DECROPPING DEVICE FOR POULTRY

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the removal of the gullet, crop, windpipe and adhering parts from the neck part (2) of slaughtered poultry (1), comprising a rotary driven mandrel (4; 4a; 4b; 4c) which is conveyed from the belly cavity into and through the neck opening of the poultry, wherein the mandrel, preferably a hollow cylinder (6), in the wall of which one or more openings are provided, forms part of a vacuum system, and is provided with gripping means (8; 10; 17) for the parts to be removed, while openings (7; 11) are provided in the vacuum system near the gripping means. The gripping means (10) advantageously lie entirely inside the outer wall of the cylinder (13). The gripping means may be composed of a lip (8, Fig. 2,3) which, viewed in the axial direction, is fitted above an opening in the cylinder wall. The mandrel may be composed of one or more strips (14, 15, 14′, 15′) which are fitted in the axial direction at the end of the decropper, one or more strips being provided with notches forming the gripping means (17).

Description: The invention relates to a device for the removal of the gullet, crop, windpipe and adhering parts from the neck part of slaughtered poultry, comprising a rotary driven mandrel which can be conveyed from the belly cavity into and through the neck opening of the poultry, the mandrel being adapted to form part of a vacuum system, and being provided with gripping members for the parts to be removed. Such a device is known from US-A-4 208 764. Such a so-called "decropper" is used in mechanized and automated slaughter systems for poultry. After evisceration, parts of gullet, windpipe, crop and any adhering parts can be left behind in the neck region, and must be removed for hygienec and marketing reasons. This removal can be carried out with the decropper. It is important here first of all that removal should take place with great certainty. Insufficiently decropped birds have to be returned to the decropper again after inspection. This leads to a lower capacity of the slaughter system, or to higher slaughter costs for the same capacity. Secondly, it is important that the decropping takes place in such a way that the poultry is not damaged. This could involve damage to or breakage of bones of the poultry and damage to meat of the poultry. Thirdly, partly in view of the trend towards a high degree of automation in slaughter system, it is increasingly important that the operations carried out on the poultry are carried out in such a way that as much meat as possible becomes available as an end product. Decroppers are known per se, such as the decropper according to US-A-4 208 764. The latter cannot meet the second and third requirements because the mandrel used is provided with angular, radially directed projections. Moreover, the neck region is pulled additionally against these angular parts, due to the vacuum used. In order to meet the first requirement, the decropper according to EP-A-0 162 154 or EP-A-0 178 825 must have a certain minimum diameter, so that when the mandrel is inserted into the neck opening the neck is stretched somewhat. This decropper will therefore not be able to meet the second and third requirements because the forces exerted by the mandrel on the neck opening can lead to damage of bone and/or meat. The decropper known from EP-A-0 178 825 cannot meet the second and third requirements because the mandrel used therein is provided at its end with forward-pointing projections which are of such a shape that there is a great risk of damage to bones and meat through the action of the pointed projections thereon. The object of the invention is to provide a decropper which meets all three of the above-mentioned requirements and is also very simple in design. This object is attained in the decropping device according to the invention, which is characterized in that the mandrel comprises an enclosure with an internal space which can be connected to the vacuum system, the enclosure being provided with one or more openings communicating with the exterior of the mandrel, the openings being provided near or in the gripping members for bringing the parts to be removed towards the mandrel and gripping them with the gripping members. Through these measures, in particular the presence of the openings in the vacuum system, the size of the mandrel can be selected in such a way that forces are exerted as little as possible on the neck part of the poultry. In particular, it is possible to reduce forces stretching the neck part or forces in the case of which the internal neck opening is stretched so that the size of said opening increases. Through the action of the vacuum, the inside of the neck opening is brought into intimate contact with the mandrel. The mandrel can be in different forms. It could be two or more axially directed bars or strips, the bars or strips being provided with the gripping means and the openings in the vacuum system being provided near or in these gripping means. Advantageously, the mandrel is in the form of a cylinder in which a gripping means in conjuction with an opening in the vacuum system is provided at one or more places. In the simplest form, the cylindrical mandrel is a hollow cylinder which is closed at the end. The gripping means are advantageously designed with rounded-off forms. The invention is explained in greater detail with reference to the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a bird being decropped; Fig. 2 shows the cross-section of an embodiment of the device; Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the embodiment according to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment; Fig. 5 shows a side view of yet another embodiment; and Fig. 6 shows a cross-section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 5. Fig. 1 shows a bird 1, such as a chicken, turkey etc., with neck part 2 and legs 3. The decropper 4 is shown schematically, as are the successive positions 4', 4'' and 4''' thereof. In general, the bird will hang by the legs in a hook which moves along a conveyor track for conveying the birds past different processing stations. Fig. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of a decropper 4a according to the invention which is a part of a vacuum system, and for this purpose is connected by the top part 5 to a channel (not shown) which is connected to a vacuum pump. The operating part of the decropper 4a consists of a mandrel in the form of a hollow cylinder 6, the wall of which is designed with, in this case circular, holes 7. Gripping means 8 are fitted on the outside of the hollow cylinder, in the vicinity of the holes, for gripping the parts to be removed from the birds. In this case they are formed by a lip 8 which partially overlaps the hole 7 and is welded on just above said hole. The hollow cylinder is shut off at the bottom side by a cover 9. Fig. 4 shows another embodiment in perspective view; in the case of this decropper 4b each lip 8 is welded onto the side of a hole 7. If the decropper is put into the neck part of the bird, the neck part will be pulled around the mandrel of the decropper through the action of the vacuum present in the decropper, which constitutes an ideal situation, because the gripping means will grip the gullet, windpipe etc. with certainty. These parts to be removed will be carried along with the rotary decropper through and past the neck part 2. When the decropper has come out of the neck part of the bird, the adhering parts will be removed from the decropper and the latter will be cleaned before being pulled back through the neck part. Figs. 5 and 6 show yet another embodiment of a decropper 4c. The latter is composed of two parallel, curved strips 14 and 15 which are fixed to straight strips 14' and 15', the latter in turn being fastened to the end 16 of the decropper. Parts 14, 15, 14' and 15' form the mandrel of this decropper. The strips are designed with incisions or gripping means 17, which end in a point 18. Advantageously, the ends of the curved strips are directed in such a way that they essentially point in the direction of a tangent on the circle which the end of the curved strip describes during rotation of the decropper. The decropper is also provided with a front side 19 which forms part of the wall of the vacuum system; the path of air drawn in by the vacuum system is indicated by the arrow 20.

