Abstract:
This invention relates to a hub and belt assembly for driving a poultry de-feathering machine and more particularly to a multiple bearing heat dissipating hub driven by a serrated timing belt. The hub assembly incorporates seals along a drive shaft to reduce wear caused by dirt. The timing belt synchronizes multiple picking hubs and reduces the friction driving required. The combination of a heat dissipating hub and the placement of seals along the drive shaft within the hub minimize maintenance and replacement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims the benefit of the following provisional application: U.S. Ser. No. 60/349,526, filed Jan. 18, 2002, under 35 USC 119(e)(i). 

   FIELD OF INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of poultry processing equipment, particularly rotational hub and belt assemblies for de-feathering or plucking devices. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
   Poultry processing industries commonly use automated lines to kill, eviscerate, pluck and further process birds. Rotational devices are generally employed to facilitate continuity of process and to minimize labor. One of the most common poultry processing machines is a plucker or de-featherer. For many years devices incorporating a number of pliable fingers have been utilized to beat and pull the feathers from bird carcasses. 
   In processing facilities, multiple finger-type plucking devices are used in sequence to fully pluck a carcass. Typical plucking processes incorporate opposing pairs of finger-typed pluckers which are sufficiently spaced apart to maneuver a bird carcass therebetween. Initial plucking is completed with a pair of spaced-apart finger-type pluckers having a plurality of rigid, spaced-apart fingers. Subsequent plucking of fine feathers is accomplished by passing the bird between opposed pairs of pluckers having multiple pliable fingers. Automated plucking devices are generally used to suspend and move the bird carcass along a line of opposed pairs of pluckers which depiliate the carcass of all feathers from course to fine as the carcass travels along the processing line. 
   Typically, the pluckers of a processing line are powered by a motor which provides rotational force to each plucker via a chain or belt drive assembly. Early assemblies utilized a single motor connected to each plucker hub. This method facilitated accurate control of individual hub speed which is necessary to mesh opposing pairs of hubs and to synchronize sequential hubs. Due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining individual motors, eventually hubs were spaced-apart in sequence so that a single motor could be used to drive multiple pluckers. Single drive hub assemblies eliminated multiple motors but had several inherent problems. 
   Either a V-belt or flat belt is used to transfer the rotational force from the motor to each sequentially aligned hub. Hub drives incorporate a smooth pulley commonly used for drive belt applications. The drive belts frequently have to be adjusted to maintain the desired, and necessary pressure and friction between the belt and pulleys to drive the multiple pickers. Problems exist in that the smooth belts stretch and constant maintenance and attention is required to control the drive force. Friction from belt slippage also accelerates wear and tear on hub assemblies, belts and motors. 
   Efforts to remediate the stated deficiencies resulted in a drive assembly which utilized drive chains and hub sprockets rather than belts and pulleys. This improvement resulted in constant and consistent force transferal from the drive source to the hub assemblies. However, it is common that the poultry being processed, or the shackles from which bird carcasses are suspended, become entangled or otherwise disrupt the plucker assembly. When, for instance, a shackle becomes entangled in single plucker, continual force of the drive source will cause the chain to shear the sprocket of that plucker. Further, problems in the plucking process can result in the jumping, or unwanted movement of the chain in relation to the sequence of hub gear assemblies. Often, hub gears are made of hardened plastic in an effort to minimize the cost incurred by shearing of sprocket teeth. These inexpensive systems are prone to failure and require significant maintenance due, in large part, to the intrusion of dirt, feathers and fecal matter into the moving parts. 
   Prior to Applicant&#39;s invention, the state of the art in the industry was either the “V” or flat belt technology, or the chain and gear assembly described above. Both of these assemblies require constant maintenance and adjustment. Because of belt slippage and the friction imparted on a hub assembly by the belt, hubs wear very quickly and must be rebuilt or replaced on a regular basis. Gear and chain drives require constant maintenance and because of shackle entanglement in pluckers result in the shearing of teeth from the sprocket. Further, Applicant&#39;s invention incorporates seals adjacent each bearing which significantly limits the intrusion of foreign matter into the workings of the hub assembly. The presence of the seals, along with the configuration of pulleys and belts, limits required maintenance and component replacement. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a poultry processing machine, particularly a hub and belt assembly such as a feather plucking device that facilitates timed rotation of driven members while diminishing wear and breakage commonly associated with such equipment. More particularly the device is a poultry processing apparatus which comprises a hub having a flange portion, a boss portion, a pulley end and a central bore extending therethrough. A hub plate, attachable to the hub, has a flange portion and a hub plate shaft bore alignable with the central bore of the hub. A drive shaft is mounted transversely through the central bore and hub plate shaft bore; the drive shaft further is provided with a pulley end and a spaced-apart drive end. A first bearing is positioned on the drive shaft at the hub plate and a second bearing is positioned on the drive shaft at the junction of the flange portion and boss portion. A seal is preferably positioned adjacent each bearing and at the hub plate to effectively prevent foreign matter from wearing the drive shaft and bearings. 
   A drive belt is operatively connected to a pulley fastened to the drive shaft at the pulley end and to a spaced-apart drive source. A poultry defeathering device, such as pliable rubber fingers, is attached to the drive shaft at the drive end and rotation of the drive belt about the pulley spins the drive shaft in the first bearing, second bearing and third bearing within the hub housing thereby operatively rotating the poultry de-feathering device. 
