Machine for plucking poultry esp. geese and ducks - removes feathers and down without damaging delicate flesh

摘要

A poultry plucking machine has a common power drive to heavy duty and light duty plucking heads which have their upper, operative areas exposed through apertures in a work table. The common power drive comprises a drive motor coupled to transmission shafts, gears, pulleys and belts housed below the work table. The heavy duty plucking head comprises a spring-loaded, rotating nip between a plastic-sleeved roller and a rubber belt returning over a pulley. Two parallel nips of this nature are pref. incorporated in the heavy duty head. The light duty plucking head comprises a pair of spaced, contra-rotating flail shafts fitted with rubber flail rods Flail rods are pref. long enough to overlap from opposite shafts. The operative faces of the rubber flail rods are pref. embossed irregularly. Used in plucking feathers from poultry, partic, geese and ducts and esp. ducks which have been specially fattened for pate de foie gras, and therefore have delicate skins which would be damaged by conventional plucking achieved without damage to skin and consequent loss of sales appeal.