Abstract: A removable seed deflector for a bird feeder is disclosed that can be installed into the bottom open bottom end and a side wall of the bird feeder. A base member interfittingly engages the bottom end of the tubular body member. The base member includes at least one aperture defining at least one seat, respectively. The base member is releasably secured to the tubular body member of a feeder. A seed deflector is releasably secured to the base member and includes at least one downwardly depending leg that releasably engages with the seats, respectively, in the base member.

Abstract: A receiver for an animal training system which includes a stimulation unit for providing at least one stimulus having a quantity of energy pulses and a stimulus pulse width; and a controller connected to the stimulation unit. The controller receives at least one transmitted signal and assigns amplitude information and rate information to at least one correction signal. The stimulation unit receives the at least one correction signal and outputs a corresponding stimulus having the quantity of energy pulses corresponding to the rate information. The stimulus has the stimulus pulse width corresponding to the amplitude information.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and associated devices for rucking sleeves of covering material onto a chute body include a plurality of spaced apart rotatable wheels having a primary axis of movement, wherein, in operation, the plurality of wheels have an automated stroke cycle whereby each is configured to travel inwardly a distance sufficient to snugly abut an outer surface of a chute body and remain in contact with the chute body while the wheels travel in a first direction about the primary axis of movement and in an opposing second direction about the primary axis of movement.

Abstract: Apparatus for engaging a filler/product pump that include: (a) a horn having a length, an outer surface and an internal product channel extending therethrough; (b) a forming collar in communication with the horn, wherein, in operation, the forming collar is configured to cooperate with the horn to direct planar casing material to take on a generally tubular shape over an outer surface of the horn while product travels through the internal channel; (c) a netting chute sized and configured to receive a portion of the horn therein, the netting chute configured to hold a sleeve of elastic netting material thereon; and (d) an automated derucker operatively associated with the netting chute whereby the derucker is configured to automatically travel through a derucker stroke cycle comprising upstream and downstream locations to pull segments of netting material toward a downstream end portion of the netting chute while product is pumped out of the horn.

Abstract: Methods for producing encased products using selectable first and second horns to thereby produce products in selectable different casing types include: (a) providing an apparatus having a first horn that, in operation, is configured to be in fluid communication with a filler pump located upstream thereof; (b) removing the first horn from the apparatus; and (c) mounting a second horn assembly comprising an intermediate pipe segment in fluid communication with a casing horn to the apparatus. The casing horn can pivot side-to-side. Related apparatus, systems, kits, assemblies and computer program products are configured to allow dual operational modes of producing encased products using first or second horns.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of and an apparatus for redistribution of pasty filling material in a closed, individually separated packaging casing in tube or bag form. At least two conveyor belts form between mutually facing first belt portions a through-passage cross-section which is of such a dimension that, when the packaging casing is conveyed through the through-passage cross-section, the filling material is distributed substantially over the entire length of the closed packaging casing in tube or bag form. The invention further concerns a manufacturing installation in which such a redistribution apparatus is disposed upstream of a closure device for dividing off a sausage, closing it by means of closure clips and individually separating the closed sausage.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for the production of meat products includes a support structure (12). A container (14) is mounted on the support structure (12). A conveyor (20) has a first, upstream end (20.1) in communication with the container (14) and a second, downstream end (20.2) arranged downstream of the first end (20.2) and outside the container (14). A comb (34) is arranged downstream of the second end (20.2) of the conveyor (20) for working meat pieces conveyed to the comb (34) by the conveyor (20). The comb (34) is operable independently of the conveyor (20). A processing station (40) is arranged downstream of the comb (34), the processing station (40), together with the comb (34), processing the meat to obtain a desired finished product.

Abstract: A plant for the stunning and/or slaughter of animals for slaughter includes a hermetically sealable chamber with an entrance aperture for the introduction of live animals and an exit aperture for removal of stunned or slaughtered animals, closure devices to hermetically seal these apertures, and an extraction means to remove air from the chamber in order to stun or kill the animals.

Abstract: A feed section of a de-boning apparatus connected with an output section. The feed section comprises a cylinder forming a loading section and a packing section. The portion forming the loading cylinder section has a larger radius than the cylinder portion forming the packing section. A tapered face interconnects the cylinder portion forming the packing section. An auger having a helical flight of a constant radius passes through the cylinder forming a void along its length between the cylinder portion having a larger radius and the helical flight. The void allows product fed into the feed section to completely surround the auger and fill the helical void within the loading section with reduced pressure against the product.

Abstract: A device for the clean removal of an animal part from an animal carcass is set forth. The device includes a puller that attaches to the animal part and to a cable. A piston is also provided. The piston is connected to the cable that pulls the part away from the animal carcass via the cable and the puller, and applies pressure to dislocate the bones from the animal carcass. The bones are dislocated without removing the dislocated section completely from the animal carcass.

