Abstract: Method and device for mechanical removal of the viscera package from the belly cavity of slaughtered poultry hanging by the legs from hooks which are moved in a conveyor along a drawing device. For removal of the viscera package, the body of the poultry is tilted from the hanging, vertical position through a predetermined angle about an axis parallel to a line through the hip joints to a second position, in which the shoulder joints are situated at essentially the same height as or higher up than the hip joints. The latter body position thereafter remains retained during the veterinary inspection of the poultry or the carrying out of further operations on the viscera package and/or the carcass.

Abstract: A process of eviscerating an inverted animal carcass (10) inclined at 35.degree. to 40.degree. includes pushing the viscera (30) comprising both the thoracic viscera (31) and abdominal viscera (32) in a direction (B) from the cranial end (11) of the carcass (10) towards the caudal end (12) so as to pass between the hind legs (13) and fall from the carcass. Connecting tissues including the aorta (35) and external iliac arteries (36) are partially severed prior to pushing the viscera from the carcass so that the viscera detaches completely from the carcass after being pushed between the hind legs (13). The diaphragm (25) may be pierced at its periphery so that the force of the pushing operation causes the diaphragm to tear around its peripheral edges from the walls of the thoracic cavity. The pubic symphysis (60) is split before the pushing operation whereby the viscera (30) can pass both above and below and through the split in the pubic symphysis (60).

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for dividing a package removed from a bird, which may include intestines, liver and heart with lungs, into separate parts. Using the method and apparatus, firstly the heart-lungs assembly is cut loose from the package, whereafter the intestines and liver are separated. For cutting loose the heart-lungs assembly, a cutting means positioned alongside a conveyor for the package may be applied, whereas the separation of the intestines and liver may be carried out through a separating means cooperating with the conveyor. As the conveyor, a rotating disc with reception slots for the packages may be considered. In the alternative, a chain conveyor comprising carriers with reception slots is also possible.

Abstract: Apparatus for conveying entrails packages which have been removed from birds, comprising a conveyor for the entrails packages having a number of conveying means. Each conveying means is provided with a carrier which is pivotable between a lower position and an upper position. In the upper position the entrails packages can be applied to the carrier for the supply thereof to a separating device.

Abstract: In a mechanical process for producing a fish product which may be described as a double fillet including head and tail, the intestines and the bone structure are removed completely and the gills at least partially. The processing is performed from the tail end and comprises the steps of making incisions on both sides of the belly spokes along the whole length of the fish from the ventral side while simultaneously removing the intestines and the gills, while subsequently the bone structure is cut out from the fish body by cutting over the ribs. The obtained double fillet can be folded together by folding down the double fillet halves to form an apparently complete fish.

Abstract: Apparatus for retaining poultry suspended with its legs from a suspension conveyor while submitting the poultry to a processing operation. The apparatus comprises two horizontally spaced apart retaining plates receiving the poultry therebetween. The plates are movable between an upper position for engaging the thighs of the poultry and a lower position for engaging the wings of the poultry. In a preferred embodiment the apparatus comprises a brace applicable between the legs of the poultry and supports applicable underneath the wings of the poultry.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for mechanically and individually removing the heart and liver from poultry viscera still attached to the poultry carcass being transported through the poultry plant by an overhead conveyor and cleaning the heart after removal.

Abstract: In a separating device, the heart, lungs and liver are separated from the viscera of a slaughtered bird by conveying these organs, including the gall-bladder, connected to the bird, essentially parallel to the path of the bird with a helical roller. First the heart and lungs are separated from the liver by cutting through the tissue connecting the heart and lungs, and the liver. Next, the liver is separated from the remainder of the viscera by increasing the distance between the liver and the gall-bladder, and cutting through the tissue connecting the liver and the gall-bladder.

Abstract: A fish scraping and sliming tool (10) for the removal of the bloodline (101) from the body cavity (103) of a fish (100); wherein, the tool comprises a handle unit (11) and a scraping head scraping edge (40) which are angularly offset from the axis of a handle extension member (30) by approximately the same angular value such that the axis of the users forearm will be angularly disposed at an angle of approximately 45.degree. relative to the axis of the handle unit (11) when the user grasps the handle unit in the neutral wrist position.

Abstract: Apparatus intended for implementation in a high speed industrial slaughter house for the automatic evisceration of slaughtered animal carcasses including an automatic mechanical distribution and anal obstructor system, and a mobile structure supporting a circular blade for ventral incision, a circular saw for progressive penetration into the sternum, and nozzles projecting water at an adjustable pressure for disengaging the entrails from the path of the cutting tools.

