Poultry cradle unloading systems and methods
AssigneeNova-Tech Engineering, Inc.
InventorsScott C. Johnson, Nathan A. Blum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The poultry cradle unloading systems and methods described herein provide for the unloading of birds and, in some cases, placement of the birds in a selected location among two or more possible selected locations. The unloading may be accomplished in a manner that promotes safety for the birds by releasing the birds such that they are predisposed to landing in an upright orientation after release from a cradle. The unloading may involve releasing the head before releasing the legs of the bird. The cradle and/or bird retained in the cradle may be oriented such that the bird is held at an angle such that the head of the bird is located forward of the hock joints.
Claims17
A poultry cradle unloading system comprising:
- a plurality of poultry cradles, wherein each poultry cradle of the plurality of poultry cradles comprises a head restraint configured to retain a head of a bird retained in the poultry cradle when the head restraint is in a closed configuration and a leg restraint configured to retain legs of a bird retained in the poultry cradle when the leg restraint is in a closed configuration;
- a poultry cradle transport apparatus configured to move each poultry cradle of the plurality of poultry cradles to an unload location;
- a head release apparatus configured to move between a home position and a release position, wherein the head release apparatus is configured to move the head restraint of a poultry cradle in the unload location from the closed configuration to a release configuration in which the head of a bird retained in the poultry cradle is no longer retained by the head restraint when the head release apparatus moves from the home position to the release position;
- a leg release apparatus configured to move between a home position and a release position, wherein the leg release apparatus is configured to move the leg restraint of a poultry cradle in the unload location from the closed configuration to an open configuration in which the legs of a bird retained in the poultry cradle are no longer retained by the leg restraint when the leg release apparatus moves from the home position to the release position;
- and
- a controller operably connected to a head release actuator and a leg release actuator, wherein the controller is configured to:
- operate the head release actuator to move the head release apparatus from the home position to the release position such that the head restraint of a poultry cradle in the unload location is moved from the closed configuration to the release configuration in which the head of a bird retained in the poultry cradle is no longer retained by the head restraint;
- and
- operate the leg release actuator to move the leg release apparatus from the home position to the release position such that the leg restraint of a poultry cradle in the unload location is moved from the closed configuration to the open configuration in which the legs of a bird retained in the poultry cradle are no longer retained by the leg restraint
- wherein the controller is configured to operate the head release actuator before operating the leg release actuator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.