The invention relates to a chain link for a support chain for supporting a compression belt in a separating device for separating materials of different flowability, the chain link having a support surface and an inner surface opposite said support surface and is characterized in that a protruding support element is arranged on at least one end face of the chain link so as to form an undercut. The invention further relates to a support chain for a support apparatus for supporting a compression belt in a separating device for separating materials of different flowability, the support chain being an articulated chain which has individual chain links connected to each other in an articulated manner, the chain links being threaded onto chain pins extending transverse to the conveying direction F with the chain links according to the invention. The invention also relates to a support apparatus having the support chain according to the invention.

A poultry breast deboning apparatus and method for guiding a plurality of poultry combinations that have a breast and attached wings, the apparatus including a transport assembly with carts mounted to a drive system. Each of the carts has an opening to receive one of the wings of each combination. Moveable cutters are disposed adjacent the transport assembly for seating against the carts for severing tissue connecting the wings and the breast. Moveable bars are biased to urge the wings into the cart openings.

A system and method for separating breast meat from at least a part of a keel bone of a carcass part of slaughtered poultry includes a product carrier and a pair of breast meat cutter blades adapted to make an incision along the keel bone in the longitudinal direction of the keel bone. The breast meat cutter blades are moveable relative to each other between and open position and a closed position. The system further includes a blade actuator, which comprises a closing assembly to apply a biasing force to the breast meat cutter blades to bias the breast meat cutter blades towards the closed position, and an opening assembly to apply an opening force to the breast meat cutter blades to hold the breast meat cutter blades in the open position.

Systems and methods for de-keeling poultry are provided. The system includes a trap module with an assembly roof, an assembly wall that extends downwards from the assembly roof, and a trap door, where the trap door is attached to the assembly roof and extends downwards parallel to the assembly wall. The system further includes a blade module with a vertical blade mount, one or more blades attached to the vertical blade mount, and one or more movement systems, the trap module and the blade module are each attached to one of the one or more movement systems and are move horizontally along the one or more movement systems.

An apparatus and method for separating meat from bone. Meat-laden bones are fed to a compression screw rotating within a barrel. The compression screw and the barrel cooperate to progressively compress the meat-laden bones to force the meat-laden bones radially outward against an inner wall of the barrel as the meat-laden bones move axially along the compression screw. At least a portion of the meat is separated from the meat-laden bones by forcing the meat through apertures in the barrel while inhibiting the meat-laden bones from co-rotating along within the barrel with the compression screw. In one embodiment, inhibiting the meat-laden bones from co-rotating within the barrel along with the compression screw is accomplished by cooperation of guide channels extending axially along an inner surface of the barrel with curved fillets extending between a root of the compression screw and screw flights of the compression screw.

Method for obtaining a food product for human consumption from a chicken back piece (2), the food product comprising at least one scapula bone (3, 4) of the chicken, the method comprising the steps: inserting a knife (6) in the length direction adjacent to the backbone (5) on its first side and subsequently on its second side in the width direction (W) of the backbone (5) and cutting the meat in the first and second width direction (W) under the first and second scapula bone (3, 4); inserting the knife (6) in the width direction (W) above the backbone (5) and subsequently cutting in the length direction (L) between the backbone (5) and the scapula bones (3, 4) so that the food product (8) comprising both scapula bones (3, 4) is removed from the backbone (5).

A system and method for separating breast meat from at least a part of a keel bone of a carcass part of slaughtered poultry includes a product carrier and a pair of breast meat cutter blades adapted to make an incision along the keel bone in the longitudinal direction of the keel bone. The breast meat cutter blades are moveable relative to each other between and open position and a closed position. The system further includes a blade actuator, which comprises a closing assembly to apply a biasing force to the breast meat cutter blades to bias the breast meat cutter blades towards the closed position, and an opening assembly to apply an opening force to the breast meat cutter blades to hold the breast meat cutter blades in the open position.

A bone removal device for a chicken bonjiri includes a rotating conveyor mechanism that moves a plurality of receivers which are arrayed in a circumferential direction about a center of a disc taken as a support shaft, intermittently at a constant speed in a horizontal direction and rotates; a holder of a stamping punch mechanism that stamps and removes a coccyx in each of the bonjiris, which are mounted on the receivers, from the bonjiri in a state where this rotating conveyor mechanism is stopped; and an arm of a processed meat delivery mechanism that carries the bonjiri, from which such a bone is removed, out to the device by reversing each of the receivers.

A method of processing a poultry carcass includes exposing an area of tissue between a leg and the carcass, cutting the tissue between the leg and the carcass where the muscle tissue connecting the leg to the back of the carcass remains intact, and separating the leg bone from the carcass with the leg muscle tissue remaining connected to the back muscle tissue. The cut extends between about 0.1 mm to about 7.0 mm below the surface of the tissue. In an implementation, the teres ligament is cut.

Systems and methods for de-keeling poultry are provided. The system includes a trap module with an assembly roof, an assembly wall that extends downwards from the assembly roof, and a trap door, where the trap door is attached to the assembly roof and extends downwards parallel to the assembly wall. The system further includes a blade module with a vertical blade mount, one or more blades attached to the vertical blade mount, and one or more movement systems, the trap module and the blade module are each attached to one of the one or more movement systems and are move horizontally along the one or more movement systems.