Patent ID: 7572176

Claim:
A method of counting poultry carcasses conveyed by an overhead shackle conveying system, comprising: a) suspending poultry carcasses from shackles of an overhead conveying system; b) moving the poultry carcasses along a path of travel defined by the overhead conveying system; c) providing a guide bar positioned adjacent the overhead conveying system, the guide bar contacting and lifting the shackles to direct the poultry carcasses to engage a force detecting device comprising a plate affixed to a force sensing load cell, the guide bar at least partially positioned upstream of the force detecting device along the path of travel, a section of the guide bar adjacent the load cell positioned to contact the shackles and lift the shackles and suspended poultry carcasses, the load cell generating a signal when the plate is impacted by a poultry carcass, the signal being proportional to a magnitude of an impact force on the plate; and d) adding one to a carcass count each time a signal corresponding to an impact force in a carcass identifying range is measured.