Abstract:
An apparatus and method for deboning a poultry wing including multiple stations. The poultry wing is cut and then placed with bones extending through a plate for engagement by a subsequent rotary disboner. The mechanism includes a convey or with the plates secured thereto and motor and controls for moving the conveyor and plates and rotary deboner.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to and is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/378,816, filed Feb. 19, 2009, now abandoned which claimed priority to and was a continuation-in-part of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/066,568, filed Feb. 21, 2008. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     RESERVATION OF RIGHTS 
     A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but not limited to copyright, trademark, and/or trade dress protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention pertains to improvements in processing poultry to produce various cuts thereof, and more particularly to processing poultry to produce boneless cuts and especially deboned poultry wings. Known art can be found in class 452, subclasses 135, and in other classes and subclasses. 
     2. Description of the Known Art 
     Those skilled in the butchery arts will appreciate that it is often desirable to debone various poultry cuts to enhance the commercial appeal of the respective product. For example, boneless breasts are a popular deboned poultry product. Many poultry products have previously been successfully deboned in commercial quantities by mechanizing production lines to increase output of a particular product, such as the aforementioned boneless breast. However, some poultry products have heretofore resisted prior efforts to mechanize their production. In particular, deboning poultry wings has proved vexatious. 
     Prior attempts have been made to solve the problems associated with deboning poultry wings, including U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,519 issued to Curtis, et al., on Nov. 29, 1994, that discloses a method of making a food product from a wing of a bird comprising a middle section having a tip section attached to one end and a drumette section attached to the other end. The method comprises cutting the wing to separate the middle section from the drumette section. The middle section is then cut along a line extending generally parallel to the middle section axis and spaced from the joint shared by the middle section and the drumette by a predetermined distance to remove the joint from the middle section. The tip section is then bent with respect to the middle section to expose at least a portion of both of the middle section bones proximate to the joint of the middle section and the tip section. A score line may be used to facilitate exposure of the two bones. The exposed portions of both of the middle section bones are then pulled to remove the two bones from the middle section to thereby provide a food product comprising a boneless middle section attached to the tip section, the tip section functioning as a convenient handle. The method of this patent has proven difficult to mechanize and commercial quantities have been difficult to produce efficiently. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,229 issued to Gagliardi, Jr. on Feb. 15, 1994, discloses a method of making a food product from the wing of a bird and food product made in accordance with the method. This patent is directed to a method of making a food product from the wing of a bird comprising a middle section, a tip section and an end section. The method involves cutting through a first joint to separate and remove the tip section. Skin extending between the middle section and the end section is cut along a cutline extending therebetween. The end section is also nicked on a side opposite to the side on which the skin has been cut. A cut is made through the area between the bones of the middle section to separate the middle section into two portions. The end section is bent with respect to the middle section about the joint therebetween so that the middle section and end section are generally aligned end to end with each other with the common joint therebetween. Finally, the two portions of the middle section are spread apart to provide a food product having the appearance of a cowboy wearing chaps. This method has not provided a mechanized solution for deboning poultry wings. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,891 issued to Cresson, et al., on Dec. 7, 1993, discloses a machine for processing the meat of chicken wings. This patent is directed to a machine designed for trussing-up flesh and/or skin over a bone or a bone stump. The machine comprises an axially aligned set of a pusher device (11), a holder device (9) and movable jaws forming a cone (44). The machine is adapted for the industrial preparation of ready-to-cook chicken wings. This method has not provided a mechanized solution for deboning poultry wings. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,397 issued to Gagliardi, Jr., on Aug. 3, 1993, discloses a method of making a food product from the wing of a bird and food product made in accordance with the method. This patent is directed to a method of making a food product from a wing of a bird is disclosed. The wing includes a middle section, a tip section connected to one end of the middle section, and an end section attached to the other end of the middle section. The food product is produced by cutting the bird wing in order to separate the middle section from the tip and end sections. The separated middle section is cut along a first cut line to remove the first knuckle from the separated middle section. The separated middle section is also cut along a second cut line to remove the second knuckle from the separated middle section. When the food product is cooked, the meat shrinks inwardly to expose end portions of bones within the middle section. The present invention also encompasses the food product which results from the process of the present invention. This method has not provided a mechanized solution for deboning poultry wings. 
