Abstract: A mechanized shackling arrangement comprising a pivoting elongated arm carried on an overhead rail, a pivoting snare attached to the lower end of the arm with a resilient device holding the snare normally parallel with the arm and a locating plate attached to the arm and disposed at a distance therefrom parallel to the arm and in back of the snare. The arm is moved at an angle to catch the hind leg of the slain animal with the hoof touching the locating plate. The arm is moved at the angle until the hock is caught by the snare, and the hind leg and carcass are lifted from the holder and hoisted up and moved.

Abstract: A yieldable knife meat tenderizing apparatus that includes a plurality of force yieldable elongated knives with each knife having a sharp meat penetrating and meat severing end and force yieldable friction members holding the knives in meat penetrating position but with the knives being independently slidably yieldable relative to the friction members upon striking an obstruction such as a bone and meat retainers through which the blades extend and which engage the meat when the knives are in meat penetrating position to hold the meat against substantial movement with the knives upon withdrawal of the knives from the meat and a tiltable lacking device for tilting and locking onto a guide member when the retainer is in engagement with the meat.

Abstract: A conveyor system for slaughtering animals comprising a pair of parallel rails disposed to be higher than the leg length of the animal to be slaughtered and located between parallel stationary side walls used to prevent the animal from rolling sideways. On each of the rails flexible conveyor belts are provided. In operation, the animal is placed upright on the pair of rails with its legs straddling the rails. The belts move the animal in the upright position to a slaughtering station.

Abstract: A device for processing the intestines of slaughtered poultry, in particular of the gizzards comprising two synchronously driven worm conveyors, engaging each other, the first worm being shorter than the second one, the worms being set with cooperating radially extending carrier members such that the intestines are moved by the carrier members through the space between the cores, while the gizzards, bearing on the cores, are moved on by the second worm to a knife, placed at the end of the worms with the cutting edge directed perpendicular to the axes of the worms.

Abstract: A harvester has an apron on whose leading edge is provided a sickle bar. Immediately behind and parallel to this sickle bar there is provided a flexible tube having at its front edge a lip connected to the apron and at its rear edge a lip connected to a horizontally extending throw-off member. Inside the tube there is provided a pair of parallel metal strips which on, compression of the tube, close a circuit that generates a signal. This signal may be employed to warn the operator that a rock rests on the apron or may serve to stop the mower and/or reverse the crop feeder. In addition an automatic flipper is provided to pivot the throw-off member secured to the rear lip of the tube so as to automatically to flip the picked-up foreign body off the apron.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention comprises parallel overhead tracks carrying anchoring members for suspending an animal carcass by the hind legs, and inside and outside conveyers travelling in curvilinear guides at different speeds and serving, respectively, for anchoring the fore legs of the carcass and for gripping the hide, one conveyer being arranged within the boundaries of the other.The apparatus incorporates devices serving to detach hooks from rods, the opposite ends of the rods mounting one said device each, with said devices adapted for detachment of the hooks according to the size of the carcass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for centering slaughtered carcasses. The apparatus is meant to be used at the cleaving of slaughtered carcasses, for instance, of pigs, which have been cut open where a stationary support rail is provided for suspending the carcass from its hind legs, said apparatus comprising a first member for engagement with the hind legs of the carcass for symmetrically pressing said hind legs against a stationary horizontal first support rail for initially centering the carcass. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a second support rail adapted for preventing rotation of the carcass preferably in the nature of a horizontal second support rail, and a second member for engagement with the lower jaw of the carcass, said second member being pivotally movable along a centering line in order to finally center the carcass and being operable by means of a power device.

Abstract: A method for shucking and cleaning raw uncooked shellfish of the bivalve type including the steps of opening the bivalve by feeding the shellfish between a moving belt and a stationary plate in order to provide a shearing force. Other steps in the method include, separating the meat from the shells, eviscerating the meat, grading the meat and separating and drying the viscera.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for shirring sausage casings in which in the method the casing is moved in a direction of its longitudinal axis and while so moving has a force applied to shirr the casing which moves about the longitudinal axis of the casing. At the same time that the force is applied to shirr a force also is applied to oppose the movement of the casing. Also, the casing may be restrained against twisting about its axis upstream of the application of the shirring force. The apparatus includes rollers for forwarding a collapsed casing, an annular element adapted to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the casing to shirr the casing and a backing element adapted to hold the forward end of the casing in a fluid, tight manner and having a passage through which an inflating gas may pass to inflate the casing.

Abstract: A multiple row crop harvester is provided with two endless chain drives and associated endless belt conveyors for simultaneously handling the crop from all rows. Each endless chain drive comprises a number of chain sprockets at fixed radial spacings from each other, a chain tensioning idler, and an endless drive chain trained about the sprockets and idler. The idler of one chain drive and the idler of the other are operatively interconnected by a self-adjusting, one-way tensioning device.