Abstract: The invention includes a method and a machine for removing spine 2, headbone 13 and organs 4, 5, 6 and 10 from a front part 1 of a fish "parting" of the fish into two parts, rear part and front part 1, where the pectoral nose 9 is uncut, and the pectoral bond 20 is uncut, and the belly cut 39 does not separate the lower end of the pectoral bones 19. The method includes moving, by means of a spiked chain at each side, the front part 1 with the belly 3 at front and the head 18 at rear along a fixed straight track 21 to a fixed U-formed beam comprising a belly scraper 16 at the end of the spiked chains 23. The belly 3 is threaded upon the belly scraper 16, which scrapes the inside of the belly 3, so that the organs get loose from the front part 1 and are moved into the belly scraper 16.At front of the belly scraper 16 is a gill knife 17, which cuts the lower ends of the gills 10 from the radix of the tongue 8.

Abstract: A method for mechanical gutting of fish and device for execution of the method are disclosed, whereby the inner organs are removed via the fish's oral cavity (mouth) without opening the fish's abdomen. The inner organs are extracted with the aid of a vacuum. A tool is inserted into the fish through the oral cavity and removes the kidneys of the fish (blood ribbon) and the membrane which covers the kidneys. The tools of the device are connected to suitable drive systems of known types and are generally located concentrically about a straight center line and arranged so as to be moveable linearly along and rotatably about this line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing viscera from poultry carcasses during processing is described comprising a frame which has a tilting means mounted thereon to tilt the carcasses so that the viscera hang sufficiently away from the carcasses to allow them to be mechanically grasped. A grasping means is mounted on the frame for grasping the viscera after the carcasses are tilted, and a pulling means is mounted on the frame for pulling the grasped viscera from the carcasses. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tilting means comprises at least one guide bar, disposed in such a manner that as the carcasses move along on the shackle line, they strike the guide bar and are tilted. The grasping means of the preferred embodiment of the invention comprise a pair of side-by-side, spaced apart rails, the distance between which progressively decreases along their length to the point that viscera may be substantially grasped between the rails.

Abstract: Single organs, such as the hard-roe sacks or soft-roe are removed from fish by placing decapitated fish in a coneyor having troughs that are advanced transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fish. The fish are conveyed with their belly leading and lying on their side. The fish are fixed by engagement in the region of their tail end portion. The gaining of the organs occurs by controlled movement of one pressing element, each, into the trough, so that the pressing element compresses the belly cavity progressively from the belly side starting at the tail-side end of the belly cavity and progressing toward the decapitation end of the fish.

Abstract: Apparatus including a continuously traveling endless conveyor having receptacles for receiving fish in an aligned position, passing them under a rotating cutter to cut through the head and backbone of the fish and then through an impact device to engage the partially decapitated head and forcibly sever it from the body while simultaneously at least partially eviscerating the fish.

Abstract: Fecal leakage and contamination from the vent opening of an animal carcass during slaughtering and processing methods is reduced or eliminated by applying a curable adhesive composition to the vent opening and permitting the applied curable composition to cure to form a cured firmly adherent vent seal after slaughtering but prior to other processing steps. In a preferred embodiment, the curable adhesive comprises a cyanoacrylate adhesive which cures in a matter of seconds under processing conditions to form a cured vent seal which retains its sealing integrity even upon exposure to high temperature and high humidity environments encountered at downstream processing stations. The curable sealing compositions are safe in the fully-cured state and do not liberate undesirable materials during curing.

Abstract: An apparatus for imparting a simultaneous rotational movement to an object moving along a rectilinear trajectory a slide block can be moved to and fro along a substantially cylindrical rod that has at least one flattened surface that is engaged by a guide wheel journalled in the slide surface block. The flattened surface extends partially rectilinearly and partially spirally along the cylindrical rod.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for removing the liver from poultry viscera by mechanically stretching the viscera connected to the liver to pull the gall bladder away from the liver; and, mechanically cutting between the liver and the gall bladder to separate the liver from the viscera and the gall bladder.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for processing the heart from poultry viscera by removing the connecting structure and any lungs connected to the heart with a pair of processing rolls to pull the connecting structure between the processing rolls and the heart down against the processing rolls and pinch off the connecting structure from the heart.

Abstract: An assembly for excising viscera hanging from a poultry suspended vertically consists in a structure which tilts the poultry from a vertical position to a horizontal position, pulls, in a substantial horizontal direction on the proventriculus and cuts the latter while the poultry moves sideways on a conveyor.