Patent Application
20080171506
The invention relates to methods and devices for processing carcass parts of slaughtered poultry, a carcass part comprising at least part of a body and at least part of a wing. A wing naturally has an upper member and a lower member, between which is located the elbow joint with associated capsule. What is known as the humerus bone is located in the upper member, and the radius and ulna bones are located in the lower member.
Use is made of a conveyor device having at least one carrier and a conveyor path, the at least one carrier being displaceable in a conveying direction along the conveyor path and being designed to carry a carcass part. Use is also made of a wing processing station which is disposed along the conveyor path. The conveyor device is used to feed a carcass part to the wing processing station, and this carcass part is then processed in the wing processing station while the carcass part is being carried by the carrier.
There is an increased consumer demand for what are known as “tulips”. “Tulips” are meat products derived from poultry, in particular from chicken, and are made from the upper member (the “upper arm”) or from the lower member (the “lower arm”) of the wing. The meat is turned up over part of the length of the bone, so as to obtain a type of “mini-club”, in which the projecting bone part can be used as a handle to eat the tulip. To satisfy consumer demand, the processors of slaughtered poultry need methods and devices which allow efficient preparation of a tulip, which tulip is characterized in that one end of the bone is exposed.
The prior art has disclosed devices and methods for processing carcass parts of slaughtered poultry. In the standard known wing processing stations, as shown for example in EP 0 784 932, the wing is simply removed from the body. In known methods, the following steps are employed in succession: securing the carcass parts to carriers of a conveyor device, which conveyor device has a conveyor path, displacing the carriers in a conveying direction along the conveyor path and feeding the carcass parts in series to a wing processing station where the wings are removed from the body.
Furthermore, the prior art has disclosed methods and devices for making tulips from poultry wings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,629,903 has described a method and device with which tulips can be made from a cut-off wing with a cut-off lower member and a cut-off upper member.
It is an object of the invention to propose methods and devices which allow efficient production of tulips, preferably with a high quality.
This object is achieved by a device and a method according to the invention for processing carcass parts of slaughtered poultry, in which a carcass part comprises at least part of a body and at least part of a wing, comprising bone, capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint and meat that is naturally present. It is preferable for the wing to comprise an upper member having the humerus bone, a lower member having the radius and ulna bones and an elbow. Use is made of a conveyor device having at least one carrier and a conveyor path, the at least one carrier being displaceable in a conveying direction along the conveyor path and being designed to carry a carcass part. Use is also made of a wing processing station disposed along the conveyor path. According to the method, the conveyor device is used to feed a carcass part to the wing processing station, and in the wing processing station the carcass part is processed while the carcass part is carried by the carrier. A kinematic reversal is also possible, in which case the wing processing station is conveyed past carcass parts. The poultry can, for example, be moved into the wing processing station with its back or breast facing forwards. The carriers can determine the orientation of the poultry, but it is also possible to use rotatable carriers which can be rotated in the desired direction. In the wing processing station, at least one bone belonging to an upper or lower member of the wing is uncovered over part of its length in the vicinity of the elbow, resulting in the preparation of a tulip while the upper member of the wing is still attached to the body. The tulip is characterized in that one end of a bone or of bones belonging to the upper or lower member is/are exposed over part of its/their length in the vicinity of the elbow, the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint preferably having been removed at the end of the bone. In a preferred embodiment, a tulip is prepared from the upper member of the wing to a sufficient extent for the end of the humerus bone to be exposed in the vicinity of the elbow joint without capsule and the meat to be turned up. In one embodiment, the lower member is in this case still attached via a residual skin and meat connection. In an alternative embodiment, the lower member has already been removed before the tulip is prepared from the upper member in the wing processing station. If the lower member has a problem in a carcass or carcass part, it is not necessary for the entire wing to be discarded.
