US 10,757,949 B1Granted

Poultry stunning system and method

AssigneeMidway Machine Technologies, Inc.

InventorTerry B. Geertman

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method and system for stunning poultry with carbon dioxide gas includes initially establishing an initial elevated CO2 concentration in an initial stun chamber, and then lowering a cage for live poultry downwardly through an open top of the initial stun chamber. The cage is held there for an initial time period, after which the cage is moved into an intermediate stun chamber, where an intermediate elevated CO2 concentration is established. The cage is held in the intermediate stun chamber for an intermediate period of time, after which it is moved into a final stun chamber, where a final elevated CO2 concentration is established. The cage is held in the final stun chamber for a final period of time, and the cage is then raised upwardly through an open top of the final stun chamber and out into an ambient atmosphere.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A poultry stunning system comprising:

an initial stun chamber comprising an open or openable top intake region configured to receive a poultry cage from above, and an initial openable side panel configured to permit discharge of the poultry cage in a lateral direction;
an intermediate stun chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein said downstream end is defined by an intermediate openable panel;
a final stun chamber configured to receive the poultry cage laterally from said intermediate stun chamber, wherein said final stun chamber comprises an open or openable top discharge region configured to permit the discharge of the poultry cage in a upward direction;
a plurality of carbon dioxide conduits in fluid communication with a carbon dioxide source and with respective ones of said stun chambers;
a gas sensor disposed in each of said stun chambers and operable to generate a gas signal indicative of a carbon dioxide concentration in a respective chamber atmosphere in one of said stun chambers;
a control valve disposed along each of said carbon dioxide conduits and operable to selectively permit carbon dioxide gas to flow into respective ones of said stun chambers in response to a respective control signal;
and
a controller in electronic communication with each of said control valves and with each of said gas sensors, wherein said controller is operable to generate the respective control signals in response to the respective gas signals.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/163,057Filed 17 Oct 2018 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Oct 2017
Granted: 1 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A22B 3/005
Slaughtering or stunning: by means of gas
A22B 3/086
For poultry or fish, e.g. slaughtering pliers, slaughtering shears: stunning devices specially adapted for poultry
A22B 5/02
Accessories for use during or after slaughtering: slaughtering pens
A22B 7/001
Slaughterhouse arrangements: conveying arrangements