Abstract: Poultry leg and thigh deboner comprising a deboning module (37) carried by a conveyor mechanism along a processing path. The deboning module comprises an upright fixed thigh bone support block (61) and a movable leg bone support block (62). A pair of stripper jaws (73) are provided for grasping the distal end of the leg bone (44) and pushing the meat of the leg bone toward the joint (46) between the leg and thigh bone (42). A slot (68) is provided along the upper edge of the thigh bone support block (61) for holding the thigh bone (49) and pushing the meat of the thigh toward the joint (46) as the thigh bone is pushed through the slot. A hollow meat cutter tube (93) is provided for moving around the leg bone and cutting the meat from the joint (46) after the meat has been pushed to the joint.

Abstract: A method for cleansing metal mesh gloves to remove particles of meat or the like embedded within the metal mesh of the gloves includes elongated rollers which preferably counter-rotate with respect to each other and define an entry slot area within which the gloves are inserted for cleansing.

Abstract: Apparatus for separating the meat from a meat carrying bone of an animal, wherein said bone is characterized by being elongated with a longitudinal axis and first and second opposite ends.

Abstract: A conveyorized machine that operates to automatically advance objects of generally the same shape and weight, particularly breasts of turkey, to a scale platform which is retractable below the conveyor and elevatable above the conveyor. On the scale platform the object is automatically positioned to a desired location relative to a vertically running band saw blade. In one mode of the machine the desired location will result in the object being sawed or severed into two portions of equal weight. In another mode the desired location will result in the object being sawed or severed into one portion of a predetermined weight and a second portion being the remainder of the object. After the object has been positioned in the desired position on the scale platform, the platform retracts or lowers below the level of the conveyor and the object is then conveyed past the band saw blade and the resulting two severed portions are conveyed to the discharge end of the machine.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for removing meat from poultry drumsticks by closing mechanical jaws onto the meat of a drumstick, mechanically grasping one end of the drumstick bone, and then removing the meat by driving the drumstick bone om a direction away from the meat while the meat is grasped by the mechanical jaws.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for pulling gristle such as tendons from cuts of meat by mechanically holding down an extending portion of the gristle as the cut of meat traverses a path that intersects the location of a wedging jaw that prevents continued traversal of the meat along the path while permitting continued movement of the gristle along the path until it is stripped from the meat. In an optional embodiment, the jaw is a mechanical one that closes to form the wedging jaw that strips the gristle from the meat, after which the jaw opens to release gristle therefrom that otherwise might have been undesirably retained therein.