Abstract:
A method and apparatus for cutting poultry paws. The inventive method comprises the steps of (a) placing the poultry paws in a rotating wheel and (b) cutting the poultry paws as the paws are carried by the rotating wheel. The inventive apparatus comprises: (a) a rotatably drivable wheel having a perimeter and having notches provided in the perimeter wherein the poultry paws are receivable and (b) a blade positioned with respect to the wheel such that the blade will cut the poultry paws as the paws are carried by the wheel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for cutting poultry paws. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The United States poultry industry produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of chicken paws each year. Most of these products are exported for consumption overseas. One of the most important quality parameters for these paw products are the length of the overhanging tendons left in the paws. The best quality paws will have tendon lengths of one-quarter inch or less. 
     Unfortunately, the paw-cutting/trimming devices heretofore employed in the art have not been able to consistently and uniformly provide the quality of product cut desired. The prior art paw-cutting devices are primarily designed to cut the paws as they are being carried by a shackle-type conveyor. 
     Thus, a need presently exists for a paw-cutting system which will consistently and uniformly provide a high quality product having few overhanging tendons. Of course, such system would also preferably cost no more to build, install, and maintain than the cutting devices heretofore used in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention satisfies the needs and alleviates the problems discussed hereinabove. In one aspect, the invention provides a method of cutting poultry paws comprising the steps of: (a) placing the poultry paws in a rotating wheel and (b) cutting the poultry paws as the poultry paws are carried by the rotating wheel. In another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for cutting poultry paws comprising: (a) a rotatably drivable wheel having a perimeter and having notches provided in the perimeter wherein the poultry paws are receivable and (b) a blade positioned with respect to the wheel such that the blade will cut the poultry paws as the paws are carried by the wheel. The inventive system also preferably includes means for continuously and automatically transferring the poultry paws to the rotating wheel from a shackle conveyor. 
     The inventive system costs no more than existing paw cutters, is very simple to construct, install, operate, and maintain, provides a more consistent, uniform, high quality product having fewer overhanging tendons, and significantly improves product yield. The inventive system also preferably operates to securely support the poultry paws on each side of the cutting blade such that a particularly smooth and consistent cut is obtained. 
     Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon examining the accompanying drawings and upon reading the following description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of embodiment  2  of the inventive paw cutting apparatus. 
     FIG. 2 provides a front elevational view of inventive apparatus  2 . 
     FIG. 3 provides an elevational end view of inventive apparatus  2 . 
     FIG. 4 provides a plan view of inventive apparatus  2 . 
     FIG. 5 provides a perspective view of the cutting assembly employed in inventive apparatus  2 . 
     FIG. 6 provides an elevational end view of the cutting assembly employed in inventive apparatus  2 . 
     FIG. 7 provides an elevational front view of the cutting assembly employed in inventive apparatus  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment  2  of the inventive paw-cutting apparatus is depicted in FIGS. 1-4. Inventive paw-cutter  2  preferably comprises: a frame structure  4  for retaining the various components of the inventive apparatus and for mounting inventive apparatus  2  on a shackle conveyor line  6 ; a first track  8  which lifts and removes paws  10  from the shackles  12 ; a second track  14  through which shackles  12  are conveyed in order to stabilize the shackles  12  as paws  10  are lifted and removed therefrom; a notched, rotatably drivable wheel  16  which receives paws  10  from first track  8  and carries paws  10  during the cutting operation; a blade  18  (preferably a rotating blade) for cutting paws  10  as they are carried by wheel  16 ; and a drive system  20  for rotatably driving wheel  16  and blade  18 . 
     The lifting track  8  is positioned behind (i.e., on the knee joint side of) shackles  12  and comprises: a lower rod or bar  22  having a downwardly curved initial portion  24 , an elongate upwardly inclined central portion  26 , and an end portion  28  which curves rearwardly toward wheel  16 ; an upper rod or bar  30  positioned above lower rod  22  and having an upwardly curved initial portion  32 , an elongate, upwardly inclined central portion  34  which runs parallel to the central portion  26  of lower rod  22 , and an upper end portion  36  which curves rearwardly toward wheel  16 ; and a gap  38  defined between the elongate central portions  26  and  34  and the curved upper end portions  28  and  36  of lower and upper rods  22  and  30 . Upper rod/bar  30  is spaced upwardly from lower rod/bar  22  a sufficient distance such that (a) gap  38  will slidably receive the leg portions  40  of the uncut paws  10  but (b) is narrow enough to prevent the knee joints  42  of paws  10  from passing therethrough. 
     The downwardly curved and upwardly curved initial portions  24  and  32  of lower and upper rods  22  and  30  are shaped and positioned to guide the leg portions  40  of paws  10  into the gap  38  of lifting track  8  as the paws  10  are conveyed by shackles  12 . With the leg portions  40  thus slidably received in the upwardly inclined portion  44  of gap  38 , the lifting track  8  forces the paws  10  to move upwardly in shackles  12  as the paws  10  are being conveyed by shackle conveyor  6 . Upon reaching the upper end of the inclined portion  44  of track  8 , paws  10  are received in the upper, rearwardly curved portion  46  of gap  38 . 
