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US 11,503,834 B2Granted
Device for measuring the shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry carcasses, arrangements for filleting poultry carcasses and corresponding methods
AssigneeNordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG
InventorsValentin Fischer, Lasse Riggert, Norbert Sass
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for measuring the shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry bodies has a measuring station, arranged along a conveying line, which is adapted to detect the shoulder joint position. Also provided is an arrangement for filleting poultry bodies having such an apparatus for measuring, and to corresponding methods.
Claims20
An apparatus for measuring a shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry bodies, comprising:
- a conveying line having a conveying device having a plurality of receiving elements for holding the poultry bodies, the conveying device being adapted to continuously convey the poultry bodies in a conveying direction along a conveying path, wherein the conveying device is configured to convey the poultry bodies, at least in a measuring section of the conveying line, with the shoulder joints leading in the conveying direction;
- a measuring station, arranged along the conveying line in the measuring section, having two measuring elements which are adapted, as one of the poultry bodies passes, to come into mechanical contact with the shoulder joints of the poultry body;
- and
- wherein the measuring elements are each arranged so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis such that, in a rest position, they extend projecting into the conveying path at least substantially transversely to the conveying direction and, on contact with the shoulder joints of the poultry body in a working position, are adapted to be pivotably movably deflectable in the conveying direction, wherein the measuring station has detection means for detecting the working positions of the measuring elements;
- and
- wherein the measuring elements comprise mechanical damping elements which are adapted to mechanically damp the measuring elements in the rest position.
3 more elements
A method for measuring a shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry bodies, comprising:
- continuously conveying the poultry bodies along a conveying path of a conveying line by a plurality of receiving elements of a conveying device which are adapted for holding the poultry bodies, wherein the poultry bodies, at least in a measuring section of the conveying line, are conveyed with the shoulder joints leading in a conveying direction;
- and
- scanning the shoulder joints of the poultry bodies by bringing the shoulder joints into mechanical contact with two measuring elements of a measuring station as one of the poultry bodies passes, which measuring elements are arranged along the conveying line in the measuring section;
- wherein the measuring elements, on contact with the shoulder joints of the poultry body, are pivoted in the conveying direction out of a rest position, in which the measuring elements extend projecting into the conveying path at least substantially transversely to the conveying direction, into a working position, and in that the working positions of the measuring elements are detected by means of detection means of the measuring station;
- and
- mechanically damping of the pivoting movement of the measuring elements in the rest position by mechanical damping elements.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.