Abstract: An apparatus for producing portions severed from a poultry breast of controlled size and weight having a rotary mounted product holder including a generally cylindrical outer surface provided with at least one product cavity for receiving a first portion of a poultry breast for travel along an arcuate path defined by the outer surface of the product holder. A pressing means including an arcuate surface selected to generally mate with a portion of the arcuate path of travel of said cavity is mounted a selected distance from the path of travel of said cavity for engaging the portion of poultry breast to urge and hold the first portion into the cavity. A cutting member is disposed generally tangentially relative to the path of travel of the cavity between the surface of the pressing means and the outer surface of the product holder to engage the poultry breast and separate the first portion of said poultry breast contained in the cavity from the remaining portion thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing multiple portions of meat. A plurality of product mandrels having an open-top recess are mounted on a conveyor for travel along a selected path. The mandrels are selectively rotatable about a vertical axis. Two sets of parallel slots are provided in the mandrel and extend to a depth at least equal to the depth of the recess. Each set of parallel slots is disposed to intersect the other at a selected angle. Each product mandrel is moved through a pair of cutting stations which carry laterally spaced knives extending downwardly. The product mandrel is rotated through an angle which aligns one set of intersecting slots parallel to the knife blades in a cutting station after passing through the other cuffing station. A plurality of laterally spaced cuts are made through the larger piece of meat to produce smaller portions.

Abstract: A machine for cutting poultry wings into segments. Holders convey wings through a guide that positions the first joint between the drumette and midwing. A blade incises the connective tissue after the bones at the joint have been disarticulated by lateral guides that form a tapered corridor. A second joint at the midwing and wingtip is forced into a pocket by one of the lateral guides extending into the second joint. The second joint is severed by a blade extending into the second joint from the side opposite the lateral guide.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing portions severed from a poultry breast of controlled size and weight having a rotary mounted product holder including a generally cylindrical outer surface provided with at least one product cavity for receiving a first portion of a poultry breast for travel along an arcuate path defined by the outer surface of the product holder. A pressing means including an arcuate surface selected to generally mate with a portion of the arcuate path of travel of said cavity is mounted a selected distance from the path of travel of said cavity for engaging the portion of poultry breast to urge and hold the first portion into the cavity. A cutting member is disposed generally tangentially relative to the path of travel of the cavity between the surface of the pressing means and the outer surface of the product holder to engage the poultry breast and separate the first portion of said poultry breast contained in the cavity from the remaining portion thereof.

Abstract: An automated skinning and deboning apparatus for processing poultry thigh portions to remove the skin and bone from the meat portion in a single pass includes a support frame and housing having a feed inlet and a product discharge outlet. The feed inlet includes a guide chute which aligns the thigh portion such that the longitudinally extending bone is disposed parallel to the chosen path of travel. A first pair of conveyors receives the thigh portion and transports it to a skinning station wherein the skin is pulled away from the underlying meat portion via a pinching or trapping action of the skin engaged between a rotating fin and an arcuate surface of a pinch block mounted along the path of travel.

Abstract: An automated poultry skinning apparatus which includes a support frame having a product feed inlet and discharge outlet and housing a conveyor aligned to engage the upper surface of a piece of poultry product entering the feed outlet. The apparatus is provided with a rotatably mounted gripper provided with a plurality of radially extending fins adapted to engage the lower surface of the piece of poultry passing between the gripper and toe conveyor. An arcuate pinch surface is provided which is mounted in closely spaced relationship to the arcuate path traveled by the rotating fins of the gripper and define therewith an opening for trapping the outer skin attached to the poultry product between the arcuate surface and the outer end of a rotating fin to entrap a portion of the skin and pull the skin from the poultry product piece.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically scoring the hock portion of a poultry leg to sever the surrounding skin and soft connective tissues from the underlying bone which is characterized by employing oppositely directed water knives aligned at a right angle to the linear path of travel of a vertically disposed poultry leg to effect a complete circumferential cut about the periphery of the hock area in a single pass through the water knives. The water knives are formed by a plurality of water jets or streams emitted from a horizontally disposed manifold mounted within a protective housing to contain the spray of water created and direct the waste water to a collection area.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically removing the tendon from the tenderloin fillet of a poultry breast which includes a continuous conveyor for carrying the fillet of meat to a tendon gripping and pulling station mounted adjacent to the conveyor. The conveyor comprises a plurality of laterally extending trays adapted to receive a meat fillet and each tray includes a slot at the outer or lateral edge thereof for receiving an exposed strip portion of the major tendon contained in the fillet. The exposed strip of tendon in the slot hangs downwardly below the tray. The tendon gripping and supporting assembly is mounted below the upper run of trays on the conveyor and is aligned with the path of the slots in the trays moving along the conveyor.

