An apparatus for measuring the shoulder joint position of continuously conveyed poultry bodies has a measuring station, arranged along a conveying line, which is adapted to detect the shoulder joint position. Also provided is an arrangement for filleting poultry bodies having such an apparatus for measuring, and to corresponding methods.

Deskinning apparatus for a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg, including a conveyor with conveyor hooks from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and rollers below the conveyor that are rotatable in opposite directions and are provided with meshing teeth that are contactable with a skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg that is suspended from the conveyor hooks for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, wherein the rollers are movable up and down.

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.

An arrangement for skinning poultry parts containing the poultry breast includes a conveying device having saddle elements configured for conveying the poultry parts in a conveying direction along a skinning device. The skinning device has at least one rotationally driven profiled roller and a guide element. The roller, together with an entry edge of the guide element, is adapted to form an entry gap for gripping the skin on the side of the poultry breast. The guide element has flank guide elements each adapted for laterally guiding the poultry part, wherein the flank guide elements have inner guide surfaces adapted for contacting the flesh of the poultry part. A method is also provided.

A processing system for bone-in limb meats according to an embodiment includes: a right-limb incision-forming portion for forming incision on a right bone-in limb meat; a left-limb incision-forming portion for forming incision on a left bone-in limb meat; a processing line including a plurality of processing stations to separate a bone part and a meat part of each bone-in limb meat on which incision is formed at the right-limb incision-forming portion or the left-limb incision-forming portion; and a loading portion arranged at an uppermost stream part of the processing line to receive the right bone-in limb meat with incision formed at the right-limb incision-forming portion and the left bone-in limb meat with incision formed at the left-limb incision-forming portion.

A transfer conveyor for food process lines has an endless conveyor belt characterized by an upper, food-product carrying run and a lower, return run. The upper, food-product carrying run defines a transit plane. The upper, food-product carrying run also extends between an intake end and a discharge end. The upper, food-product carrying run furthermore has a first pleat below the transit plane proximate the intake end and a second spaced-away pleat below the transit plane proximate the discharge end. These spaced-away pleats partitioning the upper, food-product carrying run into an intake-end span and a discharge-end span cooperatively flanking a mid-span. Wherein the transfer conveyor additionally includes one scale servicing the intake-end span of the upper, food-product carrying run and another scale servicing the discharge-end span.

A deboned poultry meat batch to continuous feed system using a hopper input transferring the meat through a vacuum fill to a low pressure gravity separation small volume batch tank. The low pressure gravity separation small volume batch tank is connected through a rotary valve to a larger lower pressure level-maintenance tank with a tight parameter pressure regulation system to maintain a consistent flow output.

An apparatus for automatically recovering breast fillets from poultry bodies or parts thereof has a conveying device to continuously convey the poultry bodies in a conveying direction. The conveying device has receiving elements to hold and convey the poultry bodies along a processing path. Processing stations are arranged on the processing path and the stations include at least a furcula-removal station and a breast fillet detaching station. At least one measuring device is arranged on the processing path downstream of the breast fillet detaching station. The poultry bodies held by the receiving elements are conveyed past the measuring device such that the sternum of the poultry bodies is oriented at least substantially transversely to the conveying direction with the breast side facing the measuring device. The measuring device has a scanning element to mechanically scan the poultry bodies on the breast side. A corresponding method is also provided.

A holding apparatus for holding a gutted poultry body/part during processing has a support body supporting the body/part, a fastening body for holding the support body and fastening the holding apparatus to a circulatingly driven transport unit, and a clamping device for securing the body/part to the support body. The clamping device has a hook for penetrating into soft parts and a clamping lever. The lever has a clamping jaw for clamping parts of the body/part against the hook lower side directed towards the support body. The hook lower side is spaced apart from the support body to form a free space for receiving the parts to be clamped. The clamping lever is movable, against a spring force, from a standby position into a clamping position, and back. The clamping lever also has a centring shoulder projecting into the free space when the clamping lever is in the standby position.

A system and method for deboning a poultry leg part, including at least one bone and meat surrounding the bone. The system includes a conveying unit arranged for transporting the poultry leg part along a conveying path. The system also includes a deboning unit. The deboning unit includes a gripper arranged for gripping the meat surrounding the bone, the gripper being associated with a first carrier; a gripper actuator arranged for opening and closing the gripper, the gripper actuator being associated with a second carrier; and a gripper tensioner arranged for providing a biasing force for closing the gripper, the gripper tensioner being associated with a third carrier. The first, second and third carriers are arranged for displacement relative to a base member, and the base member is arranged for being transported in horizontal direction along the conveying path.