Abstract: The technology as disclosed herein includes a method and apparatus for deboning a meat item, and more particular for deboning a poultry item including performing an initial shoulder cut for removing boneless breast meat from the poultry carcass or frame. The method and apparatus disclosed and claimed herein is a combination of a robotic arm including an ultrasonic knife implement and a vision system for varying the cut path based on the shape and size of the poultry item. The combination as claimed including the ultrasonic knife can perform a meat cut while penetrating the meat with less force than the typical penetration that occurs when using a traditional knife.

Abstract: Wing cutting apparatus for processing poultry carcasses includes a conveying device configured to convey a poultry carcass along a conveying line in transport direction. First and second separating devices are configured to separate wings or wing parts in pairs from one each of the poultry carcasses. The second separating device is offset from said first separating device. A plurality of concurrent pushing elements are configured to run along in the transport direction. At least one of the pushing elements is arranged to be in association with a carrier element and is configured to come into engagement with the wing or wing parts.

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 cutting system that conveys a meat product to the throat and blade of a saw. A positioning conveyor positions the meat product into a predetermined position. An adjustable laser is then used to locate a predetermined area of the meat product so that the saw blade can be adjusted to align with the laser beam before cutting of the meat product.

Abstract: Meat processing method and apparatus for automatically cutting individual poultry or fowl carcasses into various meat products, including conveying at least one previously eviscerated individual carcass along a path of conveyance and through a freezing unit arranged for allowing at least a portion of the at least one carcass to become frozen and conveying the at least one carcass, upon its exit from the freezing unit, to a cutting station downstream of the freezing unit for performing at least one partial cut through a frozen portion of the at least one carcass.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for the extraction and collection of coelomic fluid of sea stars. The method includes feeding sea stars, one at a time, from storage into the mouth of a longitudinally-moving gripper. The method includes moving the sea stars in a downstream direction by means of the longitudinally-moving gripper. The method includes severing the tip of the arm of the sea star. The method includes allowing the coelomic fluid to drain out of the severed arm of the sea star; The method includes accumulating the drained coelomic fluid. The method includes collecting the accumulated drained coelomic fluid. Finally, the method includes discharging the sea stars from the longitudinally-moving gripper.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for automatic cutting of hams, with the hams conveyed on a first conveyor inwards below and to engagement with a carrier for the pubic bone of the ham, which is held by the carrier. The ham is conveyed further on by a second conveyor and an overhead conveyor for the carrier with the rind side lying on the second conveyor, where the pubic bone is pressed by a spring force against and is held by the carrier in a predetermined, vertical position. Cutting devices for the cutting of the hams are arranged at these conveyors. This apparatus and method makes it possible to position the hams precisely relative to the cutting tools which are to process tailbone, groin meat, groin fat and fat edge, irrespective of the sizes of the hams, owing to the engagement of the pubic bone with the carrier.

Abstract: An apparatus for trussing a bird comprising a main body having a platform for supporting the bird, the platform and main body having a bird keel end and a bird wishbone end, clamping means movably mounted on the main body for securing the bird on the platform and releasing the bird from the platform, shackle means mounted on the main body and being disposed above the bird keel end of the platform for receiving and at least temporarily securing the legs of the bird, a leg engaging and supporting means movably mounted on opposite lateral locations of the main body for tightening leg knuckles of a bird into the shackle means before flexing, for preventing twisting of the legs and for bending the legs over the wings, a first drive means operably engagable with the clamping means, the shackle means and the leg engaging and supporting means to sequentially clamp the bird, shackle, stretch and flex the clamped birds legs and to release the clamped bird.

Abstract: Poultry wings are suspended by their tip segments and oriented so that their outside surfaces face one side of the processing path, with right wings oriented with their elbows leading, and left wings oriented with their elbows trailing. The lower, primary segments are bent at the elbow joints by a bending guide, laterally and upwardly about an elbow guide, opening the elbow joints. The open joints are cut so as to release the primary segments. The mid-wing segments are compressed and the bone ends are moved laterally from the wing tip segments, causing the bone ends of the mid-wing segments to pop out of the tip segments. In both instances, the bones of the segments are exposed in the final products, so when the products are cooked, the exposed bone ends are free of grease, etc. and are suitable for grasping by the fingers of the hand for eating as finger food.

Abstract: An automatic boning system of the upper half of a slaughtered fowl is provided, in which the number of processing steps is decreased, integrated control using cams is adopted instead of individual control of prior art using hydraulic actuators, and an improvement in yield is achieved. The automatic boning system of the upper half of a slaughtered fowl comprises a main intermittently stepwise feeding section (11), a group of eight stations, and a cam mechanism (14). The main intermittently stepwise feeding section (11) comprises a rotary disk (12) which is rotated intermittently stepwise at an angle of 45° by means of a stepwise driving device (12a),and eight attachment cones 13 located on the peripheral part of the disk 12 at a spacing of angle of 45°.

Abstract: An automatic boning system of the upper half of a slaughtered fowl is provided, in which the number of processing steps is decreased, integrated control using cams is adopted instead of individual control of prior art using hydraulic actuators, and an improvement in yield is achieved. The automatic boning system of the upper half of a slaughtered fowl comprises a main intermittently stepwise feeding section (11), a group of eight stations, and a cam mechanism (14). The main intermittently stepwise feeding section (11) comprises a rotary disk (12) which is rotated intermittently stepwise at an angle of 45° by means of a stepwise driving device (12a), and eight attachment cones 13 located on the peripheral part of the disk 12 at a spacing of angle of 45°.

