Abstract A shiftable and article-releasable shackle for use with a trolley-supported handling system to facilitate processing, such as the evisceration of poultry, which utilizes a multiplicity of vertically suspended shackle elements, suspended at upper ends from the trolley system and having adjacent the lower extremities thereof retaining elements for interconnection of the suspended articles. In operation and functional structure, an abutment cable and/or deflection elements are fixedly mounted at a point or points in the course of travel of the shackles for striking against and preferably camming the shackles angularly and particularly the retaining elements in such a way as to release the articles which then drop with the aid of gravity.
Inventors
👤 G Klevgard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-08 03:42
CPC Classifications
A; A22; A22C; A22C21/00; A22C21/0007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
216 words
For use with a moving trolley-supported handling system for facilitating processing of a multiplicity of suspended articles such as poultry carcasses and moved through a predetermined, generally horizontal course of travel, a shiftably suspended, article-releasable shackle comprising for each of said supported articles, a depending frame member having adjacent its lower end a shiftable retaining element for connection with and support of the articles, said shackles disposed in horizontally spaced relation being swingably supported from the movable trolley system by supporting links, and in operation of the system travel successively through a predetermined course, each shackle having adjacent its lower end notched retaining means for releasably engaging and supporting an article, deflecting release means extending at an acute angle across the general line of travel of said shackle for engaging said shackles and swingably deflecting the same to successively release and drop the articles carried thereby, and wherein each shackle has a camming element protruding in a plane perpendicular to said line of travel from the shackle frame and diverging generally angularly downward from the upper portion thereof to an article-release point, said deflection release means being stationary and positioned at a height to be engaged by the said cam element of each shackle during travel and throughout a predetermined interval of the travel movement thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
216 words
For use with a moving trolley-supported handling system for facilitating processing of a multiplicity of suspended articles such as poultry carcasses and moved through a predetermined, generally horizontal course of travel, a shiftably suspended, article-releasable shackle comprising for each of said supported articles, a depending frame member having adjacent its lower end a shiftable retaining element for connection with and support of the articles, said shackles disposed in horizontally spaced relation being swingably supported from the movable trolley system by supporting links, and in operation of the system travel successively through a predetermined course, each shackle having adjacent its lower end notched retaining means for releasably engaging and supporting an article, deflecting release means extending at an acute angle across the general line of travel of said shackle for engaging said shackles and swingably deflecting the same to successively release and drop the articles carried thereby, and wherein each shackle has a camming element protruding in a plane perpendicular to said line of travel from the shackle frame and diverging generally angularly downward from the upper portion thereof to an article-release point, said deflection release means being stationary and positioned at a height to be engaged by the said cam element of each shackle during travel and throughout a predetermined interval of the travel movement thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The structure and combination set forth in claim 1 wherein, said cam element comprises also a convergent lower portion thereof extending downwardly from said article-release point.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein, said camming element comprises a stiff rod bent to conform to said shape and having its ends affixed to the shackle frame.