Abstract: A device for retaining an animal on a transport system for moving the animal in a forward direction includes a lower portion operable to retain the animal and an upper portion operable for conveyance by the transport system. The upper portion is attachable to the lower portion, and the upper portion includes a connector for connecting the device to a drive mechanism. The connector has a longitudinal axis. The lower portion is operable for movement between a first position in which a longitudinal axis of the lower portion and the longitudinal axis of the connector are in substantially straight orientation relative to each other, and a second position wherein the longitudinal axis of the lower portion and the longitudinal axis of the connector are in substantially angled orientation relative to one another. The lower portion is substantially inhibited from moving in a rearward direction beyond said first position.

Abstract: A device (10) for retaining and associating an animal with a transport system during transport to and through one or more processing operations along a processing line. The device (10) includes a pivot mechanism (12) for reliably controlling the orientation of the animal during upward and downward travel on the transport system. More specifically, the device includes a lower portion (14) for retaining the animal, and an upper portion (16) for coupling with the transport system. The lower portion (14) is pivotably coupled with the upper portion (16) and movable between a first position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially straight orientation relative to each other, and a second position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially angled orientation relative to each other in the forward direction.

Abstract: A device (10) for retaining and associating an animal with a transport system during transport to and through one or more processing operations along a processing line. The device (10) includes a pivot mechanism (12) for reliably controlling the orientation of the animal during upward and downward travel on the transport system. More specifically, the device includes a lower portion (14) for retaining the animal, and an upper portion (16) for coupling with the transport system. The lower portion (14) is pivotably coupled with the upper portion (16) and movable between a first position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially straight orientation relative to each other, and a second position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially angled orientation relative to each other in the forward direction.

Abstract: A device (10) and method for clamping or otherwise securing an esophagus between the crop and certain internal organs, including the viscera, and substantially simultaneously cutting or otherwise separating, or weakening for subsequent predictable separation, the esophagus at or near the clamped location, thereby avoiding pulling apart the crop and the resulting contamination of the carcass.

Abstract: A device (10) for retaining and associating an animal with a transport system during transport to and through one or more processing operations along a processing line. The device (10) includes a pivot mechanism (12) for reliably controlling the orientation of the animal during upward and downward travel on the transport system. More specifically, the device includes a lower portion (14) for retaining the animal, and an upper portion (16) for coupling with the transport system. The lower portion (14) is pivotably coupled with the upper portion (16) and movable between a rearward position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially straight orientation relative to each other, and a forward position in which the lower portion (14) and the upper portion (16) are in a substantially angled orientation relative to each other in the forward direction.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for determining an attribute of an article during the transfer of the article by an article-feeding machine during the transfer of the article from one location to another location.

Abstract: The holding fixture has a narrow neck fork designed to fit entirely inside of and between the shoulder joints of the carcass so as to utilize the inside surfaces of the shoulder joints as a means of centering the carcass and precluding side-to-side movement thereof. Each arm of the fork is narrow enough to fit entirely between the neck and the corresponding shoulder joint. A modified fixture for use with a crop-inclusive eviscerator has a resilient projection on the backrest between the arms of the fork to yieldably push the backbone at the base of the neck out away from the backrest to facilitate snagging of the esophagus by a hook-shaped dislodging tool utilized as part of the eviscerator.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses hanging by their legs from a moving overhead conveying line are presented to corresponding carcass processing fixtures moving in a closed loop of travel around an upright axis. As each carcass is presented to its fixture, a holder on the fixture takes control of the carcass and stabilizes it with the breast facing outwardly and the neck hanging downwardly against a sloped centering channel. Once the carcass is stabilized, an arm carrying a slitting knife swings up toward the front throat area of the neck but before the knife can contact the neck skin, a stretcher device mounted in close proximity to the knife but operable in a stretching motion relative to the knife engages the skin and pulls it downwardly into a taut condition to facilitate penetration and severance by the knife. The stretcher is operated in its stretching motion by camming engagement with the underside of a shoulder yoke on the holder as the arm presents the knife to the carcass.