     While it is evident from the past attempts that a deboned poultry wing is desirable, these known art patents are very limited in their teaching and utilization, and an improved apparatus and method for producing deboned poultry wings is needed to overcome these limitations. An improved system should provide a simple mechanism for deboning poultry wings efficiently and in commercial quantities. The method should enable the user to also remove bones from poultry wings using a mechanized process as desired. The mechanized process should permit the user to produce commercial quantities of deboned poultry wings. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention addresses the perceived needs in the known art discussed above. In one exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present invention an apparatus and method are provided that address the perceived shortcoming of the known art. The apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention enable a user to easily debone commercial quantities of poultry wings in an efficient and economical manner. 
     The invention includes a method that may be implemented either by a single worker or a plurality of workers that may be conveniently deployed at stations. The stations may include a first, second, third and fourth stations for processing poultry wings to produce deboned poultry wings. 
     At the first station, the user initially cuts a poultry wing into a first section and a second section for subsequent deboning. At the second station, the second section is placed onto a plate with holes through which the wing bones that are to be removed are extended. At the third station, the bones are removed from the second section through the plate holes and deposited into a separate container for subsequent disposal. At the fourth station, the deboned poultry wing is removed from the plate and deposited into a final product container for subsequent packaging or the like. The work area may be advantageously traversed by a conveyor assembly or the like if desired. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is employed to substantially mechanize the deboning method. An elongated conveyor assembly traverses the work area to substantially mechanize the deboning method and move the poultry sections between the work stations to enhance the production of the final deboned product. 
     The apparatus includes an endless webbing looped around an elongated frame with appropriate rotating rollers and tensioners to move the webbing around the frame to provide a moving conveyor. The webbing includes regularly spaced apart holding plates that accept and hold the second section for deboning as the second section moves along the frame between the various stations. 
     The holding plates move the second section between the first and second stations where the bones are removed. The deboned second section then moves past the third station where it is released at the fourth station. 
     At the second station, an associated rotary deboner removes the wing bones from the second section for deposit at the third station. The rotary deboner is preferably timed to remove the bones as the holding plates move the second section along the frame. 
     The holding plates may be pneumatically actuable or spring actuable or otherwise actuable (including hydraulically and electrically) to selectively clamp onto the second section during work upon it and then to release the final deboned wing as the plates approach the fourth station. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method that may be used to debone poultry wings. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a substantially mechanized method for removing bones from a poultry wing portion. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a deboned poultry wing. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that removes poultry wing bones in an economical and efficient manner. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that may be used to quickly remove bones from poultry wings. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for removing poultry wing bones. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that enables a user to produce commercial quantities of deboned poultry wing portions. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent by reviewing the following detailed description of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views: 
         FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a bird wing which has been severed from a bird; 
         FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a portion of the bird wing of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a further elevational view of the bird wing portion shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a food product made in accordance with the steps illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of an apparatus for mechanizing bone removal in accordance with the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a greatly enlarged side elevational view of a portion of  FIG. 5 , showing the wing bones extending through the holding plate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein the same numerals indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in  FIG. 1  an elevational view of a bird wing  10  which has been severed from a bird (not shown). The bird wing  10  shown in  FIG. 1  can be from any type of fowl or poultry carcass and, therefore, the present invention is equally applicable to all types of fowl or poultry, including duck, turkey, squab, chicken, etc., both wild and domesticated. Because the most widely raised type of bird for human consumption is a chicken, the remainder of the description of the preferred embodiment will be specifically directed to a chicken wing, it being clearly understood that the invention is not so limited. The invention may use an apparatus the may be powered pneumatically, electrically, hydraulically or in other conventional ways. 
