Abstract: A shackle assembly has a clip that is essentially permanently affixed to the overhead conveyor in a poultry processing plant and a shackle that can be attached to and detached from the clip without the use of hand tools. Significant motion of the shackle relative to the clip is permitted without promoting accidental detachment from the clip such that the shackles can be manipulated as need be by various guide structures and the like throughout their movement along the processing line and inspectors can move the suspended carcasses into the most advantageous positions for visual inspection. However, when detachment is desired, a locking head on the shackle that is loosely confined within a key slot in the clip can be oriented in such a way as to permit the shackle to be withdrawn from or replaced within the clip when the conveying line has been disengaged and stopped. Alternative embodiments are disclosed of both the clip and the shackle, including both metal and non-metal forms.

Abstract: The carousel-type machine has a series of holding fixtures that revolve about the central axis of the machine at the same speed as the conveyor line that brings carcasses suspended by their hocks to the machine. As a carcass is intercepted by one of the fixtures, the carcass becomes gripped by its thighs and lifted up against a stop until the tail bone is firmly seated against the stop to establish a point of reference along a longitudinal axis extending through the tail and head ends of the carcass. A back stop associated with each fixture projects outwardly from the face of the fixture by a certain amount so as to engage the back of the pelvic bone structure of the carcass and position the pelvic area along a transverse axis extending through the back and breast of the carcass.

Abstract: The holding fixture has a narrow neck fork designed to fit entirely inside of and between the shoulder joints of the carcass so as to utilize the inside surfaces of the shoulder joints as a means of centering the carcass and precluding side-to-side movement thereof. Each arm of the fork is narrow enough to fit entirely between the neck and the corresponding shoulder joint. A modified fixture for use with a crop-inclusive eviscerator has a resilient projection on the backrest between the arms of the fork to yieldably push the backbone at the base of the neck out away from the backrest to facilitate snagging of the esophagus by a hook-shaped dislodging tool utilized as part of the eviscerator.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses hanging by their legs from a moving overhead conveying line are presented to corresponding carcass processing fixtures moving in a closed loop of travel around an upright axis. As each carcass is presented to its fixture, a holder on the fixture takes control of the carcass and stabilizes it with the breast facing outwardly and the neck hanging downwardly against a sloped centering channel. Once the carcass is stabilized, an arm carrying a slitting knife swings up toward the front throat area of the neck but before the knife can contact the neck skin, a stretcher device mounted in close proximity to the knife but operable in a stretching motion relative to the knife engages the skin and pulls it downwardly into a taut condition to facilitate penetration and severance by the knife. The stretcher is operated in its stretching motion by camming engagement with the underside of a shoulder yoke on the holder as the arm presents the knife to the carcass.

Abstract: A poultry processing machine has a suction tube for use in extracting an organ from a membrane-covered socket in the body cavity of a poultry carcass. The tube is connectable with a source of vacuum pressure and provided with an intake opening through which the organ is passes as it is sucked into the tube. A sharp tooth inside the suction tube is disposed for breaking the membrane during extraction of the organ.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses hanging by their legs from a moving overhead conveying line are presented to corresponding carcass processing fixtures moving in a closed loop of travel around an upright axis. As each carcass is presented to its fixture, a holder on the fixture takes control of the carcass and stabilizes it with the breast facing outwardly. Once the carcass is stabilized, a knife on the fixture moves down into a previously prepared vent hole to a position slightly inside the body cavity. The knife then swings quickly outwardly to and beyond the sternum along an off-center, generally arched cutting path that runs much closer to one leg of the carcass than the other. The contour cut thus produced creates a single, disproportionately large tissue flap under the arch of the cut and on one side thereof which facilitates inspection and keeps the entire fat pad attached to one flap.

Abstract: The evisceration process removes the entire alimentary tract, including the crop, in one operation and without damaging the tract. After the removal spoon enters the opening at the vent end of the carcass and moves along the breast bone, it swings over against the back wall of the body cavity to clamp the esophagus against the backbone at a point just below the weak region of attachment of the esophagus to the stomach. Simultaneously, a crop loosening hook enters a slit in the neck of the carcass, moves up along the esophagus into the body cavity, and intertwines with the esophagus by rotating through 360.degree.. During the time that the esophagus is clamped against the backbone by the removal spoon, the loosening hook is pulled back down along the esophagus, stripping the crop from its connective tissues and loosening the crop for withdrawal. When the removal spoon is then withdrawn up and out of the cavity, the esophagus pulls the loosened crop up and out of the carcass with the rest of the viscera.

Abstract: A poultry hock cutter apparatus for separating the shanks from the drumsticks of a poultry carcass at the hocks includes a stationary blade 44 for applying a progressive wedging action into the centers of the hocks from above and behind the hocks of each carcass as the carcass is moved past the blade to force the heads out of the sockets and expose the connective tissue, and for severing the connective tissue. A method of separating the shanks from the drumsticks of a poultry carcass at the hocks includes applying a progressive wedging action by an upstream segment 48 of the stationary blade 44 at the centers of the hocks of each carcass as the carcass is moved past the blade to sever the skin coverings of the hocks and to force the heads out of the sockets, and severing the connective tissue of the hocks to separate the shanks from the legs.

