has an automatic inside-outside washer, in which the outside of the carcasses is cleaned with sprayers, while the inside is washed by means of a water tube with a special mouth piece. Finally, a combined crop remover/inside-outside washer can be mentioned, in which the inside of the carcasses is washed with the help of spray water supplied via the crop probe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a machine, which, in addition to the crop removing function can at least fulfil a neck-breaking function. For this purpose the invention provides a device for removing at least the crop of slaughtered poultry, having means for holding a carcass of the poultry, a crop probe assembly with a crop probe holder and an elongated crop probe, which is provided with crop engaging means in an end portion, such as a number of teeth sprockets. Also provided are means for moving the crop probe up and down between a non-active position to one or more active positions, means for turning the crop probe about its longitudinal axis. The crop probe is provided with a nose on the outer end of the end portion, and the side of the holder means facing away from the crop probe the device is provided with a neck breaker with neck breaking means and with means for activating the neck breaker and with means for moving the neck breaker toward the carcass and away from it. The means for moving the crop probe, the activating means and the means for moving the neck breaker being are geared to one another such that during activation of the neck breaker the nose of the crop probe is held on a level which is situated just above the breaking plane of the neck of the carcass to be realized by the neck breaker.
In the device according to the invention, neck breaking or shearing takes place almost directly after removing the crop and in doing that use is made of the part which was already used for the crop removal, namely the crop probe. The nose of the crop probe stabilizes the neck region at the location of the desired breaking plane, so that breaking takes place in a more positive fashion. Further special means for stabilizing the neck region can be disregarded, such as those which are known from the above mentioned Dutch patent application 79.04779, for instance.
Preferably the moving means for the crop probe, the activating means for the neck breaker and the moving means for the neck breaker are geared to one another such that directly after breaking the neck the neck breaking means are moved away from the carcass in a distal direction in a neck clamping position and the crop probe remains in position. In this case the severed lower portion of the neck vertebrae is forced downwards within the skin of the neck, the nose of the crop probe co-operating to keep the neck in place.
Although the above-mentioned neck breaker of Dutch patent application 79.04799 proved to be working well, there is however a need for a similar device, which is simpler and takes up less space.
Thus it is a further object of the invention to provide this and for this purpose from another aspect, provides a device for breaking the neck of slaughtered poultry which is propelled along a processing path, including means for holding the poultry with the neck down, which holding means includes means for holding the carcass which are arranged on a holding support on one side or the poultry processing path. The support is part of a system of identical supports of identical devices driven in a circulating fashion. The device further includes a breaker for breaking the neck, which is arranged on a breaker support and means for operating the breaker, in which the breaker support and the operating means for the breaker are located on the same side of the poultry path as the holding support.
In the device according to the invention operating means for the neck breaker do not need to be located on the side of the processing path which is turned away from the supports for the carcasses. As a result of this the taking up of space of a neck breaking device with a plurality of units, for instance shaped like a carousel, can be less. Furthermore the safety is increased in this way because no moving parts which have sharp edges will be present on the outside of the carousel.
The breaker preferably comprises two breaker means which are arranged on the breaker support to be moveable in a relative manner towards and away from one another, in which the breaker means are advantageously arranged in such a way that they are moveable with regard to one another in a direction having a component parallel to the poultry path, preferably in a vertical plane which is parallel to the poultry path at that location. In this way the structure of the breaker can be kept simple and the breaker means in their non-active position can form a radially inwardly accessible receiving space for the neck of the carcass.
In addition it is preferable that the breaker means are formed on rotatably bearing-mounted breaker members, the rotation axis being preferably perpendicular to the poultry path. In this way the space present next to the carcass, in the direction of the poultry path, is made use of for the movement of the breaker. As a result of this the taking up of space of the device according to the invention is further minimized.
The operating means include interengaging gear wheels provided on each of the breaker members and an operating bar connected to at least one of the gear wheels in a rotation-fixed manner and extending radially from the rotation axis and provided at one end with a follower for following a cam curve or the like. In principle operating one of the breaker members causes the movement of both breaker members and directly and indirectly respectively.
Preferably at least one of the breaker members is provided with means for detaining the carcass neck in a direction transverse to the poultry path. Such a provision is advantageous if the breaker in the device according to the invention is located in a unit in which also a crop
Hazenbroek Jacobus E.
Stooker Dirk C.
Verrijp Bastiaan
Little Willis
Thomas Kayden Horstemeyer & Risley
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