A deboner for a poultry part equipped with a first jaw and a second jaw mounted on an up-and-down movable slide block supporting a first frame portion, a second frame portion, and a third frame portion. The first jaw and the second jaw are movable towards and away from each other, wherein the first jaw is through a first hinge connected with the first frame portion so as to enable a rotational movement of the first jaw with respect to the first frame portion. A second hinge pivotably connecting the first frame portion to the third frame portion and a third hinge pivotably connecting the second frame portion with the third frame portion share a common axis of rotation.

A work measurement device according to an aspect includes a posture holding surface for holding a posture of a work, a first work presser capable of pressing the work against the posture holding surface from an opposite side to the posture holding surface across the work, a contact disposed to be able to contact the work, a moving unit for moving, relative to the contact, the work pressed against the posture holding surface by the first work presser. The contact is configured to contact the work downstream of the first work presser in a relative movement direction of the work by the moving unit.

A method is disclosed for mechanically deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat therefrom and an 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 extent 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 the apparatus performs 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 apparatus includes 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 method for cutting extra-large poultry to fit within existing industrial fryers and remain as recognizable pieces to the consumer is provided. The method provides for the cuts necessary to create pieces of poultry from the extra-large poultry that are sized comparably to a normal sized bird. Furthermore, the method provides for keeping the cut pieces in a shape that the consumer recognizes as a particular piece of poultry.

A slit forming device according to an aspect includes a damper configured to pass through a plurality of stations arranged on a circumference, a slit forming blade disposed on an outer circumference side or an inner circumference side of a slit forming station among the plurality of stations, and a damper rotating part capable of rotating the damper about a vertical line such that a slit forming surface of a work faces the slit forming blade in the slit forming station.

A method for producing a mock chicken wing drumette from a thigh by a unique cut process comprising the steps of trimming off all but 0.787 inches (2 cm) of the thigh meat from the left side of the thigh bone; trimming off an equal amount of thigh meat from the right side of the thigh bone; trimming off a section of thigh meat at the ball joint by a 30-degree offset undercut to leave the ball joint protruding and accessible, frenching the ball joint, and retracting meat remain the ball joint back along the thigh bone to leave approximately a 0.25-1″ length of thigh bone protruding at the ball joint and a ball of bunched meat at the opposing end of the thigh bone. This resembles a chicken wing drumette and provides a wing-like experience when eating Buffalo style.

A method for producing a mock chicken wing drumette from a thigh by a unique cut process comprising the steps of trimming off all but 0.787 inches (2 cm) of the thigh meat from the left side of the thigh bone; trimming off an equal amount of thigh meat from the right side of the thigh bone; trimming off a section of thigh meat at the ball joint by a 30-degree offset undercut to leave the ball joint protruding and accessible, frenching the ball joint, and retracting meat remain the ball joint back along the thigh bone to leave approximately a 0.25-1″ length of thigh bone protruding at the ball joint and a ball of bunched meat at the opposing end of the thigh bone. This resembles a chicken wing drumette and provides a wing-like experience when eating Buffalo style.

A system and method for deboning a poultry leg part, including at least one bone and meat surrounding the bone. The system includes a conveying unit arranged for transporting the poultry leg part along a conveying path. The system also includes a deboning unit. The deboning unit includes a gripper arranged for gripping the meat surrounding the bone, the gripper being associated with a first carrier; a gripper actuator arranged for opening and closing the gripper, the gripper actuator being associated with a second carrier; and a gripper tensioner arranged for providing a biasing force for closing the gripper, the gripper tensioner being associated with a third carrier. The first, second and third carriers are arranged for displacement relative to a base member, and the base member is arranged for being transported in horizontal direction along the conveying path.

A cartilage cutting device for a bone-in meat according to an embodiment includes a cutting blade disposed on a conveying path for a bone-in meat and an elastic support portion for elastically supporting the cutting blade so that the cutting blade can recede by a reaction force applied to the cutting blade when cutting the bone-in meat. The elastic support portion is configured such that an elastic supporting force of the elastic support portion is switchable between a first elastic supporting force and a second elastic supporting force. The first elastic supporting force is capable of cutting a cartilage adhering to a bone part of the bone-in meat. The second elastic supporting force is smaller than the first elastic supporting force and is incapable of cutting the cartilage.

Deskinning apparatus for a poultry leg or part of a poultry leg, including a conveyor with conveyor hooks from which the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg is suspendable, and rollers below the conveyor that are rotatable in opposite directions and are provided with meshing teeth that are contactable with a skin on the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg that is suspended from the conveyor hooks for stripping the skin from the poultry leg or part of the poultry leg, wherein the rollers are movable up and down.