Claims: Device for the removal of the gullet, crop, windpipe and adhering parts from the neck part (2) of slaughtered poultry (1), comprising a rotary driven mandrel (4; 4a; 4b; 4c) which can be conveyed from the belly cavity into and through the neck opening of the poultry, the mandrel being part of a vacuum system, and being provided with gripping members (8; 10; 17) for the parts to be removed, characterized in that the mandrel (4, 4a; 4b; 4c) comprises an enclosure with an internal space which is connected to the vacuum system, the enclosure being provided with one or more openings (7) communicating with the exterior of the mandrel, the openings being provided near or in the gripping members for bringing the parts to be removed towards the mandrel and gripping them with the gripping members. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the mandrel (4a; 4b; 4c) comprises one or more lips (8), each of the lips extending substantially in a direction of movement of the mandrel. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the mandrel (4c) is composed of one or more strips (14, 15, 14', 15') fitted in the axial direction, one or more strips being provided with notches (17) defining the lips. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that two straight strips (14', 15') are provided in the axial direction with flat sides facing each other parallel, and in that a curved, notched strip (14, 15) is provided on each of these two strips. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that each of the lips extends to the end (19) of the mandrel, at an acute angle to the axis of rotation of the mandrel (4c). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the mandrel comprises a hollow cylinder (6), a plurality of openings (7) being provided in the outer wall thereof. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the gripping members consist of a plurality of lips (8), each of the lips extending partly perpendicularly to the length of the mandrel (4b). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the gripping members consist of a plurality of lips (8), each of the lips extending partly parallel to the length of the mandrel (4a). Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the end of each gripping member (8) is rounded off.

Inventors: JANSSEN, PETRUS CHRISTIANUS MARIUS, VAN DE NIEUWELAAR, ADRIANUS JOSEPHUS
Applicants: STORK PMT B.V.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A22C21
IPC codes: A22C21