Apparatus for transferring poultry carcasses

An apparatus for transferring poultry carcasses suspended from shackles from a first overhead conveyor to a second overhead conveyor, comprising:

• a transfer wheel having a perimeter rotatable about a vertical axis for positioning between the first and the second overhead conveyors,
• said transfer wheel being provided with carcass holders at the perimeter of the transfer wheel that are movable with the transfer wheel and revolve about the vertical axis of the transfer wheel, said carcass holders being rotatable with respect to said transfer wheel,
• holder orientation means operatively associated with said transfer wheel configured for rotating the carcass holders with respect to the transfer wheel and for equalizing the rotational orientation of the carcass holders from receipt of the carcasses on the transfer wheel to the discharge of the carcasses from the transfer wheel, the initial rotational orientation and the final rotational orientation of the carcasses being identical relative to the first overhead conveyor and to the second overhead conveyor,
• the transfer wheel being connected to a vertical shaft in a rotatably fixed manner, the shaft being rotatable about the vertical axis, the first orientation means comprising a first driving disc provided on the first holder, a second driving disc placed loosely on the shaft but retained in spacial orientation, and a driving belt or driving chain running circumferentially about both said first and second driving discs.

An apparatus for transferring poultry carcasses suspended from shackles from a first overhead conveyor to a second overhead conveyor, comprising:

• a transfer wheel having a perimeter rotatable about a vertical axis for positioning between the first and the second overhead conveyors,
• said transfer wheel being provided with carcass holders at the perimeter of the transfer wheel that are movable with the transfer wheel and revolve about the vertical axis of the transfer wheel, said carcass holders being rotatable with respect to said transfer wheel,
• holder orientation means operatively associated with said transfer wheel configured for rotating the carcass holders with respect to the transfer wheel and for equalizing the rotational orientation of the carcass holders from receipt of the carcasses on the transfer wheel to the discharge of the carcasses from the transfer wheel, the initial rotational orientation and the final rotational orientation of the carcasses being identical relative to the first overhead conveyor,
• the orientation means comprising the first orientation means for orienting a first of the holders, and second orientation means for orienting others of the holders, which second orientation means are operated by the first orientation means, and
• the second orientation means comprising a first toothed wheel that is attached to the first holder in a rotably fixed manner, a central toothed wheel freely rotatable on a shaft and driven by the first toothed wheel, and second toothed wheels each attached in a rotably fixed manner to the other holders, which second toothed wheels are in driven engagement with the central toothed wheel.

An apparatus for transferring poultry carcasses from a first overhead conveyor to a second overhead conveyor, comprising:

• a transfer wheel rotatable about a shaft and having a perimeter, said transfer wheel disposed between the first and the second overhead conveyors;
• a carcass receipt point and a carcass discharge point, the carcass receipt point being disposed between the first overhead conveyor and the transfer wheel, the carcass discharge point being disposed between the transfer wheel and the second overhead conveyor;
• a plurality of holders, each holder being rotatably mounted on said transfer wheel at the perimeter of the transfer wheel and configured to receive one of the carcasses from the first overhead conveyor at the carcass receipt point and to discharge the carcass to the second overhead conveyor at the carcass discharge point;
• and
• holder orientation means responsive to the continuous rotation of said transfer wheel for continuously rotating said holders in unison with respect to said transfer wheel;
• said holder orientation means configured so that each carcass received by a holder maintains its rotational orientation as received at the carcass receipt point continuously until delivered to the carcass discharge point.