Butchering – Support – Carcass or portion suspended
Patent
1995-08-31
1997-09-30
Little, Willis
Butchering
Support
Carcass or portion suspended
452179, 452182, A22C 2100
Patent
active
056721005
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
A method for suspending live poultry by the legs and an apparatus, catching means and slaughter shackle for carrying out the method.
(b) Discussion of Related Technology
The invention relates to a method of suspending live poultry, in particular chickens, by their legs, whereby the poultry is placed on a running conveyor. Such a method is disclosed in WO 92/20233.
The invention further relates to an apparatus and a slaughter shackle for use in carrying out the method according to the invention.
In the slaughtering of chickens these are generally delivered from the producer to the slaughterhouse in transportation boxes of a length and width so that they can be handled and a height corresponding to the height of a chicken. The chickens are placed close together in the box in one layer. In the slaughterhouse the live chickens are suspended by their legs in so-called slaughter shackles suspended on a conveyor chain. By means of the conveyor chain the chickens are passed round in the slaughterhouse where they are killed, defeathered, cleaned etc. The suspension of the live chickens is today frequently effected manually which is a monotonous and fatiguing work.
Several devices for automatic suspension of chickens are known. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,476 deals with an apparatus intended to ensure that chickens are correctly suspended in the slaughter shackles, i.e. the abdomen being directed in a determined direction. The apparatus includes a slide along which the chickens slide individually from a rotary table to a conveyor belt. Said reference states that the chickens drop a little from the slide to the conveyor belt, which makes them stretch the legs so that they stand on the belt. The belt passes the chickens to a rail device which spreads their legs and the chickens are conveyed further forward to a catching means, catching and fastening the legs. The inventors of the present invention, however, have found that the chickens delivered to the slaughterhouse are frequently inclined to set immediately after they have been placed on a support. With such chickens the apparatus according to the US-reference will not be able to operate as intended. Moreover, there are no means for safely orienting the chickens correctly on the conveyor belt.
EP-A-0 355 037 describes a manner in which chickens are made to stand up and an apparatus for carrying out the method. According to the EP-reference the chickens are conveyed on a conveyor belt across a nozzle which sprays e.g. water on the abdomen of the chicken which makes them get up, so that it is possible to grip their legs by means of catching shackles. Said EP-reference, however, does not say anything about how to ensure that the chickens assume a correct position for catching.
According to WO-A-92 20 223 the poultry are orientated by means of a device comprising two side-by-side flexible-fingered rotors. The station is placed underneath the conveyor and the poultry is passed through the conveyor, which is longitudinally divided in two.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for suspending live poultry, in particular chickens, by their legs, ensuring that the chickens, in a manner gentle to them may be brought from a standing or sitting position on a conveyor belt to a position suspended in slaughter shackles by their legs, and whereby the poultry is caused to face in a certain direction, this being an advantage for automated further processing of the poultry.
The object is fulfilled by means of a method of suspending live poultry, in particular chickens, by their legs, whereby the poultry is placed on a running conveyor, characterized in that the poultry is passed one by one over the downstream end of the conveyor and dropped down onto a place from where it is conveyed onward.
The inventors have found that a chicken, when passed over the end of a conveyor, e.g. a belt conveyor, will attempt to remain on the conveyor and in doing so, it turns to have its
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Br.o slashed.dsgaard Ole
Jensen Verner Trygved
Knudsen Arne
Nielsen Holger Hjort
S.o slashed.rensen Torben Brandt
Little Willis
Poutech A/S
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