Selective tendon cutter and method

Abstract

A method is disclosed for cutting tendons within the drumstick of a poultry leg while leaving the fibula of the drumstick intact. The drumstick has first and second opposing sides where no fibula extends and opposing third and fourth sides along one of which the fibula extends. The method includes suspending the drumstick from its ankle joint, moving the suspended drumstick in a downstream processing direction, cutting the meat and tendons extending along the first side of the drumstick, cutting the meat and tendons extending along the second side of the drumstick, pushing and stretching the meat and tendons of the drumstick to form a bulge projecting in the direction of the third side of the drumstick, cutting through the meat and tendons within the bulge while insuring that the cut is not made completely to the tibia, orienting the suspended drumstick so that its fourth side faces in the direction of a knife blade, pushing and stretching the meat and tendons of the drumstick to form a bulge projecting in the direction of the fourth side of the drumstick, and cutting through the meat and tendons within the bulge while insuring that the cut is not made completely to the tibia. An apparatus for carrying out the method also is disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.