     The chicken wing  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes a tip section  12 , a middle section  14 , and an end or drumette section  16 . The drumette section  16  is attached or connected to the middle section  14  by a first joint or knuckle  18 . Similarly, the tip section  12  is attached or connected to the middle section  14  by a second joint or knuckle  20 . 
     The drumette  16  generally comprises a single elongated bone  22  extending along the entire length of the drumette  16 . The drumette  16  further includes meat  24  which surrounds and is generally attached to the bone  22 . When severed from the remainder of the wing  10 , the drumette  16  has an appearance similar to that of a small-sized drumstick and, as a result, has developed some commercial acceptance. 
     The tip section  12  is comprised primarily of skin, cartilage and some bone portions and contains little or no consumable meat. As a result, the tip section  12  is generally considered to have little or no commercial value as a meat product. 
     The middle section  14  includes two generally elongated bones  26 ,  28  extending generally parallel to each other between the first joint  18  and the second joint  20 . The middle section bones  26 ,  28  are spaced apart from each other and are each surrounded by meat  30  which is attached to both of the bones  26 ,  28 . The middle section  14  further includes an axis  32  which extends generally parallel to the bones  26 ,  28 . As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the amount of middle section meat  30  which is available for consumption is limited, and the ratio of middle section meat to bones  26 ,  28 , joints  18 ,  20 , skin, and other inedible components is low. In addition, the placement of the meat  30  relative to the bones  26 ,  28  and joints  18 ,  20  makes removal of the meat  30  impractical and makes consumption of the meat  30  from the bones  26 ,  28  awkward. 
     In general, the wing  10  is covered by a layer of skin  34  which helps to hold and support the various portions of the wing meat  24 ,  30  surrounding the various bones  22 ,  26 ,  28 . It will, of course, be appreciated by those skilled in the art that wings may also be skinless and so the presence or absence of the skin  34  does not affect the scope of the present invention. 
     In describing the method of the present invention, it is assumed that the wing  10  is received in the condition shown in  FIG. 1  in which the tip section  12 , middle section  14 , and drumette  16  are attached in substantially the same manner as when the wing  10  is removed from the chicken carcass (not shown). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the method of the present invention may be practiced and a food product in accordance with the present invention may be made from a partial wing of a chicken. For example, the drumette section  16  may be removed from the wing  10  prior to performance of the below-described method steps. It should, therefore, be clearly understood that the present invention is not limited to use of the method in connection with a complete wing  10 . 
     The first step of the method for making the food product is separating the middle section  14  from the drumette section  16 . Preferably, the drumette section  16  is separated from the middle section  14  by cutting the wing  10  along a first cut line  36  extending generally through the first joint  18 . The removed drumette  16  may then be further processed, sold or otherwise disposed of in any desired manner. It should be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that other methods may be employed for removing the drumette  16  from the middle section  14  and that the cut line  36  is shown merely to illustrate but a single way to accomplish this result. 
     The second step involved in the method of making the food product is removing the first joint  18  or at least the remaining portion of the first joint  18  from the middle section  14  in order to remove all the accompanying cartilage, etc. associated with the first joint  18 . In the embodiment illustrated, the first joint  18  is removed by cutting the middle section along a second cut line  38  which preferably extends generally perpendicular to the axis  32  and through the two middle section bones  26 ,  28 . The removed first joint  18  may be disposed of in any desired manner. It will, of course, be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the cut line  38  may be angled with respect to the axis  32  and/or the middle section bones  26 ,  28 , and that the actual placement of the cut line  38  along the bones  26 ,  28  may vary depending upon the size of the joint  18 . The purpose in removing the first joint  18  from the middle section  14  is to remove from the middle section all inedible material associated with the first joint  18 . 
