Abstract:
The poultry shaping mandrel ( 25 ) is utilized to retain the shape of previously eviscerated oven-ready whole bird carcasses ( 10 ) after the carcasses have been prepared and before they are packaged and shipped. When the bird is frozen, the mandrels retain the shape of the bird so that the bird and its mandrel can be mounted on a skewer ( 52 ) or a smaller hand held skewer can be thrust through the mandrel and through the bird without hazard of deteriorating the bird.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to shaping the carcass of a previously eviscerated oven-ready carcass of a bird, so that the bird does not lose its shape when delivered to the market place, either in fresh or frozen condition. More particularly, the invention relates to a mandrel inserted into the eviscerated body cavity and neck cavity of a bird so as to distend the neck of the bird and fill the body cavity of the bird, to keep the bird from collapsing during storage, shipment, and display of the bird, when fresh or frozen. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When previously eviscerated, whole, oven-ready birds are prepared at the poultry processing plant and are to be shipped to the market, some of the birds are transported, stored, and displayed for sale without being frozen. These “fresh” birds are ready for cooking by the purchaser or by the retail store without the inconvenience or time delay involved in thawing a frozen bird. However, in many instances the purchaser wishes to receive the whole birds in a frozen condition or, in some cases, the purchaser will freeze the birds received from the processing plant so as to preserve the birds for later use and sale. 
     When the previously eviscerated oven-ready whole bird carcasses are frozen, there is a likelihood that the shapes of the birds will be changed, usually somewhat collapsed from their usual anatomical shapes, such as the neck of the bird bent and the visceral cavity of the bird somewhat collapsed or deformed. When the frozen bird is retrieved from cold storage to be placed in an oven, etc., it is very difficult to insert a spit or skewer through the bird so as to impale the bird and support the bird during cooking. The skewer could comprise an elongated, thin rod that is to project from the vent opening, through the visceral cavity and through the neck cavity so as to support the bird. In some instances, the bird might be placed with its visceral cavity mounted on a vertically oriented conical skewer for cooking. In either situation, the typical frozen bird is difficult to mount on a skewer. The elongated skewer is likely not to be able to protrude through the neck cavity because the neck of the bird would have been deformed, possibly bent downwardly during freezing and is too rigid to be straightened for receiving a skewer. Likewise, if the bird is to be mounted with its visceral cavity surrounding a vertically oriented conical skewer, the visceral cavity of the bird is likely to have been frozen in a shape that does not match the shape of the conical skewer. As a result, the bird must be thawed before it becomes flexible enough to conform in shape to the skewer or other mount. The thawing process requires a time delay and, therefore, delay in the cooking and other handling processes. 
     It is to the solution of the above noted deficiencies that this invention is directed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly described, the present invention comprises a method of shaping previously eviscerated oven-ready whole bird carcasses in a predetermined configuration that is compatible with the use of a spit, skewer or other internal support and which is compatible with storing, shipping, displaying and cooking the birds. 
     Once the whole bird has been properly eviscerated, including the drawing of the viscera from the visceral cavity of the bird as well as the drawing of the crop and other organs from the neck of the bird, a disposable mandrel is inserted through the vent, through the visceral cavity and into the neck cavity of the bird. The mandrel is of a size and shape compatible with the typical bird being processed, such as a three pound previously eviscerated, oven-ready whole chicken. Preferably, the mandrel is of a length suitable for extending from the vent through the visceral cavity and into the neck a distance so that the neck of the bird is distended from the main body of the bird without significant drooping of the neck occurring. The other end of the mandrel is of a larger size so as to fill and shape the visceral cavity of the bird. Once the mandrel has been inserted into the bird, the bird can be packaged, shipped, stored, displayed, purchased and even cooked without removing the mandrel and without the likelihood of experiencing a significant change in shape. Moreover, the bird can be frozen in this shape and later thawed. Usually, all of these functions can be performed without likelihood of significantly changing the shape of the bird. 
     The mandrels are formed in substantially duplicate size and shape so that all of the birds that receive the mandrels will have a substantially uniform interior dimension and shape that will be suitable for use on skewers of standard size and the standard inside dimensions of the birds as formed by the skewers tends to make the cooking of the birds more uniform and predictable. 
     The preferred embodiments of the mandrel as disclosed herein include a disposable, non-reusable cylindrical tube which is reshaped at one of its ends with longitudinally extending alternately facing parallel folds which reduce the diameter of the end of the cylindrical tube and form corrugations or alternate ridges and grooves about the tube. The reduced diameter end of the tube is approximately conical. The reduced end of the tube, because of its corrugations, becomes radially compressible in response to external forces, whereas the cylindrical end of the tube remains substantially radially rigid. T he tube, because of its shape, is longitudinally rigid. 
