EP0095809A2 — Apparatus for transferring slaughtered poultry

Claim 1

Independent Claim 235 words

Apparatus for transferring slaughtered poultry from a first conveyor (6) having first suspension shackles (8) engaging the feet of the birds (9, 14) to a second conveyor (11) having second suspension shackles (13) engaging the hock joints (15) of the birds (9, 14), comprising an entry station (4) adjoining the first conveyor for introducing the birds by their thighs (27) into transfer shackles (42) on an endless transfer conveyor (24) extending between the first (6) and second (11) conveyors, a means (29) for cutting the hock joints of the birds, and an exit station (5) adjoining the second conveyor (11) for transferring the birds (9, 14) from the transfer shackles (42) to the second shackles (13), characterised in that the transfer conveyor is formed by an endless belt (24) rotating between the two stations (4, 5) and driven in synchronism with the first conveyor (6), said belt (24) bearing the transfer shackles (42) which project radially outwards, each shackle (42) having two adjacent receiving slots (40, 41) for receiving the birds' thighs (27) in the entry station (4) when a first shackle (8) and a transfer shackle (42) meet therein, and the exit (5) station is provided with controllable ejectors (70) acting radially on the bird (14), the said ejectors (70) being driven along a path such that an ejector (70), a transfer shackle (42), and a second shackle (13) always register with one another.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 235 words

Apparatus for transferring slaughtered poultry from a first conveyor (6) having first suspension shackles (8) engaging the feet of the birds (9, 14) to a second conveyor (11) having second suspension shackles (13) engaging the hock joints (15) of the birds (9, 14), comprising an entry station (4) adjoining the first conveyor for introducing the birds by their thighs (27) into transfer shackles (42) on an endless transfer conveyor (24) extending between the first (6) and second (11) conveyors, a means (29) for cutting the hock joints of the birds, and an exit station (5) adjoining the second conveyor (11) for transferring the birds (9, 14) from the transfer shackles (42) to the second shackles (13), characterised in that the transfer conveyor is formed by an endless belt (24) rotating between the two stations (4, 5) and driven in synchronism with the first conveyor (6), said belt (24) bearing the transfer shackles (42) which project radially outwards, each shackle (42) having two adjacent receiving slots (40, 41) for receiving the birds' thighs (27) in the entry station (4) when a first shackle (8) and a transfer shackle (42) meet therein, and the exit (5) station is provided with controllable ejectors (70) acting radially on the bird (14), the said ejectors (70) being driven along a path such that an ejector (70), a transfer shackle (42), and a second shackle (13) always register with one another.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 108 words

Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the transfer shackle (42) consists of a part (38) in the form of a plate in which the receiving slots (40, 41) are formed with side edges converging from the entry end, that side of the plate-shaped part (38) which extends away from the entry openings (40, 41) being connected to the short arm (37b) of a carrier (37) in the form of a hook, the long arm (37a) of which is connected, so as to pivot about an axis (36) parallel to the plane of the plate-shaped part (38), to a driver (35) coupled to the rotating conveyor (4).

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 69 words

Apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that each transfer shackle (42) co-operates with a guide yoke (43) situated thereabove during the reception of a bird therein, said yoke (43) consisting of two first parts (44a, 44b) which converge in the direction of the first conveyor (24) and slope upwardly to some extent and which merge into two downwardly extending second parts (45a, 45b) terminating in a point (46).

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 97 words

Apparatus according to claims 1 - 3, characterised in that each of the ejectors (70) comprises a rocking lever (77) the bottom end of which is pivotable about a horizontal axis (76) while the top end bears a U-shaped yoke (79) having its open end (80) directed towards the bird (14) for ejection, said rocking (77) lever being received in a frame situated (71) beneath the transfer shackle conveyor (56) and driven in the direction of movement thereof, and coupled to a drive system for driving the yoke at a high speed of rotation around the axis.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the drive system is formed by a pre-stressed spring element (84) and the rocking lever is coupled to a control cam (82) co-operating with a guide path (65) constructed with abrupt transit ions.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the drive, system is formed by an actuator (95) coupled to the rocking lever (77) and co-operating with a control system for the supply of pressure medium thereto.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 65 words

Apparatus according to claims 5 and 6, characterised by a stop (90) for the bird's body, said stop (90) being rotatable about a horizontal axis (76) in the ejector frame (71) and being coupled to a locking hook (93) which co-operates with a locking hook (94) of the rocking lever (77) and which, when the stop is in the pressed-in position, releases the rocking lever.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 97 words

Apparatus according to claims 5 and 7, characterised in that the spring element is a compression spring (101) which acts on one end of a push rod (103), the other end of which is pivotably (105) coupled to the short part (106) of the rocking lever, the long part (107) of which bears the ejector (109), said push rod (103) bearing a laterally projecting stop cam )110) which co-operates with the short end (111) of a second toggle lever (111, 112), the other part (112) of which is coupled to the stop (113) for the bird's body.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 227 words

Apparatus according to claims 1 - 8, characterised in that the entry station (4) is constructed with a first guide wheel (21) rotatable about a vertical shaft (17), a guide (25) for the first suspension shackles (8), said guide (25) being situated thereabove and extending arcuately over part of the wheel periphery (21) starting from an entry portion, and a guide (26) for the birds' thighs (27), said guide (26) being situated beneath the first guide (25) and also extending arcuately over a part of the wheel periphery starting from an entry portion, and a cutter system (29) co-operating with the edge (28) of the guide wheel (21), and a second guide wheel (23) situated beneath the first guide wheel (21) and having its periphery coupled to the belt (24) bearing the transfer shackles (42), while the exit station (5) is constructed with a third guide wheel (56) rotatable about a second vertical shaft (50) and coupled to the guide belt (24), and, situated thereabove and projecting radially therefrom, a fourth guide wheel (54) the periphery of which forms a stop for the second suspension shackles, the ejector frames (71) being disposed for rotation in a ring around said second vertical shaft (50) in such a manner that the control cams (82, 108) thereof co-operate with the circular guide path (65) also disposed around said second shaft.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 96 words

Apparatus according to claim 9, characterised in that the first (21) and second (23) guide wheels are coupled to the first shaft (17), which is rotated by the first conveyor (6) via a first driver wheel (20), and the fourth (54) guide wheel is coupled to the second shaft (50), which is rotated by the second conveyor (11) via a second driver wheel (52), said second shaft (50) carrying bearings (51a, 51b) by means of which the third guide wheel (56) is borne, and the third (56) and fourth (54) wheels can be optionally coupled together.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 22 words

Apparatus according to claims 9 and 10, characterised in that the ejector frames (71) are coupled to the third guide wheel (56).

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the circular guide path (65) is formed by the bottom edge of a guide drum (64) adjustable in an angular position around the second shaft.

Apparatus for transferring slaughtered poultry

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