Poultry trussing device with protective cap

A poultry trussing device is provided having a protective cap which holds together and covers the exposed hocks. The protective cap forms a smooth three-dimensional continuous surface which grips and encloses the hocks. The cap is connected to an anchor which is removably attached to the side portion of the backbone of the carcass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to trussing devices for dressed poultry, and more 
particularly, to a trussing device for use in the commercial processing of 
dressed and eviscerated turkey carcasses. 
Prior art poultry trussing devices include the wire retainer shown in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,112,515 dated Dec. 3, 1963. The prior art also includes various 
plastic trussing devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,075 dated Oct. 7, 
1986 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,146 dated Mar. 31, 1987 and U.S. Pat. No. 
4,739,538 dated Apr. 26, 1988. The last three patents identified teach 
plastic retainers having various arrays of resilient and flexible straps 
which are intended to fit about and across the exposed hocks. The straps 
of those patents are of a rather convoluted design to permit them to be 
deformed so as to resiliently fit about and across the exposed hocks. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a trussing device is provided 
haying a protective cap which forms a smooth three-dimensional continuous 
surface for gripping and covering the exposed hocks. There are several 
advantages of the design of the present invention over the prior art. 
The present design avoids the use of straps having a complex or convoluted 
configuration which must be placed precisely in position to properly 
retain the exposed hocks. The present invention provides a single 
protective cap which simply holds together and covers the exposed hocks. 
Secondly, according to the present invention, a protective cap is provided 
having a smooth surface which covers the exposed hocks and prevents any 
sharp edges of the exposed hocks from puncturing the plastic covering 
typically used to enclose the carcass by shrink wrapping. 
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a 
poultry trussing device which utilizes a single protective cap to hold 
together and cover the exposed hocks, avoiding the requirement of placing 
straps precisely in position to retain the hocks together. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a poultry trussing device 
which prevents sharp edges of the exposed hocks from puncturing a package 
for the carcass such as shrunk wrap plastic. 
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the 
following description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings wherein

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
As shown best in FIG. 7, an eviscerated turkey carcass shown generally as 
10 is ready to have the trussing device shown generally as 25 of the 
present invention applied. After the trussing device 25 is applied, the 
trussed carcass 10 appears as shown in FIG. 8. The carcass 10 has legs 11 
and 12 which terminate in exposed hocks 13 and 14 after the feet have been 
cut off from the carcass. The abdominal cavity of the carcass is 
eviscerated leaving an open cavity 15 and a skin flap 16. The backbone of 
the turkey extends along the bottom portion of the carcass in FIG. 7. The 
backbone is not shown in FIG. 7. As is well known, the backbone of the 
turkey has side portions, not shown, which are accessible through the 
cavity 15 for anchoring the trussing retainers of the prior art as well as 
the trussing device of the present invention. 
In the commercial processing of turkey and other poultry carcasses, the 
carcasses are commonly wrapped in a plastic case which is shrink wrapped 
around the carcass. If the exposed hocks 13 and 14 have sharp or jagged 
edges, the trussing devices of the prior art allow those sharp or jagged 
edges to protrude and possibly puncture the plastic packaging. This 
typically results in the loss of the carcass as a saleable item. 
As shown best in FIG. 1, the trussing device 25 of the present invention 
has a protective cap means 30 which is designed to hold together and cover 
the exposed hocks 13 and 14 as shown best in FIG. 8. Protective cap means 
30 has a generally flat top surface 31 and side walls 32 and 33 and end 
wall 34. The side walls 32 and 33, as well as end wall 34, extend 
downwardly from the top surface 31. Side walls 32 and 33 have sufficient 
length "1.sub.1 " to cover the sides of the exposed hocks as shown best in 
FIG. 6. Side walls 32 and 33 have a width "w" which is approximately 3/4 
of the overall vertical height of exposed hock 13. I have found that the 
side walls 32 and 33, and end wall 34, should preferably extend downwardly 
about 3/4 of the height of the exposed hocks to form a sufficiently large 
surface to grip and enclose hocks 13 and 14 to hold them securely in 
position. If the side walls extend downwardly a greater distance, the 
trussing device will still perform its function, but it tends to protrude 
upwardly more than necessary. 
End wall 34 has sufficient length "12" to cover the end portions of exposed 
hocks 13 and 14 as shown best in FIGS. 7 and 8. The thickness of the top 
surface and end walls as shown best in FIG. 5 is sufficiently large to 
resist being punctured by a sharp edge which may be present on an exposed 
hock and which might otherwise puncture a plastic wrap (not shown) which 
is typically applied by shrink wrapping. In the preferred embodiment, the 
material used is nylon and the thickness of the protective cap means is 
approximately 0.010 inches. This thickness also provides sufficient 
rigidity for the protective cap means 30 to retain its shape during and 
after shrink wrapping. Other materials than nylon may be utilized if 
approved by the United States Department of Agriculture for food products. 
The dimensions for "", 2 "1" and "w" will vary depending on the size of 
the turkey, or other fowl, being trussed. 
The protective cap means 30 provides a relatively smooth three-dimensional 
continuous surface which grips and encloses the exposed hocks as shown 
best in FIG. 6. The side walls 32 and 33 are angularly disposed relative 
to each other as shown in FIG. 2. Side walls 32 and 33 form an angle of 
approximately 30.degree.-45.degree. relative to each other so as to accept 
the legs 11 and 12 when folded inwardly as shown in FIG. 8. Tab 39 is 
carried by protective cap means and facilitates the manipulation required 
to insert the hocks into the cap and to remove the hocks from the cap. 
An anchor means 50 is provided which includes a bar 51 having curved and 
upwardly extending ends 52 and 53 for engaging the side portions of the 
turkey backbone. Tab 54 is carried by bar 51 to facilitate insertion and 
removal of the trussing device 25 from the cavity 15 of carcass 10. 
Connecting means 60 is provided for connecting the protective cap means to 
the anchor means 50. Connecting means 60 includes a pair of straps 61 and 
62 which extend from the ends of bar 51 to the protective cap means 30. 
Connecting strap 61 extends around the base of side wall 32 and to the 
center of end wall 34. Strap 62 extends along the bottom of side wall 33 
and to the central portion of end wall 34. 
In operation, the trussing device of this invention may be applied to the 
carcasses as quickly and easily as any device presently on the market. The 
trussing device of the present invention affords a positive and secure 
mechanism to hold the hocks together. The cap improves the appearance of 
the packaged poultry in that it hides the unattractive showing of hocks 
but, more importantly, it prevents any sharp or jagged edges of the 
exposed hocks from puncturing the plastic cover for the trussed carcass.