Poultry toe and claw positioning system and method

A poultry toe and claw positioning system comprising:

• a seat lift operably attached to a system frame, the seat lift configured to move between a ready position and a lift position, along a lift axis;
• a toe guide operably attached to the system frame, the toe guide comprising:
• a capture plate comprising a leading edge facing away from the seat lift,
• a set of capture channels formed in a support surface of the capture plate, wherein each capture channel of the set of capture channels is configured to receive a forward-facing toe of a bird and the set of capture channels is configured to receive the forward-facing toes on one shank of a bird, wherein each capture channel of the set of capture channels comprises an open end proximate the leading edge of the capture plate, and wherein the set of capture channels converge when moving away from the open ends of the capture channels along the support surface, and
• a guide opening in the set of capture channels, wherein the set of capture channels converge at the guide opening;
• a set of guide channels extending from the guide opening through the capture plate, wherein each guide channel of the set of guide channels extends through the capture plate from a receiving aperture in the guide opening to a claw aperture located distal from the receiving aperture, wherein the set of guide channels diverge when moving from the receiving apertures of the guide channels to the claw apertures of the guide channels;
• a toe guide track operably attached to the system frame, the toe guide track defining a guide axis, wherein the toe guide is mounted on the toe guide track and configured to move along the guide axis between a home position, a capture position, and a finish position, wherein the home position is closer to the lift axis than the capture position, and wherein the finish position is located between the capture position and the home position, and further wherein the toe guide track is configured to move from a base position to an operating position;
• a toe guide actuator operably connected to the toe guide, the toe guide actuator configured to move the toe guide along the guide axis between the home position, the capture position, and the finish position;
• a seat lift actuator operably connected to the seat lift, the seat lift actuator configured to rotate the seat lift about the lift axis to move the seat lift between the ready position and the lift position;
• a track actuator operably connected to the toe guide track to move the toe guide track between the base position and the operating position;
• and
• a controller operably connected to the toe guide actuator, the seat lift actuator, and the track actuator, wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate the seat lift actuator such that the seat lift actuator moves the seat lift from the ready position to the lift position,
• operate the toe guide actuator such that the toe guide actuator moves the toe guide along the guide axis from the home position to the capture position after operating the seat lift actuator to rotate the seat lift from the ready position to the lift position, and
• operate the toe guide actuator such that the toe guide actuator moves the toe guide along the guide axis from the capture position to the finish position after moving the toe guide along the guide axis from the home position to the capture position, and
• operate the track actuator such that the track actuator moves the toe guide track from the base position to the operating position after operating the toe guide actuator to move the toe guide along the guide axis away from the home position and before the toe guide reaches the capture position.