Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for cutting free the flank bones of decapitated, slaughtered fish with opened abdominal cavities which are transported on transport saddles as supporting bodies for securely receiving the fish in their abdominal cavities, comprising an upper bones guide, a lower bones guide and a separating assembly for releasing fish fillets from the flank bones, wherein the separating assembly, which can be brought from a standby position into a working position and vice versa, comprises a separating device having cutting edges and with a corresponding counter-surface, which is characterized in that a covering element, for covering regions of the cutting edge of the separating device located in the effective region of the separating device inside the fish, is assigned to the separating device, and the covering element is designed and configured such that it can be automatically adjusted with respect to its position in relation to the separating device.

Abstract: An apparatus including a balloon envelope, a cutting blade secured to a blade block; a cutter guide rail secured above the balloon envelope, and an arm rotatable about a pivot point having an end secured to the blade block, wherein the end of the arm extends past the blade block, wherein the arm is releasably secured by a release member, and wherein release of the arm from the release member allows for a rotation of the arm, wherein the rotation of the end of the arm is guided by the cutter guide rail such that the cutting blade maintains contact with and cuts the balloon envelope during the rotation of the arm.

Abstract: A food source information transferring system for a livestock meat-packing facility and a related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the food source information transferring system is capable of reading tag-identifying information in a hook RFID tag incorporated in a hook that can be hung on a hook machine. An animal carcass attached to the hook then undergoes meat chopping, cutting, and/or packing operations in the meat-packing facility. For each meat package produced, a data set associated with the tag-identifying information in the hook RFID tag can be paired with a data set associated with a meat package label attached to the meat package. This dynamic and robust data association between the hook RFID tag and the meat package label enables a food source information database in the food source information transferring system to preserve and trace detailed food source information at various levels of meat production and processing.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automated cutting of the wings from poultry bodies are disclosed. The apparatus has transport units that are arranged on each side of the conveying means, each of which includes a guide rail and a conveying chain. The transport units are arranged symmetrically to the conveying means and diverge in the direction of transport T in such a way that the two wings of a poultry body are moved increasingly away from the poultry body during transport along the separating device. The cutting blades of the third pair of separating elements form a cutting station without a counter-support and each has a cutting edge which performs partial cuts leaving the end pieces of the wings on the poultry body. The lateral guide rails behind the separating device each have a recess to increase the vertical distance between the guide rail and the conveying chain.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automated cutting of the wings from poultry bodies are disclosed. The apparatus has transport units that are arranged on each side of the conveying means, each of which includes a guide rail and a conveying chain. The transport units are arranged symmetrically to the conveying means and diverge in the direction of transport T in such a way that the two wings of a poultry body are moved increasingly away from the poultry body during transport along the separating device. The cutting blades of the third pair of separating elements form a cutting station without a counter-support and each has a cutting edge which performs partial cuts leaving the end pieces of the wings on the poultry body. The lateral guide rails behind the separating device each have a recess to increase the vertical distance between the guide rail and the conveying chain.

Abstract: A method for mass-production butchering of a beef chuck roll includes locating an anterior side and a posterior side of the chuck roll, and making a first series of cuts into the chuck roll along lines not intersecting the anterior and posterior sides. The first series of cuts form a first set of separate beef portions with increasing weights from initial to final cuts in the first series. The method also includes making a second series of cuts into the chuck roll along lines not intersecting the anterior and posterior sides to form a second set of separate beef portions.

Abstract: Method for obtaining an inner fillet and device for mechanically detaching the undesired tendon part from an inner fillet. The poultry carcass is mounted on a fixing member and positioned so that the tendons are exposed. A processing device, comprising rotating cutters, either partially or completely detaches the tendon from the inner fillets. The cutters make a uniform incision at the moment when the inner fillet and the associated tendon are still essentially in their natural position. The fillets may then be removed manually or mechanically from the carcass.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatic cutting of organs (15,16) from a plucks set (6) from a carcass by means of cutting means (410,411,413), said plucks set comprising larynx (7), gullet and windpipe (11), lungs (16) and heart (15). The apparatus comprises a suspension means (5) for holding the pipes (11), moving means (8) for moving the plucks set relative to the cutting means, while the pipes are held in the suspension means, and a guiding means (400) adapted to guide the plucks set to the cutting means and to keep lungs and heart separated from each other. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for automatic separation of organs from a plucks set from a carcass.

Abstract: A method for dividing a body of slaughtered poultry is described, wherein the body hangs down by its legs from a transport means, is transported with the breast leading in the direction of transport and is cut through during transport thereof by means of a first cutting operation, wherein the body is brought into a position inclined to the direction of transport before and during the first cutting operation so that the legs are located in front of the remaining body, wherein the body is moved towards a spike in such a manner that the spike enters a rear opening between the legs located between the legs of the body and the first cutting operation is performed in a diagonal direction in a plane which essentially extends between the thighs of the legs and the spike so that the body is divided into a rear half including the legs, the thigh portions corresponding to the legs and a back portion, and a front half including a breast portion and a main proportion of the back portion of the body, wherein the front half

Abstract: A device under the control of a programmable logic controller, cuts poultry carcasses into a predetermined amount of pieces that remain together and are deposited into a compartmentalized conveyor for continued separation until the cut up carcass or carcasses are deposited into the final packaging configuration. The device, can cut the tail, breast tip, drumsticks, split the breast into two halves in the front, remove internal organs not removed in the evisceration process, cut wings, split the back from the top of the breast to the bottom of the thigh, cut the breast portion from the thigh portion, and remove the leaf fat from the bottom of the thigh. The disclosed device can also skip some of the above cuts to generate different end products.

