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.

A deskinning apparatus including a conveyor with shackles from which a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg is suspendable by the ankles. Rollers may be positioned below the conveyor to define a nip between the rollers, which may be movable to engage, grip and draw skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg into the nip. The rollers may be arranged to stop rolling after gripping the skin to hold the skin in the nip and may be equipped to subsequently move away from the poultry leg so as to pull the skin loose from the poultry leg The rollers can be configured to enable rotation in one direction only so that after the rollers have stopped rolling to hold the skin in the nip between the rollers, the rollers are blocked from rotating in a counter direction.

The present invention relates to a shackle for processing hanging poultry comprising a poultry catching element; a suspension rod; and a fastening hook; wherein one side of the suspension rod is pivotably connected with a pivotable connection with the fastening hook and the opposite side of the suspension rod is moveably coupled with the poultry catching element by a moveable coupling. The invention also provides a method for attaching a shackle for processing hanging poultry on an overhead conveyor.

A poultry leg retainer having a bridle having a spar and side members defining loops or openings adapted to receive the hocks; an extensible strap attached to the spar and extending across the loops or openings and adapted to cooperate with knuckle creases on the hocks; a separator or tab projecting from the spar inwardly between the loops or openings for cooperating with the hocks so as to assist in retaining the hocks within the loops or openings; and an anchor having upturned ends adapted for engagement with an interior cavity of the poultry carcass, the bridle and extensible straps forming a basket structure for retaining the hocks to truss the legs against the poultry carcass. The anchor can have a front surface defining a protrusion and a back surface defining a groove complementary to the protrusion, the protrusion of one retainer being fittable within the groove of another retainer.

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 moved 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 moved forwardly along its path of travel.

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.

Meat processing equipment is disclosed that includes a first element having a first face; a second element having a second face. The first and second faces extend parallel to one another and define a common plane between the first and second faces. The first and second elements are relatively movable with respect to one another. Yieldable arresting features are included for yieldably arresting the first and second elements in at least one predetermined position of relative movement, the yieldable arresting features include cooperating first and second permanent magnets, associated with at least one of the first and second elements.

An offset weighing apparatus and method for use with poultry processing equipment includes a weigh assembly to weigh an animal connected to a shackle assembly as the shackle moves in contact with a force sensor along a conveyor line. A diverter assembly laterally displaces a shackle retaining the animal from below the conveyor line into engagement with the force sensor. The bending axis of the force sensor is approximately parallel to the displaced shackle. The angular position of the bending axis and shackle, and relative positions, friction, and forces of the components of the shackle assembly and weigh assembly are analyzed to calculate the weight of the animal connected to the shackle without removing the animal from the shackle or ceasing movement of the conveyor line.

The present invention relates to a shackle for processing hanging poultry comprising a poultry catching element; a suspension rod; and a fastening hook; wherein one side of the suspension rod is pivotably connected with a pivotable connection with the fastening hook and the opposite side of the suspension rod is moveably coupled with the poultry catching element by a moveable coupling. The invention also provides a method for attaching a shackle for processing hanging poultry on an overhead conveyor.

An animal part holder has first and second gripper plates between which an animal part can be slid. A mechanism coupled to the gripper plates for yieldably biasing the gripper plates toward one another so that the gripper plates engage and grip an animal part disposed between the gripper plates. In addition, the mechanism is configured to cause the gripper plates to tighten their grip on the animal part in response to a pulling force tending to pull the animal part out of the grip of the holder. A method of gripping the bone of an animal part includes disposing the bone between gripper plates and applying a biasing force to the gripper plates to cause the gripper plates to bear against the bone with a force. The method may further include applying a force to the gripper plates greater than the biasing force in response to a pulling force applied to the animal part to cause the gripper plates to grip the bone tighter.