SACRIFICE DEVICE, SACRIFICE INSTALLATION AND METHOD FOR ITS USE

Abstract

A sacrificial device comprising a track comprising a first guide and a second guide; a rotating blade disposed in the first guide of the track and a cylinder disposed in the first guide and upstream with respect to the rotating blade to twist the neck in a first direction of rotation; wherein the rotating blade is disposed to rotate in the first direction of rotation to allow twisting of the neck in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation.

Description

SACRIFICE DEVICE, SACRIFICE FACILITY AND METHOD FOR ITS USE Description of the Invention The present invention relates to the field of slaughtering devices for severing the neck (veins, arteries, esophagus, and trachea, while avoiding the neck vertebrae) of poultry being transported in a direction of travel, hanging by their legs on a conveyor line, wherein the poultry comprises a head, beak, and neck. More specifically, the present invention relates to slaughtering devices comprising: a track comprising a first guide and a second guide to define a slit that is disposed to guide the neck of the poultry therein, from an upstream end to a downstream end of the track, as the conveyor line transports the poultry, and a rotating blade that is included in the first guide of the track to cut through a first vein and / or artery on a first side of the neck, trachea and esophagus while avoiding cutting the vertebrae in the neck of such poultry and a cylinder disposed in the first guide and upstream with respect to the rotating blade to force the beak against the direction of transport, to cause the neck to twist in a first direction of rotation, as the neck is transported along the track to expose the first vein and / or artery of such suspended poultry to be cut by the rotating blade. Sacrifice devices are known in the art. For example, they usually comprise a single rotating blade arranged to provide a cut in the neck to reach a vein and / or artery as the neck moves along the track. One problem with these devices is providing a reliable cut, as the neck tends to twist when transported along the track due to friction. One possible way to solve this problem is to provide two rotating blades to cut on both sides of the neck while avoiding cutting the esophagus, trachea, and vertebrae of poultry, as in EP3628166. However, these solutions result in complex constructions. It is an object of the invention to alleviate this problem. For this purpose, a sacrificial device according to the preamble of claim 1 is characterized in that the rotating blade is arranged to rotate in the first direction of rotation to allow the twisting of the neck in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, such that the rotating blade cuts a second vein and / or artery on a second side of the neck opposite to the first side, providing a more reliable cut through the neck. In one embodiment, the track comprises a section positioned downstream of the cylinder that follows the contour of the rotating blade. This increases the path along the track in which the rotating blade cuts the neck of the guided bird, thereby increasing the likelihood of reaching the vein and / or artery on the other side. Preferably, the section follows the contour downwards, so that gravity can assist in the rotational movement of the neck in the second direction of rotation. In one embodiment, the cylinder can rotate around the first direction of rotation. More preferably, the cylinder can rotate through contact with the beak and / or head of passing poultry. In this way, the neck twisting towards the first direction of rotation is done uniformly. A second aspect of the invention concerns a slaughtering facility comprising a slaughtering device comprising the features already described and a conveyor line for transporting in one direction the poultry to be slaughtered by the slaughtering device while hanging by their legs. In one embodiment, the conveyor line is arranged to keep the poultry essentially suspended vertically while the neck is transported along the track between the cylinder and the rotating blade. A third aspect of the invention concerns a method for slaughtering poultry comprising a neck, a head, and a beak, the method comprising the steps of: transporting in a transport direction, by means of a transport line, poultry hanging by their legs, in such a way that the neck is transported along a track from an upstream end to a downstream end of a slaughtering device and cutting through a first vein and / or artery of a first side of the neck by means of a rotating blade and twisting the neck in a first direction of rotation by forcing the beak against the transport direction by means of a cylinder, as the neck is guided along the track to expose the first side of the neck; where the method also comprises the steps of cutting by means of the rotating blade a second vein and / or artery located on a second side of the neck opposite to the first side, the trachea and esophagus while avoiding cutting the vertebrae in the neck of the poultry by rotating the rotating blade in the first direction of rotation, to cause the neck to twist in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation. In one embodiment, the track comprises a section disposed downstream with respect to the cylinder that follows the contour of the rotating blade, and in the method the neck is guided along the contour of the rotating blade to cut through the neck of the first vein and / or artery to the second vein and / or artery. The invention will be clarified hereafter with reference to drawings of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, which are not limiting with respect to the appended claims. In the drawings Figure 1A shows a front view of a slaughter facility according to the invention; Figure IB shows an oblique rear view of the slaughter facility shown in Figure 1A. Figures 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D show different steps during the cutting process of the slaughter facility from an enlargement of the rear view of Figure IB. It is common knowledge that, in general, live poultry comprise not only legs, but also a neck, a head, and a beak. Figures 1A and 1B represent a slaughter facility 100 according to the invention. The slaughter facility 100 comprises a conveyor line 110 with supports 111 for suspending such birds 180 by their legs 185 for transporting such birds 180 in a transport direction T. The slaughter facility 100 also comprises a slaughter device 120 having a guide track 121, wherein a portion of the neck 181 of the poultry 180 moves along a slit 122 defined by a first guide 121' and a second guide 121 from an upstream end 123 to a downstream end 124 of the guide track 121. Figure IB shows the killing installation 100 in an oblique view from below, and from this figure, it is evident that the killing device 120 comprises in the first guide 121' a rotating blade 125 and a cylinder 126, the latter being upstream with respect to the rotating blade 125. This view also shows how a section 122' of the slit is arranged to follow the contour of the rotating blade 125. Figures 2A to 2B focus on how the cylinder 126 and the rotating blade 125 work together to slaughter poultry from the rear view as in Figure 1B. In the first step (Figure 2A), the poultry is transported in such a way that the neck 181 is guided along the groove 122 of the track 121 into the cylinder 126, with the beak 282 pointing downwards. This step is known to anyone experienced in the technique and therefore requires no further explanation. It may happen that the neck 181 becomes twisted, causing the beak 282 to not point exactly downwards due to friction caused by the track on the neck 181 as the bird is transported. In a second step (Figure 2B), the bird's neck reaches a point along the slit 122 where the beak 282 or head 285 engages with the cylinder 126. In the present embodiment, the latter is rotatable by means of contact. From this point onward, as the neck continues to be transported along the slit 122, the cylinder 126, by engaging the head 285 and the beak 282, forces the beak 282 against the direction of transport, and the neck 181 twists in a first direction of rotation represented by the arrow CW, such that the beak 282 points substantially against the direction of transport T. In this view, the first direction of rotation is clockwise about an axis (not shown) transverse to the direction of transport T of the suspended poultry 180.The twisting motion of the bird's head 285 180 leads to the orientation shown of the beak 282 to expose a first side 181' of the neck 181, which allows the rotating blade 125 to cut through a first artery 291a and a vein 291b without cutting the vertebrae 286. Once the first artery 291a and vein are cut 291b, the neck continues to be carried along the slit 122 of track 121 and the beak 282 separates from the cylinder 126 (see Figure 2C). At this point, due to the torsion caused by the cylinder 126, the neck tends to unscrew in a second direction of rotation represented by the arrow ACW, so that the beak points downwards again. In this view, the second direction of rotation is counterclockwise. Since the rotating blade 125 is arranged to cut by rotating in the first direction of rotation CW, it will contribute to maintaining the torsion of the bird's neck 180 in the second direction of rotation ACW towards a second side 181 of the neck 181 as it cuts through the esophagus 287 and trachea (not shown for clarity in the drawings). Finally, the neck is guided along a final section 122' that follows the contour of the rotating blade 125. This, in combination with the twisting of the neck in the second ACW rotation direction caused by the rotating blade 125, will allow the rotating blade 125 to cut through a second vein 292a and artery 292b of the second side 181. Although the invention has been discussed above with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the slaughtering device of the invention, the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment, which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. For example, it is possible to change the transport of the poultry such that the beak 282 points upwards when the neck is transported along the track 121 and the cylinder 126 and rotating blade 125 are arranged above the slit 122 with respect to it. The exemplary embodiment discussed herein shall not be used, therefore, to interpret the appended claims strictly in accordance with them. Rather, the embodiment is intended merely to clarify the wording of the appended claims without intending to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment.Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention shall be interpreted in accordance with the attached claims only, where any possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary form.

