On-line thigh deboner
OwnerJacobus E. Hazenbroekinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically stripping the meat from the bones of a poultry part. The deboner (11) carries a plurality of deboning modules (12) along a processing path. Each deboning module (12) includes a rotary bone holder (38) for supporting the poultry part and a stripper assembly (41) for stripping the meat from the bone. The stripper assembly (41) has stripper blades (62) which engage the meat on the bone and strip the meat from the bone as the stripper assembly (41) moves along the length of the bone. As the blades (62) strip the meat from the bone, the rotary bone holder (38) can be rotated to thus rotate the bone with respect to the meat to assist in the meat removal.
Claims23
A method of deboning poultry thighs while connected to their legs, comprising the steps of:
- moving connected legs and thighs in spaced series along a processing path with the connected legs and thighs in an inverted attitude;
- cutting into the meat between the leg and thigh as each connected leg and thigh moves along the processing path;
- engaging the meat at the cut formed in the meat between the leg and thigh with a meat stripping means, moving the meat stripping means and the thigh bone with respect to each other so that the meat stripping means passes along the length of the thigh bone away from the leg and strips the meat from the thigh bone;
- and
- separating the thigh bone from the leg bone.
An apparatus for removing the meat from an elongated thigh bone of a poultry part or the like while the thigh bone remains connected to the leg bone of the poultry part, comprising:
- a support system;
- a plurality of deboning modules mounted in spaced relationship with respect to one another on said support system, with each of said deboning modules including a bone holder for supporting a poultry leg and a pair of stripper blades for removing the meat of a poultry thigh;
- power means for revolving said support system to move said deboning modules mounted thereon in series along a continuous processing path;
- a cutting means positioned along said processing path for creating a guide incision in the meat on the thigh bone at the knuckle of the thigh bone closest to the leg bone;
- a first cam means for moving said stripper blades upwardly and downwardly toward and away from said bone holder in response to said deboning module revolving about the processing path;
- a second cam means for moving said stripper blades toward and away from each other from an open position spaced away from the poultry part to a closed position engaging the meat on the thigh bone of the poultry part in response to the said deboning module revolving about the processing path;
- and
- whereby said stripper blades engage the thigh of the poultry part and strip the thigh meat in a downward direction from the thigh bone as said deboning module moves along the processing path.
An apparatus for removing the meat from the thigh bone of a poultry part or the like while the thigh remains connected to a leg of the poultry part, comprising:
- a support system;
- a plurality of holders mounted upon said support system, each of said holders constructed and arranged for supporting a leg of a poultry part with its thigh extending from the leg;
- a power means for moving said holders and the poultry parts supported thereby in sequence along a processing path;
- a meat removal means for removing the meat from the thigh bone in response to the poultry parts being moved along the processing path;
- and
- a separating means for separating the connected legs and thigh bones of the poultry parts.
A method of removing the meat from thighs of poultry parts while the thighs remain connected -to their legs, comprising the steps of:
- supporting the leg with the thighs extending from the legs;
- moving the legs and thighs in spaced series along a processing path;
- as each poultry part is moved along the processing path, engaging the thigh with a meat removal means and progressively moving the meat of the thigh along the length of the thigh bone with the meat removal means until the meat is substantially removed from the thigh bone;
- and
- separating the thigh bone and the leg bone after the meat has been removed from the thigh bone.
A method of removing meat from thighs of poultry parts while the thighs remain connected to their legs comprising the steps of:
- supporting the poultry parts by the legs with the thighs extending from the legs;
- moving the legs and thighs in series along a processing path;
- and
- as each poultry part moves along the processing path, moving the meat of the thigh along the length of the thigh bone until the meat is substantially removed from the thigh bone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.