Abstract: Apparatus and methods for performing multiple automated poultry processing operations upon a slaughtered animal or a part thereof via a single machine is described. The machine contains at least two rotary processors in a single frame. A covering surrounds the processors. A venting processor cuts out and removes the vent to a slaughtered animal and in the process removes unwanted fecal or other material from the exterior and the interior of the carcass. The processors integrated into the single machine are coupled by a conveyor line following a preferably generally S-shaped route that carries the carcasses amongst the processors, preferably positioning the carcasses at the optimum registration point for the operation performed by the particular processor.

Abstract: A device is disclosed that completely cuts out and removes the vent, including its orbicular muscle, of a slaughtered animal, such as poultry, pigs or other such animals. A centering pin nests within a holding element that has a roughened face surface for capturing the skin of the animal around the vent. The holding element is coaxial with a generally cylindrical, rotary cutter. The pin inserts into the vent and the holding element is then extended to contact the skin of the animal near the vent. The pin, which terminates in a cone-shaped knob, is then moved slightly away from the animal and toward the holding element, thereby capturing the orbicular muscle of the vent between the shoulder of the pin and a recess within the holding element. The holding element has a roughened face surface, preferably beveled, which contacts the skin and may form it into folds for easier cutting. The holding element is nested within and coaxial to the cutter; only a very small gap separates the holding element from the cutter.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing the skin from animal parts, such as from poultry thighs, comprises a rotary turntable for supporting the poultry thighs and for conveying them along a path in a forward direction and a pair of counter-rotating peeler rollers positioned beneath the turntable. The rotary turntable has an aperture formed therein and a vacuum means positioned adjacent the rollers for drawing a portion of the skin of the poultry part through the aperture and toward the rollers to reliably engage the skin of the poultry part in the peeler rollers.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing the fecal matter from the rectal cavity of slaughtered poultry in a poultry processing line, prior to evisceration, including a hollow probe for insertion into and extraction form the rectal cavity, the movements thereof being controlled in such a manner that, after the poultry is positioned, the probe is inserted into the rectal cavity of the poultry while pulling a pulsating vacuum and then extracted while pulling a continuous vacuum thus removing the fecal matter in a two-stage process. A water flush for the probe is provided to thoroughly clean the probe of fecal matter with a continuous stream of water near the back of the apparatus prior to automatically engaging other oncoming birds at the fecal removal apparatus. As an alternate embodiment, the vacuum can be combined with a water flush to facilitate the removal of the fecal matter.

Abstract: To avoid the passage of contamination from one bird to another at a poultry inspection station in a poultry processing shackle line and to eliminate the necessity for the inspector to touch the birds during the inspection, each bird in succession at the inspection station is automatically engaged and tilted to a breast-up, back-down generally horizontal position with the eviscerated body cavity facing the inspector. In such position, the body cavity is automatically expanded to a wide open condition for easy visual inspection while each bird traverses the inspection station, following which the bird tilting and body cavity expanding units are removed from contact with the birds and thoroughly cleansed near the back of the inspection station prior to automatically engaging other oncoming birds at the inspection station.

Abstract: Suspended birds traveling in one direction on a linear delivery conveyor are transferred to a parallel oppositely moving receiver linear conveyor by an intervening rotary transfer conveyor and coacting stationary bird camming bars which nudge the birds from shackles on the delivery conveyor to shackles on the rotary transfer conveyor and from the latter shackles to shackles on the receiving conveyor. Simplicity of construction and positive reliable operation are featured.

Abstract: Poultry suspended heads down from an overhead conveyor are wetted with an electrolyte while adjacent to an electrolyte holding tank. At the downstream end of the electrolyte tank, a stunning trough is adjustably pivotally mounted on the tank and is comprised of a multiplicity of longitudinal electrode rods in a transversely arcuate array with the opposite ends of the rods electrically connected to arcuate buss bars secured to non-conducting trough end plates. The spaced electrode rods are in two groups which are charged alternately with opposite polarities. The stunning trough is enclosed in a non-conducting fiberglas shell to provide safety and non-conducting end caps for the stunning trough enclose and protect the buss bars and the ends of the electrode rods connected therewith.

Abstract: A lung removal apparatus for poultry in which an access opening to their body cavity has been formed at their vent wherein the apparatus includes a conveyor from which shackle members are flexibly suspended to engage and support the poultry by their hocks, a guide for selectively locating the shackle members, a positioning member having a hook engagable with the poultry at their access opening in opposition to the shackle member and means for selectively varying the spacing between the hook and the shackle member to support poultry between the shackle member and hook so that the access opening is in a fixed plane while the breast portion of the poultry is flexibly supported in a cantilever fashion through its bone and muscle structure. A vacuum tool is reciprocally mounted on a traveling table adjacent the fixed plane in which the access opening is located and extendible through the fixed plane and access opening into the body cavity while the table moves the tool along in alignment with the poultry.

Abstract: A poultry cutting machine for opening poultry suspended from shackles being conveyed along a process line for evisceration at a predetermined velocity. The machine comprises a pair of advancing rollers disposed adjacent one another; a cutting blade mounted adjacent the pair of advancing rollers; shackle positioners mounted for movement above the pair of advancing rollers in contact with the shackles for guiding poultry into engagement with the advancing rollers; and a drive for driving the advancing rollers in mutually opposite rotational directions and the shackle positioners above the counter rotating advancing rollers.