     In one alternative method, the only cut line  39  instead intersects the second cut line  38  proximate the first joint  18  but outwardly therefrom (i.e. toward the tip  12 ). The knuckles of the first joint  18  can be cleaned off the drumette  16  with subsequent processing. 
     It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that, if desired, the steps of separating the drumette section  16  from the middle section  14  and removing the first joint  18  from the middle section  14  may be accomplished simultaneously, for example, by making a single cut along cut line  38  or along another cut line within the middle section  14  and spaced a predetermined minimum distance from the first joint  18 . Whether or not the removal of the drumette section  16  and first joint  18  from the middle section  14  is accomplished in one, two or more steps is not meant to be a limitation upon the present invention. 
     The next step in the method of making the food product involves rotating the wing  10  along a third line  40  extending generally proximate to or through the second joint  20 . Preferably, the tip section  12  is first moved to be generally axially aligned with the middle section  14  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The bones  26 ,  28  are now separated from the bones  46 ,  48  by dislocating the bones  26 ,  28  by applying outward pressure with the thumb and forefinger to dislocate the knuckles proximate bones  26 ,  28  closest to the third joint  45  ( FIG. 3 ). 
     The next step in the method of making the food product is to grasp or grip the exposed portions of both of the middle section bones  26 ,  28  proximate cut line  38  and to expose the two bones  26 ,  28  in the middle section  14 . Preferably, the middle section bones  26 ,  28  are pulled in a direction generally parallel to the axis  32  as illustrated by direction arrow  44  on  FIG. 3 . However, it is not necessary that the bones  26 ,  28  be pulled precisely parallel to the axis  32  in order to effectively remove the bones  26 ,  28  from the middle section  14 . Since the larger portions of the bones  26 ,  28  and all accompanying cartilage, etc., were previously removed as part of the removal of the first joint  18 , the two bones  26 ,  28  are easily removed from the middle section  14 . 
     Once the bones  26 ,  28  have been removed from the middle section  14 , the tip section  12  may be bent back to its original position with respect to the middle section  14  or to any other suitable position such as a generally aligned or coaxial position as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The completed food product, generally  46 , as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , comprises a completely boneless middle section  14  of easily consumable wing meat  30  surrounded by a layer of skin  34 . If desired, the skin  34  may be removed to provide a skinless, boneless middle section  14  (not shown). As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , one end of the boneless middle section  14  remains attached to the tip section  12 . The tip section  12  thus serves as a convenient handle for the meat product  46 . 
     The meat product  46  may be prepared for consumption by frying, baking, broiling or in virtually any other manner known or apparent to those skilled in the art. Once the food product  46  has been prepared for consumption, a consumer may grasp the tip section  12  as a convenient way of holding the food product  46  to facilitate consumption of the boneless middle section  14 . If desired, prior to or during consumption, the boneless middle section  14  may be dipped or spread with a suitable sauce, gravy, topping or the like (not shown). In this mariner, the consumer is able to hold the food product  46  by the tip section  12  without having the tip section  12  become immersed in the gravy, sauce or the like. Thus, the food product  46  is particularly well adapted for serving as an hors d′oeuvre at cocktail parties or the like since consumption of the food product  46  with or without gravy, sauce or the like is convenient, even with one hand. Once the boneless middle section  14  has been consumed, the tip section  12  may be conveniently discarded. 
     The preceding method may also be conveniently used in a work area  100  by workers deployed at a first, second, third and fourth stations ( 110 ,  120 ,  130  and  140 ) for processing the poultry wing  10  to produce a deboned poultry meat product  46  as shown in  FIG. 5 . At the first station  110 , the user initially cuts the poultry wing as described hereinabove into a first drumette section  16  and a middles section  14  with an adjoining tip section  16 . At the second station  120 , the tip and middle section are placed onto a plate with holes through which the wing bones  26 ,  28  that are to be removed are extended. At the third station  130 , the bones  26 ,  28  are removed from the middle section  14  through the plate holes and deposited into a separate container for subsequent disposal. At the fourth station  140 , the deboned poultry wing  46  is removed from the plate and deposited into a final product container for subsequent packaging or the like. The work area  100  may be advantageously traversed by a conveyor assembly  150  or the like if desired. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, an apparatus is employed to substantially mechanize the deboning method. An elongated conveyor assembly  150  traverses the work area  100  to substantially mechanize the deboning method and move the poultry between the work stations  110 ,  120 ,  130  and  140  to enhance the production of the final deboned product  46 . 
