Claims
- 1. An apparatus for boning appendages of poultry or the like, comprising:
- a cutting station, comprising at least two means for cutting the bones in said appendages in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of said bones on opposite sides of a joint in said appendages to remove said joint;
- a separating station, comprising means for separating meat from said bones by pushing the bones from said meat;
- means for transporting said appendages through said cutting and separating stations; and
- means for holding said appendages arranged on said transporting means, said holding means comprising respective transverse reception means for holding said appendages on opposing sides of said joint and spaced sufficiently apart so that said cutting blades can pass between said holding means while cutting said joint.
- 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding means comprises at least one reception pocket having a generally U-shaped cross-section orientated such that the longitudinal length of said bones pass between upright portions of the U-shaped cross-section, said reception pocket being rotatably or pivotably mounted on said transporting means to form said transverse reception means.
- 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, having two of said reception pockets and further comprising a vertical centering and holding mandrel projecting between said reception pockets.
- 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said cutting and separating stations are located at the same place in said apparatus.
- 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said cutting and operating stations are arranged sequentially in said apparatus.
- 6. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for retaining said appendage in said holding means, said retaining means comprising a movable strip arranged above said reception pocket.
- 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutting means comprises two cutting or sawing disks, that rotate in parallel or at an angle relative to each other.
- 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cutting means is displaceably mounted in a direction transverse to the direction of passage.
- 9. An apparatus according claim 1, further comprising means for gripping said bone, said gripping means comprising a pair of arms that are pivotably mounted relative to each other.
- 10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating station comprises a plurality of knives pivotably mounted for engaging said bone to disassociate the meat therefrom.
- 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said knives are mounted in slit-shaped reception means containing a spring so that said knives are displaceably movable therein.
- 12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of separating knives are disposed opposite each other in the same plane.
- 13. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising lateral stops for defining the outwardly directed movement of a severed bone part.
- 14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating station comprises at least one perforated plate, provided with stripping edges for pressing bone parts out of the meat.
- 15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said separating station comprises a plurality of perforated plates that are movable relative to each other and have holes corresponding to the diameters of said bones, and at least one means for pressing said bones through said holes.
- 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a displaceable perforated plate is pivotably mounted next to a stationary perforated plate.
- 17. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein at least one perforated plate is formed as a divided perforated plate.
- 18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said divided perforated plate is formed with three holes as a clamp.
- 19. An apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising ramming means, movably mounted to slide through said holes.
- 20. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said stationary perforated plate is equipped with tubes for guiding the removed bones.
- 21. An apparatus for deboning animal extremities, comprising:
- means for transporting said extremity;
- means for cutting the bones of said extremity in a direction transverse to their longitudinal axes and on opposite sides of a joint in said extremity to allow removal of said joint; holding means cooperating with said transportating means to hold said extremity in said transverse orientation while moving the extremity through said cutting means, said holding means holding said extremity at locations spaced sufficiently apart so that said cutting means can pass between said holding means when said joint is cut; and
- means for removing cut bones from said extremity substantially in the direction of said axes by pushing the bones.
- 22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said removing means comprises:
- means for retaining meat associated with said bones; and
- means for pulling said bones therefrom.
- 23. An apparatus for boning poultry extremities, comprising:
- a cutting station, comprising at least two cutting knives positioned to cut the bones in said extremities in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of said bones adjacent to and on opposite sides of a joint in said extremities;
- a separating station, for separating meat from said bones by pulling the bones from said meat using a plurality of arms that are pivotably mounted relative to each other and positioned to grip an end of said bone;
- a conveyor to transport said extremities through said cutting and separating stations; and
- a holding device for holding said poultry extremities on the conveyor in said transverse orientation relative to the cutting knives, said holding device having at least two reception pockets having a generally U-shaped cross-section sized and configured to hold said extremities and orientated such that the longitudinal length of said bones pass between upright portions of the U-shaped cross-section, said pockets being spaced sufficiently apart so that the cutting knives cut said joint between said pockets.
- 24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said separating station comprises a plurality of knives pivotably mounted and positioned to engage said bone to disassociate the meat therefrom, said knives being mounted in receptacles containing a spring so that said knives are resiliently urged toward said poultry bone.
- 25. A method of boning appendages of poultry, comprising the steps of:
- cutting said appendage in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of said bones on both sides of a joint in said appendage to sever and remove said joint, and to sever and remove ends of said appendage distal from said joint;
- holding said appendage in a reception pocket between two opposing plates having apertures therein with which the bones in said appendage are aligned, said apertures being sized to allow passage of said bones but not of the meat;
- moving at least one of said plates toward the opposing plate to push said bones through at least one of said apertures aligned therewith;
- extending an elongated member through at least one of said apertures and through said meat to push said bone aligned with said aperture out of said meat.
- 26. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 25, comprising the further steps of bending said appendage about said joint to form a V-shaped configuration for said cutting step.
- 27. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 26, wherein said cutting step is performed by two cutting blades one of which severs the joint from the appendage, and one of which severs said distal ends of said appendages.
- 28. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 25, comprising the further step of limiting the movement of at least one of said plates to define the movement of said severed bones extending through said apertures.
- 29. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 25, comprising the further step of providing stripping edges about at least one of said apertures.
- 30. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 25, comprising the further step of providing tubes on one of said plates to guide the removed bones.
- 31. A method of boning appendages of poultry as defined in claim 25, wherein during said cutting step, said appendage is held in a V-shaped configuration by a divided perforated plate having three holes which are sized and aligned to clamp around three bones in said appendage.
- 32. An apparatus for boning appendages of poultry, comprising:
- a cutting station, comprising at least two means for cutting the bones in said appendages in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axes of said bones on opposite sides of a joint in said appendages to remove said joint;
- a separating station, comprising means for separating meat from said bones by pushing the bones from said meat;
- means for transporting said appendages through said cutting and separating stations; and
- means for transporting said appendages through said cutting and separating stations; and
- means for holding said appendages arranged on said transporting means, said holding means comprising respective transverse reception means for holding said appendages in said transverse orientation, and further comprising at least one reception pocket having a generally U-shaped cross-section orientated such that the longitudinal length of said bones pass between upright portions of the U-shaped cross-section.
- 33. An apparatus for deboning animal extremities, comprising:
- means for transporting said extremity;
- means for cutting the bones of said extremity in a direction transverse to their longitudinal axes and on opposite sides of a joint in said extremity to allow removal of said joint;
- holding means cooperating with said transporting means to hold said extremity in said transverse orientation during said cutting on opposite sides of said joint, said holding means comprising at least one reception pocket having a generally U-shaped cross-section orientated such that the longitudinal length of said bones pass between upright portions of the U-shaped cross-section; and
- means for removing cut bones from said extremity substantially in the direction of said axes by pushing the bones.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/256,300, filed Oct. 3, 1994 pending by the same inventor, which is the U.S. national phase of PCT application No. PCT/EP93/02922, filed Oct. 22, 1993 naming the same inventor, which is based upon European application No. EP 92 11 8133.5 filed Oct. 23, 1992 by the same inventor.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
256300 |
Oct 1994 |
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