An inclined carving device for a carcass includes a mounting board having a plurality of apertures distributed in the mounting board in a predetermined pattern; retaining pins removably inserted into preselected apertures in the mounting board; and a positioning member pivotally secured to the mounting board for disposing the mounting board in an inclined relationship relative to a surface that the carving device is disposed upon; whereby, the retaining pins ultimately secure a carcass to the mounting board when disposed in a substantially horizontal orientation with the positioning member in a closed position; whereupon, the positioning member is pivoted to an inclined or open position relative to the mounting board, thereby enabling a user of the inclined carving device to carve selected portions from the carcass at an angle selected by the user.

A conveying device, apparatus and method for continuously conveying poultry bodies or parts oriented into different processing positions in a conveying direction. A continuous conveyor, which is provided with receiving elements for holding the poultry bodies revolves in a conveying plane and forms a conveying path. The receiving elements each of which include a saddle element to receive one of the poultry bodies, are arranged on a base element to be pivotable about an axis of rotation lying perpendicular to the conveying direction. The conveying plane is arranged inclined relative to the horizontal by an angle of inclination α greater than 0° and less than 90°, and the base elements are each arranged on the continuous conveyor by angled elements with an angle of extension β less than 180° and greater than 90°.

A poultry leg retainer for use with a poultry carcass having legs with hocks, the retainer having an anchor, a connecting leg, and a bridle portion. The anchor has an anchor beam that extends in a substantially transverse direction of the retainer. First and second outer ends of the anchor beam are pointed and upturned. The connecting leg is coupled on a distal end thereof with a central portion of the transverse anchor beam and extends in a longitudinal direction of the retainer substantially perpendicular to the transverse direction of the anchor beam. A curvilinear member of the bridal portion has a central portion that is coupled with the proximal end of the connecting leg and first and second arcuate portions that define first and second downwardly-facing openings, respectively, configured to engage first and second poultry hocks, respectively. The retainer is also configured to facilitate stacking of multiple retainers.

An apparatus is for cutting into breast fillets that are connected to one another of a carcass of poultry bodies, the breast fillets being cut into along the breastbone. The apparatus includes a transport apparatus for transporting the poultry bodies along a transport path, a holding apparatus arranged on the transport conveyor for holding the poultry bodies, and a knife assembly arranged along the transport path. The knife assembly has a pair of separating knives for cutting the breast fillets along the breastbone, the knives arranged on either side. A centring means is associated with the knife assembly for pre-centring the breastbone, and has two centring elements which are each movable out of a stand-by position positioned outside the transport path, into a centring position positioned on the transport path, and back. The centring elements in their centring position are located at least partly in front of the separating knives.

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 system and method of inspecting a chicken piece comprising generating an image for the chicken piece, identifying a defect type, a defect location and an area of each defect on the chicken piece based on the image, and grading the chicken piece into one of a plurality of grades based on the defect type and the area.

An apparatus to separate a tendon connecting a breast fillet of a gutted poultry body, from which wings have been removed, to a carcass of the poultry body, has a transport apparatus having a transport unit which is driven in a revolving manner, and a holding apparatus fastened thereto to hold the poultry body or part thereof during processing, and a means for separating the tendon. The means for separating is movable from a standby position into a separating position and back. The transport unit, with the holding apparatus, with the formation of a transport path, transports the poultry body or the part thereof in a direction of transport, with the anus side leading, in the direction towards the means for separating. The means for separating the tendon includes at least one combination tool which has a portion that displaces the breast fillet and a portion that separates the tendon.

A poultry food product and a method of making a poultry food product. The poultry food product comprises one or more bare poultry bones separated from the remainder of a poultry wing. Where the poultry food product includes the one or more bare poultry bones with a quantity of processed poultry meat surrounding and coupled to the bare poultry bones.

The technology as disclosed herein includes a method and apparatus for deboning a meat item, and more particular for deboning a poultry item including performing an initial shoulder cut for removing boneless breast meat from the poultry carcass or frame. The method and apparatus disclosed and claimed herein is a combination of a robotic arm including an ultrasonic knife implement and a vision system for varying the cut path based on the shape and size of the poultry item. The combination as claimed including the ultrasonic knife can perform a meat cut while penetrating the meat with less force than the typical penetration that occurs when using a traditional knife.

An automated unloading machine for unloading cut and trimmed raw poultry meat pieces from an upstream poultry meat cutting machine. The automated unloading machine is operably associated with a feed conveyer configured to support the cut and trimmed poultry meat pieces provided by the meat cutting machine. The automated unloading machine comprises one of an exit conveyor movable in a second direction and a packaging machine, an electronic controller configured to receive and process position and orientation data of the poultry meat pieces located on the feed conveyer, and a robotic picking device operatively associated with the electronic controller and configured to pick the poultry meat pieces from the feed conveyer and place them onto one of the exit conveyor and the packaging machine so that the cut and trimmed poultry meat pieces are arranged on one of the exit conveyor and the packaging machine in a desired orientation.