Abstract: An apparatus for decropping poultry including a probe for use with an automatic poultry cropping machine of the type adapted for advancing the probe through the belly cavity of the bird and into the neck and for rotating the probe. The probe includes an elongate body having a hollow interior chamber and adapted to be connected to a vacuum source. The elongate body has two rows of teeth for capturing the crop, gullet, windpipe, etc., of the poultry as the probe is advanced into the neck and rotated, with at least some of the teeth pointing generally toward the forward end of the probe. In one embodiment the elongate body is tapered and the teeth have ball-shaped tip portions.

Abstract: A method and device for transverse dividing of a slaughtered bird, in which the carcass of the bird hanging by the legs in a conveyor is moved along with the breast in the direction of conveyance, the method comprising the steps of: placing the bird in an oblique position relative to the conveyance direction in such a way that the legs are in front of the rest of the carcass, viewed in the conveyance direction; bringing down the chest relative to the legs by exerting an essentially downward directed force on both sides thereof, so that the plane in which the transverse dividing operation takes place lies below the thighs and above the chest; and dividing the bird into a back half hanging from the conveyor and a front half. Prior to the dividing operation, the skin is cut through along the top edge of the thighs adjoining the chest.

Abstract: A method for removing, killing or bringing into a passive condition of bacteria on and in the skin of slaughtered, plucked poultry by a chemical, mechanical and/or temperature treatment is disclosed, wherein the treatment(s) are effected after plucking of the poultry and prior to the opening of the carcass thereof. The skin of the poultry is preferably subjected to an acid treatment with an acid solution and a heat treatment at a temperature of about 50.degree. C. for two to three minutes. The poultry can be immersed in or sprayed with water at the desired temperature, the water being mixed with an acid. Advantageously, the skin of the poultry is brushed with rotating brushing elements, at the same time spraying a spraying liquid on the poultry from above and from the sides.

Abstract: A method and device for separating the legs from a carcass of slaughtered poultry in which the carcass is positioned on the rear side, legs pointing upwards, relative to the cutters, a groin incision is made between each leg and the carcass at the side of the leg facing the carcass, and each leg is dislocated at the hip joint by pressing out each leg relative to the carcass. After dislocating the hip, a caudal hip incision is made in the remaining tissue connection between each leg and the carcass, after the two parts of each dislocated hip joint are moved a certain distance apart by applying a force acting on the hip joint ball of each hip joint, pushing the hip joint ball away from the hip joint socket prior to making the hip incision, and the legs are pulled off the carcass, essentially in the lengthwise direction of the back bone and away from the tail part.

Abstract: A method and device for performing an accurate cutting operation near the knee joint of a leg of a slaughtered animal, in particular a bird, the device comprising mechanical means, such as conveying elements and guides, for handling the leg, and cutting means, such as rotary or stationary knives for performing the cutting operation, e.g. for making an incision prior to scraping off meat of a bone or for cutting through the leg. With the device, the desired cutting accuracy is obtained by using mechanical positioning means which operate on the kneecap of the leg, which is preferably bended in the knee joint in its natural bending direction by bending means. The positioning means may comprise one or more supporting elements with a stop edge, which can be moved along the thigh of the leg to against the kneecap.

Abstract: In a separating device, the heart, lungs and liver are separated from the viscera of a slaughtered bird by conveying these organs, including the gall-bladder, connected to the bird, essentially parallel to the path of the bird with a helical roller. First the heart and lungs are separated from the liver by cutting through the tissue connecting the heart and lungs, and the liver. Next, the liver is separated from the remainder of the viscera by increasing the distance between the liver and the gall-bladder, and cutting through the tissue connecting the liver and the gall-bladder.

Abstract: A device for removing abdominal fat from a slaughtered bird, comprising a scraper element which is movable through an abdominal opening between the legs, and a device for discharging the fat scraped off by the scraper element, further comprising an elongated hollow mandrel, which can be connected to a vacuum source. The mandrel at the end facing the bird is provided with a suction aperture, at a distance from which the scraper element is fitted, said scraper element being provided with a scraping edge for interacting with the complementary-shaped edge of a supporting element, for scraping the abdominal fat along the scraping edge during a movement of the scraper element interacting with the supporting element away from the bird. An installation may comprise a number of such devices.

Abstract: Device for cutting out the vent of a slaughtered bird, including an elongated centring pin, a rotatable cutting element with an axially directed cutting edge, and an axially movable positioning element. In an end position of the positioning element relative to a thickened end portion of the centring pin between these two elements an annular space is formed for the accommodation of the orbicular muscle of the vent, while in this end position between the positioning element and the thickened end portion of the centring pin an annular gap remains open with a width which is smaller than the thickness of the orbicular muscle.

Abstract: A device for making an incision around the vent of a slaughtered bird and pulling the end of the rectum out of the opening thus made, including: a centering pin which is movable relative to the bird, and is provided with a thickened end portion; and a cylindrical rotary cutter with an annular cutting edge, which cutter is movable relative to the bird and is movable coaxially relative to the centering pin. The device further comprises one or more holding elements which are recessed relative to the cutting edge and which can interact with a contacting surface of the thickened centering pin end portion situated opposite them for holding the vent between these elements and the contacting surface near or at the orbicular muscle. The drive of the cutter is designed in such a way that the cutter carries out a small number of turns during the cutting operation.