     The apparatus  150  includes an endless webbing  152  looped around an elongated frame  154  with appropriate rotating rollers and tensioners  156  to move the webbing  152  around the frame  154  to provide a moving conveyor generally designated with reference numeral  158 . The webbing  152  includes regularly spaced apart holders  160  that accept and retain the middle section  14  for deboning as it moves along the frame  154  between the various stations  110 ,  120 ,  130  and  140 . 
     The holders  160  move the middle section  14  between the first and second section where the bones  26 ,  28  are removed. The deboned middle section then moves past the third station  130  where it is released at the fourth station  140 . The holders  160  include an inner pivotal coupling  161  that secures a large flat top plate  162  to the webbing  152 . The flat top plate  162  may thus support the middle section  14  above the webbing  152 . Each coupling  161  permits the plate  162  to move from a substantially horizontal orientation to a substantially vertical orientation as the holders  160  complete an entire circuit about frame  154 . The distal end  164  of plate  162  is penetrated by two spaced apart holes  166 ,  168  through which the ends of bones  26 ,  28  from middle section  14  proximate cut line  38  may be inserted while the remainder of the poultry piece rests upon the plate  162 . The bones  26 ,  28  should extend through plate  162  approximately one inch, although they may extend further without disrupting matters. The primary consideration is that the bones  26 ,  28  extend sufficiently far beneath plate  162  such that the rotary bone extractor  170  may grab and remove bones  26 ,  28  as the plate moves through the second station  120  ( FIG. 5A ). 
     At the second station  120 , an associated rotary bone extractor  170  grabs and removes the wing bones  26 ,  28  from the middle section  14 . The rotary bone extractor  170  includes oppositely rotating and converging wheels  172 ,  174  that rotate inwardly to pull bones  26 ,  28  downwardly from plate  162  toward the floor  101 . Bone extractor wheels  172 ,  174  may be pneumatically powered (or otherwise conventionally powered including hydraulically, electrically and the like) and timed to move in conjunction with webbing  152 . In this manner, various sizes of bones  26 ,  28  are captivated by the convergent nature of wheels  172 ,  174  as the plate  162  moves along station  120  and along frame  152 . Of course, other alternatives are possible to move the hones in relation to the plate holes to enable their removal thereby. For example, the plate may be stationary as in the preceding example. The plate could also move with respect to a stationary middle section as well. The bones could also be held stationary while the plate was moved in relation thereto. The primary concern is that the bones move relative to the plate while the middle section remains on the opposite side of the plate from the bones. 
     In the exemplary embodiment, the plate rides against a rail during movement along the conveyor belt. As the plate moves past the second station  120 , the plate rides up on the rail  175  to clear machinery associated with the bone extractor  170 . This upward movement also facilitates bone movements as the bone extractor  170  dumps the removed bones  26 ,  28  into a collection bucket  171  or the like. The rail  175  can also guide the plate  162  into a substantially vertical orientation at the fourth station  140  to dump the boneless middle and tip sections into a collection bucket  180  or the like. 
     The holding plate may also include an optional clamp or the like to secure the middle section to the plate. This prevents the middle section from falling off of the plate during movement. The holding plates can also be pneumatically actuable or spring actuable or otherwise actuable to selectively clamp onto the second section during work upon it and then to release the final deboned wing as the plates approach the fourth station. 
     In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology has been used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.