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US 4,291,434 AGranted
Tendon pulling
AssigneeSwift & Company
InventorTom Batts
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Poultry carcasses suspended from the feet are carried along a straight path through a first zone where the lower legs are broken at a given level, and then through a second zone whereat opposing shearing forces are applied above and below the said level whereby to tear the skin and pull tendons from the upper legs of the carcasses.
Claims9
An improved method for pulling tendons from the legs of poultry carcasses, said method comprising:
- carrying poultry carcasses by the feet thereof along a straight path;
- breaking the lower legs of said carcasses while being carried at a given level without appreciably tearing the skin or separating the feet therefrom;
- thereafter applying oppositely directed shearing forces to said lower legs slightly spaced both above and below said level while said carcasses are so carried;
- and continuing said shearing forces sufficently to tear the skin at each lower leg to sever each foot and to pull tendons from each upper leg of said carcasses.
1 more element
An improved apparatus for pulling tendons from the legs of poultry carcasses, said apparatus comprising:
- conveyor means for transporting a succession of poultry carcasses in a given direction along a straight path, said conveyor means including poultry foot engaging means;
- leg breaking means located along said path at a given level beneath said foot engaging means;
- and a pair of rotatable overlapped shearing means positioned at opposite sides of said path beyond said leg breaking means in said direction and spaced just above and below said level to contact the lower leg portions of said carcasses and to thereby tear the skin at the lower legs, sever the feet and pull tendons from the upper legs of each carcass.
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said fingers are angled in the direction of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.