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 moves 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 moves forwardly along its path of travel.

The present invention relates to a pre-evisceration device and a method for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry, wherein the viscera pack is to be eviscerated from the vent end. A neck slitting knife makes a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry. A pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be inserted via the neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue, and to be moved along the neck to loosen at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to the neck. The pre-evisceration tool releases, prior to evisceration, part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening.

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 moves 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 moves forwardly along its path of travel.

An automated poultry skinning apparatus which includes a support frame having a product feed inlet and discharge outlet. The apparatus may house an upper conveyor aligned to engage the upper surface of a piece of poultry product entering the feed outlet. The apparatus is provided with a lower conveyor with a plurality of radially extending protrusions adapted to engage the lower surface of the piece of poultry passing between the lower conveyor and the optional upper conveyor. An arcuate pinch surface is provided which is mounted in closely spaced relationship to the arcuate path traveled by the protrusions of the translated belt and define therewith an opening for trapping the outer skin attached to the poultry product between the arcuate surface and the distal tips of the protrusions to entrap a portion of the skin and pull the skin from the poultry product piece.

Methods and apparatuses for crop cover skin removal are proposed. For example, a method can include receiving a bird in a station. The method can also include grasping crop cover skin of the bird by a pair of peeler rollers. The method can further include tensioning the crop cover skin by the pair of peeler rollers. The method can additionally include slicing the crop cover skin while the crop cover skin is being tensioned.

A chicken skinning handheld kitchen tool of a unitary structure is provided. In some embodiments, the present invention may provide for conically shaped kitchen tool with a ridged base member and a top member having teeth or tine extending therefrom and curving downward at a variable angle of 45 to 90 degrees. The present invention may be made from a thermoplastic polymer that is sufficiently rigid to withstand forces that would normally be applied without breaking and sufficiently flexible so that it will flex during operation.

Method and apparatus for deskinning a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg that may use a conveyor with conveyor elements from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and substantially horizontal or slightly slanting cooperating bottom rollers below the conveyor that can be rotatable in opposite directions and provided with meshing teeth for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, and wherein a set of top rollers can be provided above the bottom rollers and below the conveyor for contacting opposite sides of the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg.

The present invention relates to a pre-evisceration device and a method for preparing the evisceration of beheaded slaughtered poultry, wherein the viscera pack is to be eviscerated from the vent end. A neck slitting knife makes a neck slit along the neck at the breast side of the poultry. A pre-evisceration release tool is adapted to be inserted via the neck slit between the esophagus and trachea and the naturally surrounding tissue, and to be moved along the neck to loosen said at least part of the trachea and esophagus adhering to said neck. The pre-evisceration tool releases, prior to evisceration, part of the esophagus and trachea at the neck side of the crop between a position adjacent the crop, at the neck side thereof, and the neck opening.

The invention relates to a system for processing a slaughtered poultry carcass part at least comprising a back portion and legs, comprising a conveyor for moving the carcass part, suspended, in a conveying direction, and comprising a groin skin cutting device for cutting groin skin while the carcass part is moved past said cutting device, comprising a cutter having an elongate base portion having a cutting edge, a puncturing tip at an upstream end of the cutter, the cutter positioned and configured such that, the puncturing tip punctures groin skin upon movement of the carcass part in the conveying direction thereby creating a puncture hole so that the cutter enters underneath the groin skin, wherein the groin skin is cut by the cutting edge making a cut through the groin skin starting from the puncture hole, as a result of the continued movement of the carcass part.

An apparatus and method is for recovering back-flesh from back parts of poultry carcasses having a hip side and body interior side. The back part includes a spinal column and rib structure. A transport conveyor transports the back parts along a transport path with a centre axis in a direction of transport and has a transport element for conveying at least one holding element, arranged on the transport element, for receiving the back part. A first cutting assembly is along the transport path in the region of the transport element and has a loosening means for loosening the back-flesh along the rib structure. A second cutting assembly is along the transport path downstream of the first assembly and has at least one separating knife for separating the back-flesh substantially along the spinal column. The holding element holds the back part on the holding element by non-positive and/or positive locking engagement.