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US 6,283,848 B1Granted
Poultry foot harvester and method
OwnerAllan Todd Berryinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for harvesting the feet from poultry foot and leg parts including positioning means for positioning the a known feature of the foot and leg part at a prescribed location and severing means for severing the leg of the foot and leg part at a prescribed distance from said prescribed location to recover the foot.
Claims14
Poultry foot harvesting apparatus for removing the feet from poultry foot and leg parts having the hock knuckle thereon comprising:
- a) positioning means comprising:
- a1) a pair of spaced apart guide bars defining a prescribed space therebetween, said prescribed space larger than the poultry leg between the hock knuckle and foot but smaller than the hock knuckle so that the hock knuckle will engage said guide members when the hock knuckle is forced toward said guide bars while the poultry leg is positioned in said prescribed space between said guide bars to locate the hock knuckle in a first prescribed location, and
- a2) foot engaging means including a pair of brush assemblies constructed and arranged to engage the feet of the poultry while the hock knuckles are engaged by said guide bars;
- and means for rotating said brush assemblies to force the poultry feet away from said guide bars and maintain the hock knuckle in said first prescribed location against said guide bars;
- and
- b) foot cutoff means for severing the leg a prescribed distance from said first prescribed location to recover the foot.
3 more elements
Poultry foot harvesting apparatus for removing the feet from poultry foot and leg parts carried in shackles by an overhead conveyor comprising:
- a) a pair of elongate brush assemblies oriented parallel to each other and adapted to frictionally engage the feet of the foot and leg parts carried by the shackles;
- and means for rotating said brush assemblies so as to exert a force on the foot and leg part to force the hock knuckle on the leg toward the shackle and the foot away from the shackle;
- and
- b) means for severing the leg between the shackle and hock knuckle so that the foot and leg part is inherently unloaded from the shackle when the leg is severed, said means for severing the leg located intermediate the length of said brush assemblies so that said brush assemblies remove the skin from the foot and leg part before the leg is severed and pull that portion of the leg attached to the foot after the leg is severed out of the shackle to unload the shackle.
1 more element
Poultry foot harvesting apparatus for removing the feet from poultry foot and leg parts carried in shackles by an overhead conveyor comprising:
- a) first means for exerting a force on each poultry foot and leg part carried by the shackles so as to force the hock knuckle on the leg toward the shackle and the foot away from the shackle;
- b) second means for severing the leg between the shackle and hock knuckle so that the foot and leg part is inherently unloaded from the shackle when the leg is severed;
- and
- c) third means for engaging the hock knuckle in opposition to first means so that said third means holds the hock knuckle in a prescribed location independently of the position of the shackle relative to the foot and leg part as said force is exerted on the foot and leg part by said first means, said second means severing the leg portion a prescribed distance from said prescribed location.
1 more element
A method of harvesting the feet from the leg and foot parts of poultry comprising the steps of:
- a) successively conveying each foot and leg part along a prescribed processing path while supported in shackles of an overhead conveyor;
- b) captivating each foot and leg part between a pair of guide bars located laterally of said prescribed processing path so that that portion of the leg between the shackle and hock knuckle freely passes between the guide bars while the hock knuckle on each foot and leg part is prevented from passing between said guide bars as each foot and leg part is conveyed along the processing path;
- c) engaging the foot of each foot and leg part between a pair of brush assemblies rotating about axes generally parallel to the processing path so that the bristles of said brush assemblies urge the foot away from said guide bars and the hock knuckle up against said guide bars as the foot and leg part is moved along the processing path to effectively position the leg and foot part laterally of the processing path independently of the shackle;
- and
- d) while the foot and leg part is held between the guide bars and the brush assemblies, severing the leg a prescribed distance from the guide bars and between the guide bars and the shackle to separate the foot from the poultry foot and leg part.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.