It is possible for only the humerus bone to be exposed over part of its length in the vicinity of the elbow, while the upper member is still attached to the body. The lower member can then if appropriate also be processed further after its removal. It is also possible for only the radius and ulna bones to be exposed over part of their length in the vicinity of the elbow while the lower member is still attached to the upper member and the upper member is still attached to the body. It is also possible to prepare a tulip from both the upper and lower members while the members are still attached to one another and the upper member is still attached to the body. To prepare a tulip from the lower member, it is desirable for the wing tip with the capsule at that end to be removed from the lower member. This can take place either before the carcass part is fed to the wing processing station, or alternatively within the wing processing station. For the preparation of tulips from the upper member, it is likewise possible for the wing tip to be removed first of all. Therefore, if desired two tulips can be made from each wing. The tulip which is formed by the lower member can still be processed further. There are two small bones in the lower member (the radius bone and the ulna bone), whereas only one handle is required. The tulip can, for example, be cut into two pieces if there is sufficient meat. It is also possible, for example, for the thinner bone, the radius bone, to be pulled out.
In an automatic implementation of the wing processing station, no manual operations are required, with the result that the production rate can be high. Moreover, an automatic wing processing station is more favourable with regard to hygiene, and there is no longer any need for an operator who may possibly disrupt the process, and the automation is cost-minimized. The wing processing station may form part of a production line in which other parts of the carcass are also processed to form consumer products. By way of example, it is possible to subject the carcasses to a selection process, during which only some of the carcasses are fed to the wing processing station according to the invention, while others of the carcasses are fed to a different processing station where other processing operations are carried out. By way of example, the selection is made automatically with the aid of a camera or the like. If the lower member of a carcass or carcass part has a problem, there is then no need to discard the entire wing. It is also possible, for example, to make tulips only from carcasses above a certain minimum weight. The tulip then has a guaranteed quantity of meat.
One advantage of the invention is that the tulips are prepared while the wing is still attached to the body, so that the body can still be used for support and positioning. This is advantageous both when preparing tulips from the upper member and when preparing tulips from the lower member of the wing. Yet another advantage is that the wing processing station can be used instead of a traditional wing cutter in a slaughter line for poultry. This allows the range of products provided by a device which processes carcass parts of slaughtered poultry to be expanded without too much effort.
It is preferable for the exposing of a bone over part of its length in the vicinity of the elbow in the wing processing station to be automated. The turning-up of meat is effected, for example, by moving the upper and lower members with respect to one another or by pushing the bone through a die or past one or more scraper members, during which process the meat is turned up, so that the bone is exposed, for example with the aid of small scrapers, toothed wheels or rollers or the like.
In the wing processing station, it is advantageous for the wing to be spread away from the body in a spreading device. This greatly facilitates processing of the wing on account of the wing being made much more accessible. By way of example, the spreading is effected as a result of the wing of the bird being guided past first guides. Enabling these first guides to run outwards leads to a slight tensile force being exerted on the upper member, thereby compensating for variations in length in the wings; the elbow joint is always pulled onto the guide.
In the wing processing station, it is preferable for the skin between the lower and upper members to be placed under stress by the lower member being moved outwards with the aid of guide means. By way of example, the wing is held spread open by first guides at the upper member in the vicinity of the body, and the wing is kept under tension by second guides at the lower member of the wing.
In one possible embodiment, an incision is then made in the skin on the inside of the elbow. The inside of the elbow is the region of the elbow which is enclosed between the upper and lower members in the pivoting direction. The inside is therefore on the side of the acute angle included between the upper and lower members, while the outside of the elbow is located on the side of the obtuse angle. This incision on the inside of the elbow preferably does not reach the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint, or at least the capsule is not cut into to an excessive depth. The capsule is the cartilage and ligaments at the end of the bone. The purpose of this incision is to reduce the tension in the skin, so that the wing can be stretched more easily, which is advantageous for the remainder of the process. As a result of the reduced tension, the members of the wing can be moved apart more easily, with the result that the subsequent processing steps are much easier to carry out, in particular on account of the improved accessibility of the elbow and the lower and upper members. Another advantage is that in this way a position is determined for subsequently allowing the lower member to be cut off. The skin is cut into, for example, by a blade, for example a tiltable blade which is actuated by the wing itself.
