Abstract: An apparatus for eviscerating poultry includes plural groups of cars driven around a monorail track by variable pitch augers which produce combined continuous and intermittent car movement. The groups of cars are brought to rest momentarily in front of machinery for performing various operations. At a first station, slaughtered birds are clamped at the shoulders, and brought to a supine position. At a second, the vent of the bird is opened. At a third, the viscera are removed by spoon. Inspectors then examine each bird at a fourth station, and final preparation is performed at a fifth before the birds are unloaded from the apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting wings from boned whole poultry breasts includes a pair of spaced chain loops supporting laterally aligned pairs of fixtures which hold the wings to support the breasts and serve as anvils for annular knife blades which are driven outward from a central position to cut the breasts from the wings. Thereafter, the wings remain secured in the fixtures, while first the tips are removed by a guillotine-type cutter, and then the flat wing segment is folded against the drumette before the elbow joint is cut.

Abstract: A chicken tender cutting machine includes two relatively moveable carriages supported on the frame above a processing line. The first device includes a knife for making an incision in the tenderloin between the wishbone and the rib cage of the bird to free the upper end of the tenderloin; the second device is supported on the frame downstream of the first device, and has a blunt-tipped instrument which is moved downward between the tenderloin and the rib cage, so that the blunt tip sweeps along the keel to sever the tenderloin's connection to the keel.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses, having open abdominal cavities, are suspended from a foot shackle conveyor. As each carcass approaches a knife for severing the upper and lower portions of the carcass, the top portion is transferred onto an approaching tine which enters the cavity, dipping downward as it does so. After the carcass is halved, the lower portion remains suspended in the foot shackle conveyor, and the top portion is carried away by the tine for further processing.

Abstract: Breast meat is stripped from a poultry carcass, after the shoulder joints have been separated and preliminary cuts have been made in the shoulder area with a cutter designed to leave the wings attached to the breast meat, by pulling the wings and breast meat attached thereto downward on the carcass. The breast fillets and wings remain attached to the carcass, facilitating visual inspection of the product. An apparatus for performing this method comprises special devices operating at four successive stations of an inline machine; the inspection is done at a fifth station.

Abstract: A poultry slaughtering machine includes a shackle conveyor for carrying a series of birds, suspended by their feet in a predetermined orientation with their breast facing to one side, along a first path, and a head capturing device disposed generally below the shackle conveyor and offset away from the breast side. The capturing device includes a flexible carrier constrained to follow an endless second path, a series of pairs of relatively movable jaws affixed to the endless carrier, and a cam rail for closing each pair of jaws about the neck of a bird. A rotary blade incises major blood vessels of tile neck, but is prevented from cutting the trachea or the spinal cord, and the jaws are opened to release the neck as soon as the cut has been made.

Abstract: A chicken breast processor has an endless conveyor on which are mounted a series of special fixtures for supporting a bird carcass during automatic butchering. Each fixture has a pair of spaced bars bearing respective upper and lower arms. Each of the arms has abeveled upper surface, so that an open "V" is formed for supporting both the backbone from within the carcass, and the breasts from below, to better locate the carcass for precise cutting. Carcasses are transferred from a tined disk onto the fixtures as the fixtures are rotated toward the disk to compensate for speed differential between it and the conveyor. A variety of cuts can be obtained from the device.

Abstract: A poultry picker comprises four independently movable banks of rotary picker heads. Each bank is supported at its ends by brackets, which are independently, vertically movable on respective uprights. Each bank can be moved toward or away from its upright by one adjustment mechanism, and another mechanism is provided for tilting the bank about its longitudinal axis. In addition, the uprights are pivotally mounted on a common base, and can be tilted outward from their normal vertical position, to provide access to the picker heads for cleaning.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting breast-attached wings into segments includes a conveyor chain for carrying the wings, attached to whole breasts, along respective gaps between panels on either side of the breasts and over a rotating knife for removing the wing tips, thence over a stationary knife for removing the flat segments, and finally past rotating knives for removing the drumettes from the breasts. Fully automatic and particularly accurate cuts are obtained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing boneless chicken breasts maximizes the amount of meat retained by the breast when the wing is removed from the breast, by permitting the wing to rotate with respect to the breast as the final wing cut is made while the breast and wing are maintained in tension. The apparatus automatically debones the breasts and performs the wings cuts, on a continuous series of chicken front halves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing gizzards uses a gizzard splitter, a gizzard defatter and a gizzard peeler. The splitter includes upper and lower conveyors which define pockets for receiving an individual poultry gizzard. The pockets retain the gizzard as it is pushed over a rotating probe. The rotating probe includes a nipple-shaped head which washes foreign matter from the gizzard. The conveyor pockets also pass the gizzard by a rotating knife which slits the gizzard. The splitter includes a spray system for cleaning the upper and lower conveyor assemblies. The gizzard defatter includes a plurality of stationary picker fingers and a rotating frame having picking fingers mounted thereon. The picking fingers engage the gizzards removing fat and other debris. The peeler includes a plurality of sets of helically cut intermeshing gizzard peeler rolls or rollers and a rotating auger. A plurality of pins are positioned on the auger. The pins contact the gizzards and flip them on the gizzard peeler rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for removing the meat from the bone of a poultry thigh or other poultry piece having an elongated bone, includes a conveyor for moving the poultry piece along its longitudinal axis. A peel-down assembly extends along the conveyor and defines a passage or slot through which the piece passes. The meat is peeled or folded along the sides of the bone until the meat is secured to the bone along a lower longitudinal edge thereof. A cutting assembly is positioned downstream from the peel-down assembly to sever the meat from the bone along the longitudinal edge.

Abstract: A machine for at least partially severing the tendons of an anatomical section, such as a turkey drumstick, including spaced sets of counterrotating stripping discs forming a nip therebetween. A rotary knife is sandwiched between the discs and has its cutting periphery positioned within the narrower sections of the nip. The stripping discs strip the tendons from the bone, forcing it into contact with the knife. The spacing between the discs is such that the bone does not come into contact with the knife.