A poultry chiller comprises a tank having a conveyor within the interior for urging poultry for movement along the tank, wherein the tank has an opening extending along a length of the tank, and a cleaning system for automatically cleaning the interior of the tank, the cleaning system comprising a plurality of distribution nozzles extending along the tank to direct cleaning fluid to the interior surface of the tank. Retrofitting kits are provided to automate cleaning in place of chiller tanks.

Slaughter installation including a conveyor line with carriers for suspending poultry by the legs and conveying the poultry in a conveying track. Head positioning means arranged for forcing the bill of the poultry in a direction opposite to the transport direction of the suspended poultry. Killing device having at least a first rotary knife positioned alongside of the conveying track for cutting into the neck of the suspended poultry while avoiding to cut a certain parts. A first guide wheel upstream and proximate to the first rotary knife, which first guide wheel is positioned alongside the conveying track. A passageway between the first rotary knife and the first guide wheel through which the poultry neck is able to pass.

The present invention relates to an idle gear set for an overhead poultry conveyor, the gear set including a variable structure chain gear capable of being adjusted in size according to the needs of a user. Specifically, an idle gear set for an overhead poultry conveyor includes a chain gear for moving a roller assembly, the chain gear comprises: a pair of plates vertically spaced apart and arranged in parallel; and a plurality of chain guides interposed between the pair of plates, and radially arranged along the circumferences of the plates, wherein the chain guides are arranged to be spaced apart such that a mounting groove into which the roller assembly is inserted can be formed between the chain guide and another adjacent chain guide.

The present invention relates to an idle gear set for an overhead poultry conveyor, the gear set including a variable structure chain gear capable of being adjusted in size according to the needs of a user. Specifically, an idle gear set for an overhead poultry conveyor includes a chain gear for moving a roller assembly, the chain gear comprises: a pair of plates vertically spaced apart and arranged in parallel; and a plurality of chain guides interposed between the pair of plates, and radially arranged along the circumferences of the plates, wherein the chain guides are arranged to be spaced apart such that a mounting groove into which the roller assembly is inserted can be formed between the chain guide and another adjacent chain guide.

Apparatus and method for harvesting meat from poultry thighs in a processing line provided with carriers for poultry legs. A cutter for cutting into the poultry leg, and a scraper for scraping poultry thigh meat from the thighbone, wherein the scraper of the apparatus is arranged to clamp the poultry leg near to its knee joint and fix the knee joint in position, and the cutter is arranged to provide a first cut into the poultry leg while the scraper clamps the poultry leg, and wherein the cutter is arranged to provide the cut adjacent to the scraper and below the knee joint at the height of a knuckle of the thighbone at the side of the knee joint, so as to cut through ligaments that connect the thigh meat to the thighbone.

Method and apparatus for providing a drumstick from a poultry's leg suspended by the ankles in hooks of a carrier, including clamping the poultry's leg with a clamp and arranging that the poultry's leg is kept in position, cutting the ligaments between the drumstick and the thighbone for removal of the thighbone and providing the drumstick, raising the clamp with the poultry's leg so as to raise the ankles from the hooks of the carrier and arranging that the knee joint is positioned at a predetermined altitude, and providing that a cutter is positioned at the predetermined altitude and is activated to cut through the knee joint so as to separate the thighbone from the drumstick.

An apparatus and method to remove a keel strip that is centrally attached to a poultry butterfly. The butterfly has first and second poultry breasts on opposite sides of the keel strip. An elongated, longitudinally-oriented spine defines a butterfly travel path and is disposed above a longitudinally-driven conveyor. A scoring blade is disposed above, and spaced a predetermined distance from, the spine. First and second severing blades are disposed along the butterfly travel path downstream of the scoring blade with the first and second severing blades disposed on opposing first and second lateral sides of the spine. A second longitudinally-driven conveyor is disposed above the spine and ex tends from a first position downstream of the scoring blade to at least a second position between the first and second severing blades.

The present disclosure provides an exemplary process for a system that may remove particulate from industrial water fluids using a Particulate Removal System (PRS). In some aspects, this system may treat water pulled from different Industrial Fluid Systems (IFS) while doing continuous monitoring and quality tests of the water. In some embodiments, the system may use sensors and other technology to allow for the system to periodically self-clean itself allowing for maximum efficiency and accuracy while also cleaning the water from the IFS. In some implementations, the water from the IFS may be filtered through a Particulate Trap Mechanism (PTM) to ensure that particulate including dissolved material has been removed from the water and separated from possible contamination throughout the system. In some aspects the system may be used for continuous and direct measurement of water quality and automatic chemical level adjustment by systems to maintain a desired range or setpoints.

A method of mechanically removing skin from animal parts that have a bone part extending therein, including: moving the animal parts, suspended on shackles depending from an overhead conveyor, along a path of travel and cutting the part to separate the skin therefrom. The part moved into a skinning station in which the part is urged into engagement with skinning rolls. The skinning rolls are rotated and engage and draw the skin of the part therebetween. The skin is progressively pulled downwardly and away from underlying meat of the animal part as the part moved forwardly along its path of travel.

A method of removing a foreign object from a food piece detects the location of a foreign object in a food piece (10); conveys the food piece to a cutting tool (42); and operates the cutting tool to cut around the detected location of the foreign object and subsequently to engage and eject the foreign object from the food piece.