Abstract: A device for the removal of the gullet, crop, windpipe and adhering parts from the neck part of slaughtered poultry, comprising a rotary driven mandrel which is conveyed from the belly cavity into and through the neck opening of the poultry, wherein the mandrel, preferably a hollow cylinder, in the wall of which one or more openings are provided, forms part of a vacuum system, and is provided with gripping means for the parts to be removed, while openings are provided in the vacuum system near the gripping means. The gripping means advantageously lie entirely inside the outer wall of the cylinder. The gripping means may be composed of a lip which, viewed in the axial direction, is fitted above an opening in the cylinder wall. The mandrel may be composed of one or more strips which are fitted in the axial direction at the end of the decropper, one or more strips being provided with notches forming the gripping means.

Abstract: A device for removing an elongated bone from a piece of meat comprising means for conveying the piece of meat in succession through; one or more processing stations where the meat is scraped away from the bone, at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the bone, until a certain part of the bone surface is exposed, apart from a narrow connection between the meat and the bone, while the meat removed is guided away from the bone; a processing station where the above-mentioned narrow connection is broken. In a first processing station a separation may be made along the length of the bone through the meat up to the bone. Preferably a second and a third processing station each comprise two first helical rollers provided with ribs with opposite pitch and rotating in opposite directions to each other, the helical rollers being disposed parallel to and on either side of the path of the bone.

Abstract: A method for filling a container which is used for the transportation of live poultry from a breeding farm to a slaughterhouse is described, as well as a container to be used with said method. The container is divided into compartments, one on top of the other. Prior to the filling of a compartment with poultry, the bottom face of the compartment lying above it, together with the side face thereof, is moved away fully or partially. Said side face is lying at the filling side of the container. The container is constructed in such a way that the poultry can meet no obstacles at the filling side above the compartment to be filled. Moving away said bottom and side faces may be performed by sliding them away sideways or by flapping them up.

Abstract: An elongated washer for cleaning the inside of slaughtered, eviscerated poultry, comprising a spraying element to which cleaning liquid can be fed, and radially projecting parts, running mainly in the lengthwise direction, being disposed near the spraying element, which parts are provided with sharp projections. Preferably, the sharp projections run in the lengthwise direction. The projecting parts are advantageously plate-shaped and the radial dimensions thereof, viewed in the lengthwise direction, decrease from a central part towards both ends. In a method for cleaning birds using the washer the spraying element and the projecting parts are inserted through an opening near the anus of the bird and are moved in the direction of and through the neck part.

Abstract: A method of weighing poultry includes: conveying a plurality of birds which are closely adjacent to each other toward a weighing station; disentangling the wings of the birds from each other and separating the birds from each other by turning the birds; and then, while the wings of the birds are disentangled and while the birds are separated from each other, weighing the birds at the weighing station. The birds are suspended by their legs from suspension hooks and the suspension hooks are suspended from a conveyor suspension track.

Abstract: Process for weighing poultry which is conveyed suspended by the legs from suspension hooks directed in the direction of conveyance through a conveyor suspension track past a weighing station, prior to reaching the weighing position each of the hooks is turned through such an angle that during the weighing no contact between the birds, which would adversely affect weighing, occurs with conveyor hook especially suited for carrying out this process.

Abstract: Weighing device for articles such as small slaughtered animals which are carried along a transport track and of which this movement is temporarily interrupted during determination of the weight, comprising a moveable member which is loaded by the weight, acts upon a pressure transducer and cooperates with controllable locking means.

Abstract: Method for operating an installation for dividing up slaughtered poultry in a number of processing stations along a transport track in which the displacement of the delivered birds or parts thereof is temporarily interrupted at the location of an observation station, while maintaining the movement of the transport track.

Abstract: The invention relates to a killing device for poultry with a cutting slot moving with and aligned transversely to the transporting direction of the sideways conveyed animals (12), a head aligning means (62) located below the catching slot and a holding means (58) acting on the neck. This results in an always reliable severing of the carotids resulting in a reliable bleeding out of the poultry animal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for dividing up the carcass of a slaughtered bird, the carcass being suspended by its feet from a transport means, being transported with the breast to the front in the transport direction and, during transport thereof, being cut through by means of a cutting operation, the carcass being brought, before and during the cutting operation, into an oblique position relative to the transport direction such that the feet are placed in front of the remainder of the carcass, while an edge section, forming a boundry with the breast, of the rear opening, present between the feet of the carcass, is lowered from between the feet, and the cutting operation is carried out in a transverse direction in a plane extending between the lowered edge section and the thighs, so that the carcass is divided up into a rear half comprising the feet, thigh portions corresponding to the feet and a back portion, and a front half comprising a breast portion and a main portion of the back portion of the carcass, the fro

Abstract: Apparatus of the carousel type, which is disposed at a turning point of a conveyor belt, comprising a stationary central part which includes a vertically placed drum round which a frame has been suspended so as to be concentrically rotatable, the said frame carrying a number of vertically displaceable rod-shaped members which communicate with means for the supply of spraying water and each of which is also provided with spraying means for squirting the water supplied into the interior of the carcass and with at least one dilator for keeping the neck aperture of the carcass being treated sufficiently wide open to ensure proper flushing of the spray water.