Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing gizzards uses a gizzard splitter, a gizzard defatter and a gizzard peeler. The splitter includes upper and lower conveyors which define pockets for receiving an individual poultry gizzard. The pockets retain the gizzard as it is pushed over a rotating probe. The rotating probe includes a nipple-shaped head which washes foreign matter from the gizzard. The conveyor pockets also pass the gizzard by a rotating knife which slits the gizzard. The splitter includes a spray system for cleaning the upper and lower conveyor assemblies. The gizzard defatter includes a plurality of stationary picker fingers and a rotating frame having picking fingers mounted thereon. The picking fingers engage the gizzards removing fat and other debris. The peeler includes a plurality of sets of helically cut intermeshing gizzard peeler rolls or rollers and a rotating auger. A plurality of pins are positioned on the auger. The pins contact the gizzards and flip them on the gizzard peeler rollers.

Abstract: A gizzard harvester is disclosed having a pair of opposed conveyors for receiving a gizzard and holding the same against rotation as the gizzard is advanced onto a rotating cone spindle which both washes foreign matter from the gizzard and removes its lining by rotating the lining with respect to the gizzard. Washing ports are provided at the tip of the cone, which ports also assist removal of the liner from the spindle.

Abstract: A gizzard harvester is disclosed having a support receiving a gizzard and holding the same against rotation as the gizzard is lowered onto a rotating cone spindle which both washes foreign matter from the gizzard and removes its lining by rotating the lining with respect to the gizzard. A mechanism for advancing the gizzard onto the spindle includes a laterally split device whose halves are biased together by spring tension so that the gizzard remains restrained as it is forced downward over the cone. Washing parts are provided at the tip of the cone, which ports also assist removal of the liner from the spindle.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing the meat from the bone of a poultry thigh or other poultry piece having an elongated bone, includes a conveyor for moving the poultry piece along its longitudinal axis. A peel-down assembly extends along the conveyor and defines a passage or slot through which the piece passes. The meat is peeled or folded along the sides of the bone until the meat is secured to the bone along a lower longitudinal edge thereof. A cutting assembly is positioned downstream from the peel-down assembly to sever the meat from the bone along the longitudinal edge.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing the meat from an elongated poultry bone, such as a thigh piece, includes an elongated frame and a housing which defines a feed end and a discharge end. An elongated conveyor is supported on the frame and extends from the feed end to the discharge end. A hold-down rail is supported by the housing for parallel movement towards and away from the conveyor to hold the bone in engagement with the conveyor for movement thereby. A scraper is positioned to engage the meat and the bone as it passes along the hold-down assembly. A water knife is positioned downstream of the scraper. The knife is biased into engagement with the thigh piece and discharges a high pressure water stream onto the piece to peel the meat down from the bone. A plate assembly defining a slot is positioned downstream of the hold-down rail. The bone passes through the slot and is progressively wiped by the plate assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for individually receiving continually, from a moving succession of shackle conveyor invertably suspended eviscerated whole poultry carcasses, and thereafter cooperatively guiding each such whole poultry carcass in controlled and cooperatively timed conveyable delivery transport therewith sequentially to an inclined rotating cog wheel having a circumferential radial arrayal of regularly repeating identical teeth so that one such tooth thereof insertably engages respectively the evisceration vent of each whole poultry carcass sequentially transported thereby and in such disposition presents the same to a pre-positioned carcass-transverse severing blade adapted to automatically engage and effect a migratory transverse incision at the base of the carcass keel transversely across the carcass bilateral connecting tissue webs disposed between the breast and thighs while moving along a continuous directed path of travel whereby a progressive completion of the migratory incision into a carcass

Abstract: A machine for at least partially severing the tendons of an anatomical section, such as a turkey drumstick, including spaced sets of counterrotating stripping discs forming a nip therebetween. A rotary knife is sandwiched between the discs and has its cutting periphery positioned within the narrower sections of the nip. The stripping discs strip the tendons from the bone, forcing it into contact with the knife. The spacing between the discs is such that the bone does not come into contact with the knife.

Abstract: A poultry leg splitting machine adapted to be employed either alone or in combination with a poultry leg/back processor wherein separated whole poultry legs comprised of the joined drumstick and thigh portions are delivered by a flited helical conveyor to a rotating slotted pocket wheel which in cooperative combination with fold-over guide rails automatically bends the drumstick-to-thigh ball-and-socket joint about the joint natural flex arc thereof across the slotted pocket wheel circumferential edge for angled slot blade severing of one set of distended joint side tendons thereby enabling the joint to pop under continued fold-over guide rail pressure and pocket wheel arcuate transport displacement thus permitting continued passage of the angled slot blade through joint tissue and remaining joint connecting tendons only without ball-and-socket joint bone contact to effect a completed transverse splitting of the poultry leg into separated thigh and drumstick cuts.

Abstract: A poultry breast de-boning machine adapted to insertably receive and radially transport in securely supportable positioning retention respectively upon one of an arcuately spaced plurality of mechanically identical truncated conical mandrel stations thereof a succession of forward bilateral poultry carcass sections for subsequent concurrently accomplished sequentially combined step-wise manual and automated mechanical removal of breast fillets therefrom by a method embodying first a mechanical clamping of the respective wings in a carcass section torso-lateral distended disposition preparatory to completion of sequential manually incised cuts made to the respective wing-to-torso shoulder joint connecting points to thereby facilitate initiation and completion of automated mechanical wing-clamped downward pull-peel separation of the wings and interconnected breast fillets therewith in delivery from such carcass sections a separated and substantially bone-fragment free set of joined breast fillets with wings the

Abstract: A poultry back processing machine improvement modification assembly comprised of the combined mechanical assembly of a configured water slide infeed trough into which poultry back members for mechanically automatic interior surface fatty tissue and kidney removal processing are manually positioned in a sequential series for safe and efficient delivery thereof to the processing machine conveyor, a laterally spaced set of longitudinally disposed angularly downward positioned bar members to guide the respective depending flank sections of the poultry back members into a distended flank configuration for improved mechanical access to the interior back member surfaces, a laterally spaced set of laterally outward angled longitudinally extending opposingly outward rotating interior poultry back member fat removal and flank section spreading screens, longitudinally followed by a set of laterally spaced stationary blades positioned to sever the respective kidney retaining membranes interior of each back member for imm

Abstract: A de-boning machine having a plurality of similar operational heads respectively designed to receive and mechanically engage a centrally-extending elongated meat-encased bone member characterized by having a single shaft and at the respective longitudinal ends thereof a ball or a socket structure comprising part of a ball-and-socket joint, exemplary of which would be the bone in a chicken thigh or the like, and thereafter by a sequential camming activation of cutting and peeling blades of the respective operational heads, while the heads are being operationally driven, automatically effect an annular severing of the encasing meat about the elongated bone shaft at that end thereof immediately interior of the socket structure, and then initiate a longitudinal removal of the encasing meat from the bone shaft by inversely peeling the encasing meat upon itself along the bone shaft length, then moving the peeled meat around the ball structure at the opposite end of the elongated bone shaft, after which the meat ret

Abstract: A machine designed to remove skin from the backs of poultry automatically and mechanically by conveying the back carcass members sequentially through a machine having processing stations operable in sequence to sever the kidney retaining membranes and remove the kidneys by vacuum; position the tail for mechanical maceration and removal by a set of coarse intermeshing rotating helical gear members; and, macerate and remove the skin from the back carcass member by a second set of intermeshing rotating helical gears of finer pitch than the first set, followed by the back carcass members, free of skin, are discharged to a collection receptacle.