Unit to separate poultry legs from back after cutting wings and breast - has transverse hook pairs on conveyor for suspended pieces, guides for back and legs, cutters and endless chain moving back faster than legs

摘要

The mechanism is intended for sepg. the legs (drumsticks y) from the backs (6) of pieces (5) of poultry from which the wings, breast and part of the backbone have been removed. The pieces are suspended (2,3) from a conveyor (1) via pairs of hooks (4) engaging the ankle joints and are passed over a guide (30,26,24',24) for the backs (6) which are engaged by prong pairs on an endless chain (18). 3 The hooks of each pair are arranged transversely and swivelable to spread the legs and move each piece with the tail end (10) leading. The guide has an upwardly inclined first portion (26,24') followed by a horizontal portion (24) and the chain is driven (21) at 2-3 times the speed of the conveyor. A first pair of adjustable cutters (34) a little before the highest level of the portion (26,24') are downwardly inclined to cut the tendons along the two hip joints. Guide rods (40; 41-44) arranged to either side of the guide inwards of the paths of the hooks extend from above the portion (26) and then at a downwardly inclined angle (42-43) below the portion (24) to engage the legs under the knee joints such that the differential speed causes the legs to be pulled out of the hip joints.