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US 7,465,224 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for removing feathers from a segmented wing
AssigneeTyson Foods, Inc.
InventorWilliam D. Royall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method utilizing multiple tiers of pinch rollers that are vertically stacked one beneath the other, where each tier is designed to receive a wing portion and convey the wing portion from one start end of the roller pair to the distal opposing exit end along the line of engagement of the roller pair. The apparatus is designed with channeling chutes proximately adjacent each exit end for each roller pair tier. The channeling chute is position to receive the wing portion as it falls off the exit end and further has a vertically oriented channel to direct the falling wing to engage the start end of the roller pair below.
Claims25
An apparatus for removing the feathers from a wing tip of a segmented wing portion comprising:
- a frame having a powered drive mechanism mounted thereon;
- an uppermost pinch roller including an upper left roller and upper right roller each rotateably engaged to the drive mechanism operable to drive each of the upper left and upper right rollers inwardly and oppositely with respect to the other and each of the upper left and upper right rollers having upper left and upper right helical threads respectively where each of the upper left and upper right threads spirally advance from an upper start end to a upper exit end distal with respect to the upper start end for advancing a segmented wing portion from the upper start end to the upper exit end and along a upper line of engagement between the upper left and upper right rollers and capturing any feathers;
- and
- a lower pinch roller aligned vertically below the uppermost pinch roller, said lower pinch roller including a lower left roller and a lower right roller each rotateably engaged to the drive mechanism operable to drive each of the lower left and lower right rollers inwardly and oppositely with respect to the other and each of the lower left and lower right rollers having lower left and lower right helical threads respectively where each of said lower left and lower right threads advance from a lower start end to a lower exit end distal with respect to the lower start end for advancing the segmented wing portion from the lower start end to the lower exit end and along a lower line of engagement between lower left and lower right rollers and capturing any feathers,
- where the lower start end and the lower exit end are vertically aligned beneath the upper exit end and the upper start end respectively.
2 more elements
A method for removing the feathers from a wing tip of a segmented wing portion comprising the steps of:
- providing an uppermost pinch roller having an upper left and an upper right roller having upper left and upper right helical threads respectively where each of the upper left and upper right helical threads spirally advance from an upper start end to a upper exit end distal with respect to the upper start end;
- rotating inwardly and oppositely with respect to the other the upper left roller and the upper right roller of the uppermost pinch roller with a drive mechanism operable to drive each of the upper left and upper right rollers;
- advancing and engaging a segmented wing portion from the upper start end to the upper exit end and along a upper line of engagement between the upper left and upper right rollers;
- capturing and pulling feathers attached to the segmented wing portion between the upper left and upper right rollers;
- providing a lower pinch roller aligned vertically below the uppermost pinch roller, said lower pinch roller including a lower left roller and a lower right roller and vertically aligning the lower start end and the lower exit end beneath the upper exit end and the upper start end respectively;
- rotating inwardly and oppositely one with respect to the other the lower left and lower right rollers with a drive mechanism operable to drive each of the lower left and lower right rollers having lower left and lower right helical threads respectively where each of said lower left and lower right helical threads spirally advance from a lower start end to a lower exit end distal with respect to the lower start end;
- channeling the segmented wing from the upper exit end to the lower start end;
- advancing the segmented wing portion from the lower start end to the lower exit end and along a lower line of engagement between lower left and lower right rollers;
- and
- capturing and pulling feathers attached to the segmented wing portion between the lower left and lower right rollers.
7 more elements
A method for removing feathers from a wing tip of a segmented wing portion comprising the steps of:
- passing a segmented wing portion over a plurality of pinch rollers along their respective lines of engagement including the steps of sequentially passing the segmented wing portion over an upper most pinch roller, a lower pinch roller and a lowermost pinch roller and sequentially dropping the segmented wing portion to engage the upper most pinch roller, the lower pinch roller and the lowermost pinch roller.
An apparatus for removing feathers from a wing tip of a segmented wing portion comprising:
- a feather picking assembly having a plurality of tiered pinch rollers each sequentially tiered from an uppermost pinch roller to a lowermost pinch roller and vertically aligned below a feed conveyor position above the feather picking assembly and operable to feed segmented wing portions into the feather picking assembly thereby engaging the uppermost pinch roller, where each pinch roller tier below the uppermost pinch roller has an entrance end vertically aligned below the exit end of the tier immediately above;
- and
- a separate chute positioned between each pinch roller tier that is below the uppermost pinch roller and the pinch roller tier immediately above, where the separate chute extends between the entrance end of each pinch roller tier that is below the uppermost pinch roller and the exit end of the pinch roller tier immediately above.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.