In the wing processing station, it is preferable for one or more incisions to be made in the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow, in such a manner that the separation of the bones also causes the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint to come off at least one bone. Separation of the capsule of this type can be realized using a more or less sharp blade but also by the formation of “rectilinear damage”, for example by moving the capsule along one edge or the like. The possibility exists of cutting into the capsule at the upper member in one “incision”, so that this capsule can be separated and removed together with the upper member. It is also possible for the capsule at the lower member to be cut into in one “incision”, so that the capsule remains connected to the upper member after the lower member has been separated from the upper member. It is also possible for both parts of the capsule to be cut into using two incisions next to one another, so that a tulip can be prepared from both members without a capsule at the end. It is preferable for this capsule to be removed from the end of the bone. This is because the capsule is slippery, making consumption more difficult. Therefore, one advantage of removing the capsule is that the “handle” of the tulip is “dry”, for example after the tulip has been deep-fried.
An incision at the elbow is, for example, an incision made on the outside of the elbow all the way into the capsule without damaging the humerus, ulna and radius bones. If the bone is damaged, marrow can escape from the bone, which is undesirable for health reasons and also makes consumption more difficult. The incision only has to be a small one and is preferably made at a specific location: precisely on the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint and not too far onto the upper or lower member, since the bone of the member may then break instead of the members being separated. If the incision is made too close to the end of the member in the vicinity of the elbow, there is a risk that not all of the capsule will be detached from the bone. Making this incision at the optimum location means that the entire capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint is detached from the bone when the members are then separated, after which the capsule can be removed. In the case of a statically positioned blade, the positioning of the blade for successively supplied wings can be reached by in each case pulling the elbow of each wing securely onto a stationary guide.
An incision in the vicinity of the elbow can be made, for example, using an elongate blade, preferably resiliently mounted. It is preferable for the blade to have a (rough) serration and to be approximately 10 cm long. The blade can to some extent be attached with a “wobbling” mount with the aid of hinges. It is also possible to make use of a rotating, serrated circular blade. To ensure that the blade does not damage the bone, the blade part is preferably mounted on a depth stop, for example a plastic disc or plate, which prevents the blade being able to penetrate too deep into the capsule.
In an alternative embodiment, the “incision” or rectilinear damage is made by an edge in the vicinity of the elbow. It is preferable to make use of a guide with a square cross section. This guide can be used for guiding and positioning the first member. As an alternative, it is possible to use any guide with an angular cross section having at least one edge. The damage which an edge of a guide of this type makes in the capsule has been found to be very reliable. The edge of the square guide damages the capsule sufficiently for it to be carried with the lower member during separation of the members while the bone of the upper member remains intact. The guide ensures positioning and cutting/damaging of the elbow joint all in one: the location where the guide engages for positioning the joint is also the ideal location to “cut” into the capsule. One advantage of this embodiment is that there is no need to use a blade which is susceptible to wear and that there is less risk of damage to the bone itself. Alternatively, the edge of the guide can also be designed as a cutting edge, with the result that a true “incision” is made but there is no need to use an additional blade.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in the wing processing station there are forcing means which, preferably after the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint has been cut into, separate the humerus bone from the radius and ulna bones. The forcing means break the elbow, the connection between the two ligaments of the wing, whereas the humerus, radius and ulna bones themselves remain intact and do not break. This has the advantage that the optional cutting-off of the lower member at a later stage can be carried out more easily: after all, there is no longer any need to cut through bone, but rather only skin, meat, etc. which is holding the broken wing together. After the elbow has been broken, the forcing means may preferably force at least one of the members, in such a manner that at least one bone belonging to a member of the wing is exposed over part of its length in the vicinity of the elbow, for example by sliding the lower and upper members with respect to one another, with the result that the meat comes off the bone and is turned up. By way of example, the forcing means press the end of the lower member towards the body in the vicinity of the elbow, so that at least the meat at that end of the humerus bone which is remote from the body comes off the bone and is turned up while the upper member is fixed to the body.
