Abstract: A system for processing a carcass or carcass part of a porcine, bovine, ovine, or caprine slaughter animal involves a plurality of processing steps. The system includes a primary transport system that includes an overhead conveyor and a plurality of carriers for holding a carcass or carcass part, a plurality of processing stations, which processing stations are arranged along the track, each of the processing stations being adapted to carry out one or more processing steps on a carcass or carcass part, wherein in at least one processing station a step of removing a part of the carcass or carcass part is carried out, a secondary transport system, which secondary transport system is arranged adjacent to the processing station in which said part is removed from the carcass or carcass part, which secondary transport system is adapted to receive said part.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a wireless power supply having a plunger for mechanically interconnecting a remote device with the power supply. The plunger may be extendable/retractable to interfit with the remote device. In a second aspect, the present invention provides a wireless power supply with a movable primary that allows for close alignment between the primary and the secondary when the remote device is disposed within a range of different positions with respect to the charging surface. The movable primary may, for example, be coupled to the remote device by a peg, a plunger or a magnet. Alternatively, the position of the movable primary may be adjusted manually. In a third aspect, the present invention provides a charging bowl having a plurality of charging stations disposed about a common axis. Each charging station may include a movable primary that permits some freedom in positioning of the remote device on the charging surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the automated processing of meat. Known devices comprise a transport element, a cutting element, a bearing layer for the cutting element, and at least one control and/or regulating device that is actively connected to the cutting element. According to known devices and methods, the meat is displaced onto or towards the bearing layer, before being cut and/or trimmed. Often, this leads to an accumulation of meat, interrupting the processing operation. The inventive threading element reliably ensures that the meat is lifted up before reaching the bearing layer and is guided onto the same.

Abstract: Fish processing machines and methods for realigning fish during processing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a fish processing machine in accordance with the invention includes a fish processing unit for use with a processing machine having a fillet assembly and/or a skinner assembly. The processing unit includes an inspection assembly with a conveyor system operably coupled to the fillet assembly and/or skinner assembly and an alignment device operably coupled to the conveyor system. The conveyor system extends along a processing path to transport a fillet of fish that has been sliced from a trunk of the fish. The alignment device is positioned to automatically realign the fillet with respect to the processing path without manually manipulating the fillet before the fillet is transferred from the conveyor system to an inspection table.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the automated processing of meat. Known devices comprise a transport element, a cutting element, a bearing layer for the cutting element, and at least one control and/or regulating device that is actively connected to the cutting element. According to known devices and methods, the meat is displaced onto or towards the bearing layer, before being cut and/or trimmed. Often, this leads to an accumulation of meat, interrupting the processing operation. The inventive threading element reliably ensures that the meat is lifted up before reaching the bearing layer and is guided onto the same.

Abstract: Fish processing machines and methods for realigning fish during processing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a fish processing machine in accordance with the invention includes a fish processing unit for use with a processing machine having a fillet assembly and/or a skinner assembly. The processing unit includes an inspection assembly with a conveyor system operably coupled to the fillet assembly and/or skinner assembly and an alignment device operably coupled to the conveyor system. The conveyor system extends along a processing path to transport a fillet of fish that has been sliced from a trunk of the fish. The alignment device is positioned to automatically realign the fillet with respect to the processing path without manually manipulating the fillet before the fillet is transferred from the conveyor system to an inspection table.

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: A trim table for use by trimming and/or cutting of food products, such as chicken or fish, has conveyors (2, 12) for feeding products to a number of operator stands (O1 . . . O8), each of which receivers (14, 24R, 28R) for receiving products (10), a cutting table (16, 24C, 28C) for trimming and/or cutting the products (10) into product pieces (10a, 10b) and sorters (6, 20), and further, transport of the cut or trimmed products (10a, 10b). One or more of the operator stands (O1 . . . O8) are provided with mechanisms (18, 24, 28) for automatic transferal of the products (10) from the receivers (14, 24R, 28R) onto the cutting table (16, 24C, 28C). By a trim table, the products are brought to the operator, so that the operator is spared from having to repeatedly lift products as has necessary in the past. As a result, the operator's working position is significantly improved, just as the work place at the trim table according to the invention is also improved ergonomically.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for chilling and aging the front portions of poultry carcasses. The process and apparatus preferably comprise and provide for (a) separating eviscerated poultry carcasses into front portions and back portions, (b) washing the front portions, (c) conducting a fecal inspection of at least some of the front portions, (d) pre-chilling the front portions in water, (e) delivering the front portions through a reconditioning washer when the fecal inspection indicates that a failure has occurred, and (f) conducting a secondary inspection at the reconditioning wash.

