Abstract: Device for depositing live poultry on to a receiving surface from a container having a plurality of floors, via guide surfaces enclosed in a pivotable chute to adjoin the container and having an increasing length from bottom to top.

Abstract: A device for dividing slaughtered poultry, comprising a stationary elongate conveyor member situated above a positioning member, and transporting the bird suspended by its legs, and with a guide member having a guide surface situated beneath the positioning member and symmetrical with respect thereto, and comprising an upwardly sloping part in front of the positioning member with a central wedge-shaped positioning groove for the bird's breast and a substantially flat part beneath the positioning member through which the cutting means extends.

Abstract: A method for eviscerating a slaughtered bird, starting from the vent and directed toward the breast point, comprising first making a circular opening at the vent of the bird using a first knife and starting a second cut in the bird by moving a second knife from the circular opening along a path offset from a straight line between the vent and the breast point avoiding cutting of the entrails of the bird located below the straight line. Preferentially, the respective knives are removed from the carcass immediately after the respective cuts are made successively, the second knife retracing its path back to the circular opening before removal.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing the cervical vertebrae from the skin of the neck of slaughtered fowls comprises a frame movable along the track of the fowls, and bears a fixed first clamping unit and a second clamping unit pivoting around a horizontal shaft and connected with a control unit such, that in a movement of the frame along the track the clamping units move toward each other, enclose the neck of the fowl, and are then jointly moved downwardly.

Abstract: A picking element for a poultry picking apparatus comprises a beaker-shaped support whose casing surface carrying picking fingers is a truncated conical surface and whose end face is situated substantially transversely to the axis of rotation, there being located between the casing surface and the end face a number of transition surface areas which are situated at a more acute angle to the center line of the casing surface than the end face and which each carry at least one picking finger, the end face carrying a number of picking fingers substantially parallel to the center line.

Abstract: Device for making a cut in a slaughtered bird, starting from the vent and directed toward the breast, comprising a first knife for making a round cut around the vent of a bird and a second knife movable sideways and away from the first knife to avoid the intestines of the bird while making a cut from the vent to the breast bone of the bird the knife being rotatably disposed in a holder, which is pivotally connected to a connecting rod and coupled to driving means adapted to carrying out a backward and forward swinging movement.

Abstract: A method of mechanically packing a slaughtered bird, including poultry, comprising opening an inlet of an envelope resting on a support, pushing a bird resting with stretched legs on a support into the envelope by exercising a force on the body of the bird, then pressing the legs upwardly to locate the legs in a folded position on both sides of the body and thereafter sealing the envelope.