A device for removing skin from meat cuts of irregular thickness is presented. The device for removing skin from meat cuts includes an overhead roller having a drive roller and a pair of idler rollers rotatably mounted to a pair of support plates. The device further includes a belt extending around the driver roller and pair of idler rollers. A support shaft extends between the support plates within a loop of the belt. A plurality of resistive devices are attached to the hold down members to provide varying resistance when a meat product is lifted into contact with the belt.

The invention pertains to a method for processing a defeathered whole leg poultry product, wherein the method comprises the following steps: providing a leg product which comprises: a thigh, a drumstick, a knee joint, while the leg product is suspended from a carrier of a conveyor, making a transverse cut at the knee joint, which transverse cut is made from the rear side of the leg product towards the knee cap, said cut having a cut end which is located adjacent to the rear of the knee cap so that the thigh and the drumstick remain connected to each other and the knee cap remains intact, by which cut a drumstick side cut plane and a thigh side cut plane are created, while keeping the thigh meat and the drumstick connected to each other, removing the thigh bone from the thigh meat via the thigh side cut plane of the transverse cut, while keeping the thigh meat and the drumstick connected to each other, severing the knee meat from the knee cap while keeping the knee meat and the thigh meat connected to each other, and subsequently severing the still interconnected knee meat and thigh meat from the drumstick.

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.

A method and a corresponding system for harvesting knee meat and thigh meat from a whole leg poultry product are disclosed. The method includes providing a leg product having a thigh, a drumstick, a knee and a transverse cut at the knee. The thigh and the drumstick are connected to each other and the knee cap is intact, creating a drumstick side cut plane and a thigh side cut plane, with the leg product suspended from a poultry product carrier, arranging it adjacent to a counter element, with the drumstick side cut plane facing the counter element, bringing a knee cap scraper in engagement with the leg product adjacent to the knee cap and the counter element with the leg product at the rear of the knee cap, moving the knee cap past the knee cap scraper while the counter element engages the leg product at the rear of the knee cap, therewith scraping knee meat from the knee cap while leaving the knee meat connected to the thigh, after the scraping step the knee meat and thigh meat being present on a first side of the knee cap scraper and the knee cap on a second side.

A system and a method for removing a thigh bone from a defeathered whole leg poultry product includes providing a leg product including a thigh, a drumstick and a knee joint. In the leg product, a transverse cut has been provided at the knee joint transverse to the thigh bone and the tibia bone, which extends from one side of the leg product to a cut end so that the thigh and the drumstick are connected to each other, by which transverse cut a drumstick side cut plane and a thigh side cut plane are created. While keeping the thigh and the drumstick connected to each other, changing the angle between the thigh and thereby exposing the thigh side cut plane, while keeping the thigh meat and the drumstick connected to each other, removing the thigh bone from the thigh meat via the thigh side cut plane.

A method of preparing, butchering, cooking, carving and plating a turkey for sale to consumers in a pre-cooked fashion. Either a whole turkey or individual turkey components including turkey breast, turkey thigh meat, drumstick, and wings are selected. The parts are cooked separately to assure complete cooking of each piece. After cooking, and while still hot, the tendons are removed from the drumstick to ease of consumption. The three sections of each wing are separated. Prior to cooking bone and skin is removed from the thighs and the resultant boneless meat is in inserted into a tubular cook-in casing cooked and eventually sliced. The turkey breasts are separated from the bone, soaked in a brine, cooked, and sliced. The cooked turkey components are placed in an oven-safe container in a pleasing and convenient arrangement with the thigh in the middle, flanked by the white meat, drumstick and wing components.

A system for skin removal from defeathered whole leg or drumstick poultry products, includes a poultry products conveyor including a track including a circle arc track portion, and a series of poultry product carriers which are spaced apart from one another in the direction of the track and which are movable along said track. Each poultry product carrier is adapted to hold at least one defeathered whole leg or drumstick poultry product at the ankle joint thereof such that the poultry product is conveyed hanging from said carrier. A carousel skin removal device is arranged along the track of the poultry products conveyor at the circle arc track portion and adapted to remove skin from whole leg or drumstick poultry products held and conveyed by the poultry products conveyor.

A pressure shoe assembly for a skinner includes a back plate that is demountably received within a groove in a mount assembly. Ends of the back plate have extensions presenting an oblique contact surface for engagement of a retention member. The angle of the contact surface secures the back plate I the mount limiting vertical movement of the pressure shoe when in use. The mount assembly includes a ledge for supporting the assembly when removed for cleaning. A lift assist mechanism aids in moving the assembly between the groove and ledge.

A shaping or cutting machine, especially a skinner, at which an operator hand-feeds material to be cut or shaped toward a blade. Hand proximity detection devices are provided for operator safety; machine-vision across a surveilled volume before the blade, and conduction sensing devices. The blade is mounted on a rapidly retractable frame. Power from release of a spring physically moves the blade to a safe position if a hand is sensed. A gripping roller is driven by a rapidly stoppable motor.

A pressure shoe assembly for a skinner includes a back plate that is demountably received within a groove in a mount assembly. Ends of the back plate have extensions presenting an oblique contact surface for engagement of a retention member. The angle of the contact surface secures the back plate I the mount limiting vertical movement of the pressure shoe when in use. The mount assembly includes a ledge for supporting the assembly when removed for cleaning. A lift assist mechanism aids in moving the assembly between the groove and ledge.