Abstract: A poultry processing machine supports birds on mandrels mounted on carriers which move in a rectangular path. The birds move continuously in opposite directions along two opposite sides of the rectangular path; and, they move intermittently in opposite directions along the other two sides of the path. Continuous movement is provided by chains with lugs which enter recesses formed in the carriers. Intermittent movement is provided by cylindrical cams which engage cam followers on the carriers and also force adjacent carriers together to couple them. The mandrel has a groove for receiving the backbone, projections for engaging the kidney spaces inside the body, an a shoulder for engaging the anterior end of the breastbone. It is provided to an upright position, a back-up position and a breast-up position as it travels around the apparatus. At the corners of the path, the carriers change their direction of movement without turning bodily.

Abstract: A poultry processing machine supports birds on mandrels mounted on carriers which move in a rectangular path. The birds move continuously in opposite directions along two opposite sides of the rectangular path; and, they move intermittently in opposite directions along the other two sides of the path. Continuous movement is provided by chains with lugs which enter recesses formed in the carriers. Intermittent movement is provided by cylindrical cams which engage cam followers on the carriers and also force adjacent carriers together to couple them. The mandrel has a groove for receiving the backbone, projections for engaging the kidney spaces inside the body, and a shoulder for engaging the anterior end of the breastbone. It is pivoted to an upright position, a back-up position and a breast-up position as it travels around the apparatus. At the corners of the path, the carriers change their direction of movement without turning bodily.

Abstract: Poultry thighs are disjointed by the relative movement of members which contact the breast side of the thigh joint area and members which contact the back side of the thigh joint area. The members are arranged in pairs so that two members on the back side of the bird are moved simultaneously toward a corresponding pair of members on the breast side of the bird. One pair of members is fixed to a rotating support, and the other pair of members is mounted on a cam-actuated arm which is pivotally mounted on the rotating support. A plurality of corresponding pairs of members is provided around the circumference of the apparatus.

Abstract: Device for removing fat from slaughtered poultry, provided with a screw spindle drivable around its longitudinal axis, said spindle being rotatably mounted in a cylindrical sleeve surrounding at least a part of the screw thread on the spindle with a radial clearance. Machine with devices for removing fat from slaughtered poultry mounted in the shape of a roundabout.

Abstract: Device for cutting open the bottom of slaughtered poultry, provided with a knife which is movable along an arc of a circle by means of a follower cooperating with a curved path. According to the invention at least part of the cutting edge of the knife is at least substantially vertical at the beginning of the operative stroke and substantially horizontal at the end of the operative stroke and the said part of the cutting edge of the knife in the operative direction of movement thereof is trailing with respect to the foremost outermost point of the cutting in that direction.

Abstract: A mechanism for holding slaughtered birds in a poultry cutting machine has a support member for engaging and supporting the bird, and rump engaging members which are spaced inwardly of the legs of a bird. The rump engaging members are movable in a forward direction relative to the bird to press the bottom of the bird in a forward direction while a knife cuts the legs from the rumps.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for drawing the crop and gullet from slaughtered poultry, provided with a bore tube, having loosening and entrailing means at its free end, and which is introduced into the bird's trunk via an opening between the breast-bone and the tail of the bird. According to the invention two diametrically opposed strips (42, 43) are secured at the free end of the bore tube (14) and extend parallely to the center line of the tube, said strips along two diagonally opposed edges being provided with teeth (44) which are directed obliquely inwardly and toward the free end of the strip (42, 43).

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting out the vent of a bird being made ready for consumption substantially comprises a number of rotatingly driven hollow cylindrical knives which each are secured to a slide. Each slide is provided with a roller which engages a curved cam surface of the apparatus. A corresponding number of positioning means are also provided with a roller which engages another curved cam surface. The problems relating to different dimensions of the birds and their legs are overcome by a structure which enables the rollers to depart from the paths determined by the curved cam surfaces.

Abstract: A system for eviscerating poultry carcasses including a movable conveyor (10) having shackles (18) for suspending the carcasses by their hocks, means (12) for supporting the conveyor at an elevated height, means for moving the conveyor to move the carcasses along a processing line, means (27) below the conveyor for supporting the breasts of carcasses to be eviscerated, and a plurality of tools (28) mounted on a carousel (14) for eviscerating the carcasses by entering the body cavities of the carcasses from rear access openings, each tool including a shaft (42) and a loop member (44) mounted on the shaft the loop being vertically elongated and being formed of two symmetrical interconnected halves (46, 48) which lie on opposite sides of a central plane (47), each of the halves of the loop including an upper portion (50), an intermediate portion (52), a lower portion (53), and a bottom (54), each upper portion extending downwardly from the shaft in a direction which diverges from the central plane, each intermed

Abstract: Slaughtered poultry supported on the apparatus are internally cleaned by a spray head which is moved into the bodies of the birds. The spray head has a peripheral outlet slot defined by and located between a conical member and a truncated conical member which are threadedly interconnected. An axial delivery bore in the truncated conical member discharges directly into the outlet slot.

Abstract: A device for cutting slaughtered poultry in separate pieces. A bird is held by at least one radial processing device which is movable on a frame by a driving device which is provided with a processing arm, at the side facing the frame being provided with an adjustment mechanism which can reorient the processing device during the movement of the arm in a number of various positions of rotation with respect to the arm and a blocking mechanism which can fix the processing device in said positions of rotation, with a deblocking mechanism for unlocking the processing device, and said processing arm at the side facing away from the frame being provided with a stretching mechanism for holding the bird.