Apparatus for removing the entrails from the abdominal cavity of poultry

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for removing the entrails from the abdominal cavity of poultry suspended with its legs from a suspension conveyor (4) wherein the entrails, after being entirely disconnected, are moved along over some distance synchronously with the poultry by a belt conveyor (11). Transferring the entrails from the eviscerating means (6) towards the belt conveyor (11) occurs through a transferring device (3) preferably comprising a drum rotatable around a vertical axis (8) and being provided with transferring means regularly spaced on its circumference. Two cooperating clamping parts (15,21) movable relative to each other may be applied as each respective transferring means.

Description: The invention relates to an apparatus for removing the entrails from the abdominal cavity of poultry suspended with its legs from a suspension conveyor, for entirely disconnecting the entrails and for moving these along over some distance synchronously with the poultry, with eviscerating means for removing and disconnecting the entrails and with a conveyor for moving along the disconnected entrails. One such apparatus is disclosed in US-A-4 467 498. Another such apparatus is already described in Dutch patent application 91.01484 of applicant published on 01.04.93. The apparatus described therein comprises an endless conveyor following a substantially horizontal track. This conveyor carries a number of conveying means for taking over from the eviscerating means the entrails removed and disconnected from the abdominal cavity. The entrails are conveyed by the conveying means in a suspended manner. Using the apparatus described in Dutch patent application 91.01484 it is possible to entirely separate the entrails from the poultry but nevertheless move these along over some distance synchronously therewith, such that during a veterinary inspection it is completely clear to what bird each entrails package belongs. It is an object of the invention to further improve such an apparatus. Thus the apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the conveyor comprises a belt conveyor for in a lying manner supporting the disconnected entrails, whereas a transferring device is provided for transferring the entrails from the eviscerating means towards the belt conveyor. Using the apparatus according to the invention the entrails are not any longer moved along over some distance synchronously with the poultry in a suspended manner, but in a lying manner. In practice it appears, that the entrails lying on the belt conveyor assume such a position, that an inspection thereof may be carried out very quickly and in a reliable way. Further the application of a belt conveyor and a transferring device transferring the entrails from the eviscerating means towards the belt conveyor provides the possibility of conveying the entrails at a minimal distance from the poultry. The labor circumstances for the veterinary inspector are thus further simplified. In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention the transferring device comprises a drum rotatable around a vertical axis, which is provided with tranferring means spaced regularly on its circumference. Per se devices shaped as rotating drums are already applied in many different shapes for processing poultry. Generally such a drum has a circumferential velocity which equals the conveying velocity of the suspension conveyor; in the present case these circumferential velocity equals the velocity of the eviscerating means, such that entrails removed from the abdominal cavity of poultry by these eviscerating means may be taken over in a reliable way. In this aspect it is noted, that the eviscerating means, in a way known per se, may be applied too on the circumference of a drum rotating around a vertical axis of rotation. A drum comprising such eviscerating means is driven by the suspension conveyor; driving the rotating drum comprising the transferring means may be carried out by the other drum, wherein for example both drums comprise interengaging gears. Preferably each transferring means comprises two cooperating clamping parts movable relative to each other. In this aspect it is possible, that an upper clamping part is movable up and down along a guide, whereas a lower clamping part is rotatable around a horizontal axis. In a position for receiving the entrails the upper clamping part is located at some distance above the lower clamping part, which is in a pivot position in which a maximal spacing is offered for receiving the entrails. Next the upper clamping part is moved downward in the direction of the lower clamping part which is pivoted towards a position in which a cooperation occurs between the upper clamping part and the lower clamping part thus gripping the entrail package. For making the lower clamping part rotate in accordance with a preferred constructive embodiment of the apparatus the upper clamping part comprises at its lower side a stopper means for engaging the lower clamping part for the rotation thereof. Further the engagement of the clamping parts on the entrails may be further improved, if at least some of the clamping parts are at their end provided with a substantially V-shaped recess for receiving the entrails. As a result it is possible that each upper clamping part comprises such a V-shaped recess. In such a case the lower clamping parts are plate-shaped for, in the cooperating position of the clamping parts, closing the V-shaped recess after receiving the entrails. Hereinafter the invention will be elucidated further referring to the drawing, in which an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention is illustrated. Fig. 1 shows, partly broken away, a side elevational view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention; fig. 2 shows schematically a top plan view of the apparatus illustrated in fig. 1, and fig. 3 shows a detail of clamping parts applied to an apparatus according to fig. 1. The apparatus illustrated in fig. 1 comprises two rotating devices 2 and 3 mounted in a frame 1. The basic structure of such rotating devices is known in the field of processing poultry, such that a further detailed description thereof is not necessary. In a way known per se the rotating device is driven by a suspension conveyor 4 which comprises hooks 5 for suspending poultry to be processed with their legs. Divided on its circumference the rotating device 2 carries eviscerating means 6 (in fig. 1 only one being shown at the left side of the rotating device 2). In a way known per se the entrails are through these eviscerating means 6 removed from the abdominal cavity of the poultry suspended with its legs from the suspension conveyor 4, when the hooks 5 of the suspension conveyor 4 move along over part of the circumference of the rotating device 2 and synchronously therewith. In the position of the eviscerating means 6 which is shown on the left hand side of fig. 1 removal of the entrails from the abdominal cavity of the poultry has been completed. In such a position the entrails are entirely disconnected from the respective bird and are suspended from the lower side of the eviscerating means 6. Alongside of the rotating device a second rotating device 3 is mounted, as mentioned before. The rotation of the rotating device 2 around the respective vertical axis 7 caused by the suspension conveyor 4 further leads to a rotation of the rotating device 3 around a respective vertical axis of rotation 8. For this the rotating device 2 comprises at its upper side a gear 9 non-rotatably connected therewith, which engages a gear 10 non-rotatably connected with the rotating device 3. The rotating device 3 is a transferring device for transferring entrails removed from the poultry by the rotating device 3 from the eviscerating means 6 towards a belt conveyor 11. This belt conveyor 11 will be elucidated further later on. The transferring device 3 shaped as a rotating device substantially comprises an upper plate 12 and a lower plate 13 that both are in a rotatable manner mounted on the axis of rotation 8, and guide rods 14 regularly spaced on the circumference of the drum and connecting the upper plate 12 to the lower plate 13. Upper clamping parts 15 are movable up and down along the guide rods 14. For realising the up and down movement of the upper clamping parts 15 these each carry a follower roll 16 cooperating with a curved track 17, which has been shaped on a stationary cilinder 18 mounted non-rotatably on the vertical axis of rotation 8. Each upper clamping part 15 comprises a gripper arm 19 for, in a way to be described later, gripping an entrails package. At its lower side each upper clamping part 5 comprises a stopper means 20. This stopper means 20 may cooperate with a lower clamping part 21 located below each upper clamping part 15 and being rotatable around a horizontal axis 22. Each lower clamping part 21 comprises an outwardly directed plate-shaped part 23 and an operating part 24 extending at the opposite side of the horizontal axis 22. In fig. 1 it has been indicated on the left hand side that when the upper clamping part 15 is located at some distance above the lower clamping part 21 the stopper means 20 does not engage the operating part 24, such that the plate-shaped part 23 is in its illustrated downwardly inclined position. When the upper clamping part 15, as forced by the track of the curved track 17, moves downward, the stopper means 20 engages the operating part 24 such that the lower clamping part 21 is pivoted around the horizontal axis 22 until reaching the position of the upper clamping part 15 and lower clamping part 21 illustrated in fig. 1 at the right hand side of the rotating drum. In this position the plate-shaped part 23 joins the end of the gripping means 19, such that a cooperation occurs between the upper clamping part 15 and lower clamping part 21. Through an appropriate choice of control of the eviscerating means 6 of the rotating drum 2 and an appropriate choice of the movement of the upper and lower, respectively, clamping parts 15, 21 it is possible to receive between an upper clamping part 15 and a lower clamping part 21 entrails packages offered by the eviscerating means 6, to convey these over some distance by means of the rotating device 3 and next to supply these to the belt conveyor 11. Referring to the schematical top plan view according to fig. 2 the following may be noted in relation therewith. Poultry to be processed is supplied by the suspension conveyor 4 in the direction indicated by arrow A. Having reached the rotating device 2 the eviscerating means 6 remove the entrails from the abdominal cavity of the poultry. In the position of eviscerating means 6' the entrails removed are transferred to the transferring device 3 and are received by the clamping parts 15, 21. Next the entrails are freed at the belt conveyor 11 and will be lying on this belt conveyor 11 which conveys the entrails in the direction of arrow B. As schematically indicated on the left hand side of fig. 2 the belt conveyor 1 there extends synchronously with the suspension conveyor 4 such that actually the entrails and corresponding poultry are moved along synchronously at a short distance from each other. Thus an examination to be carried out by the vetinary inspection is extremely simplified, whereas it appears further that entrails lying on the belt conveyor 11 may be checked for irregularities in an easy way. In fig. 3 a possible embodiment of an upper clamping part 15 and lower clamping part 21 are illustrated on a larger scale. It is clearly visible that the gripping means 19 of the upper clamping part 15 is provided with a V-shaped recess 25, in which an entrails package to be received may be held. In fig. 3 in full lines the position is indicated in which the upper clamping part 15 is located at some distance above the lower clamping part 21. In dotted lines partly the position is indicated in which the stopper means 20' engages the operating part 24 and in which the plate-shaped part 23' is in the horizontal position which has been indicated in fig. 1 at the right hand side of the rotating drum 3. Then the plate-shaped part 23 closes the V-shaped recess 25 of the gripper means 19, thus reliably holding an entrails package. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described before, which can be varied widely within the scope of the invention.