Abstract: A system and method for storing, selecting and sorting animal carcasses for fabrication. A storage area has at least one storage rail upon which carcasses may be stored. A feed rail leads to the storage area. Carcasses are selected from the storage area based on a first set of criteria and are transferred to an exit rail. The selected carcasses can be sorted based on a second set of criteria using a sorting rail connected to the exit rail. Carcasses are selected and sorted based on carcass information stored in a database based on identification codes associated with each target. A processor compares the carcass information with the desired criteria and identifies carcasses meeting the criteria using one or more readers positioned near the storage rail or exit rail.

Abstract: A smoking rail feed device as well as a method of accurately positioning a smoking rail in sausage loops or in loops of other products suspended from a hanger, and having, for improved insertion of the smoking rail into the loops, a smoking rail support, on which the smoking rail rests, at least partially, and oriented in the direction of the hanger. The smoking rail support is adapted to be displaced such that the smoking rail is transferred substantially in the longitudinal direction from the smoking rail feed device to a pick-up area of the hanger, in which the loops are arranged for being picked up.

Abstract: A cat scratching system for providing at least one surface suitable for cat scratching. This system includes a shell being capable of accepting at least one cat scratching surface having sides, an opening for inserting and removing the first cat scratching surface and a top and bottom. At least one of the surfaces, such as the top, is further characterized as having an open region for displaying the at least first cat scratching surface to the exterior of the shell, the first cat scratching surface being insertable within the opening of the shell.

Abstract: The present invention provide a fishing lure with big range of possible wobbling actions due certain amount of degrees of freedom of the joint between two lure's members—skeleton and vibrating body. The amount of degrees of freedom could be changed by fishermen, allowing the vibrating body movement relative to the skeleton and generating wobbling movements by the way of planar or three dimensional vibrating around axes perpendicular to a retrieval direction and/or rotating around an axis which is collinear or parallel to a retrieval direction.

Abstract: System for the control of stunning current in a bird slaughtering equipment, controlling device for stunning current and bird stunning method A system, method and device to slaughter birds (13) are disclosed. The system comprises a first sensor group (15) to detect the hooks (12) from the line (11) and a second sensor group (16) to detect the presence of a bird (13) at a corresponding hook (12) upstream from the tub (14). Stunning characteristics (current, frequency, wave form and tension) are pre-programmed at a stunning current controlling device (20), which controls a power supply (28) so that the working power as supplied by the supply (28) is a function of the real quantity of birds (13) inside the tub (14) as detected by the sensor groups (15, 16).

Abstract: A litter box housing for cats having a litter box inside the housing positioned upon a tray. The tray is engaged with a cam arms which are connected to an upper lid of the housing, and the tray rests on a base of the housing when the lid is closed. When the lid is opened, the cam arms lift the tray with the litter box, and lock the tray in an elevated position. The litter box can either be cleaned for waste materials or disposed of in its entirety.

Abstract: A tubular net arrangement is made by placing a tubular net on a transfer tube and inserting a support tube coaxially inside the transfer tube. The support tube has a support tube diameter that is smaller than the transfer tube diameter. The tubular net is then moved off the transfer tube and past the end of the transfer tube to fold the tubular net onto the support tube in the form of multiple successive concentric layers. The transfer tube then moves relative to the support tube to expose the support tube as the layers are formed on the support tube. The inner diameter of each layer is adjacent the support tube and is equal to the support tube diameter and the outer diameter of each layer is spaced away from the support tube and is greater than the support tube diameter and at most equal to the transfer tube diameter.

Abstract: A highly automated method and system for providing individual animal electronic identification, measurement and value based management of cattle in a large cattle feedlot. Through the use of (1) a computer system integrated with (2) automatic individual animal identification (3) multiple measurement and remeasurement systems with automatic data input and (4) a cattle handling and sorting system, animals are individually (a) identified and (b) measured by weight, external dimensions and characteristics of internal body tissue. With this information together with animal physiological characteristics and historical data, the computer system calculates the optimum (c) slaughter weight, (d) economic end point and (e) marketing date for shipment to a packing plant. After measurement, individual animals are (f) sorted by direction of the computer in response to calculations from the measurements.

Abstract: A method for processing poultry, includes supplying live poultry, stunning the live poultry in a stunning device, placing the stunned poultry into product carriers advanced along a conveyor, killing the poultry and removing the feathers from the dead poultry in a plucking device. Downstream of the plucking device, the poultry is exposed to an electrical stimulation, an electrical voltage being applied across the carcass of the poultry. A method for controlling process parameters, especially the time and duration of execution of working steps in a process of mechanized working of slaughtered poultry, includes evaluating the tenderness of a specified meat portion prior to a due processing step and, after this evaluation, setting the important process parameters for the particular processing step to an optimal value.

Abstract: A device for processing flesh includes at least one transport belt, at least one element for position detection as well as at least one separating device and at least one control device, wherein the separating device communicates via the control device with the element for position detection which provides information to be recorded and processed into geometric data of the flesh and image data of the flesh so that separating cuts based on the geometric and image data can be made with the separating device.