Abstract: Apparatus for fileting breast meat and removing tenders and wings from a front poultry section includes two pairs of rotary cutters which are mounted for swining movement in front of the path of the poultry carcass which is carried on a mandrel. The two pairs of rotary cutters provide slightly overlapping cuts to partially sever the connection between the wings and the carcass at precise locations consistent from bird to bird. Downstream of the rotary cutters, two pairs of depending peeling fingers incremently slice through connections between the tenders and the sternum and a pair of wiping elements mounted for pivotal movement swing inwardly around the severed shoulder joint to firmly engage the carcass and peel away the remaining connections and the tenders and the sternum.

Abstract: A chiller has a series of moving rakes for advancing poultry carcasses through a tank of chilling liquid for cooling the carcasses down to an acceptable temperature. The chiller includes a loader which permits loading of the carcasses into an end of the tank without subsequent damages to the carcasses by the rakes. The loader includes a gate which is biased open for permitting feeding of the carcasses through an inlet and onto a ramp in the loading end of the tank when the rakes are remote from the inlet, and is closed as the rakes approach the inlet so as to prevent pinching of the carcasses between the rakes and the ramp.

Abstract: With manual labor reduced to but two loaders for a high output, cut-up machine for lowering labor costs in poultry processing plants, a series of equally spaced, bird-receiving, block-like heads, swingable on elongated, upright carriers, and advanced continuously along an elliptical path by a conveyor past seven, spaced-apart, constantly rotating blades to automatically and consistently provide successive, precision severances of the keel, the wings and the legs, as well as split and quarter the broilers into at least nine high quality pieces ready for packaging of the fast food product into one or more chickens per bag. The carriers span the distance between the arc connected to upper and lower, power driven conveyor chains. Swinging of the roller-equipped heads and actuation of components on the heads for supporting and stretching the birds thereon are effected solely, and throughout each cycle of advancement, by a number of elongated, stationary, roller-engaging, rod-like controllers.

Abstract: The two spindle machine has an innermost, elongated, vent-entering probe associated with one spindle and an elongated, cylindrical cutter associated with a second spindle concentrically receiving the probe. The probe may be telescoped into and out of the open end of the cutter, the latter having notched cutting teeth at the lower end thereof, so that, when extended, the probe and an enlargement at the lower end of the probe may be inserted into the vent opening. When the probe is partially retracted up into the cutter, cooperating, close-fitting surfaces between the latter and the probe grip the intestine and retain the same as the cutter is then rotated to sever the skin surrounding the vent; whereupon the probe and the cutter may be withdrawn together to likewise partially withdraw the intestine from the carcass.

Abstract: In the evisceration of poultry a special, slender tool is guided into the body cavity of the bird through an opening at the vent. A small diameter connection between the crop and the stomach is hooked by a finger on one end of the tool which swings into gathering relation to such connection after insertion is complete. The hook-like finger brings the viscera connection against a post, rigid to the tool adjacent the finger, all without any squeezing, pinching or clamping or other damaging action. The connection is draped over the bight of the finger and between a pair of anti-slippoff abutments such that the fold-over, wrap-around wrapping action effectively captures the connection before the pull-out motion commences. The swinging return of the finger to its normal position, for release of the viscera package, takes place only after the tool, including its guide, its post and its finger are outside the body cavity.

Abstract: In the processing of poultry, the heads are separately and individually pulled downwardly along a vertical path during continuous advancement to automatically separate the heads from the necks at the jaw bone and at the base of the skull, salvaging all of the edible neck skin, while at the same time, removing certain inedible organs from within the body by pulling the same straight down through the vertical neck without separation of the head from either the esophagus or the trachea.

Abstract: In the course of the mechanized eviscerating procedure, the viscera-removing tool is introduced into the body cavity of a carcass in an entry stroke through an opening at the stern of the carcass. The tool moves arcuately along the breast of the carcass during the entry stroke, and substantially at the full innermost limit of the entry stroke of the tool, the carcass is lifted by its shoulders upwardly against the lowermost tip of the tool to locate the latter substantially at the intersection of the neck and the shoulders within the body cavity. Simultaneously with this action, the neck of the carcass is cocked abruptly toward the breast side of the carcass to maximize the depth of insertion of the tool into the body cavity.

Abstract: In a machine for use in poultry processing plants, a succession of birds, suspended by their legs from an overhead conveyor, are advanced through a zone of arcuate movement in conjunction with a horizontal rotor so constructed that each bird is separately handled and individually controlled until a cut is effected into its neck sufficient to sever at least one blood vessel, causing the bird to bleed to death, all without decapitation. In the killing method, as the necks are guided horizontally along the arcuate path, the head and the neck are simultaneously captured adjacent and below the precise area where cutting is to take place at the skull. At the same time, the neck is captured near the bird's body and is stretched during rotation with the rotor while the head is held against ascent such that little, if any, neck skin remains attached to the skull along the slice that is produced by the cutter.

Abstract: The machine has two laterally separated banks of pickers located on opposite sides of the path of travel of poultry carcasses conveyed through the machine. Each bank includes three horizontally extending lines of rotary pickers set in spaced opposition to the corresponding lines of pickers on the opposite bank so as to define a picking zone therebetween. The two banks may be rocked about a pair of respective horizontal axes extending parallel to the path of travel so as to adjust the shape of the picking zone to the extent needed for optimum performance, i.e., rocking the banks inwardly toward one another at their upper corners correspondingly brings the upper pickers closer together while separating the lower pickers and, on the other hand, rocking the banks toward one another at their lower corners causes the lower pickers to be brought closer to one another while the upper pickers are spaced further apart.

Abstract: A rotary picking unit has its drive shaft journaled by bearings that must be sealed against exposure to moisture and the escape of lubricant. A housing which contains the bearings is fitted at its open end with an annular seal that is disposed outwardly adjacent the bearings in surrounding, sealing relationship with the shaft which projects outwardly from the housing and carries feather picking means at its outer end. A close fitting sleeve, preferably of a synthetic resinous material, surrounds that portion of the shaft projecting outwardly from the seal and is held stationary during rotation of the shaft within the sleeve so as to keep feathers, grit and grime from working along the shaft and deteriorating the interface between the shaft and the seal. The stationary sleeve bears against the backside of a rotating disc of the picking means and has a beveled outer end so that only a thin, knife edge of the sleeve actually makes contact with the disc.