Tunnel
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsKeith Nicholson, Cedric Hanson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tunnel for the in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked poultry carcasses (or other animal carcasses) with a liquid cryogen or a cold gas at a temperature of less than 0° C. has an entrance and an exit for the poultry carcasses. A continuous slot is formed in a roof of the tunnel and extends from the entrance to the exit. Poultry suspension shackles are able to pass through the slot. Thus, poultry carcasses are able to be conveyed through the tunnel. The slot follows a path which reverses direction at least once.
Claims22
A tunnel for in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked animal carcasses with a fluid selected from at least one of a cryogenic liquid and a cold gas at a temperature below 0° C., comprising:
- an entrance and an exit for the carcasses, and
- a continuous slot in a roof of the tunnel extending from the entrance to the exit, the continuous slot sized and shaped to receive carcass suspension shackles to pass therethrough and be arranged in a path which reverses direction at least once,
- wherein said tunnel is disposed at least partially within a chiller of an animal processing plant.
An apparatus for handling animal carcasses, comprising:
- a tunnel for in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked animal carcasses with a fluid selected from at least one of a cryogenic liquid and a cold gas at a temperature below 0° C., the tunnel comprising:
- an entrance and an exit for the carcasses,
- a continuous slot in a roof of the tunnel extending from the entrance to the exit, the continuous slot sized and shaped to receive carcass suspension shackles to pass therethrough and be arranged in a path which reverses direction at least once, and
- an overhead conveyor connected to said carcass suspension shackles, the overhead conveyor arranged to follow another path corresponding to the path of the slot in the roof of the tunnel,
- wherein said tunnel is disposed at least partially within a chiller of an animal processing plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.