Method and apparatus for dividing a package removed from a bird
AssigneeMachinefabriek Meyn B.V.
InventorCornelis Meyn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a method and apparatus for dividing a package removed from a bird, which may include intestines, liver and heart with lungs, into separate parts. Using the method and apparatus, firstly the heart-lungs assembly is cut loose from the package, whereafter the intestines and liver are separated. For cutting loose the heart-lungs assembly, a cutting means positioned alongside a conveyor for the package may be applied, whereas the separation of the intestines and liver may be carried out through a separating means cooperating with the conveyor. As the conveyor, a rotating disc with reception slots for the packages may be considered. In the alternative, a chain conveyor comprising carriers with reception slots is also possible.
Claims16
An apparatus for dividing the package removed from a bird, the package including intestines, liver, and heart with lungs, said apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor having a first side and a second side, said conveyor including clamping means defined therein for receiving and clamping the package so that the intestines are located at said first side and the liver and the heart with lungs are located at said second side;
- a guide device disposed alongside said second side of said conveyor, said guide device configured to separate the heart with lungs and the liver as the package is conveyed thereby;
- a cutting device operably disposed adjacent said conveyor, said cutting device configured for cutting loose the heart with lungs from the package;
- and
- a first separating device operably configured on each side of said conveyor for detaching the intestines from the liver as the package is conveyed therethrough.
An apparatus for dividing the package removed from a bird, the package including intestines, liver, and heart with lungs, said apparatus comprising:
- a generally circular rotating conveyor, said conveyor including a plurality of package receiving positions disposed along the radial edge thereof, said receiving positions configured to carry packages so that the intestine is on one side of said conveyor and the liver and heart with lungs are on the other side of said conveyor;
- a cutting device disposed along at least a portion of the radial edge of said conveyor, said cutting device configured to cut the heart with lungs loose from the package;
- and
- a separating device disposed on opposite sides of said conveyor along at least a portion of the radial edge of said conveyor, said separating device configured to tear the intestine from the liver.
A method for separating the package removed from a bird into its separate components, the package including intestines, liver, and heart with lungs, said method comprising the steps of:
- clamping the package into a predetermined position on a conveyor so that the intestines are on one side of the conveyor and liver and heart with lungs are on the other side of the conveyor;
- conveying the clamped package past a guide device and separating the heart with lungs from the liver with the guide device;
- cutting the heart with lungs away from the liver with a cutting device operably downstream from the guide;
- and
- conveying the clamped package to a first separating device which is disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor and detaching the intestines from the liver by passing the membrane connecting the intestines with the liver through the separating device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.