Patent ID: 6027404
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: A22C

Abstract:
A poultry processing apparatus for removing the bone from the thigh of a bird comprising:a stationary cam drum;continuous helical cam track means extending about said cam drum;a revolving carrier assembly surrounding and concentric with said cam drum and including a continuous series of deboning modules spaced about said cam drum and movable along said cam track means;drive means for revolving said carrier assembly about said stationary cam drum;each of said deboning modules including a meat stripper means, a poultry part carrier and a bone pusher, with said meat stripper and said poultry part carrier movable toward and away from each other in response to revolving about said cam track means;a continuous tray conveyor including a plurality of poultry thigh carrier trays arranged in spaced series for transporting poultry thighs in registration with said carrier modules;conveyor guide means for guiding each of said carrier trays along a substantially rectilinear loading path toward said revolving carrier assembly, about said revolving carrier assembly, and along a return path to the loading path;so that poultry thighs are loaded on said carrier trays as the carrier trays move along the loading path, the carrier trays move from the loading path and about the revolving carrier assembly and guide the thighs into registration with said deboning modules, the cam track means actuates the bone pushers and meat strippers to move the meat strippers adjacent carrier trays and to push the bones from the carrier trays through the meat strippers as the carrier trays move with the revolving carrier to strip the meat from the bones of the thighs, and to separate the meat strippers from the carrier trays to allow the meat separated from the bone to be removed from the apparatus, and the carrier trays move away from the revolving carrier along the return path.