Abstract In the automatic evisceration of poultry the viscera is displaced from the body cavity of the bird through an access opening cut at the vent. In one form of the invention, a spoonlike removal tool applies pressure on the viscera away from the breast and drags the viscera along the backbone. In a second form, a removal tool in the nature of a loop captures the viscera and pulls it from the cavity. The entire operation takes place while the birds are advanced continuously by an overhead conveyor from which they are suspended by their legs. A series of birdreceiving carriages travel around a loop in time relation to the conveyor, and each carriage is provided with an individual removal tool which enters the cavity on an arc that conforms to the configuration of the breast. At the completion of the operation, a latch is released to remove spring pressure from the tool, causing the latter to swing clear and permitting the eviscerated bird to continue along the conveyor line for successive processing operations.
Inventors
👤 D Scheier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-11-06 11:47
CPC Classifications
A; A22; A22C; A22C21/00; A22C21/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
In a method of eviscerating a bird, the steps of: cutting an access opening to the body cavity of the bird at its vent; supporting the back of the bird; holding the bird against fore to aft movement; and removing from the cavity only those organs disposed within the space between the back and the breast while leaving those attached directly to the back or in sockets alongside the same fully intact, said removing step including the substeps of: inserting a loop having a rounded, non-serrated, smooth periphery into said cavity bight-first through said opening along a path extending between the organs to be removed and the breast of the bird, moving the loop from its position along the breast to a position against the back to force the organs being removed into the confines of the loop, and pulling the loop from the cavity bight-last while maintaining pressure against the back with said rounded periphery of the loop whereby to withdraw the desired organs from the cavity while the loop rides harmlessly across the surfaces of the others.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
In a method of eviscerating a bird, the steps of: cutting an access opening to the body cavity of the bird at its vent; supporting the back of the bird; holding the bird against fore to aft movement; and removing from the cavity only those organs disposed within the space between the back and the breast while leaving those attached directly to the back or in sockets alongside the same fully intact, said removing step including the substeps of: inserting a loop having a rounded, non-serrated, smooth periphery into said cavity bight-first through said opening along a path extending between the organs to be removed and the breast of the bird, moving the loop from its position along the breast to a position against the back to force the organs being removed into the confines of the loop, and pulling the loop from the cavity bight-last while maintaining pressure against the back with said rounded periphery of the loop whereby to withdraw the desired organs from the cavity while the loop rides harmlessly across the surfaces of the others.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
In the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein are included the steps of yieldably holding the loop with a first predetermined amount of force aGainst movement away from the back during insertion of the loop and yieldably holding the loop against such movement with an additional predetermined amount of force if said first predetermined amount is overcome.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
In the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein is included the additional steps of pressing the inserted loop against the back of the bird at its lung region, and then reducing the applied pressure as the loop moves out of the lung region toward said opening.