A system and a method for processing poultry

Abstract

This invention relates to a system and a method for processing poultry in a poultry slaughterhouse. More particularly the system and the related method of the invention is for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry in a slaughterhouse.

Description

[0001] #229-40-WO (description)

[0002] 1

[0003] A SYSTEM AND A METHOD FOR PROCESSING POULTRY

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] 5 This invention relates to a system and a method for processing poultry in a poultry slaughterhouse. More particularly the system and the related method of the invention is for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry in a slaughterhouse.

[0006] BACKGROUND ART

[0007] In the poultry-processing industry, the birds are usually transported to the slaughterhouse in cages containing a great number of live animals. Upon arrival, the cages are typically unloaded and brought into the slaughterhouse, where the animals may be subjected to gas stunning while still in the cages, or they are removed from the

[0008] 15 cages and hung on the slaughter line for subsequent electrical stunning. After stunning, the birds are sent on for killing, which process is typically carried out on birds that are suspended on a conveyor with regularly spaced shackles. Birds are hung by their feet in the shackles and are bled by severing a vein in the neck using rotating knifes, or full removal of the head.

[0009] 20 Missing or incomplete neck incision without bleeding, i.e. absence of full or partial cutting of poultry necks, represents a challenge to the slaughter process. Some chickens happen to avoid the knife and are, e.g., not being caught in the introduction or presentation to the knife. Visual inspection is made difficult by the fact that speeds of 7600-15000 birds per hour are typically applied.

[0010] 25 WO 2017174768 discloses a system for recording and presenting performance data to an operator.

[0011] CN 215075126 U describes a system and a method for controlling a throat cut on a poultry, which throat cut is carried out by use of a motor-driven rotary knife. However, the system and method described herein, using one or more sensors for monitoring the activity of the motor operating the rotating knife and / or the activity of the rotating blade, is not disclosed.

[0012] Finally, WO 2022248489 describes a method with two cameras and a running light, highlighting the position of the uncut chicken on the processing line.

[0013] However, the system and the corresponding method described herein for securing

[0014] 35 and controlling a throat cut on a poultry in a slaughterhouse have never been disclosed. #229-40-WO (description)

[0015] 2

[0016] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0017] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a corresponding method for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry, which system and method

[0018] 5 is for use in poultry slaughterhouses and in similar food processing establishments.

[0019] The invention represents a secure solution for monitoring, securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry on the slaughter line by use of a rotary knife, e.g., as those knives described in EP 4029377 or in WO 2011126366.

[0020] A rotating neck cutting knife is a round knife blade, often a blade of a diameter of from about 15 to about 25 cm in diameter, that is driven by an electric motor.

[0021] The system and method of the invention introduces at least one sensor, i.e. one or more sensors, for monitoring the activity and / or behavior of the motor driving the rotating knife, as well as the activity and / or behavior of the rotating knife, i.e. the combined activity of the blade and motor.

[0022] 15 By introducing one or more sensors to monitor the activity of the motor and / or the activity of the rotating blade, several layers of security are added to the overall throat cutting process, thereby increasing the certainty of retrieving an incomplete throat cut and improving animal welfare during the slaughtering process.

[0023] According to the present invention, the neck cutting process can be monitored

[0024] 20 by one or more sensors that detects one or more of the following conditions: the load / torque to which the blade motor is subjected during the cutting process, the current drawn from the motor driving the blade during the cutting process, and / or the sound emitted from knife and the engine during the cutting process.

[0025] Therefore, in its first aspect, the invention provides a system for securing and

[0026] 25 controlling a throat cut on a poultry in a slaughterhouse using a motor-driven rotary knife, which system may be characterized by including one or more sensors for monitoring the activity of the motor driving the rotary knife and / or the activity of the rotating blade.

[0027] In another aspect, the invention provides a method for use in a slaughterhouse, for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry, which method comprises the subsequent steps of: i. providing the poultry on the slaughter line, suspended by the legs; ii. cutting the throat of the poultry by use of a motor-driven rotary knife; and which method is characterized by use of one or more sensors for monitoring

[0028] 35 the activity of the motor operating the rotary knife and / or the activity of the rotating blade.

[0029] Other objects of the invention will be apparent to the person skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description. #229-40-WO (description)

[0030] 3

[0031] Any combination of two or more of the embodiments described herein is considered within the scope of the present invention.

[0032] DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0033] 5

[0034] The system of the invention

[0035] In its first aspect, the invention provides a system for use in a slaughterhouse for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry using a motor-driven rotary knife, which system may be characterized by including one or more sensors for monitoring the activity and / or behavior of that motor, that drives the rotating knife, and / or the activity and / or behavior of the rotating knife.

[0036] The workload to which the knife motor is exposed when cutting, may be measured in different ways. According to the invention, the neck cutting process is monitored by one or more sensors that detects one or more of the following conditions:

[0037] 15 the workload / torque to which the blade motor is subjected during the cutting process (torque measurement), the current drawn from the motor driving the blade during the cutting process (current measurement), and / or the sound emitted from the engine as well as the neck passing the cutting blade during the cutting process (noise measurement).