     The mandrel is inserted, smaller end first, through the vent of the bird through the previously eviscerated visceral cavity of the bird, and into the previously eviscerated neck cavity of the bird. In the course of inserting the mandrel into the bird, the smaller, corrugated end of the mandrel engages the internal surfaces of the bird, and this contact with the bird tends to squeeze the smaller, corrugated end of the tube to a smaller breadth. In the meantime, the overall tube exerts radially outwardly directed forces in the internal cavities of the bird, which tend to maintain the cavities in their more normal circular configurations. 
     When the birds that have the mandrels inserted therein are compressed, as when birds are stored one on top of the other, the forces of the weight of several layers of birds is not enough to deform or otherwise misshape the lowermost birds in the stack. 
     The insertion of the mandrel into the eviscerated cavities of the bird tend to cause the neck of the bird to distend axially with respect to the visceral cavity of the bird making a substantially rectilinear internal passageway through the bird. Therefore, if the bird is frozen, the neck of the bird more likely will be maintained in alignment with the visceral cavity of the bird, so that a skewer, etc. can be inserted through the frozen bird without having to straighten the neck and therefore without the hazard of breaking or otherwise damaging the neck of the bird when attempting to straighten the neck. Also, the visceral cavity of the bird which receives the cylindrical portion of the mandrel tends to maintain a rounded shape suitable for receiving a skewer or other internal mounting device. 
     The skewers which are inserted into the visceral cavities of the birds typically will be of a uniform size and shape, so that the circular end of the skewer will conform to the shapes of conical mounts or other items of a given size. 
     Typically, the mandrel will be made of flame-resistant material which is compatible with and usable in the cooking of the bird, so that the mandrel does not have to be withdrawn from the bird during thawing, cooking, etc. 
     In the first embodiment of the invention, the mandrel is formed of substantially impervious material. However, in another embodiment, the mandrel is formed with openings extending therethrough which more readily permit the movement of heat and vapor through the mandrel. Further, the material of the mandrel can be made so that it is pervious to heat and vapor without requiring the formation of holes in the material. 
     The shape of the mandrel is such that it is compressible radially, but not axially. This makes it convenient for the insertion of the mandrels into the cavities, particularly the neck cavities of the birds, such that during the insertion process, the mandrels will not collapse axially, while the corrugated end of the mandrel is capable of collapsing radially. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, once the mandrel has been inserted into the visceral cavity of the bird as described herein, the cylindrical opening of the mandrel that faces out of the visceral cavity of the bird can be used for supporting other items that might be desired by the potential purchaser of the bird. For example, other food items or literature can be placed in the cylindrical cavity of the mandrel for access by the potential ultimate customer of the bird. 
     Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for shaping a previously eviscerated oven-ready whole bird carcass for packaging, shipment, storage and display that tends to retain the shape of the bird in a suitable configuration for baking or other cooking. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a poultry shaping mandrel which is collapsible radially and non-collapsible axially, and which can be inserted into a previously eviscerated visceral and neck cavities of a bird for distending the neck and maintaining the breadth of the visceral cavity of the bird. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a bird shaping mandrel of cylindrical shape at one end and of corrugated, reduced breadth shape at its other end, for maintaining the internal shape of a bird. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a mandrel for yieldingly supporting the internal surfaces of a previously eviscerated oven-ready bird carcass. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a bird shaping mandrel for maintaining the visceral cavity of a bird in a predetermined size and shape. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a method of maintaining the internal shape of a bird carcass after the bird has been prepared for market. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective, expanded illustration of a previously eviscerated whole, oven-ready bird carcass, showing a bird shaping mandrel extending from the vent of the bird, and a package that is to be carried by the mandrel. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of a bird, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the poultry shaping mandrel inserted through the vent, visceral cavity and into the neck of the bird. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the bird shaping mandrel of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of a bird shaping mandrel, similar to FIGS. 1-3, but with the mandrel including openings for the movement of heat and vapor. 