In a first preferred embodiment, the forcing means comprise guidance means past which the lower member of the wing can advance. If appropriate, the forcing means also comprise conveyor means, such as for example a belt or chain with pins or other conveyor projections to help the conveyor device for the slaughtered poultry to convey the wing. In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor means which assist the conveying of the wing during forcing of the lower member are pins which advance the upper member. There are no additional conveyor means which assist the conveying of the lower member. The wing is held spread open by first guides at the upper member in the vicinity of the body and the wing is held stretched by second guides at the lower member of the wing (i.e. not the wing tip) . The second guides may, for example, be round or square in cross section. In a preferred embodiment, the guides, as soon as they have received the lower member of the wing, are moved towards one another by a, for example, pneumatic arm, so that the lower member of the wing is securely clamped in place. By way of example, this clamping takes place after a signal from a product detector. If the tension on the skin on the inside of the elbow is removed by an incision having been made therein, this step can be simplified. By way of example, the upper member is contacted by one of the pins and pushed onwards as a result, with the lower member remaining in place in the second guide. The second guide makes a pattern, with the lower member being forced forwards and downwards, in such a manner that the lower member moves counter to the pivoting direction of the elbow and the elbow breaks, whereas the humerus, radius and ulna bones themselves do not break. It is also possible to adapt the speed/timing of conveyor means which assist with the conveying of the wing during the forcing of the lower member to the speed of the conveyor device for the slaughtered poultry, for example the carriers. If the conveyor means of the wing move slightly more quickly than the conveyor device for the slaughtered poultry, the poultry can be at a standstill without stress on it at the moment at which the lower member is moved counter to the direction of flexion. This has the advantage that separation of the members becomes even more reliable and it is not only the wing which has to be rotated during this operation.
Depending on the incision made on the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint, the capsule, during the breaking operation, will remain attached to the lower member or to the upper member. As a result of one or more additional guides being arranged around the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint, the capsule can be held in place during the breaking operation, with the result that it is possible, if the capsule has been cut into at two locations, to keep the capsule off both the upper and lower members.
It is preferable for the pattern of the second guide which is followed by the lower member of the wing to be such that the end of the lower member is pressed towards the body in the vicinity of the elbow, so that at least the meat at that end of the humerus bone which is remote from the body comes off the bone and is turned up while the upper member is attached to the body. The two bones of the lower member, namely the radius and ulna bones, interact for the purpose of the meat being turned up. Then, the pattern of the second guide can be such that the lower member is moved towards the body as closely as possible past the upper member, in order in this way to turn up the meat on the lower member. It is in this way possible to prepare a tulip from both members.
In a second preferred embodiment, the forcing means comprise a rotating wheel with projections, for example non-aggressive teeth. These are, for example, projecting pins arranged radially on a wheel. The lower member is being carried along by the non-aggressive teeth at the moment at which the wing comes into contact with it. These pins assist the movement of the lower member when meat is being turned up but preferably do not assist with the separation of the members. There is preferably also a wheel positioned in front of the rotating wheel, which pushes the wing forwards and can stretch the wing. The wheel conveys the lower member downwards and forwards, with the result that the elbow is broken.
An alternative forcing means is a screw disposed horizontally along the path along which the wing moves, which screw forces the members in such a way that the elbow breaks.
As an alternative to turning up meat with the aid of the forcing means, after the members have been broken (for example using forcing means), the meat can be turned up by one or more scraper members, for example two scraper plates. As a result of the wing being received in a suitable manner, the start of a scraper plate can move between the end of the bone and the meat. The scraper plates then run in such a manner that the meat is turned up. The effect can be boosted by displacing the member to some extent with the aid of an additional guide or by a pattern in a guide for the lower member.
After the separation of the bones, it is preferable for the members to be completely separated from one another in a member separation device, preferably an automatic member separation device, which is disposed downstream of the wing processing station. If a tulip is prepared from only the lower member or only the upper member, the lower member can be separated from the upper member, for example by cutting. The lower member can then be discharged for further processing. In one embodiment, the last connection between the two members of the wing is cut through by hand. If a tulip is prepared from both the lower member and the upper member, it is preferable for the lower and upper members to be cut apart using two incisions, for example formed by a double rotating blade. The double incision is advantageous for removing the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint which has remained in place in the meat connection between the two members and which is undesirable. It is preferable for guides to ensure robust, clear positioning of the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint. This is in order to ensure that the capsule is always located between the two incisions and is therefore reliably removed. The loss of meat is minimal, since it is possible to cut close along the capsule.