Abstract: A poultry processing machine has a suction tube for use in extracting an organ from a membrane-covered socket in the body cavity of a poultry carcass. The tube is connectable with a source of vacuum pressure and provided with an intake opening through which the organ is passes as it is sucked into the tube. A sharp tooth inside the suction tube is disposed for breaking the membrane during extraction of the organ.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses hanging by their legs from a moving overhead conveying line are presented to corresponding carcass processing fixtures moving in a closed loop of travel around an upright axis. As each carcass is presented to its fixture, a holder on the fixture takes control of the carcass and stabilizes it with the breast facing outwardly. Once the carcass is stabilized, a knife on the fixture moves down into a previously prepared vent hole to a position slightly inside the body cavity. The knife then swings quickly outwardly to and beyond the sternum along an off-center, generally arched cutting path that runs much closer to one leg of the carcass than the other. The contour cut thus produced creates a single, disproportionately large tissue flap under the arch of the cut and on one side thereof which facilitates inspection and keeps the entire fat pad attached to one flap.

Abstract: The evisceration process removes the entire alimentary tract, including the crop, in one operation and without damaging the tract. After the removal spoon enters the opening at the vent end of the carcass and moves along the breast bone, it swings over against the back wall of the body cavity to clamp the esophagus against the backbone at a point just below the weak region of attachment of the esophagus to the stomach. Simultaneously, a crop loosening hook enters a slit in the neck of the carcass, moves up along the esophagus into the body cavity, and intertwines with the esophagus by rotating through 360.degree.. During the time that the esophagus is clamped against the backbone by the removal spoon, the loosening hook is pulled back down along the esophagus, stripping the crop from its connective tissues and loosening the crop for withdrawal. When the removal spoon is then withdrawn up and out of the cavity, the esophagus pulls the loosened crop up and out of the carcass with the rest of the viscera.

Abstract: A carcass holding fixture for transporting, locating and securely stabilizing a carcass relative to the fixture while the fixture is moving and processing operations are carried out on the carcass has a pair of hip stabilizing arms that squeeze inwardly against opposite sides of the carcass and upwardly against the hips as the carcass is clamped into processing position. When the stabilizing arms are fully closed, the carcass is clamped up against a straddle bar on the fixture. Simultaneously, a shoulder stabilizing yoke adjacent the neck portion of the carcass has raised up into firm engagement with the shoulders of the carcass to eliminate the possibility of significant movement of the trunk portion of the carcass. Once the processing operations are complete, the hip stabilizing arms swing away from the carcass and the shoulder stabilizing yoke moves to a lower position whereby to completely release the carcass and allow it to be separated from the holding fixture and moved to the next processing station.

Abstract: The machine employs a plurality of individual, pointed mandrels that are attached to a closed loop conveyor having an upper processing run and a lower return run. As the mandrels move along the upper run, they are periodically reoriented into a number of successive positions so that skin removal operations can be performed on carcasses that have been impaled on the mandrels by workers stationed at the loading end of the machine. At a first station the wings are severed from each successive carcass in an upright position with special movement of the cutters being effected to prevent overly deep cutting into the breast meat. As the carcass approaches a second station with the back up and the posterior end leading, a slit is made in the back skin down the full length of the backbone by a slitting nozzle that injects air under the back skin while it is inserted between the back skin and the meat therebeneath.

Abstract: A poultry scalding apparatus includes an elongated first tank section having opposed side walls, end walls and a bottom wall, and defining a poultry travel path extending generally in the longitudinal direction of the first tank section. Water is delivered via troughs to the first tank section from both sides of the poultry travel path at a generally constant height along at least a portion of the length of the first tank section, and a conveyor is provided for conveying poultry along the poultry travel path in a head-down orientation while preferably moving the poultry vertically relative to the water delivery troughs as the poultry travels along the portion of the length of the first tank section in which the water delivery troughs are disposed.