Claims: Apparatus for removing the entrails from the abdominal cavity of poultry suspended with its legs from a suspension conveyor, for entirely disconnecting the entrails and for moving these along over some distance synchronously with the poultry, with eviscerating means for removing and disconnecting the entrails and with a conveyor for moving along the disconnected entrails, characterized in that the conveyor (11) comprises a belt conveyor for in a lying manner supporting the disconnected entrails, whereas a transferring device (3) is provided for transferring the entrails from the eviscerating means (6) towards the belt conveyor (11). Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transferring device (3) comprises a drum rotatable around a vertical axis (8), which is provided with tranferring means (15, 21) spaced regularly on its circumference. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that each transferring means comprises two cooperating clamping parts (15, 21) movable relative to each other. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that an upper clamping part (15) is movable up and down along a guide (14), whereas a lower clamping part (21) is rotatable around a horizontal axis (22). Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper clamping part (15) comprises at its lower side a stopper means (20) for engaging the lower clamping (21) part for the rotation thereof. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the upper clamping part (15) comprises a follower roll (16) cooperating with a stationary curved track and causing the up and down movement. Apparatus according to one of the claims 3-6, characterized in that at least some of the clamping parts are at their end provided with a substantially V-shaped recess (25) for receiving the entrails.

Inventors: MEYN CORNELIS, MEYN, CORNELIS, C/O MACHINEFABRIEK MEYN B.V.
Applicants: MEYN MASCHF, MACHINEFABRIEK MEYN B.V.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A22C21
IPC codes: A22C21