     FIG. 5 is a side view of a bird supported on a mandrel and the mandrel and bird supported on a cooking skewer, showing how the bird can be supported for cooking freezing or thawing. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of the method of producing the corrugated end of the bird shaping mandrel of FIGS.  1 - 4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a previously eviscerated oven-ready whole bird  10  which is to be shipped to market from a poultry processor. The bird includes its breast  12 , neck  14 , legs  16 , and vent  18  that leads into the visceral cavity and neck cavity of the bird. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the neck cavity  20  extends longitudinally from the position of the head through the neck  14 , and the visceral cavity  22  of the bird is positioned between the back  11  and breast  12 , with the vent  18 , visceral cavity  22  and neck cavity  20  intersecting each other and forming an internal visceral passage through the bird  10 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a poultry shaping mandrel  25  is inserted through the vent  18 , through the previously eviscerated visceral cavity  22 , and through the previously eviscerated neck cavity  20 . The mandrel  25  has a larger end  26  and smaller end  28 , with the configuration of the larger end  26  being cylindrical and the configuration of the smaller end being approximately conical with corrugations of parallel, alternately facing ridges and grooves. 
     As illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3, the smaller end  28  of the mandrel is tapered inwardly to a smaller lateral breadth than the larger end  26 . This progressively decreasing breadth is formed by the alternate folds at the smaller end, with the ridges  30  extending outwardly and the grooves  32  extending inwardly to form a corrugated external surface. The distal end  34  is of the smallest breadth of the mandrel, with the smaller end progressively enlarging as it tapers outwardly toward the larger, cylindrical end  26 . forming a generally conical shape. 
     The configuration of the smaller end of the mandrel is such that the smaller end is radially partially collapsible without destruction, whereas the larger cylindrical end is generally not collapsible except when under large destructive compressive forces. As a result, when the mandrel is thrust through the vent, through the visceral cavity and into the neck cavity of the bird  10 , the contact of the smaller compressible end of the mandrel tends to cause the mandrel to reduce itself in its breadth at the smaller end. However, because of the shape of the corrugations of the mandrel, as the corrugations become sharper and more reduced in breadth, the folds of the corrugations begin to support each other and the material of the smaller end of the mandrel becomes biased against and more radially supportive of the bird. Moreover, the tapered shape of the mandrel tends to resist over-insertion of the mandrel into the neck cavity of the bird, so that the mandrel will not be thrust too far into the visceral and neck cavities of the bird. As the cylindrical shape of the mandrel reaches the constriction provided by the transition between the visceral cavity and the neck cavity of the bird, the mandrel tends to resist constriction, thereby causing the mandrel to terminate its inward movement into the visceral cavity of the bird. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, an optional feature of the invention is the use of the internal cylindrical space  27  at the larger, cylindrical end  26  of the mandrel. Other objects can be mounted in and carried with the bird in the space  27 , such as other food items, advertisements, coupons, etc. For example, gizzards, livers and other visceral items of the bird can be enclosed in a package  38  of a size compatible with the cylindrical space  27  of the mandrel, and the package can be inserted into the space and carried with the bird. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates how a cooking skewer  52  can support the bird during cooking, freezing, or thawing of the bird. The package  38  (FIG. 1) is removed from the cylindrical end of the mandrel and the open cylindrical end of the mandrel is mounted on the skewer. is The upper end of the skewer is slightly conically shaped and is of a height and breadth that forms a friction fit with the mandrel so as to firmly support the mandrel during cooking, etc. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the mandrel can be formed from segments  40  of cylindrical stock, such as cardboard. An end of the cylindrical segments can be formed by conventional means into the desired shape of the mandrel. For example, the segments  40  of cylindrical stock can be inserted about a forming mandrel  42 , and thrust downwardly into a shaping collar  44 . The tapered, corrugated lower end  46  of the forming mandrel is positioned adjacent the lower end  48  of the segment  40 , and then the forming mandrel  42  and cylindrical segment  40  are thrust downwardly into the shaping collar  44 . The corrugations of the lower, tapered corrugated end of the forming mandrel will register with the inwardly protruding corrugations  50  of the shaping collar so as to form the corrugated shape at the lower end  48  of the cylindrical segment. 
     Other means of forming the corrugated end of the poultry shaping mandrel can be used, as may be available. 
     While the poultry shaping mandrel  25  has been described with an unbroken yet folded surface, FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the invention where the material of the mandrel has been formed with holes  54  extending through the cylindrical end of the mandrel. The holes  54  are of sufficient size and shape to permit the passage of heat and moisture therethrough so as to enhance the freezing and thawing of the bird and to enhance the cooking of the bird when the mandrel is left in place during the cooking procedure. Also, the grooves  32  about the corrugated smaller end of the mandrel permit the passage of heat and vapor in the neck portion of the bird during freezing, thawing and cooking. 
     Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.