A filleting device and method for harvesting fillets from a poultry carcass that is moved in a conveyor-line and supported on a carrier. Fillets may be guided to a pulling device that may be placed in or adjacent to the path of the poultry carcass. Harvesting of the fillets may be completed with the pulling device while keeping the fillets pushed against the first guide rail or rails and/or the pulling device. Harvested fillets may be moved to at least one outlet for the fillets.

Method and device for processing a carcass part of slaughtered poultry in a processing line. A carcass part may be supported on a carrier that is movable in the processing line and includes wing joints, coracoids, a wishbone being embodied with two legs that merge into each other at an acute angle, a keel bone, and naturally present meat including inner and outer fillets, and means are applied for cutting and/or removing of the wishbone from the carcass part

An apparatus is for detaching meat strips, which are located on a breastbone crest of a poultry carcass, from poultry carcasses of slaughtered poultry bodies or parts thereof which are already freed from breast fillets. The apparatus has a circulating conveyor having at least one holding apparatus with a support body for receiving and holding the poultry bodies/parts during transport in a transport direction, and at least one processing station along a conveying path of the conveyor. One processing station is a detaching unit for detaching the meat strips from the breastbone crest. The detaching unit has a pre-detaching element and a detaching element. The pre-detaching element is cuts into the meat strip in a region of a breastbone horn of the breastbone crest which leads in the transport direction and the detaching element grips and peels the meat strip off the breastbone crest. A corresponding method is provided.

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 technology as disclosed and claimed further includes a method and apparatus for removing a tender meat portion from a poultry item. The method and apparatus disclosed and claimed herein is a combination of a robotic arm including an ultrasonic knife implement and/or an annular blade 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. The combination as claimed including the annular blade knife implement can remove the tender meat portion for the keel bone and posterior sheath.

A scraper apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pair of scrapers disposed opposite each other in a perpendicular direction to a conveying direction of a poultry carcass held by a holder and configured to remove meat attached to a processed portion of the poultry carcass by putting the processed portion between the pair of scrapers. The scraper apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a support part which supports the pair of scrapers so as to allow displacement of the pair of scrapers in the perpendicular direction to follow the shape of the processed portion of the poultry carcass moving in the conveying direction.

A poultry processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a scraper part for separating a meat part around scapula bones of a poultry carcass held by a holder from the scapula bones; and an incision blade with a cutting edge for incising a skin between the scapula bones of the meat part that rides up on the scraper part. The cutting edge extends in a direction away from the holder as the cutting edge extends upstream in a traveling direction in which the scraper part travels toward the holder in separating the meat part from the scapula bones.

A shoulder incision-making apparatus for a poultry carcass according to the present invention is for cutting a shoulder joint section of a poultry carcass, and includes: a fixing jig on which a poultry carcass which is eviscerated and which has leg parts removed is to be placed and fixed; a conveyer forming a conveyance path of the fixing jig and configured to convey the fixing jig along the conveyance path; a first cutter disposed in the conveyance path; and a second cutter disposed in the conveyance path at a downstream side of the first cutter in a conveying direction. The first cutter is configured to make an incision on the shoulder joint section of the poultry carcass, and the second cutter is configured to be inserted into the incision to cut the shoulder joint section.

An apparatus and method for processing a poultry carcass includes a first assembly with parallel guide plates opposite a second assembly with parallel guide plates. The assemblies include a cutting element presenting an edge extending beyond a bottom edge of the guide plates. A bracket secures the cutting element to the guide plate allowing adjustment of the cutting edge. The carcass is advanced into engagement with the apparatus whereby the cutting edges cut the connective tissue between the leg and back. A bracket leading edge prevents tissue from being driven between the cutting element and guide plate. The cutting edge can extend further from the bottom edge of the guide plates at the heel than at the point. Manual processing of the carcass includes: cutting tissue between the leg and back; and separating the leg from the back wherein muscle tissue connecting the leg and the back remain intact.

A method is disclosed of mechanically deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat there from and an apparatus and an alternative apparatus for performing the method, including automated individual processing steps. The processing steps include: grasping a thigh bone of an animal thigh at a hip knuckle with a bone holder; cutting tissue near the hip knuckle; and engaging the thigh bone adjacent the bone holder with a meat stripper. The processing steps further include: moving the bone holder and meat stripper away from one another in a direction substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extend of the thigh bone; allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle; and collecting the meat separated from the bone. In particular the method includes and each of the apparatuses perform the process step of cutting tissue adjacent a knee knuckle of the thigh bone, prior to allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle. The apparatuses include a plurality of processing stations for carrying out the individual steps, and the processing stations are arranged along a path of conveyance defined by a conveyor chain moving through a predefined path.

A shoulder-blade incision-making apparatus is provided and includes: a fixing jig on which the poultry carcass which is eviscerated and which has leg parts removed is to be placed and fixed; a fixing jig conveyer forming a conveyance path of the fixing jig and convey the fixing jig along the conveyance path; a first separating member disposed above the conveyance path movably upward and downward; and a first driving device for moving the first separating member in an upward and downward direction. The first driving device is operated to move downward the first separating member and move the first separating member along a surface of the shoulder blade of the poultry carcass in accordance with a timing when the poultry carcass fixed to the fixing jig reaches a meat-separation position below the first separating member, therefore the meat portion attached to the shoulder blade is separated from the shoulder blade.