Patent ID: 8062105

Claim:
A scalding apparatus for poultry, comprising: an immersion tank for holding scald water used to scald the poultry, the immersion tank having a bottom, top, a longitudinal direction, and a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a filtering device connected to the immersion tank and configured for removing unwanted materials from the scald water; a conveyer positioned over the immersion tank and configured for transporting the poultry through the immersion tank along the longitudinal direction; a reversing guide located proximate the top of said immersion tank and configured for redirecting a flow of scald water towards the bottom of said immersion tank; a plurality of nozzles located proximate to the bottom of said immersion tank and obliquely oriented with respect to the vertical direction so as to create the flow of scald water directly against said reversing guide while simultaneously generating a circulation of scald water about said immersion tank along the longitudinal direction and coinciding with the direction said conveyor is transporting the poultry; and a pumping unit connected with said immersion tank and having an inlet for the receipt of scald water from said immersion tank and an outlet for supplying scald water to said plurality of nozzles.