Abstract: In order to sever heads of fish or, in the case of pre-decapitated fish collar bones remaining on the torso from the torso at a preset location (38) with a blade (11) whose cutting edge runs transversely to the orientation of the fish, the fish must be aligned relative to the blade's cutting plane (39). Since in known methods and apparatus and particularly regarding differing fish size difficulties occur in precisely engaging the fish for the purpose of displacing them as well as due to their deformation in obtaining the correct positioning, it is proposed that the fish be gripped in form-locking relationship at a dimensionally stable location such as the head by a movable positioning device (4) and displaced in a direction towards the cutting plane (39) until the preset location (38) lies in the cutting plane.

Abstract: Previously eviscerated poultry carcasses with legs and backs remaining are suspended from shackles (25) by their legs and moved in sequence along a processing path. The backs are received on a surface conveyor (18) having parallel conveyor flights (36, 37), so that the rounded portions (31) of the surfaces of the backs (30) seek the space between the conveyor flights, thereby tending to center the carcasses moving along the poultry path. The backs are turned from inverted attitudes to upright attitudes while the legs remain inverted, thereby tending to rotate the thighs with respect to the backs, loosening the sockets between the thighs and backs, and the visceral cavities are placed on a rotary disk (28) formed of UHMW and having peripheral teeth with radially extending teeth surfaces which engage the backbone areas of the visceral cavities of the carcasses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for uniformly positioning legs of slaughtered poultry. Initially the legs are rotated in such a way that their knees end up pointing sideways in relation to a vertical plane passing through the overhead conveyor, subsequent to which the legs are rotated in such a way that the knees preferably end up pointing in the direction of transport. The apparatus for carrying out the method is provided with first and second direction checks.

Abstract: In a device and method for processing a slaughtered animal or a part thereof, the slaughtered animal or the part thereof is conveyed on a holding support of a carrier connected to an overhead conveyor. The holding support is provided with devices for fixing the slaughtered animal or part thereof. The carrier is conveyed past filleting tools disposed in an essentially fixed orientation, while the holding support of the carrier provided with a swivelling device can be swivelled by means of a control device which controls the swivelling device during the passage past the filleting tools, in order to carry out-the filleting operations with the filleting tools.

Abstract: A meat slicing apparatus is disclosed, wherein the apparatus is capable of high-speed slicing of meat having large skeletal bones therein. The apparatus has a blade composed of a steel alloy that is approximately 5 to 10 times greater in compression strength than typical steel. The blade has an involute shape for withstanding the stresses incurred when slicing through bones having compression near that of steel, e.g., pork loin bones. The meat slicer includes a mechanism for securing a position of a meat section to be sliced so that the meat section stays in place during a slicing process, thereby reducing the risk of misalignment of the meat section with the blade. Thus, without such misalignments, there is a reduction in blade failures, shattered bones, bone fragments, and bone dust. Also, the securing mechanism reciprocates between securing the meat section for slicing and releasing it sufficiently for indexing toward the blade between slicing operations.

Abstract: The head of a fish is severed from the fish body in a two-stage operation, in the first stage the root of the fish head beneath the gill covers being cut partway through and in the second stage the severance of the fish head from the fish body being completed. The first stage cutting operation is effected by cooperating disk cutters converging toward the fish head at an acute angle, means for sensing the thickness of a fish, and means for adjusting the spacing of the disk cutters in accordance with the thickness of the fish sensed. The fish are transported unidirectionally, and the spacing of the cutting disks is adjusted while the cutters are being reciprocated in the same direction of the travel as the fish is transported, and the disk cutters are then reciprocated in the direction opposite the direction of transport of the fish to effect the first stage cutting operation.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically shearing the leg from a carcass moving along a carcass rail includes an arm having a first end pivotally attached to a support structure and a second end attached to a shearing assembly. The arm swings the shearing assembly out of a sterilization chamber remote from the carcass rail to a position along the carcass rail to shear the leg from the carcass. In a first embodiment, the shearing assembly shears a carcass leg projecting perpendicular to the carcass rail. In a second embodiment, the shearing assembly shears a carcass leg that is parallel to the rail. After the leg is sheared from the carcass, the arm swings the shearing assembly into the sterilization chamber for cleaning. The cleaning process takes place within the remote chamber thereby preventing contamination of carcasses on the carcass rail.