Claims

1. A slaughtering device for poultry being transported in a direction of transport hanging by their legs by means of a conveyor line, wherein the poultry comprises a head, beak, and neck, the slaughtering device is characterized in that it comprises: a track comprising a first guide and a second guide to define a slit for guiding the neck of the poultry therein, from an upstream end to a downstream end of the track, as the conveyor line transports the poultry; and a rotating blade disposed in the first guide of the track, for cutting through a first vein and / or artery on a first side of the neck; and a cylinder disposed in the first guide and upstream with respect to the rotating blade, for forcing the beak against the direction of transport, to cause the neck to twist in a first direction of rotation.as the neck is transported along the track, to expose the first vein and / or artery of such suspended poultry to be cut by the rotating blade; characterized in that the rotating blade is arranged to rotate in the first direction of rotation, to allow the twisting of the neck in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rotation, such that the rotating blade cuts through a second vein and / or artery on a second side of the neck, opposite the first side, trachea and esophagus, while avoiding cutting the vertebrae in the neck of the bird.

2. The sacrificial device according to claim 1, characterized in that the track groove comprises a section arranged downstream with respect to the cylinder that follows the contour of the rotating blade.

3. The sacrificial device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cylinder is rotatable about the first direction of rotation.

4. The slaughtering device according to claim 3, characterized in that the cylinder is rotatable through contact with the beak and / or head of passing poultry.

5. The slaughtering device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the slaughtering device does not comprise an additional rotating blade in the second track guide, the additional rotating blade being arranged to cut the second artery and / or vein on the second side of the bird's neck.

6. A slaughtering installation, characterized in that it comprises the slaughtering device according to any of claims 1 to 5 and a conveyor line for transporting, in a transport direction and while hanging by their legs, the poultry to be slaughtered by the slaughtering device.

7. The slaughtering installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the conveyor line is arranged to keep the poultry essentially suspended vertically, while the neck is transported along the track between the cylinder and the rotating blade.

8. A method for slaughtering poultry comprising a neck, a head, and a beak, the method comprising the steps of: transporting by means of a transport line the poultry hanging by their legs in a transport direction, such that the neck is transported along a track from an upstream end to a downstream end of a slaughter device; and cutting through a first vein and / or artery from a first side of the neck and twisting the neck in a first rotation direction about an axis transverse to the transport direction, by forcing the beak against the transport direction, by means of a cylinder that is disposed upstream with respect to the rotating blade, as the neck is guided along the track to expose the first side of the neck;characterized in that the method comprises the steps of cutting by means of the rotating blade from the first vein and / or artery to a second vein and / or artery located on a second side of the neck opposite to the first side, the trachea and esophagus, while avoiding cutting the vertebrae in the neck of the bird, by rotating the rotating blade in the first direction of rotation, to cause the twisting of the neck in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation.; 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the track comprises a section arranged downstream with respect to the cylinder that follows the contour of the rotating blade and in the method the neck is guided along the contour of the rotating blade, to cut through the neck from the first vein and / or artery to the second vein and / or artery.

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