Abstract: A method of dividing deep-frozen food blocks comprising forming a succession of spaced parallel blade rows each row having a plurality of spaced parallel coaxial freely rotatable discoid blades and advancing successive food blocks past the successive blade rows so that the blades in the successive blade rows rotate with a peripheral speed which more or less matches the speed of the block advance so that there is minimal relative linear motion of the blade edges and the blocks whereby the blades groove the blocks by displacing block material to the sides of the grooves and selecting a number of blade rows such that while the grooves made by any blade row are quite shallow, the grooves made by all of the blade rows divide each of the blocks into a plurality of parts. Apparatus for practicing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: Poultry processing apparatus is disclosed for automatically performing shoulder-wing separation and severing cuts, short transverse shoulder cuts and long back cuts in the rib cage breast meat of a poultry carcass preparatory to removal of the wings and breast meat from the carcass. The apparatus includes a conveyor having a series of carcass support cones sequentially moveable along a predetermined path of travel. Combination shoulder-wing joint locating and separating members cooperate with C-shaped cutters pivotally thereon to define scissors mechanism located at a fixed position along the conveyor path to displace each wing bone from its respective shoulder socket and to then sever respective connective shoulder muscle and tendons while at the same time performing the short shoulder cuts in the carcass breast meat.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to various aspects of automated excision of undesirable material (and optionally excision of bone) from meat, and automated production of starting material for restructured meat, including: (a) an apparatus and method generally drawn to, optical detection of the location of undesirable material in meat, communication of information regarding the location of the undesirable material to a control means, and excision of the undesirable material from the meat using a high pressure water jet controlled by the control means; (b) a bone location sensor and method of bone location sensing, each employing a plurality of needles, and; (c) a multiple blade slicer.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically separating the legs and thighs of birds from the backs of birds while the birds are moving along a poultry processing line. The thigh joints between the thighs and lower backs of the birds are engaged between the angular contact edges (43 and 44) of a pair of yieldable cam shoes (37 and 38) and the side surfaces (33 and 34) of a vertical center guide partition (31). As a result, the thigh joints are aligned with the cutting blades (54 and 56) of a cutting means (36), positioned downstream of the yieldable cam shoes (37 and 38), which cuts through the thigh joints to separate the legs and thighs from the back portions of the birds.

Abstract: A method for deboning fish is performed by means of an apparatus in which the fish rumps, with their head end leading, pass tools which initially cut free the belly spokes and ribs, the cutting free of the latter occurring up to the back spokes. These back spokes are then extracted from the back portion of the fish rump by downwardly displacing the vertebral column from the fish path, guide faces having scraping edges being guided in the rib cuts and extending up to the flanks of the back spokes, so that the extracting of the same is supported by scraping-off the meat from the back spokes. A splitting of the fish rump in the plane of the removed back spokes produces a double fillet when the cutting depth of the corresponding severing knife is limited up to the region of the tips of the belly spokes, whereas the gaining of individual fillets of maximum yield is possible by removal of the back fin strip together with the fin holders.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically halving and processing the breasts and backs of poultry carcasses while the carcasses are still moving along a poultry processing line. The carcasses are pulled along the length of an internal guide rail (29) for processing. A rotary halving blade (48) positioned initially below the internal guide rail (29) is movable upwardly to engage and cut the breast into halves. After the breast has been split in half by the rotary halving blade (42), a pair of rotary separator blades (48) cut through the back of the carcass between the breast and thighs of the carcass to separate the breast and upper back from the legs, thighs and lower back of the carcass. A pair of back removal blades (61) positioned above the internal guide rail (29), the rotary separator blades (48) removes the upper backbone from the breast.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically halving and processing the breasts and backs of poultry carcasses while the carcasses are still moving along a poultry processing line. The carcasses are passed along the processing line through a V-shaped separator blade 26 which separates the saddle portion of the carcass from the breast and back of the carcass. The breast and back of the carcass are then pulled along the length of an internal guide rail 32 by a pair of chain conveyors 33 for processing. A large rotary halving blade 43 positioned below the internal guide rail 32 is movable upward to initially cut only the breast of the carcass and further upward to separate the entire carcass in half. A pair of back removal blades 46 positioned above the internal guide rail 32 following the rotary halving blade 43 can be lowered to remove the backbone from the carcass if the halving blade 43 is not fully raised to separate the entire poultry carcass.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically separating the breast (15), back (17) and saddle (21) of poultry carcasses (10) while the carcasses are moving along a poultry processing line. The carcasses are initially engaged by a disk cutter (26) which cuts along the visceral cavity between the breast and thighs of the carcass to enlarge the opening of the visceral cavity. The carcasses are carried into a first processing station (29) wherein the breast and upper back are separated from the legs, thighs and lower back of the carcass, and the breast is split and the backbone cut away from the upper back. After being separated from the breast and upper back of the carcass, the legs, thighs and lower back are carried into a second processing station (40) where the thighs are engaged by a pair of joint opening guide rods (72 and 73) which press the thighs away from the back to open the connecting joints between the thighs and lower back.