Abstract: Hides are pulled over the heads of horizontally moving animal carcasses while the carcasses are simultaneously supported by a trolley rail and a pair of leg gripping assemblies. Each leg gripping assembly has a pair of extensible jaw members which, when closed, form a leg receiving space which has a generally vertical inclined axis. The leg gripping assemblies are mounted on a frame which is driven forwardly parallel to the trolley rail by a pusher dog on a chain. The pusher dog chain is drivingly connected to a chain which drives the trolleys along the rail.

Abstract: Cheek meat is removed from the skull of a slaughtered animal by a method and apparatus wherein the skull is held at a given orientation in a skull-holding device; a hook is brought into engagement with the cheek meat; and, an actuator produces forcible relative movement between the hook and the skull to strip the cheek meat from the skull.

Abstract: A pair of jaws engage the neck of a hanging freshly slaughtered carcass to deter upward movement of the carcass while the hide is pulled therefrom. The jaws are movable longitudinally in a direction parallel to the direction of carcass movement, vertically for alignment with the necks of different carcasses and laterally from a retracted position to an extended position where the jaws lie on opposite sides of the carcass neck.

Abstract: Hides are pulled from animal carcasses in a slaughterhouse, and conveyed upwardly through a pneumatic conveyor conduit for further handling. The conduit tangentially enters a vacuum chamber which is connected to a vacuum source. The chamber has a lower discharge opening which is normally closed by a gate; however, when a hide arrives in the chamber from the conduit, the vacuum is reduced to enable the gate to open and release the hide through the discharge opening.