Abstract: An automated meat portion sizing apparatus is disclosed which includes a plurality of mandrels provided with a meat-receiving sizing chamber mounted on a support frame for repetitive travel between a loading and unloading station. The sizing chambers are conformed to receive a selected shape and volume of a meat portion to provide the selected weight portion desired. A knife is provided along the path of travel to remove any excess meat portion extending outside the sizing chamber. The excess portion is collected separately prior to the mandrel reaching the unloading station where the controlled size portion is automatically removed from the sizing chamber for convenient collection.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for deboning or filleting the meat from a poultry breast section which is characterized by a plurality of mandrels spaced along a moving endless chain conveyor and each adapted to receive a poultry breast section. After loading of the mandrel, it is advanced to a cutting station comprising a pair of closely spaced stationary knives disposed parallel to the direction of travel. The knives effect a longitudinal cut of predetermined depth closely adjacent to the length of the keel or center bone of the breast section to create a loose flap of meat. The mandrel and breast section continue to be advanced to a meat stripping section which comprises a pair of lateral spaced resilient strips which form a downwardly inclined path. As the breast section engages the strip in a predetermined manner, the meat portion on each side of the breast is peeled from the bone as the breast advances through the stripping section. The meat fillet is collected separately from the remaining bone portion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separation of the meat from the bone portion of poultry leg and thigh portions using an array of high pressure fluid streams disposed along the path of travel of a conveying means. The fluid streams are disposed in a manner to impinge upon the point of junction of the meat to the bone portion with the poultry leg or thigh portion disposed in a fixed position on the conveying means with the bone portion disposed substantially parallel to the path of travel. As the leg or thigh portion is advanced, the leading end is engaged by the plurality of fluid streams to progressively loosen and separate the meat from the bone as the portion advances along the conveyor. As the meat is separated from the trailing end portion, the bone advances to a separate compartment from the meat removed therefrom.

Abstract: An automatic poultry wing cutting apparatus for selectively severing an individual poultry wing into predetermined pieces which is characterized by a rotatably mounted drum-like wing retaining member provided with a plurality of spaced wing receiving grooves extending generally in an axial direction along the outer surface of the retaining member. A plurality of axially spaced slots are provided which intersect the grooves. Knife means are provided which extend into predetermined portions of said slots and cooperative with a plurality of wing engaging members which are disposed in other preselected slots to bias said wing downwardly against each of said knife means to selectively sever the wing at desired locations.

Abstract: An improved poultry cutting apparatus which is characterized by a unique combination which includes an inner mandrel adapted to retain a dressed poultry carcass thereon which is movably mounted to advance to a cutting station. The cutting station includes a unique enclosure which is adapted to receive the poultry carcass on the mandrel and cooperatively therewith maintain the proper positioning of the poultry carcass during the actual cutting operation. The enclosure is provided with a plurality of slots adapted to receive movably mounted cutting blades which are selectively disposed and actuated to cut the poultry carcass into a given desired number of selected pieces.

Abstract: An apparatus to preheat food products prior to actual cooking which is characterized by a tray for carrying the food products mounted for reciprocation within a reservoir filled with water at a given temperature. The reciprocating movement effects efficient mixing of the hot water entering the reservoir to assure that the food products are efficiently exposed to the hottest water available in the reservoir. The apparatus also includes unique combination of valve means and flow control means to effect reciprocation of the tray at given time intervals and a continuous addition of hot water to the reservoir during a complete pre-heating cycle.