Abstract: With the intention of performing an optimal cutting of the hind feet (8) of the half carcasses (4), which are advanced stepwise on an overhead conveyor (6) suspended in the hind feet (8), there is indicated a method and a plant for performing an optimal hind foot cutting. According to the invention, cutting of the hind feet (8) occurs by the half carcasses (4) being gripped by pivoting gripping mechanisms (26) the clear of which in the gripping position not allowing the heel joint (29) to pass through this. As the variation of the thickness of the heel joint on a carcass is very small, a lifting of the ham (32) of the half carcass by displacing the gripping mechanisms (26) will result in the position of the thickest point of the heel joint being well-defined, whereby there is achieved a very great uniformity of the hind foot cutting by the same displacement pattern of the gripping mechanisms (26) in cross-wise direction in relation to saw blades (30) situated in a plane well-defined in advance.

Abstract: The poultry cut-up apparatus receives vertically halved poultry carcasses in an inverted attitude transported along an overhead conveyor. Vertically spaced, horizontally oriented pairs of circular cutting blades (21, 22) cut the carcasses into segments as the carcasses are maintained in desired attitudes by flight blocks (17) that move in unison with the shackles of the conveyor, with the cutting blades extending into aligned grooves (48) of a flight block to reach and cut the poultry carcasses into segments, as guide bars (19 and 20) are received in similar grooves of the flight block to hold the carcasses in the proper location for cutting.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing poultry legs at the knee joint is described. The poultry legs consisting of an thigh and drumstick are suspended from the distal end of the drumstick by a conveyor and are received in recesses in a synchronously revolving supporting disc just above the knee joint. Guide rails above and below the supporting disc push the leg against a projecting edge at the base of the recesses and progressively bend the leg in the natural bending position while simultaneously lifting it until the supporting edge lies in the crook of the knee joint. This position is maintained by means of openings in the disc in which the thigh is blocked and by webs extending downwards from the trailing flank of the recesses which likewise prevent the thigh from twisting out of alignment. A cutting device then severs the joint at an angle which halves the bending angle of the leg.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing the wings of birds as the birds are conveyed along a poultry processing line suspended by their legs. As the birds are carried through the wing remover (10), the wings on one side of the birds are engaged by a first wing guide means (40), which tends to spread the wings. This spreading of the wings dislocates the joints between the wings and shoulders of the birds and pulls a desired quantity of meat from the breasts. The birds are thereafter engaged by a first cutting means (56), which separates the wings and the portions of breast meat from the birds. At the same time, the wings on the opposite sides of the birds are engaged by a second wing guide means (41), which tends to spread the wings, dislocating the shoulder joints between the wings and shoulders of the bird and pulling a desired quantity of meat from the breasts. The dislocated shoulder joints are thereafter engaged by a second cutting means (81), which separates the wings and pulled breast meat from the birds.

Abstract: An automated fish marking system includes a conveyor system moving a set of fish trays through a marking or cutting station. In the illustrated embodiment, the trays are filled manually by several workers and subsequent marking steps are automated. Thus, fish handling is limited to filling of the trays and once the fish are placed in the trays they suffer no further handling. The trays retain the fish in a given position and orientation for movement past a water jet cutting system. The cutting system marks each fish by severing a particular fin as it passes through the marking station. After marking, the fish may be automatically returned to a holding tank.

Abstract: A device for automatically shearing hooves from a carcass continuously moving along an overhead rail including a frame horizontally slidable on a base and a shearing assembly vertically slidable on the frame. Drivers are provided to move the shearing assembly to the proper position relative to the hooves on an approaching carcass and to move a blade on the shearing assembly from the open to the closed position. The positioning drivers are controlled by sensors that detect the horizontal and vertical location of the approaching hooves. A pass-through shearing region defined by the shearing assembly preferably accommodates two hooves simultaneously and guides are provided to sweep the shearing region and direct the hooves into the path of the blade. The blade driver is actuated responsive to a signal from a carcass position sensor indicating the presence of a hoof in the shearing region. Multiple safety interlocks are provided.

Abstract: A poultry wing receiving wheel is formed in three separable wheel segments, each of which have peripheral teeth which are aligned when such three segments are assembled so as to collectively form a plurality of circumferentially spaced poultry wing receiving troughs. By separably assembling the three wheel segments, fabrication is simplified and replacement costs are greatly reduced by permitting replacement of only the wheel segment which has worn or damaged peripheral teeth, i.e., the assembled wheel is to a degree rendered repairable. The assembled wheel may be uaed with a conventional apparatus for cutting apart poultry wings. The central most of the three wheel segments may be provided with an integral keyway for mounting on a drive shaft of such a conventional poultry wing cutting machine, with the two remaining segments axially aligned and bolted to such middle wheel segment on each axial side thereof.

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 conveyor with juxtaposed blocks moves along a path of travel, certain of the blocks have recesses which receive second joints of the wings of poultry. The second joints are arranged sidewise to the path of travel of the conveyor, in the recesses and are successively passed beneath a support frame where a knife is reciprocated as the support frame is towed by the conveyor to cut the flesh and skin between the ulna and radius bones and one or both cartilages, which join the ends of the bones. When cutting a cartilage, the bones are urged apart as the cut is made. When one cartilage, only is cut, the bones are pivoted to produce a V-shaped product. This V-shaped product is coated with an edible coating and cooked of frozen for shipment. Several types of blades are illustrated, the blades having one or more camming surfaces for urging the bones apart.