     Because the width of the knee joints  42  exceeds the width of gap  38 , the lifted paws  10  are retained in the upper, rearwardly curved portion  46  of the track  8  and thus pulled from shackles  12  as shackle conveyor  6  continues to move forward. The resulting continuous accumulation of paws  10  at the upper curved end of track  8  causes the accumulating paws  10  to move rearwardly and drop, one at a time, from the upper end of track  8  into notched wheel  16 . 
     The stabilizing track  14  included in inventive apparatus  2  operates to temporarily stabilize shackles  12  against swinging movement so that paws  10  can be guided into and lifted by track  8 . Track  14  is preferably positioned above track  8  and is also preferably upwardly inclined as depicted in FIGS. 1-3. Track  14  preferably comprises a first bar or rod  48  positioned along the outer side of shackle conveyor  6  and a second bar or rod  50  positioned along the inner side of conveyor  6 . Outer rod  48  preferably includes an outwardly curved initial portion  52  followed by an elongate straight segment  54 . Straight segment  54  preferably extends to wheel  16 . Inner rod  50  preferably comprises an inwardly curved initial portion  56  followed by an elongate straight segment  58 . Straight segment  58  also preferably extends to wheel  16 . The elongate straight segments  54  and  58  of rods  48  and  50  preferably run parallel to each other and are spaced apart a sufficient distance for receiving shackles  12  and stabilizing shackles  12  against swinging movement. The outwardly curved initial portions  52  and  56  of rods  48  and  50  are preferably sized and shaped for receiving and guiding shackles  12  into the gap  60  provided between the elongate segments  54  and  58  of rods  48  and  50 . 
     The wheel  16  employed in the inventive apparatus is preferably positioned substantially perpendicular to shackle conveyor  6  such that the paws  10  dropping from the rearwardly curved upper portion  46  of first track  8  will drop into the lateral notches  62  formed around the perimeter of wheel  16 . Wheel  16  preferably also includes a radial groove  64  formed around the perimeter of wheel  16  for receiving blade  18 . Radial groove  64  preferably extends into the perimeter of wheel  16  a sufficient distance such that blade  18  will reach the innermost portions of notches  62 . With blade  18  extending into groove  64  in this manner, wheel  16  operates to firmly retain and support paws  12  during the cutting operation on both sides of blade  18 . 
     Inventive apparatus  2  also preferably includes a retaining structure  65  for retaining paws  10  in notches  62  as wheel  16  carries the paws  10  through blade  18 . The retaining structure will preferably include a curved retaining surface  66  positionable adjacent to the outer perimeter of wheel  16 . The particular retaining structure  65  employed in embodiment  2  of the inventive apparatus comprises: a curved stationary support  70  spaced apart from the outer perimeter of wheel  16 ; a curved retaining bar  72  which includes retaining surface  66 ; and a plurality of threaded attachments  74  or other structures which adjustably link retaining bar  72  to stationary support  70 . Thus, retaining bar  72  can be selectively adjusted toward and away from the outer perimeter of wheel  16 . Retaining bar  72  preferably extends over the uppermost portion of wheel  16  and downwardly alongside blade  18 . 
     Blade  18  can be a straight blade, a rotating blade, or generally any other type of blade employed in the art. Blade  18  will preferably be a rotating blade which is driven in a direction opposite to that of wheel  16 . For example, in inventive apparatus  2  as viewed in FIG. 2, wheel  16  will preferably be driven clockwise as indicated by arrows  76  and blade  18  will preferably be driven counterclockwise as indicated by arrow  78 . To facilitate the cutting operation and to help clean the blade and cutting surfaces, a spray nozzle or similar device  80  will preferably be employed to continuously spray water on the cutting edge of blade  18 . 
     As will be understood by those skilled in the art, generally any pneumatic, electric, or other motors or system(s)  20  can be used to drive wheel  16  and rotating blade  18 . If desired, wheel  16  and/or blade  18  could even be driven by chain or belt linkage to shackle conveyor  6 . In embodiment  2  of the inventive apparatus, wheel  16  and rotating blade  18  are independently driven by separate motors  82  and  84 . Alternatively, a single motor could be used to drive both wheel  16  and blade  18  such that one of these rotating components is directly driven by the motor and the other is driven by a belt, gear, chain or other assembly. 
     As the paws  10  are cut by blade  18 , the cut paw product  85  simply falls on one side of wheel  16  while the trimmed knee joint  42  falls on the other. The paw product  85  will preferably fall into a chute or other device (not shown) which will deliver product  85  to further processing and/or inspection stations. 
     Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are encompassed within the spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.