Apparatus for cutting open a fowl

Abstract

A revolving apparatus for automatically cutting open fowl hanging by the ankle joints from an overhead conveyor, having a number of cutting units regularly spaced about the circumference of the apparatus. The cutting units work in succession as they revolve about the central shaft of the apparatus moving along with the conveyor. Each cutting unit is also vertically movable down towards a fowl carried by the conveyor and away again from the fowl. Each cutting unit carries a ball shaped protrusion consisting of two separatable ball halves, one of which carries a knife in its upper part facing away from the other ball half. During the downward movement of each cutting unit it's closed ball halves are inserted into an opening in the fowl previously made by cutting out it's vent, whereafter the ball halves are spread and the fowl is cut open by the knife. The penetration depth of the ball halves is automatically adapted to the size of the fowl by means of an abutment member carried by each cutting unit and gripping between the fowl's legs. The abutment member stops the downward movement of the cutting unit when it comes to bear on the body of the fowl.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.