Method and apparatus for declawing poultry
AssigneeNova-Tech Engineering, Inc.
InventorMarc S. Gorans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of declawing poultry by applying a form of heat to the claws of a one-day old poult. The preferred form of heat is microwave energy, which is applied for one-half second. After such a bloodless and relatively painless treatment, the claws fall off in one to three weeks. Declawing apparatus including a magnetron supplying microwave energy into a waveguide into which a poult's toes are inserted by conveyer which carries the poult in inverted position by shackles from which the poult is suspended in inverted position.
Claims49
A method of processing live poults, comprising treating a portion of the germinal bed tissue of a toe with heat to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw from said tissue.
A method of processing live poults, comprising treating a portion of a toe with heat to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw from the toe.
A method of processing live poults, comprising exposing a portion of a toe to a heat media reactive with a portion of the germinal bed tissue to inhibit claw growth therefrom.
A method of processing live poults, comprising exposing a portion of a toe to a penetrating heat media reactive with a portion of the germinal bed tissue to inhibit claw growth therefrom.
A method of processing live poults, comprising treating a portion of a toe with heat to induce deterioration of a portion of the claw.
A method of processing live poults, comprising treating, without wounding, a portion of a toe with heat to induce deterioration of a portion of the claw.
A method of processing live poults, comprising exposing a portion of a toe to a heat media reactive with a portion of the toe to induce deterioration and separation of a portion of the claw from the toe.
A method of processing live poults, comprising killing a portion of the germinal bed tissue from which the claw grows with heat.
A method of processing live poults, comprising heating a portion of the poult's toe to kill a portion of the germinal bed tissue from which the claw grows.
A method of processing live poults, comprising heating of a portion of a poult's toe to cause at least a portion of the claw to fall away.
A method of processing live poults, comprising exposing a portion of a claw of the poult to microwave energy to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw.
A method of processing live poults, comprising exposing a portion of the claw and a portion of the germinal bed tissue from which the claw grows, the microwave energy to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw.
A method of processing live poults, comprising embracing a portion of the claw and a portion of the toe from which the claw grows, with microwave energy to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw.
A method of processing live poults, the poults having claws on their toes, the method comprising the step of removing at least a portion of a claw from one of the toes with heat.
A method of processing live poults, the poults having claws which grow from germinal bed tissue, the method comprising the step of declawing the poults by killing a portion of the germinal bed tissue from which the claw grows.
A method of preparing live poults for treatments comprising suspending the poult in an inverted position with the head of the poult hanging downwardly to quiet the poult to render the poult easier to treat, a claw of the poult being exposed to microwave energy while the poult is suspended in the inverted position to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw.
In the art of handling a live poult for veterinary treatment, the method comprising the step of suspending the poult from its legs in an inverted position to quiet the poult to render the poult easier to treat, the method further comprising the step of exposing a claw of the poult to microwave energy to at least partially inhibit growth of the claw.
Declawing apparatus for applying microwave energy onto the toes and claws of a live poult, comprising:
- a waveguide portion to which microwave energy is supplied, the waveguide portion comprising a closed chamber into which microwaves are emanated, the waveguide portion having a wall portion with a plurality of apertures therein through which toes of the poult extend for locating the claws in the chamber.
Declawing apparatus for processing live poults in the removal of claws, comprising:
- grasping means for suspending a poult in inverted position from its legs, and
- microwave apparatus adjacent to the grasping means and comprising a waveguide portion comprising a panel portion with apertures therein receiving the toes and claws of the inverted poult, the waveguide portion also comprising a chamber adjacent said panel portion into which the toes and claws extend for exposure to the microwave energy.
Apparatus for processing a live poult comprising:
- grasping means removably attachable to the legs of the poult and suspending the poult in inverted position to quiet the poult to render the poult easier to treat, and treating means performing a veterinary treatment of one of the toes of the poult while the poult is suspended in inverted position.
A microwave apparatus for de-clawing a live poult by the application of microwave energy onto at least one claw of the poult, the microwave apparatus comprising:
- a frame assembly,
- a magnetron on the frame assembly for generating microwaves,
- a waveguide portion on the frame assembly and into which microwaves are supplied, the waveguide portion comprising a closed chamber into which microwaves are emanated and also comprising a wall portion with at least one aperture therein through which the claw of the poult extends for locating the claw in the chamber, and
- sensing means adjacent the waveguide for locating v, the position of the claw relative to the waveguide to determine whether the claw is sufficiently positioned for treatment with microwaves.
A microwave apparatus for de-clawing a live poult by the application of microwave energy onto at least one claw of the poult, the microwave apparatus comprising:
- a frame assembly,
- a magnetron on the frame assembly for generating microwaves,
- a waveguide on the assembly end to which microwaves are supplied, the waveguide comprising a closed chamber into which microwaves are emanated, a portion of the waveguide having a wall portion with at least one aperture therein through which the claw of the poult extends for locating the claw in the chamber,
- conveying means on the frame assembly for moving the poult and claw to the waveguide, the conveying means comprising a grasping means for grasping the poult,
- a source of vacuum air pressure connected into the chamber and causing the claw to be drawn through the aperture, and
- sensing means adjacent the waveguide for sensing the position of the claw relative to the waveguide.
In the art of processing live poults, the method of inhibiting the growth of a claw of a live poult, the claw having germinal bed tissue, the method comprising the step of treating a portion of the claw with a penetrating media which is reactive with said germinal bed tissue of the claw to inhibit growth of the claw of the live poult.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.