Abstract: A slicer apparatus for slicing food items includes a conveying means for conveying a food item to be cut along a conveying path, where a gap is provided extending across the conveying path; at least one cutting blade. A cutting land is arranged in and along the gap, and the cutting land comprises a recess on at least one side such that during cutting the at least one cutting blade at least partly extends into the recess. A first moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade in distance relative to the cutting land. A second moving means is connected to the at least one cutting blade for moving the at least one cutting blade angularly relative to the conveying path. A third moving means is connected to the cutting land for adjusting at least an angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis. The third moving means is configured to independently adjust the at least angular position of the cutting land around its longitudinal axis.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for mechanically processing an organ or organs taken out from slaughtered poultry in a processing device or processing line, which organ or organs form part of an organ package and wherein the organ or organs are separated from the organ package. The organ package is spatially oriented by the processing device without notably breaking tissue connections in the package, and in a preselected order so as to cause the harvesting of organs from the package to occur in a preselected sequence that depends on the location of the organ package in the processing device or processing line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting livers and hearts from a giblet package comprising an infeed pinch roller assembly, a slide assembly, an indexer assembly, an intestine pull down and a liver and heart separator assembly, for harvesting livers and hearts with an increased yield. The steps of the process include loading a load viscera pack into a feed chute that channels the pack to a pair of counter rollers. The viscera pack is captured by infeed pinch rollers thereby forcing the package into and between the rollers with only the gizzard remaining on top of the roller body. The liver and heart is isolated and separated by a pull down stripper assembly and a stripper arm assembly.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided for mechanically processing an organ or organs taken out from slaughtered poultry in a processing device or processing line, which organ or organs form part of an organ package and wherein said organ or organs are separated from the organ package. The organ package is spatially oriented by the processing device without notably breaking tissue connections in the package, and in a preselected order so as to cause the harvesting of organs from the package to occur in a preselected sequence that depends on the location of the organ package in the processing device or processing line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating an intestine from a gizzard comprising an infeed overhead rail indexing conveyor assembly, and a dual blade cutter assembly, which teaches a novel method and apparatus for separating a substantial portion of the intestine from a gizzard with an increased yield. The steps of the process can include feeding a viscera pack into a feed end of the overhead rail system; capturing and conveying the pack with a conveyor belt or chain having indexing members along a path to engage the dual blade cutter assembly. A substantial portion of the intestine and the separated gizzard with a small portion of the intestine remaining are allowed to separate after being severed by the dual blade and fall along separate chutes for further processing.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for dividing a package removed from a bird, which may include intestines, liver and heart with lungs, into separate parts. Using the method and apparatus, firstly the heart-lungs assembly is cut loose from the package, whereafter the intestines and liver are separated. For cutting loose the heart-lungs assembly, a cutting means positioned alongside a conveyor for the package may be applied, whereas the separation of the intestines and liver may be carried out through a separating means cooperating with the conveyor. As the conveyor, a rotating disc with reception slots for the packages may be considered. In the alternative, a chain conveyor comprising carriers with reception slots is also possible.

Abstract: A processing assembly for use in processing poultry parts by separating the parts into different portions comprising an elongate roll with helically extending teeth and a cover defining a recess therein for the discharge end of the roll with a size such that the discharge end of said roll is rotatably received in the recess and a depth such that the teeth on the discharge end of the roll extend a prescribed distance into the recess.