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US 9,414,607 B2Granted
Automated poultry hanging system and method
OwnerGrover S. Harben, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to automated systems and methods for hanging live poultry for further processing. The system has an alignment conveyor, an alignment stunner, a hanging box, and a shackle. The alignment conveyor conveys poultry from an input point to the alignment stunner. The alignment stunner urges the poultry to move to a desired position on the alignment conveyor and stuns the poultry. The hanging box grasps the stunned poultry and places the poultry into the shackle for further processing. A computer and at least one sensor control operation of the system so that human intervention is minimized.
Claims20
An automated system for hanging poultry, comprising:
- an alignment conveyor having an upper surface positioned in an alignment conveyor plane and movable in an alignment conveyor direction, wherein the alignment conveyor comprises at least one alignment box positioned on an upper surface of the alignment conveyor that is configured to receive poultry, wherein the alignment box comprises a first portion and a separate second portion that form an enclosure defining a side opening;
- a hanging box configured to immobilize the poultry and movable in the alignment conveyor direction, the hanging box comprising a lower surface, a pair of opposed sides, and a rear wall defining a rear wall aperture, wherein the hanging box has a hanging box axis that is substantially coaxially aligned with an alignment box axis for a predetermined amount of time as the alignment box and hanging box travel in the alignment conveyor direction;
- an alignment stunner comprising a fluid source that provides a stream of fluid, the alignment stunner configured for urging the poultry from the enclosure of the at least one alignment box through the side opening and to the hanging box;
- and
- a shackle configured to grasp a portion of the poultry, the shackle being positioned in a picking line configured to carry the grasped poultry for further processing, wherein the hanging box positions the poultry into the shackle.
2 more elements
A method for hanging poultry in a shackle automatically, comprising:
- providing an endless alignment conveyor having an upper surface positioned in an alignment conveyor plane and movable in an alignment conveyor direction, wherein the alignment conveyor comprises at least one alignment box configured to receive poultry that defines a side opening, and wherein the at least one alignment box is attached to the upper surface of the alignment conveyor;
- providing a hanging box configured to immobilize the poultry and movable in the alignment conveyor direction, the hanging box comprising a lower surface, a pair of opposed sides, and a rear wall, wherein the hanging box is rotatable about and between a first box position, in which the lower surface of the hanging box is substantially parallel to the plane of the alignment conveyor, and a second box position, in which the lower surface of the hanging box is at an acute angle relative to the plane of the alignment conveyor;
- providing an alignment stunner for urging the poultry from the at least one alignment box through the side opening and to the hanging box, the alignment stunner defining at least one fluid opening in fluid communication with a fluid source that is configured to direct at least a first stream of fluid in a desired direction towards the upper surface of the alignment conveyor;
- providing a shackle configured to grasp a portion of the poultry, the shackle being positioned in a picking line configured to carry the grasped poultry for further processing;
- inserting poultry into the at least one alignment box;
- and
- activating the alignment conveyor such that the alignment conveyor conveys the poultry to the alignment stunner, wherein the alignment stunner urges the poultry from the at least one alignment box through the side opening and to the hanging box when the hanging box is positioned above at least a portion of the upper surface of the alignment conveyor, and wherein the hanging box contacts the poultry and inserts the poultry into the shackle as the hanging box moves from the second box position to the first box position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.