Drive belt retainer for picker apparatus
AssigneeJohnson Food Equipment, Inc.
InventorFrank Criscione
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A picker apparatus for defeathering or plucking of poultry and other avian in a food processing facility includes a universal mount picker assembly including a belt drive system for driving a plurality of rotatable picker members with a drive motor disposed centrally in relation to the picker members, and a quick release positioning adjustment for the operating components of a picker apparatus. A belt retainer operates to maintain driving engagement between a belt and drive pulley.
Claims20
A mechanism for assisting in retaining a drive belt, the drive belt having a drive belt thickness, and the drive belt being in driving engagement with a drive pulley, the mechanism comprising:
- a retainer including a concave belt surface for accommodating the drive pulley such that the concave belt surface and the drive pulley cooperate to form a belt channel within which the drive belt moves.
An apparatus for plucking feathers from poultry and other avian, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a set of picker members disposed in lateral alignment for abrading the feathers from poultry and other avian placed within and carried through the apparatus,
- (b) a drive system for operating the set of picker members, the drive system comprising a drive belt, a drive pulley, and a plurality of pulley members, wherein the picker members are coupled with the pulley members, the drive belt being adapted to engage the drive pulley and the pulley members in a serpentine relationship, and
- (c) a drive belt retaining mechanism including a retainer having a center concave surface for accommodating the drive pulley such that the center concave surface and the drive pulley cooperate to form a belt channel within which the drive belt moves.
An apparatus for plucking feathers from poultry and other avian, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) a set of picker members disposed in lateral alignment for abrading the feathers from poultry and other avian placed within and carried through the apparatus,
- (b) a drive system for operating the set of picker members, the drive system comprising a drive belt, a drive pulley, and a plurality of pulley members, wherein the picker members are coupled with the pulley members, the drive belt being adapted to engage the drive pulley and the pulley members in a serpentine relationship, whereby movement of the drive belt about the pulley members effects opposite relational rotation between adjacent pulley members, and
- (c) a drive belt retaining mechanism including—
- 1. a retainer having a center concave surface for accommodating the drive pulley such that the center concave surface and the drive pulley cooperate to form a channel within which the drive belt moves, and further having first side and second side concave surfaces for providing sufficient clearance between the retainer and first and second pulley members located substantially adjacent to the drive pulley, and
- 2. a retainer bar and one or more fasteners for securing the retainer to a surface adjacent to the drive pulley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.