   Designed primarily for ganged sets of plucking arms, the hub and belt system utilizes a heat dissipating hub housing journalled to a drive shaft, preferably with at least two independent sealed bearings, and a timing belt which allows operators to alternate time opposed pairs of plucker arms to avoid entanglement of the process poultry, hangers and the plucking heads. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of one embodiment of the inventive device. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one inventive hub assembly. 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the inventive hub assembly taken along line  3  of  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventive hub assembly. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventive hub assembly. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the inventive hub assembly. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventive hub assembly. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The present invention provides an assembly for efficiently rotating a gang of poultry processing equipment. A preferred embodiment of a hub  101  and belt  147  assembly for rotating processing equipment is generally shown in  FIG. 1 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , the hub  101  of the present invention includes a hub housing  103  having a flange portion  105 , a boss portion  107  projecting laterally from one side of the flange portion  105  terminating at a pulley end  111 , and a central bore  109  extending through the flange  105  and boss  107  along the general axis of the hub. Generally, the flange portion  105  is provided with a plurality of circumferentially oriented mounting holes  113  for attaching the hub  101  to a machine cabinet  125  with screws or threaded bolts  115 . A separate hub plate  117  is mountable to the hub housing  103  at the flange portion  105  opposite the boss portion  107 . The hub plate  117  has a shaft bore  119  aligned with the central bore  109  and is further provided with a plurality of circumferentially oriented hub plate mounting holes  121  alignable with the mounting holes  113  of the flange portion  105 . It is preferred that the hub housing  103  and hub plate  117  are manufactured of material which rapidly and efficiently dissipates heat such as aluminum. 
   Multiple outer bearing races  129  are formed within the central bore  109 , preferably at the pulley end  111  of the boss portion  107 , at the hub plate  117  attachment position and adjacent the junction of the flange portion  105  and boss portion  107 . A drive shaft  131  is positioned through the central bore  109  of the hub  101  and the hub plate shaft bore  119 . Multiple inner bearing races  132  are provided on the drive shaft  131  coincident with the outer bearing races  129  of the central bore  109  and the hub plate shaft bore  119 . Sealed bearings  135  and  137  are fitted at each inner race  132  and outer race  129  thereby fastening the drive shaft  131  axially through the central bore  109  and hub plate shaft bore  119  while allowing the drive shaft  131  to freely rotate within the hub  101 . It is preferred that a first bearing  135  is positioned at the pulley end  111  of the hub housing  103 , a second bearing  137  positioned substantially near the junction of the flange portion  105  and boss portion  107 . Additional bearing positions may be used depending on the size and application of the hub assembly. 
   Hub seals  139  are positioned on the drive shaft  131  adjacent each bearing  135  and  137 . It is preferred that a seal  139  is also positioned adjacent the hub plate  117  to prevent dirt and debris from invading the juncture of the drive shaft  131  and the hub plate  117 . The combination of three seals  139  provides a near hermetic seal which eliminates invasion of feathers, feather parts, dirt, fecal matter and the like into the hub assembly. 
   The separate hub plate  117  has an insert flange  123  which has an outer circumference equal to the circumference of a machine cabinet opening  127  where the hub  101  it to be attached. This insert flange  123  provides a loose seal between the hub  101  and the machine cabinet  125  and further diminishes vibration and wear common in rotating processing equipment. The placement of a seal  139  on the drive shaft  131  at the insert flange  123  will significantly limit internal wear caused by the dust, feathers and debris inherent with the depilating process. 
   A pulley  141  is fastened, via a pulley attachment device  143  at a pulley end  133  of the drive shaft  131  adjacent the pulley end  111  of the hub housing  103 . The pulley  141  is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart timing serrations  145 . A timing belt  147 , which is provided with a plurality of spaced apart serrations  149  which mate to the pulley serrations  145 , connects the drive shaft  131  to a drive mechanism  151 . The use of the timing belt  147  and serrated pulley  141  eliminates belt slippage common with poultry processing equipment powered with a flat or V-shaped belt. A second type of timing belt  147 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , may be used in place of the serrated belt. 
   As best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the pulley  141  can be exchanged with a common pulley for use of a flat or V-shaped belt if desired, or in necessary situations such as when a timing belt is not available. If preferred, a user can exchange the pulley  141  with a gear  163  which can be driven with a chain  165  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Therefore, while the preferred embodiment is described above, the instant invention provides a triple drive option because a user can drive the rotational device using a timing belt  147 , flat  162  or V belt  167 , or chain  165  by alternating the drive shaft  131  attachment with a serrated pulley  141 , common “V”, pulley  169  or flat pulley  161 . 
   A finger plate bore  156  is formed in a drive end  134  of the drive shaft  131  opposite the pulley end  133 . For a defeathering device, a finger plate  155  is bolted into the finger plate bore  156 . The finger plate  155  can be provided with a plurality of plucking fingers, e.g., plucking finger  171 , as is common in the industry. 
   As best shown in  FIG. 1 , the hub end belt assembly is suited to power a series of driven rotational defeatherers. The drive mechanism  151  and a belt return hub  159  are positioned at opposite ends of a series of substantially aligied hubs  101 . A timing belt  147  encircles the drive mechanism  151  and return hub  159  and alternates above and below each sequential hub pulley  141 . It is preferred that at least one spring-loaded tension arm and idler pulley  153  is provided at at least one hub  101  to independently release belt tension should the finger plate  155 , or any part of the plucker assembly, become jammed. 
   The series of hub and belt assemblies preferably utilizes a timing belt having two sides, each side provided with spaced-apart protruding serrations, and wherein the belt is alternated above and below each of the aligned pulleys. 
   Additional variations and embodiments other than those specifically enumerated may be made to the hub and belt assembly without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to this disclosed embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.