Method and apparatus for loading poultry carcasses into drag type positive control chiller
AssigneeSimon-Johnson, Inc.
InventorsDavid R. Crawford, Frank J. Criscione, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chiller has a series of moving rakes for advancing poultry carcasses through a tank of chilling liquid for cooling the carcasses down to an acceptable temperature. The chiller includes a loader which permits loading of the carcasses into an end of the tank without subsequent damages to the carcasses by the rakes. The loader includes a gate which is biased open for permitting feeding of the carcasses through an inlet and onto a ramp in the loading end of the tank when the rakes are remote from the inlet, and is closed as the rakes approach the inlet so as to prevent pinching of the carcasses between the rakes and the ramp.
Claims13
In apparatus for use in chilling poultry carcasses, the improvement comprising:
- a chilling tank adapted to contain a body of chilling liquid;
- a conveyor disposed for engaging carcasses delivered to the tank and for advancing the same through the body of liquid to lower the muscle temperature of the carcasses,
- said conveyor including a series of spaced rakes movable in succession down into the tank from above the latter at a loading end of the tank prior to sweeping through the body of liquid toward a discharge end of the tank;
- and
- a loader at said loading end of the tank generally above the latter and having an inlet adjacent the conveyor for admitting carcasses into the tank in such a manner that the carcasses are intercepted by the moving rakes and advanced toward the opposite end of the tank,
- said loader including a gate operable to temporarily close said inlet as each rake moves into the vicinity of the inlet and to reopen the inlet as the rake moves beyond the inlet.
In apparatus for use in chilling poultry carcasses, the improvement comprising:
- an elongated, open-top chilling tank adapted to contain a body of chilling liquid and having oppositely disposed, loading and discharge ends respectively;
- an endless conveyor positioned above said tank and having a series of spaced rakes associated therewith which move during operation along a pair of vertically spaced, upper and lower, generally horizontal stretches of travel and a pair of horizontally spaced, arcuate stretches of travel at opposite ends of the horizontal stretches,
- said rakes being operable during movement along one of said arcuate stretches to enter the tank from above the latter for subsequent movement longitudinally through the tank along the lower horizontal stretch of travel of the rakes;
- a normally submerged, carcass entry ramp adjacent the loading end of the tank leading downwardly from the open top of the tank and forwardly with respect to the normal direction of travel of carcasses through the tank,
- said ramp being disposed to cause the rakes to sweep downwardly and forwardly along the ramp in close proximity thereto as the rakes move along their one arcuate stretch of travel and enter their lower horizontal stretch of travel;
- and
- a loader at said loading end of the tank generally above the latter and having an inlet positioned adjacent the conveyor to admit carcasses into the tank along said ramp for interception by the moving rakes and advancement toward the discharge end of the tank,
- said loader including a normally open gate at said inlet operable in timed relationship with the conveyor for temporarily closing the inlet during each successive movement of a rake around its one arcuate stretch of travel into the vicinity of the inlet and for reopening the inlet as the rake moves beyond the inlet into its lower horizontal stretch of travel, whereby to permit loading of the carcasses into the tank from the loading end thereof generally in the direction of longitudinal advancement of the carcasses through the tank without damaging the carcases during interception and engagement thereof by the moving rakes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.