Abstract: A carcass leg shearing apparatus adapted for mounting near a carcass rail. The apparatus includes a carcass leg engager for engaging the carcass legs and positioning the legs within a shearing region such that the carcass legs are sheared at the hock portions thereof. The leg shearing apparatus further includes a control system connected to position the shearing apparatus at a desired location relative to the carcass, position the carcass legs within the shearing region so that the carcass legs are sheared at the hock portions thereof, move the shearing blade from an open shearing position to a closed shearing position to shear the legs from the carcass, and position the shearing apparatus at a desired location prior to shearing off the legs of the next carcass on the carcass rail.

Abstract: A keel bone aligning apparatus (70) aligns the keel bone (78) of a carcass (10) with a rotary halving blade (61) so that the keel bone (78) is centrally cut with precision as the carcass (10) is carried along a processing path (12) and suspended by its legs (13) via a conveyor (11). As the carcass approaches the keel bone aligning apparatus (70), the visceral cavity (22) is introduced onto an internal guide rail (33). The keel bone aligning apparatus (70) has an angled guide plate (75) and a rollers (76a, 76b). The angled guide plate (75) initially engages and guides a portion of the carcass in the area of the keel bone. The rollers (76a, 76b) subsequently engage and guide the carcass portion during the cutting of the keel bone (78) by the rotary, halving blade (61).

Abstract: A method and device for performing an accurate cutting operation near the knee joint of a leg of a slaughtered animal, in particular a bird, the device comprising mechanical means, such as conveying elements and guides, for handling the leg, and cutting means, such as rotary or stationary knives for performing the cutting operation, e.g. for making an incision prior to scraping off meat of a bone or for cutting through the leg. With the device, the desired cutting accuracy is obtained by using mechanical positioning means which operate on the kneecap of the leg, which is preferably bended in the knee joint in its natural bending direction by bending means. The positioning means may comprise one or more supporting elements with a stop edge, which can be moved along the thigh of the leg to against the kneecap.

Abstract: Device for severing the pubis of the carcass of a slaughtered animal, comprising a positioning element, a rotary-driven cylindrical first cutting element, and a blade- type cutting element, which are combined into a functional unit which can be moved as a whole to and from the carcass, and a pressure element which is situated next to the cylindrical cutter, at the end of a guided carrier movable parallel to the direction of movement of said cutter, which pressure element has a U-shaped pressure stirrup for gripping around the tail and pressing it down.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an automated poultry processing system having a novel chicken hind quarter cutting stage that does not require the individual chicken hind quarters to be removed from the moving treadmill before or after halving the chicken hind quarters. Each chicken hind quarter is placed into a moveable shackle including a rotatable shackle assembly. Each rotatable shackle assembly includes a cam plate that, when moved into contact with a stationary cam member, causes the shackle assembly to rotate 90.degree., thereby rotating the chicken hind quarter by 90.degree.. The chicken hind quarter then moves into contact with a guide member that positions the chicken hind quarter for subsequent cutting by a rotary saw. The chicken hind quarter remains in contact with the guide member until the saw has cut the chicken hind quarter into halves, thereby facilitating a precise cut of the chicken hind quarter.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing the fillets from fish rumps comprises cutting tools each composed of pairs of circular knives for cutting free the belly spokes, the back spokes and the ribs or vertebral appendages, respectively. The last mentioned cutting tool has a double function which consists in that each circular knife of this tool is associated with a guiding element, which, in its rest position, lies against the inner face of the circular knife with its guiding face. The guiding edges of the guiding elements support the vertebrae of the vertebral column and can be displaced within the cutting planes of the circular knives and can be controlled, in their displaced position, into a position in which a gap for the passage of the ribs or the vertebral appendages is opened between the inner face of the circular knives and the guiding face. The displacement of the guiding elements occurs by the effect of transporting disks, which support the vertebrae of the vertebral column on the opposing side.