Abstract: A method and device for filleting the body of a slaughtered bird, or a part thereof, the method having the following steps: making incisions in the shoulder joints while the connection between the muscles to be filleted and their wing bones remains intact; tearing away a fillet from the ribs by exerting a force which acts upon the wing concerned and is directed essentially away from the ribs; and breaking the connection between fillet and wing bone. The bird, or a part thereof, is fixed on a supporting element which is movable along a predetermined path at a predetermined speed, and which can be tilted from a neutral position, in which the shoulder side of the bird is facing upwards, to a breast position, in which the breast side of the bird is facing upwards, and to a back position in which the back of the bird is facing upwards.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the mechanical skinning and filleting of poultry bodies these are saddled on carriers and guided to pass corresponding processing tools. To achieve the objects of skinning in an optimal manner, on the one hand, and obtaining a high yield in fillet meat, on the other, the carriers are designed to pivot about a vertical axis and at least one reversing mechanism is provided for the carriers, one of such reversing mechanisms being arranged between a skinning tool and a tool for releasing the meat, this reversing mechanism serving for pivoting the carriers about 180.degree..

Abstract: A method for mechanically detaching the meat from the bodies of slaughtered poultry in the form of fillets is performed with a starting product in the shape of a so called "front-half", i.e. a body portion obtained by a cross-section made obliquely through the poultry body. From this body portion the pelvis has been severed together with the legs, and by a further step the wings have been severed. The treatment in individual processing steps, the performance of which is limited to very narrowly restricted working areas by means of tools which can thus be adapted without compromise to the anatomically conditioned circumstances. Moreover, the sequence of the processing steps is selected such that the increasing destabilization of the poultry body is controlled with each processing step so that the respective subsequent working steps are influenced in a minimum manner possible. The result is a high yield in fillet meat of excellent quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting tongues, cheeks and belly flaps from fish heads and for cutting apart jaws of fish heads. The fish head is mounted on a reinforced beam beneath a spiked chain which moves the head along the beam, first towards horizontal knives which cut the tongue from the head, and then to vertical knives which cut the cheeks and the belly flaps from the head. Over the tongue knives are jaw rods which hold the jaw up to the beam adjacent the tongue knives. Inside the beam is a stick which can be driven down from the beam to locate the tongue in a cutting position below the tongue knives. The head hits a sensor which activates a power source for the stick. The belly flaps are held up by belly flap rods, which lie beneath the collar bones and keep the belly flaps from the tongue knives. The cheeks and belly flaps are cut off with two vertical cheek knives.

Abstract: Automatic poultry processor and corresponding methodology permits poultry to be directly received from a conventional overhead track, without manual intervention. Spring loaded leg drags temporarily impede movement of a bird relative an overhead track, during which time a loading cone is inserted into the body cavity of the bird. The loading cone is driven by a continuous loop conveyor for positively driving the breast half of the bird as the hind quarters are positively directed by the overhead track, whereby the bird is directed towards a knife for separating the hind quarters from the breast half. Thereafter, the hind quarters are carried away by the overhead track, while the loading cone may be used to drive the breast half towards further processing steps, such as automatic halving and automatic deboning. The continuous conveyor supporting the loading cone has a double curvature in the vicinity of the conveyor flow where birds are loaded.

Abstract: Poultry carcasses (10) are carried in series by an overhead conveyor system along an internal guide rail (33), with protrusions of the vertebrae received in the downwardly facing slot (37). The thighs (12) spread apart by a pair of joint opening guide rods (43 and 44) to open the thigh joints and joint separating wheels (51, 52) engage the knuckles of each thighbone and urge the knuckles upwardly and out of mating engagement with the backbone (10) to thereby separate the thigh joints.

Abstract: A poultry processing machine supports birds on mandrels mounted on carriers which move in a rectangular path. The birds move continuously in opposite directions along two opposite sides of the rectangular path; and, they move intermittently in opposite directions along the other two sides of the path. Continuous movement is provided by chains with lugs which enter recesses formed in the carriers. Intermittent movement is provided by cylindrical cams which engage cam followers on the carriers and also force adjacent carriers together to couple them. The mandrel has a groove for receiving the backbone, projections for engaging the kidney spaces inside the body, an a shoulder for engaging the anterior end of the breastbone. It is provided to an upright position, a back-up position and a breast-up position as it travels around the apparatus. At the corners of the path, the carriers change their direction of movement without turning bodily.

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 poultry processing machine supports birds on mandrels mounted on carriers which move in a rectangular path. The birds move continuously in opposite directions along two opposite sides of the rectangular path; and, they move intermittently in opposite directions along the other two sides of the path. Continuous movement is provided by chains with lugs which enter recesses formed in the carriers. Intermittent movement is provided by cylindrical cams which engage cam followers on the carriers and also force adjacent carriers together to couple them. The mandrel has a groove for receiving the backbone, projections for engaging the kidney spaces inside the body, and a shoulder for engaging the anterior end of the breastbone. It is pivoted to an upright position, a back-up position and a breast-up position as it travels around the apparatus. At the corners of the path, the carriers change their direction of movement without turning bodily.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for automatically separating the breast from the neck, shoulders, back and saddle of birds while the birds are moving along as overhead conveyor line (12). A mandrel (61) is inserted into the visceral cavity of each bird to rigidly support each bird, and causes the breast of each bird to protrude outwardly. A tiltable holding plate (76) is pivoted upwardly as the mandrel (61) is fully inserted into each bird, and engages the neck of each bird in a clamping relationship with the mandrel (61) to thereby hold each bird in place during cutting function. The birds are carried into engagement with a first rotary disk cutter (94) which cuts in to the birds between the breast and neck of each bird to separate the breast form the neck, shoulders and upper back of each bird.

Abstract: A holding device for holding gutted poultry carcasses or parts thereof for the purpose of processing during such treatment comprises a support body having a saddle horn, onto which body the poultry carcass, which is present in the shape of front halves or breast caps can be pushed. A clamping device, which can be activated manually or by means of the advance movement of the holding device brings about a secure holding by clamping the corpus sterni in its region between the coracoids by means of a clamping lever. This clamping lever is in an opening position during the loading action so as not to impede the latter.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for removing breast fillets from previously eviscerated poultry carcasses comprises a frame (11) and a plurality of carcass carriers (20) mounted at spaced intervals on a movable conveyor (12) for moving the carriers along a path. Meat removing means (46, 60, 61, 96) are mounted along the path and movable rotary cutting blades (173, 175) are interposed in the path of the carcass carriers for cutting the partially separated meat into two portions. The rotary cutting blades are adapted to straddle the keel bone of the poultry carcass.