Poultry processing apparatus and method

A method of processing a poultry carcass portion including a breast with attached wings, the steps of the method comprising:

• a) providing a shackle conveyor including a set of trolleys driven to move at a trolley velocity along a trolley track, the trolley track having a trolley ride surface defining a trolley path of travel, each trolley of the set of trolleys supporting a shackle for movement with the trolley along the trolley track, each shackle having a wing receiving-opening centered about a vertical center line of the shackle, the set of trolleys being uniformly spaced along the trolley path of travel such that there is a predetermined distance between vertical center lines of respective first and second shackles of a pair of adjacent trolleys of the set of trolleys, each shackle of the respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys receiving a wing of a poultry carcass portion in the wing-receiving opening of the shackle to thereby support a poultry carcass portion for movement along the shackle conveyor;
• b) providing a first cutting module positioned adjacent a processing section of the shackle conveyor, the first cutting module including a cutting head translation assembly and a first cutting assembly including a first cutting head having spaced apart first and second cutting members, the cutting head translation assembly moving the first cutting head between a retracted position and an engaged position in a first direction transverse to the trolley path of travel to engage a poultry carcass portion supported by the first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys and, in the engaged position, moving the first cutting head in a second direction along the trolley path of travel in synchronization with the trolley velocity over a first engagement distance;
• c) supporting a poultry carcass portion the wing-receiving openings of respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys;
• and
• d) actuating the first cutting module such that the first and second cutting members of the first cutting head engage the poultry carcass portion.

A poultry processing apparatus for processing a poultry carcass portion including a breast with attached wings, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a shackle conveyor including a set of trolleys driven to move at a trolley velocity along a trolley track, the trolley track having a trolley ride surface defining a trolley path of travel, each trolley of the set of trolleys supporting a shackle for movement with the trolley along the trolley track, each shackle having a wing-receiving opening centered about a vertical center line of the shackle, the set of trolleys being uniformly spaced along the trolley path of travel such that for a pair of adjacent trolleys of the set of trolleys there is a predetermined distance between vertical center lines of the respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys, each shackle of the respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys receiving a wing of a poultry carcass portion in the wing-receiving opening of the shackle to thereby support a poultry carcass portion for movement along the shackle conveyor;
• and
• b) a first cutting module positioned adjacent a processing section of the shackle conveyor, the first cutting module including a first cutting head translation assembly and a first cutting assembly including a first cutting head having spaced apart first and second cutting members, the first cutting head translation assembly moving the first cutting head between a retracted position and an engaged position in a first direction transverse to the trolley path of travel to engage a poultry carcass portion supported by the first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys.

A poultry processing apparatus for processing a poultry carcass portion including two attached wings, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a shackle conveyor including a set of trolleys driven to move at a trolley velocity in a flow direction along a trolley track, the trolley track having a trolley ride surface defining a trolley path of travel, each trolley of the set of trolleys supporting a shackle for movement with the trolley along the trolley track, each shackle having a wing-receiving opening, the set of trolleys including a pair of adjacent trolleys wherein respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys each receive a wing of a poultry carcass portion in the wing-receiving opening of the shackle to thereby support a poultry carcass portion for movement along the shackle conveyor;
• and
• b) a first cutting module positioned adjacent a processing section of the shackle conveyor, the first cutting module including a first cutting head translation assembly and a first cutting assembly including a first cutting head, the first cutting head translation assembly moving the first cutting head between a retracted position and an engaged position in a first direction transverse to the trolley path of travel to engage a poultry carcass portion supported by the first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys and, in the engaged position, moving the first cutting head in a second direction along the trolley path of travel in synchronization with the trolley velocity.

A method of processing a poultry carcass portion including a breast with attached wings, the steps of the method comprising:

• a) providing a shackle conveyor including a set of trolleys driven to move at a trolley velocity along a trolley track, the trolley track having a trolley ride surface defining a trolley path of travel, each trolley of the set of trolleys supporting a shackle for movement with the trolley along the trolley track, each shackle having a wing-receiving opening, the set of trolleys including a pair of adjacent trolleys wherein respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys each receive a wing of a poultry carcass portion in the wing-receiving opening of the shackle to thereby support a poultry carcass portion for movement along the shackle conveyor;
• b) providing a first cutting module positioned adjacent a processing section of the shackle conveyor, the first cutting module including a first cutting head translation assembly and a first cutting assembly including a first cutting head having spaced apart first and second cutting members, the first cutting head translation assembly moving the first cutting head between a retracted position and an engaged position in a first direction transverse to the trolley path of travel to engage a poultry carcass portion supported by the first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys and, in the engaged position, moving the first cutting head in a second direction along the trolley path of travel in synchronization with the trolley velocity;
• c) supporting a poultry carcass portion in the wing-receiving openings of respective first and second shackles of the pair of adjacent trolleys;
• and
• d) actuating the first cutting module such that the first and second cutting members of the first cutting head engage the poultry carcass portion.