Animal evisceration

Abstract

A process of eviscerating an inverted animal carcass (10) inclined at 35.degree. to 40.degree. includes pushing the viscera (30) comprising both the thoracic viscera (31) and abdominal viscera (32) in a direction (B) from the cranial end (11) of the carcass (10) towards the caudal end (12) so as to pass between the hind legs (13) and fall from the carcass. Connecting tissues including the aorta (35) and external iliac arteries (36) are partially severed prior to pushing the viscera from the carcass so that the viscera detaches completely from the carcass after being pushed between the hind legs (13). The diaphragm (25) may be pierced at its periphery so that the force of the pushing operation causes the diaphragm to tear around its peripheral edges from the walls of the thoracic cavity. The pubic symphysis (60) is split before the pushing operation whereby the viscera (30) can pass both above and below and through the split in the pubic symphysis (60). Alternatively, the pubic symphysis ( 60) need not be split prior to the pushing operation whereby the viscera (30) travels over the pubic symphysis (60). A pushing member (41) commences to push on the thoracic viscera (31) at about the fifth rib and travels at 0.5 to 0.6 meters per second.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.