Abstract: An apparatus for cutting wings from boned whole poultry breasts includes a pair of spaced chain loops supporting laterally aligned pairs of fixtures which hold the wings to support the breasts and serve as anvils for annular knife blades which are driven outward from a central position to cut the breasts from the wings. Thereafter, the wings remain secured in the fixtures, while first the tips are removed by a guillotine-type cutter, and then the flat wing segment is folded against the drumette before the elbow joint is cut.

Abstract: A chicken tender cutting machine includes two relatively moveable carriages supported on the frame above a processing line. The first device includes a knife for making an incision in the tenderloin between the wishbone and the rib cage of the bird to free the upper end of the tenderloin; the second device is supported on the frame downstream of the first device, and has a blunt-tipped instrument which is moved downward between the tenderloin and the rib cage, so that the blunt tip sweeps along the keel to sever the tenderloin's connection to the keel.

Abstract: Breast meat is stripped from a poultry carcass, after the shoulder joints have been separated and preliminary cuts have been made in the shoulder area with a cutter designed to leave the wings attached to the breast meat, by pulling the wings and breast meat attached thereto downward on the carcass. The breast fillets and wings remain attached to the carcass, facilitating visual inspection of the product. An apparatus for performing this method comprises special devices operating at four successive stations of an inline machine; the inspection is done at a fifth station.

Abstract: A chicken breast processor has an endless conveyor on which are mounted a series of special fixtures for supporting a bird carcass during automatic butchering. Each fixture has a pair of spaced bars bearing respective upper and lower arms. Each of the arms has abeveled upper surface, so that an open "V" is formed for supporting both the backbone from within the carcass, and the breasts from below, to better locate the carcass for precise cutting. Carcasses are transferred from a tined disk onto the fixtures as the fixtures are rotated toward the disk to compensate for speed differential between it and the conveyor. A variety of cuts can be obtained from the device.

Abstract: A chicken leg processor includes a transfer device for removing the lower portion of halved birds from a shackle conveyor, and delivering them to a line along which the hip joints are partially cut through. While the legs remain suspended from the line, the back is then inverted, and is moved at a speed different from the legs, to remove the legs from the back. Thereafter, the legs are separated into thighs and drumsticks.

Abstract: A poultry scalding tank has one wall with a lateral pocket that receives the breast of the bird suspended by the feet from a shackle conveyor running above the tank. The top of the pocket produces a force normal to the breast upon contact, which force has a downward component sufficient to overcome buoyancy forces that tend to raise portions of the bird out of the water. Air injector heads disposed below the path of the bird, and offset away from the breast side thereof, agitate the scalding water to penetrate the feathers. A more thorough and even scalding results.

Abstract: An apparatus for deboning a chicken leg includes a conveyor for holding the leg by the hock, a plunge knife device for severing the knee joint and pulling the femur from the thigh meat, a cutting device for severing the tendons at the hock of the leg, and a scraper for pulling the drumstick meat along the tibia and fibia toward the knee. The scraping mechanism includes a laterally movable carriage supporting at least one pair of jaws having notches along their edges to clear the leg bones, a first air cylinder for closing and opening the jaws, and a second air cylinder for moving the carriage away from the hock-restraining conveyor.

Abstract: The tibula, fibia and femur of a whole poultry leg are removed by making a lengthwise cut along the inside of the leg, along the rear of the tibula and femur, then making a lateral cut part way through the knee joint, then supporting the thigh and bending the knee joint to expose the end of the femur, then plunging a cup-type knife over the exposed end of the femur and through the knee joint, to sever the ligaments in the joint and separate the exposed end of the femur from the thigh flesh, then moving the knife laterally of the femur axis to withdraw the femur through the lengthwise cut in the thigh, and then removing the tibula and fibia through the lengthwise cut in the drumstick. An apparatus for automatically performing a portion of the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing boneless turkey breasts comprises a conveyor for supporting an upper half of a turkey along a first path, and a separate conveyor for securing the wings of the turkey and pulling them away from the first path as the upper half is pivoted away from the wings, to pull the breast meat from the carcass. The wings are subsequently cut from the breast fillets by a rotary cup knife which is directed over and around the shoulder joint.

Abstract: A poultry skinner comprises a stationary frame having a pair of chain guides attached thereto, and a pair of parallel endless chains mounted for movement upon the chain guides. The chains, driven by a motor through a Geneva drive transmission, which produces intermittent motion, carry a series of birds over a first peeling roll for removing skin from the breasts, and, after the bird is inverted, over a second peeling roll which removes the skin from the back. The bird is then automatically engaged by a fixture which supports it for further processing.Also disclosed is an improved stripper roll arrangement for cleaning peeling rolls, and a skin nicking device for cutting tendons critical to the skinning operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting breast-attached wings into segments includes a conveyor chain for carrying the wings, attached to whole breasts, along respective gaps between panels on either side of the breasts and over a rotating knife for removing the wing tips, thence over a stationary knife for removing the flat segments, and finally past rotating knives for removing the drumettes from the breasts. Fully automatic and particularly accurate cuts are obtained.

Abstract: A connection between a pipe (principally sewer pipe) and the wall of a manhole or like structure, whereby a hole passing through the wall of the manhole is provided with an embedded gasket which, without the presence of a pipe, is more closed in inner circumference inwardly of the manhole than at the location of its embedment in the manhole wall, such that when a pipe is inserted into the gasket, its opening stretches, and in stretching does so at a location along the inwardly-extending sleeve of the gasket that is farthest into the manhole, for tight sealing engagement around the pipe. An integral bead, comprising part of the gasket forms a pressure ring, for increased sealing engagement with the pipe.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the automated manufacture of heavy concrete objects, which apparatus may incorporate a continuous, rectangular assembly line path having a roller conveyor system for carrying molded concrete castings from a pouring station through a first and a second curing chambers to a stripping station, this roller conveyor system transcribing a closed rectangular layout with four right angle turns therein.

Abstract: Three chlorate candles are connected to a common conduit to which a normally open pressure switch is connected on the downstream side. The switch closes in response to a flow rate less than its predetermined minimum magnitude of oxygen from each candle flowing through the conduit. The pressure switch and one thermal switch for each candle except the last one are serially interconnected across a DC source through a resistor. When that candle first ignited is weakened in generation of oxygen, the next candle is ignited with the closure of the two serially connected switches and through the resulting heating of the associated resistor. The third candle is similarly ignited.

Abstract: In the recovery of molybdenum and rhenium values from sulfide ores, silica impurity is reduced to low levels by adding alumina to a carbonate fusion mix in an amount sufficient to combine with the silica present to form insoluble aluminum silicates, thus preventing its removal from the fusion mass during removal of soluble molybdenum and rhenium values by leaching, and thereby avoiding the necessity for conventional subsequent precipitation and filtration removal steps.

Abstract: A connection is provided between pipe (principally sewer pipe) and the wall of a manhole or like structure, whereby a hole passing through the wall of the manhole is provided with sloped tapers opening toward each side of the wall, through which the pipe is received, with resiliently compressible ring members being provided at each side of the wall, arranged in wedged engagement between the pipe and each tapered portion of the wall, clamping the pipe to the wall. The manhole will principally be of the cylindrical cast concrete type, and the rings will preferably be of the O-ring type. The pipe may be of various constructions. A particularly novel technique is provided for facilitating the connection, whereby forces exerted on the pipe from inside the manhole after a compressible ring has been applied thereto, are maintained while another ring is rolled into position against the tapered exterior surface, and then swaged into place.