Abstract: A chicken thigh skinner includes a table having a feed end and a discharge end. A skinning portion of the table is adjustable along the longitudinal axis of the table to accommodate different size poultry parts. The skinning portion defines an elongated slot which is generally Y-shaped in plan. The arms of the Y define a generally triangular-shaped spear. A pair of counter-rotating spiral cut skinning rolls extend along and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the table. The skinning rolls define a nip which is positioned below the slot of the skinning portion of the table. A conveyor is supported by the table above the nip of the skinning rolls and the slot of the skinning portion of the table.

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 for removing skin from the meat of a poultry part, such as a turkey thigh, includes an elongated conveyor supported on a frame in spaced relationship to an elongated loading and stretch bar. The conveyor moves the poultry part along the bar. A rotary cutter is positioned below the bar for cutting the skin of the part. Two pairs of counter-rotating, helical skinning rollers are positioned below the bar and downstream of the rotary cutter. Each pair of skinning rollers defines a nip. The rollers engage the skin on the poultry part and pull the skin from the part.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in deboning eviscerated, dressed poultry carcasses includes an overhead conveyor from which a plurality of deboning shackle assemblies are suspended. Each deboning shackle assembly includes a shackle bar supporting a holding cone and a hock shackle. The cone and shackle are positioned on opposite sides of a processing line defined by the conveyor. An endless conveyor is positioned beneath the overhead conveyor to receive poultry parts removed from carcasses suspended on the shackle assembly. A leg processing machine may be positioned along the line to receive carcass hindquarters.

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: An apparatus for severing portions of the wings of a poultry carcass includes an elongated conveyor having a plurality of spaced carcass supports thereon for sequentially moving a poultry carcass through first and second cut-off stations. Spaced guide rails or bars extend along an upper run of the conveyor to engage the wings and guide them through the stations. The first cut-off station includes rotating knives which sever the wing tips. The second station includes a pair of pivotally mounted or swinging blades which sever the intermediate portions of the wings from the wing stubs. A wing positioning and holding assembly positions and holds the wing in position for cutting at the second station. A cam assembly moves at least a portion of the wing positioner from an operative position to an inoperative position to permit the carcass to move out of the second station.

Abstract: A bracket assembly which is capable of being erected without separate fasteners is disclosed. The bracket assembly comprises an upright, an arm having a hook at one end engaging the upright and having a specially-shaped notch in its underside, and a brace extending at an angle between the arm and the upright. One end of the brace has a tip which engages in the arm notch when the brace is pivoted upwardly. A tang on the other end of the brace extends through a hole in the upright to lock the assembly when bent against the upright.

Abstract: A cage and manure removal system for egg-laying poultry is disclosed. In the system, a bank of cages are disposed in pairs of rows in vertically-spaced tiers. A horizontally disposed manure dropping board overlies the cage rows in the lower tiers for collecting droppings excreted by poultry in the overlying cage rows. The droppings are periodically cleaned from the dropping boards by a manure scraping assembly which comprises a carriage mounted for movement along a monorail which overlies the cage bank and has a depending post mounting a series of augers adapted to travel along the top surfaces of the dropping boards. As the carriage advances and the augers rotate, the droppings are displaced inwardly on the dropping boards for collection in a collection pit located below the cage bank.A method of handling manure to promote drying is also disclosed.

Abstract: An egg collector for use in conjunction with a multi-tier poultry cage system to collect eggs from cage belts at various levels and to transfer the eggs to a common cross-belt conveyor. The collector comprises a series of intermediate conveyors each including an endless belt having a series of individual egg-receiving cups disposed in longitudinally spaced relation along the belt. Transfer means located alongside each belt gathers the eggs from each cage conveyor belt and delivers them individually to successive egg-receiving cups of each intermediate conveyor. The eggs are conveyed downwardly by the intermediate conveyors to a location adjacent the cross belt where means is provided to control unloading of the eggs from the cups.

Abstract: A closed loop feed trough having a feed chain moveable lengthwise therein to distribute feed from a hopper associated with the trough provided with an impeller which rotates in response to movement of the chain to assist in returning uneaten feed to the hopper. The impeller is mounted in the hopper adjacent its inlet and is fabricated in two halves which are fastened to opposite sides of a drive sprocket which engages the feed chain. Each half of the impeller has a hub and a series of vanes extending outwardly and rearwardly at spaced intervals from the hub to provide a series of buckets between the vanes. A baffle overlies the impeller to shield the buckets from feed in the hopper as they rotate downwardly toward the inlet while affording unloading of feed from between the vanes as they rotate upwardly away from the feed chain.

Abstract: A truss for supporting cages in a poultry cage system comprises a pair of inclined upstanding legs and a series of vertically-spaced horizontal cross-members connected thereto by novel clips which are specially designed to enable the cross-members to be connected to the legs with a minimum of labor. Opposite ends of each cross-member have a pair of spaced apertures which register with a pair of similarly-spaced apertures in the truss legs. The clip has a front flange with a pair of rearwardly turned lugs which are received in the leg and arm apertures and which have hooks located below the lower edges of the apertures. The legs also have holes located below their apertures and below the lower edge of the cross-member, and the clip has a deformable angulated tab depending from the lower portion of the flange and extending into the holes in the legs.