Automated poultry hanging system and method
OwnerGrover S. Harben, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
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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, a vacuum system 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:
- at least one hanging box configured to immobilize the poultry and movable in a conveyor direction, the at least one hanging box comprising a lower surface, a pair of opposed sides, and a rear wall defining a rear wall aperture;
- an alignment stunner comprising a fluid source that provides a stream of fluid, the alignment stunner configured for urging the poultry toward the rear wall of the at least one hanging box;
- a vacuum system comprising at least a vacuum pump and a vacuum slot, wherein a portion of the vacuum slot is positioned adjacent to the rear wall of the at least one hanging box, and wherein the vacuum system exerts a vacuum force through the rear wall aperture to urge a portion of the poultry toward the rear wall aperture;
- 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.
A method for hanging poultry in a shackle automatically, comprising:
- providing a hanging box configured to immobilize the poultry and movable in a conveyor direction, the hanging box comprising a lower surface, a pair of opposed sides, and a rear wall;
- providing an alignment stunner for urging the poultry toward the rear wall of 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 vacuum system comprising at least a vacuum pump and a vacuum slot, wherein a portion of the vacuum slot is positioned adjacent to the rear wall of the hanging box, and wherein the vacuum system exerts a vacuum force through the rear wall aperture to urge a portion of the poultry toward the rear wall aperture;
- 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 hanging box;
- and
- activating the hanging box such that the hanging box conveys the poultry to the alignment stunner, wherein the alignment stunner urges the poultry toward the rear wall of the hanging box, wherein the vacuum system urges a portion of the poultry through the rear wall aperture, and wherein the hanging box contacts the poultry and inserts the poultry into the shackle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.