The present invention relates to a shackle for processing hanging poultry comprising a poultry catching element; a suspension rod; and a fastening hook; wherein one side of the suspension rod is pivotably connected with a pivotable connection with the fastening hook and the opposite side of the suspension rod is moveably coupled with the poultry catching element by a moveable coupling. The invention also provides a method for attaching a shackle for processing hanging poultry on an overhead conveyor.

The invention provides a device and a method for processing slaughter animals, in particular slaughtered poultry such as chickens, and/or parts thereof. The device comprises a driving system for driving an element to be driven of the device. The, driving system comprises a driving element, a transfer element, which is driven by the driving element in use and which is rigidly connected during normal operation to the element to be driven, as well as overload protection means which are configured to rigidly connect the processing element and the transfer element during normal operation and to allow relative movement between the processing element and the transfer element in an overload situation if a force that acts between the processing element and the transfer element exceeds a threshold value. The overload protection means comprise a first connecting element forming part of one of the transfer element and the element to be driven and a second connecting element forming part of the other one of the transfer element and the element to be driven, wherein the first connecting element is configured as a first magnet element (36) and the second connecting element is either magnetisable or configured as a second magnet element.

An animal part holder has first and second gripper plates between which an animal part can be slid. A mechanism coupled to the gripper plates for yieldably biasing the gripper plates toward one another so that the gripper plates engage and grip an animal part disposed between the gripper plates. In addition, the mechanism is configured to cause the gripper plates to tighten their grip on the animal part in response to a pulling force tending to pull the animal part out of the grip of the holder. A method of gripping the bone of an animal part includes disposing the bone between gripper plates and applying a biasing force to the gripper plates to cause the gripper plates to bear against the bone with a force. The method may further include applying a force to the gripper plates greater than the biasing force in response to a pulling force applied to the animal part to cause the gripper plates to grip the bone tighter.

Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed for removing lesion material from poultry feet. The systems, for example, can include at least one spray head located along a travel path of a plurality of movable shackles within a poultry processing line. Each shackle can be configured to hold a poultry member in a processing position as the shackles are moved along the processing line. The spray head configured to spray feet of the poultry members held by the plurality of shackles to remove the lesion material from the feet.

A gripper device is configured to pick up a pliable food product having a tail-like part from a pick-up area and releasing it at a releasing area, where a support is provided. A pair of jaws is mounted to the support for movement of distal ends thereof towards each other defining a closing position of the pair of jaws and away from each other defining an open position of the pair of jaws. A tail bender device is attached to the support and adjacent to one end of the pair of jaws. The tail bender device is moveable in relation to the pair of jaws and is configured to bend the tail-like part while transferring the food product from the pick-up area until releasing it at the releasing area.

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.

A method for hanging poultry in an overhead conveyor provided with carriers and can include an overhead-conveyor-section of the overhead conveyor and a first conveyor for conveying the poultry towards a section thereof being below the overhead-conveyor-section. The poultry can be conveyed by the first conveyor towards the section. An operator picks the poultry or parts thereof and hangs the poultry in the carriers being conveyed along the overhead-conveyor-section. The operator may be carried via a second conveyor beside the section of the first conveyor and in the direction of the carriers in the overhead-conveyor-section while the operator is picking and hanging the poultry.

Slaughter devices for poultry and methods thereof, which may include a track having a first guide and a second guide to define a slit for guiding the neck of the poultry. A rotary knife arranged in the first guide for cutting a first vein. A cylinder arranged in the first guide upstream of the rotary knife, which rotates in a first rotational direction to allow twisting of the neck in a second rotational direction.

The invention relates to a poultry transfer mechanism for transferring poultry bodies from a first poultry transport line to a second poultry transport line. Further, the invention relates to a poultry transport system comprising a poultry transfer mechanism, a first poultry transport line and a second poultry transport line. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for automatically transferring at least one poultry body from a first poultry transport line to a second poultry transport line.

An automated chicken deboner system and method. The system includes a conveyor system to move the front-half of the chicken through the different deboning stations, including a loading station where the bird is placed on a cone, a press station to align the front half of the chicken on the cone, a skin cutter station to cut the skin and fat located at the base of the neck of the chicken, a wing cutter station to remove the wings, a scapula cutter station to separate the breast meat from the scapula, a wishbone cutter station to separate the breast meat from the wishbone, a breast plow station to separate the breast meat from the ribs, a wishbone paddle station to further separate the breast meat from the wishbone, a breast removal station to completely remove the breast meat, and a tender cutter station to remove the two tenders.