# US 2019/0313656 A1 · Processing apparatus for poultry comprising one or more transfer units

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- Number: US 2019/0313656 A1
- Document ID: US20190313656A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/384,171
- Filed: 2019-04-15
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-16
- Assignees: Meyn Food Processing Technology B.V.
- Applicants: Meyn Food Processing Technology B.V.
- Inventors: Eric Adriaan Van Hillo; Aloysius Christianus Van Steijn; Jan Willem Hagendoorn
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190313656A1

## CPC

- A22C 21/0053: {Transferring or conveying devices for poultry}
- A22B 7/005: {Means for transferring carcasses from a conveying unit to a different one, e.g. hooking, unhooking (transferring articles between conveyors B65G47/52)}
- A22C 21/0046: {Support devices}
- B65G 47/61: for articles
- B65G 47/846: {Star-shaped wheels or wheels equipped with article-engaging elements}
- B65G 47/848: {the article-engaging elements being suction or magnetic means}
- A22B 7/001: {Conveying arrangements}
- A22C: PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH (preserving A23B; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs A23J1/00; fish, meat or poultry preparations A23L; disintegrating, e.g. chopping meat, B02C18/00; preparation of proteins C07K1/00)
- A22B: SLAUGHTERING
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

Processing apparatus for poultry that may include one or more transfer units placed intermediate and conveying poultry from a first line to a subsequent second line. The transfer means may include at least one magnet for inducing eddy currents in a circulating support that counteracts relative motion between the transfer means and the circulating support. The at least one magnet may be embodied with a series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-8. (canceled)

### Claim 9

A processing apparatus for poultry, comprising
one or more transfer units placed intermediate and conveying poultry from a first line to a subsequent second line, wherein both the first line and the second line are selected from the group comprising a slaughtering line, an evisceration line, a chilling line, a sorting line, a cutup line and/or another type of line or lines, wherein each transfer unit comprises
a circulating support onto which a plurality of transfer means are mounted that in a not obstructed situation do not carry out a relative movement with respect to the support, yet in an obstructed situation are able to move relative to the support, the circulating support arranged to convey the transfer means between a supply station at the side of the first line and a discharge station at the side of the second line and vice versa;
the transfer means provided with at least one magnet so as to induce eddy currents in the circulating support that counteracts relative motion between the transfer means and the circulating support;
wherein the circulating support comprises material susceptible to eddy currents;
wherein the at least one magnet is embodied with a series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support, and sandwiched between each of these alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) is a combination of a north-pole (+) and a south-pole (−), which combination of north-pole (+) and south-pole (−) is shifted over an angle of π\2 (pi/2) radians or 90° with reference to the alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) on opposite sides of the combination of north-pole (+) and south-pole
wherein at the side facing the circulating support a north-pole (+) of the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) is immediately adjacent to a north-pole (+) of the shifted combination of a north-pole (+) and south-pole (−); and
wherein at the side facing the circulating support a south-pole (−) of the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) is immediately adjacent to a south-pole (−) of the shifted combination of a north-pole (+) and south-pole (−).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) on the side facing away from the circulating support are covered by a steel cover plate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the circulating support comprises an aluminum layer and a layer of steel or other material with a magnetic permeability that is at least 40 times higher than the magnetic permeability of a vacuum.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the layer of steel or other material with a magnetic permeability that is at least 40 times higher than the magnetic permeability of a vacuum comprises a series of equidistantly provided slits.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein between the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support and the circulating support an air gap is provided smaller than 30 mm and in the range of 0.2-2 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein between the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support and the circulating support an air gap is provided smaller than 30 mm and in the range of 0.5-1.2 mm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support provide a magnetic flux density at the surface of the circulating support of at least 0.2 T.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support provide a magnetic flux density at the surface of the circulating support of at least 0.5 T.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the series of alternating north-poles (+) and south-poles (−) facing the circulating support provide a magnetic flux density in the range 0.7-1.1 T.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The processing apparatus according claim 9, wherein the transfer unit is provided with a receiving station which is drivable in synchronization with the supply station, and the transfer unit is provided with a delivery station which is drivable in synchronization with the discharge station.