Poultry eviscerating apparatus

Eviscerating apparatus for poultry, fowl, and the like comprising conveyor means for continuously conveying fowl along a path, said conveyor means including means for suspending the fowl in an inverted manner;

• a floor-mounted support positioned along said path and adjacent said means for suspending said fowl and means on said support for removing viscera from the fowl, said removing means including a series of viscera removal members and means for engaging said viscera removal members with said fowl, said engaging means including pivot support means movable in registry with said means for suspending said fowl during conveyance and providing a pair of spaced pivot axes for each of said removal members for pivotally supporting each of said removal members with respect to said means for suspending the fowl;
• means for moving at least a portion of said viscera removal means including said pivot support means in registry with the fowl suspended from said conveyor means, said pivot axes supported from said support, spaced at different distances from said support, and both being located exterior of the fowl to be eviscerated;
• and actuating means for pivoting each of said viscera removing members about said two pivot axes such that said members follow a generally arcuate path having a compound curvature into the body and cavity of the fowl and around the viscera thereof and thereafter withdraw said viscera from said cavity.

Eviscerating apparatus for poultry, fowl, and the like comprising a supporting framework;

• a vertical shaft, a continuous, circular, cylindrical drum mounted concentrically and rotatably about said shaft;
• overhead conveying means supported above said drum in general vertical alignment with at least a portion of the periphery thereof, said conveying means including means for suspending a plurality of fowl adjacent the side surface of said drum;
• means for rotating said drum for synchronous movement of said drum and conveying means;
• a plurality of pivotal clamping means spaced circumferentially about said drum for clamping said fowl against said drum;
• a plurality of viscera removal means extending radially outwardly from said shaft and over the top edge of said drum for removing the viscera from said suspended fowl, each removal means including a removal member in general vertical alignment with one of said clamping means and pivot means including spaced, multiple pivot axes for supporting said removal member with respect to one of said clamping means and means for pivoting said removal member in a generally arcuate path into the body cavity of said fowl and around the viscera thereof and thereafter out of said cavity to withdraw the viscera therefrom.

Eviscerating apparatus for poultry, fowl, and the like comprising overhead conveyor means for supporting and conveying a plurality of fowl suspended therefrom;

• viscera removal means for removing the viscera of each of the suspended fowl including at least one viscera removal member and actuating means for moving said member to remove viscera from the fowl;
• cylindrical housing means for engaging and positioning the fowl with respect to said viscera removal means, said housing means providing a surface against which the fowl is positioned and separating and shielding the positioned fowl from said actuating means;
• clamping means for clamping the fowl against said housing means;
• and interconnecting means for selectively connecting said housing means with said overhead conveyor for moving said removal means, housing means, and clamping means in synchronism with said overhead conveyor means;
• and means for moving said interconnecting means to engage and disengage said interconnecting means with overhead conveyor.

Eviscerating apparatus for poultry, fowl, and the like comprising overhead conveyor means for supporting and conveying a plurality of fowl suspended therefrom;

• viscera removal means for removing the viscera of each of the suspended fowl including at least one viscera removal member and actuating means for moving said member to remove viscera from the fowl;
• cylindrical housing means for engaging and positioning the fowl with respect to said viscera removal means, said housing means providing a surface against which the fowl is positioned and separating and shielding the positioned fowl from said actuating means;
• clamping means for clamping the fowl against said housing means;
• and interconnecting means for selectively connecting said housing means with said overhead conveyor for moving said removal means, housing means, and clamping means in synchronism with said overhead conveyor means;
• said cylindrical housing means including a right, circular cylindrical drum extending around said viscera removal means;
• said removal means including means for pivoting said viscera removal member over the top edge of said drum;
• said clamping means extending through aperture means in said drum in alignment with said removal member.

Apparatus for eviscerating the body cavity of a fowl suspended from and conveyed by an overhead conveyor, said apparatus including means for positioning the fowl, said positioning means moving in synchronism with said conveyor;

• means for eviscerating the fowl while it is positioned by said positioning means, said eviscerating means moving in synchronism with said conveyor and positioning means and comprising:
• a floor-mounted support positioned along and adjacent to the path of conveyance of the fowl suspended from the overhead conveyor, a pivotable support member pivotally mounted on said support about a first axis, and means for pivoting said support member with respect to said support about said first axis in accordance with a predetermined program;
• a spoon-like eviscerating member adapted for entry into and withdrawal from the body cavity of the fowl, said eviscerating member being pivotably attached to said pivotable support member for movement about a second axis, said first and second axes both being located exterior of the fowl body cavity to be eviscerated by said spoon-like eviscerating member;
• and
• means for pivoting said spoon-like eviscerating member with respect to said pivotable support member in accordance with a predetermined program, said programs causing said eviscerating member to follow a predetermined path of entry into and withdrawal from the body cavity of the fowl.