In a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method is followed by removing the upper member from the body, for example in a known way, for example using a wing cutting device which is known per se. This results in a tulip being obtained from the upper member of the wing: an exposed end is created by means of the method according to the invention at the side of the humerus bone which was originally located in the vicinity of the elbow, while meat is located at the other end, which has now been cut off the body.
Without this additional method, the tulips of the upper members are still located on the carcass. This leads to the formation of a different product, namely a body with two tulip ends at the ends at which the wings were previously located. If the shoulder joint is also broken, it is then easy for the tulips to be removed from a cooked chicken.
If there are legs attached to the body of the slaughtered poultry, it is possible to use an embodiment of carriers in which the carcass part is suspended from a carrier by its legs. A method of this type for displacing poultry is known and attractive for various processing processes. This is advantageous in particular in a device in which only some of the carcasses are fed to the wing processing station, while the remainder of the carcasses undergo other processing operations.
Other product carriers are also possible, with only part of the carcass being carried. This offers the possibility of still making use of the good parts of the carcass even if another part of the carcass has been rejected. By way of example, part of the body is placed over a suitable carrier part, the carrier part being pivotable about one or more axes on the basis of suitable actuation. One advantage of a preferably conical carrier of this type is that it provides the possibility of positioning the carcass part prior to the wing processing. The positioning possibilities for a carrier which projects into the body offer more options than a carrier to which the legs of the bird are attached.
The devices and methods according to the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the appended drawing, which, without implying any restriction, shows exemplary embodiments.
In the drawing:
a and 1b: diagrammatically depict the skeleton structure of poultry,
a, 3b and 3c: show part of the wing processing station shown in
a, 5b, 5c: show part of the wing processing station from
a, 6b, 6c, 6d: show part of the wing processing station from
a and 9b: show part of the wing processing station from
a, 13b and 13c: show part of the wing processing station from
a, 14b, 14c, 14d: show part of the wing processing station from
a and 15b: show forcing means of the wing processing station from
a and 16b: show part of the wing processing station from
a and 18b: show part of the wing processing station from
c and 18d: show part of the wing processing station from
a, 19b and 19c: show forcing means of the wing processing station from
a and 22b: show a fifth embodiment of a wing processing station according to the invention,
a and 23b: show an alternative view of the fifth embodiment of a wing processing station according to the invention,
a-24c: show a sixth embodiment of a wing processing station according to the invention.
a and 1b diagrammatically depict the skeleton structure of poultry, in particular of a chicken. The invention relates to a method and a device for processing carcass parts of slaughtered poultry. A carcass part 2 of the poultry comprises, for processing in accordance with the invention, at least part of a body 2a and at least part of a wing 2b, comprising bone, capsule in the vicinity of the elbow joint and meat that is naturally present. The wing 2b, shown in
a shows the introduction section of the wing processing station 1, to which a carcass part 2 is being supplied. In the embodiment shown, the carcass part 2 is supplied with its back facing in the conveying direction. Although in practice it is greatly preferred for the back to be introduced first, this is not a required measure. The carcass part 2 in
b shows another carcass part 2′ which is secured to a carrier 31. Carrier 31 forms part of a conveyor device (not shown) with a conveyor path (not shown) along which the carriers 31 can be displaced in a conveying direction, denoted by arrow 32. The carcass 2′ comprises only part of the body without legs and the two wings 2b, each having a lower member 2d and an upper member 2c. The carcass 2′ is secured to a carrier part 31a which is designed to project into the body which is open on one side. By way of example, the said carrier part is conical. It is preferable for it to be possible for the carrier part 31a to be oriented in one or more directions by associated orientation means. As a result, the fowl with the wings is fed to the wing processing station 1 by the underside of the body. The wing processing station 1 is disposed along the conveyor path (not shown).
c shows an alternative carcass part 2″ having a body, two wings 2b and two legs 2k. The legs 2k of the carcass part 2″ are suspended in a carrier 33. The carcass part 2″ can be displaced with the carrier 33 in a conveying direction 34. The carcass part 2″ is secured to the carrier 33 in such a manner that the fowl with the wings 2b are fed to the wing processing station 1 by the underside of the body. Carrier 33 forms part of a conveyor device 35 which is driven with the aid of a chain 36. The conveyor device 35 comprises a conveyor path, in this case the rail 37, along which the carriers 33 can be displaced in the conveying direction 34 via a wheel 38.