Abstract: A method of processing poultry including conveying the poultry in a head lowermost position successively along a prescribed path, moving a processing tool synchronously with each of the birds, moving the tool through a series of predetermined positions with respect to the bird as it is moved synchronously therewith, and selectively holding and orienting each bird by its body as the tool is moved through the series of predetermined positions to orient the tool with respect to the bird during the processing operation.

Abstract: There is provided a rotary corn stalk cutter for use as an attachment on a combine type of harvesting machine which is equipped with a vertically inclined corn head and platform. The cutter includes a housing which is dependingly attached to the bottom of the platform in the open space between two successive row divider points. A telescopic linkage is provided for adjusting the attitude of the cutter housing in order to maintain the knives of the cutter in parallel relationship with the ground regardless of the angular position of the corn head and platform. A ledger blade in combination with the cutter knives is provided for comminutating the cut stalks and an opening is provided in the housing for discharging the chopped material rearwardly of the direction of travel of the combine.

Abstract: A self-propelled combine has a forwardly extending, vertically adjustable crop-feeding housing and a transversely elongated, cutter bar type harvesting platform mounted on the forward end of the housing. The platform includes a transversely elongated frame with a transverse flexible cutter bar disposed along the leading edge of the platform floor. The cutter bar is mounted on the platform by a plurality of transversely spaced parallel type linkages that permit independent vertical adjustment of different areas of the cutter bar so that the cutter bar is free to follow the contour of the ground.

Abstract: A meat cutter for removing the backbone of a pork loin consisting of a conveyor apparatus and a cutter assembly for cutting the backbone portion from a pork loin as the pork loin is moved through a cutting station. The cutter assembly consists of a cutter head mounted for movement towards and away from the conveyor. The cutter head is biased for movement towards a predetermined plane disposed above the conveyor and has a leading end disposed in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the conveyor through the cutting station. A cutter blade is mounted on a head for movement in a cutting path that extends transversely across and is spaced above the conveyor.

Abstract: Food casings, particularly cellulosic sausage casings, are moisturized during the conventional shirring operation by applying to the interior of the casing stock prior to shirring an aqueous solution of humectant, the solution containing sufficient humectant to retard excessive imbibition of water by the casing.

Abstract: An agricultural implement for conditioning a crop comprises a plurality of beaters mounted for rotation about a common axis a cutter for cutting a crop, and mounting structure for mounting the beaters and cutter, during a cutting operation, in co-operating relationship such that the beaters engage crop cut by the cutter before said cut crop falls to the ground, and condition the crop. The cutter may be a horizontal reciprocatory cutter mounted across the line of travel of the implement, or may be a rotary drum, disc or like cutter.

Abstract: A height-of-cut adjustment mechanism for use with a lawn mowing machine in which the cutting mechanism is supported by a pair of ground engaging rollers. The mechanism provides rapid and repeatable two position adjustment by means of a spring biased trigger mechanism controlling the position of pivot arms connected to one of the ground engaging rollers.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for stuffing cold, viscous product into normally flexible film tubing such as shirred tubular plastic film, comprising a stuffing horn having secured to its discharge end a pleat dispersing collar, and inboard thereof a loosely fitted deshirring ring, which coact during stuffing of the tubing to uniformly unfold the pleated film and thereby provide a smoothly stuffed tubular article.FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to an apparatus and method for stuffing a flowable mass of materials, such as food emulsions, into flexible tubing, such as flexible plastic film casings. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method ideally suited for use in refrigerated room packaging operations with cold, stiff viscous meat emulsions which are stuffed into shirred lengths of normally flexible plastic film tubing whereby the folds and pleats in said shirred tubing are effectively and substantially straightened and removed as the tubing is being stuffed.

Abstract: This invention relates to mower blades made of metal with an inner layer of extremely hard material and so devised that attrition in use serves to maintain a sharp cutting edge.

Abstract: An apparatus for encasing a product including a product encasing machine, linking apparatus, and a looping apparatus. The product encasing machine includes a rotatable stuffing tube having a fine head mounted on its forward end. The fin head imparts rotational drive and longitudinal drag to the casing as the casing passes thereover as the casing is being filled. The rearward end of the stuffing tube is mounted in a socket type apparatus to permit the stuffing tube to be pivotally moved upwardly and laterally to facilitate the installation of the folded casing thereon. A member is also provided for fluidly lubricating the interior surfaces of the stuffing tube to prevent product smear. The linking apparatus includes a pair of loop members carrying pinching members thereon. The pinching members are constructed of a moldable material and are detachably mounted on the loop members. The pinching members include pinching surfaces adapted to engage and collapse the rotating casing issuing from the encasing machine.