Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moves into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moves forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moves into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moves forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moves into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moves forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moves into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moves forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including: moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moved into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moved forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including: moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moved into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moved forwardly along its path of travel.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating wings from a poultry carcass includes an overhead conveyor for conveying partially processed poultry carcasses sequentially along a processing path back-first. Each carcass is tilted on its back and its wings are separated and spread out to the sides of the carcass. The scapula bones of the carcass are urged to a desired position. A pre-cut is made in the back of the carcass along a specified location to sever a primary tendon associated with the scapula and holding each wing to the carcass. The wings are tensioned to dislocate the shoulder joints and to begin to pull the balls and sockets of the joints apart at the shoulder. Rotary blades cut through a piece of back meat and then between the separated balls and sockets of the shoulder joints while the wings are being prevented from moving along with the carcass. This progressively opens up the dislocated shoulder joint as the rotary blades cut until the wings are completely severed and removed from the carcass.

Abstract: A method of separating a poultry leg into its constituent thigh and drumstick includes bending the leg at the knee to impart stress to the tissue surrounding the knee knuckle and urge the end of the drumstick bone away from the end of the thigh bone. Further stress is imparted and the bones are further urged apart by pushing the top of the drumstick in a direction opposite the knee. The tissue above the knee is then pushed up and the tissue below the knee is pushed down to maximize tension in the tissue and move the ends of the bones apart as far as possible without tearing the tissue. The tissue at the knee is then progressively sliced by a rotary cutter. The initial slice relieves tension in the tissue causing it to pull apart and move the ends of the bones further apart. The slice is then completed between the now spaced apart ends of the bones to separate the thigh from the drumstick without producing bone shards and splinters that can contaminate the meat of the thigh and the drumstick.

Abstract: A method of separating a poultry leg into its constituent thigh and drumstick includes bending the leg at the knee to impart stress to the tissue surrounding the knee knuckle and urge the end of the drumstick bone away from the end of the thigh bone. Further stress is imparted and the bones are further urged apart by pushing the top of the drumstick in a direction opposite the knee. The tissue above the knee is then pushed up and the tissue below the knee is pushed down to maximize tension in the tissue and move the ends of the bones apart as far as possible without tearing the tissue. The tissue at the knee is then progressively sliced by a rotary cutter. The initial slice relieves tension in the tissue causing it to pull apart and move the ends of the bones further apart. The slice is then completed between the now spaced apart ends of the bones to separate the thigh from the drumstick without producing bone shards and splinters that can contaminate the meat of the thigh and the drumstick.

Abstract: Poultry parts (13) are placed on carrier trays (22) of a tray conveyor (14) and move on an endless loop conveyor first through a rectilinear loading run (24), then through a curved deboning run (26), and then through a lower return run (25). The curved deboning run extends about the deboning unit (35), which includes a stationary cam drum (36) and a revolving carrier assembly (38) that carriers the series of deboning modules (55) about the drum (36). Each deboning module becomes aligned with a carrier tray and is actuated by the cam tracks (81) of the stationary cam drum (36) so as to engage and push the bone of the poultry part through the aperture (63) of a bowed resilient stripper disk (61) that is mounted in a meat stripper disk assembly (56) having a disk retainer plate (132).