The carriers 31 and 33 are only partly shown in
It can be seen from
b shows the way in which first cutting means 7 operate. The cutting means 7 comprise a blade 7b which can tilt about pin 7d and is actuated by the passage of the wing itself. The cutting means 7 comprise a stop for the wing, in this case a rounded plate-like part 7a, which the wing 2b comes into contact with when it is moving between the guides 5a and 5b. The wing 2b moves the part 7a and the blade 7b connected to it counter to the spring force of spring 7c, with the result that the cutting means 7 pivots about pivot point 7d. As a result, a small blade 7b comes into contact with the inside of the elbow 2e. This blade 7b makes an incision, diagrammatically indicated by line 2e′ in
The wing processing station 1 also comprises two cutting means 8, shown in detail in
The forcing means which separate the radius and ulna bones from the humerus in this case also comprise conveyor means 10 for the wing, in this case for the lower member. The conveyor means 10 in this case have a rotating chain which is driven by a motor 12 and has chain links 10b and pins 10c which project at a distance from one another. The chain runs in such a manner that the lower member 2d of the wing 2b moves in between two pins 10c, at a location where the chain is moving clockwise around a turning point. As a result, the pins 10c press the lower member 2d downwards, so that the elbow 2n, the connection between the lower member 2d and the upper member 2c of the wing, breaks. The conveyor means 10 also help to advance the wing 2b.
Subsequently, the forced guidance means 5a and 5b form a first turn-up pattern 9b. As a result, the lower member 2d is manoeuvred in such a manner that the end of the lower member 2d in the vicinity of the elbow is pressed towards the body 2a so that at least the meat at that end of the humerus bone 2k of the upper member 2c which is remote from the body comes off the bone and is turned up while the upper member 2c is attached to the body 2a. This can be seen from
b shows a cross section through part of the device at point “A” in
a and 9b show a member separation device 11 in which the lower member 2d is separated from the upper member 2c while the upper member 2c is attached to the body 2a. The member separation device 11 comprises a rotating blade 11a which cuts through the skin and meat which are still connecting the lower member 2c to the upper member 2d.
The wing processing station shown is designed in such a manner that in the vicinity of the elbow that end of the humerus bone 2k, belonging to the upper member 2c of the wing 2b, which is remote from the body 2a is exposed as a result of meat being turned up, while the associated upper member 2b is still attached to the body 2a, resulting in the preparation of a tulip. If the device according to the invention, downstream of the wing processing station shown, is also equipped with additional cutting means, the upper member 2c can be removed from the body 2a, for example in a known way.
It is also possible for the device according to the invention also to be equipped with a device for further processing of the upper member which has been removed, for example by forming tulips here too.
It can be seen from
In
On account of the clear positioning of the elbow joint 52n effected by the guides 54 and 55, the elbow 52n can be cut into at the optimum location by first cutting means 55′, as shown in
a-14d show second cutting means 56 which make two incisions next to one another extending into the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow. When the bones of the members are then separated, the capsule in the vicinity of the elbow will come off all the bones. The elbow 2n is cut into at two locations, denoted in
a and 15b show forced guidance means 57 which, together with the guides 55 and 54a, separate the humerus bone 52k from the radius bone 2m′ and ulna bone 2m″ (jointly denoted by 2m), in such a manner that the elbow 2n breaks while the humerus, radius and ulna bones themselves do not break. Since tulips are being prepared from both the upper member 52c and the lower member 52d using the wing processing station 50 shown, and the elbow is cut into at two locations for this purpose, the overall result is that when the elbow is broken the capsule is completely detached from both bone ends of both members. It is possible for an additional guide (not shown), which engages over the top of the capsule, to be fitted for this purpose. The lower member 52d is received by the forced guide 57, and the forcing pattern of this guide at point “A” in
Then, the guide means 55 and 57, at point “B” in
It can be seen from
It is possible that the tulip formed from the upper member 52c will subsequently be cut off the body using a cutting device which is not shown.
Carcasses 72 are fed to the wing processing station 70 on the right-hand side in
As can be seen in detail in
b and 18c show the way in which a tiltable blade 73 operates. When the wing, as a result of the ongoing conveying movement in the conveying direction 71, moves onto the rounded part 76b of the blade, the blade tilts about pivot point 76d counter to the action of spring 76c. As a result, the blade 76a comes into contact with part of the wing 72b. As a result of the wing 72b being positioned accurately by the guides 73, 74 and 75, as can be seen clearly in
The guides 74 and 75 therefore initially hold the wing 72b in position for the blade 76 to cut into it, and then the wing 72b is folded open further for further processing. This folded-further situation is shown in cross section in
a, 19b and 19c show how the bone ends of the upper member 72c and the lower member 72d are exposed further by the meat and, for example, membrane which is still present here being turned up with the aid of scraper plates 78a and 78b. The elbow is still positioned over the folding plate 74b. The meat at the bone ends can be turned up further by the scraper plates 78a and 78b disposed close to this folding plate 74b. The wing 72b is received in such a way that the beginning of the scraper plates 78a and 78b moves between the bone end and the meat. The scraper plates then move downwards at the underside so that the meat is turned up.
a shows a sixth embodiment of a wing processing station 100 according to the invention. Some details have been omitted for the sake of clarity. This wing processing station 100, like the wing processing station 1 shown in
In the wing processing station 100 shown in
It is preferable for the conveyor guide 121, 122 to move a small amount more quickly than the conveyor line (not shown) which advances the carriers. The result of this is that the upper member 2c is picked up by the pins 122 and then “overtakes” the carcass 2a. The conveying of the entire carcass is transferred from the carrier by the pins 122. There is then no longer any tension acting on the carcass via the legs. Since the carrier is to some extent lagging behind the conveyor guide 121, 122, the carcass, at the moment at which it leaves the conveyor guide 121, 122, is completely stationary for a short time, without any tension on the carcass. It has been found that this is an optimum situation for breaking open the elbow joint and separating the upper and lower members from one another. When the lower member 2d is moved counter to the bending direction of the wing while there is no tension acting on the carcass, the upper member 2c will move with it in such a manner that the joint ultimately breaks open, as intended. If there is tension acting on the carcass, it is possible that the upper member 2c will be retained slightly by this tension or its movement limited in such a manner that the wing starts to “rotate” instead of “pivoting open”. In practice, it has been found that it is quite a common scenario for the shoulder to come out of the socket without the elbow joint breaking open in situations in which the pin conveying 121, 122 is not synchronized with the conveying line of the carriers.
After the capsule of the upper member 2c has been damaged by the edges of guides 105a, 105b, the orientation of the square guides 105a and 105b for the upper member 2c changes in such a manner that the flat edges of the guides 105a, 105b come to bear against the upper member 2c. As a result, the humerus bone 2k, while the elbow is being broken open, is on the one hand supported by the surface of the guide 105a and on the other hand held in place by the surface of the guide 105b (as shown in
The lower member 2c is received, at arrow 105d, between two preferably square guides 106a and 106b. At 105d, the guide 106a of the lower member is attached to guide 105b of the upper member. These guides 106a and 106b are oriented in such a manner that the lower member 2d is enclosed between two flat sides of the guides 106a, 106b. The guides 106a, 106b move the lower member 2d downwards and inwards, i.e. counter to the natural bending direction of the joint, so that the latter breaks open. The ends of the radius and ulna bones 2m and the humerus bone 2k are in the process exposed, with the capsule remaining attached to the end of the radius and ulna bones 2m. The guides 106a, 106b are designed in such a way that only one wing passes through each time. The wing of the next carcass only reaches the start of the guides when its predecessor in the line has already left them. This prevents blockages and allows any lower member to be optimally received and bent in the module. The use of square guides has the advantage over round guides that the upper and lower members are supported over a larger area. This makes it easier to break open the elbow and there is less risk of bones breaking in the upper and/or lower members.
It can be seen from
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1028561 | Mar 2005 | NL | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NL2006/000141 | 3/16/2006 | WO | 00 | 12/13/2007 |