[0038] 20 A torque sensor is a device that measures the amount of torque (rotational force) applied to an object. It can be used to determine the twisting or turning force on a shaft, bolt, or other rotating parts. The use of a torque sensor to directly measure the torque produced by the motor provides a direct and accurate assessment of the mechanical workload.

[0039] 25 There are several types of torque sensors commonly used for measuring torque in various applications.

[0040] In another embodiment, the sensor used according to the present invention measures the current drawn from the motor for driving the knife increases upon load, i.e., when the chicken neck is pulled through the knife.

[0041] By measuring the electrical current drawn by the motor, you can get an indirect indication of the mechanical workload. When the motor is under a heavier workload, it typically draws more current to meet the demand.

[0042] Devices that measure current drawn from an electric motor may be called current sensors or current transducers.

[0043] 35 Finally, an effective throat cut will result in a greater or lesser change in the engine's rotational speed (RPM), which change can be detected, e.g., with a simple microphone that measures the sound emanating from the engine during processing and detects any changes herein, or monitored using an encoder or similar tachometer #229-40-WO (description)

[0044] 4 method capable of measuring the rotational speed of the cutting blade, which change may be used as a measure of a successful throat cut.

[0045] In addition, the behavior of the rotating knife may be assessed using a microphone to detect the sound emitted from the knife blade during the cutting process

[0046] 5 (noise measurement).

[0047] Therefore, in a further embodiment, the sensor for monitoring the activity of the motor driving the rotating knife is a microphone monitoring or detecting the sound (acoustic waves) emitted from the saw blade passing through the neck during the cutting process. As the neck passes the knife blade under load, a specific "cutting sound" is emitted which differs from the sound coming from an unloaded knife blade. This results in a pulsating sound pattern each time a chicken pass.

[0048] The microphone used for monitoring or detecting should be placed near the rotating knife.

[0049] If there is no sound ("cutting pulse") or if the sound is abnormal, this is an

[0050] 15 indication that no or an incomplete neck dissection has been performed, and an alarm may be raised.

[0051] The information system

[0052] For the system to function as an effective monitor without unnecessary alarms,

[0053] 20 whether for torque changes or sound changes, it should be set up to not respond when a shackle is empty and without a hanging bird. The absence of a bird may be observed before the shackle arrives at the rotating knife using various alternative sensing systems and may also be aligned with the encoder system typically used on slaughter conveyors.

[0054] Missing chickens on a shackle can be sensed, e.g., either be a dynamic scale, or

[0055] 25 a camera or a proximity sensor that checks for the presence of a chicken body for each shackle. Therefore, when the empty shackles pass the rotary knife, the absence of a changed torque or sound pattern can be set up to be ignored, as they are caused by empty shackles and therefore not require modification and validation or correction by an operator.

[0056] Therefore, in a further embodiment, the system of the invention includes the use of an information system for presenting performance data obtained based on the analysis of images obtained by one or more camera devices pointing at the cutting station, or located in functional distance of the cutting station, or positioned downstream of the cutting station.

[0057] 35 An example of an information system for use with the system or method according to the invention is described in, e.g., WO2017174768. #229-40-WO (description)

[0058] 5

[0059] The method of the invention

[0060] In another aspect, the invention provides a method for use in a slaughterhouse, for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry.

[0061] The method of the invention comprises the subsequent steps of:

[0062] 5 i. providing the poultry on the slaughter line, suspended by the legs; ii. cutting the throat of the poultry by use of a motor-driven rotary knife; and the method may be characterized by use of a sensor for monitoring the activity of the motor operating the rotary knife.

[0063] The sensor for use with the method of the invention may be any one of the

[0064] 10 sensors described above, i.e., a torque sensor in operation with the motor driving the rotary knife; a current sensor or current transducer in operation with the motor driving the rotary knife used for current measurement; a microphone monitoring or detecting the sound (acoustic waves) emitted from the engine and saw blade passing through the neck during the cutting process (noise measurement); or an encoder or similar tachometer measure.

[0065] Also, in a further embodiment, the method of the invention may comprise the use of an information system as described in, e.g., WO2017174768.

[0066] 20

Claims

#229-40-WO (claims)1CLAIMS1. A system for use in a slaughterhouse, for securing and controlling a throat cut on a poultry, which throat cutting is carried out by use of a motor-driven rotary5 knife, and which system is characterized by including one or more sensors for monitoring the activity of the motor operating the rotating knife and / or the activity of the rotating blade.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor for monitoring the motor activity is a torque sensor in operation with the motor driving the rotary knife.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor for monitoring the motor activity is a current sensor or current transducer in operation with the motor driving the rotary knife used for current measurement.

154. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor for monitoring the motor activity is a microphone monitoring or detecting the sound, i.e. acoustic waves emitted from the engine and / or the saw blade passing through the neck during the cutting process for noise measurement.

205. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor for monitoring the motor activity is an encoder or similar tachometer measure.

6. A method for use in a slaughterhouse, for securing and controlling a throat25 cut on a poultry, which method comprises the subsequent steps of: i. providing the poultry on the slaughter line, suspended by the legs; ii. cutting the throat of the poultry by use of a motor-driven rotary knife; and which method is characterized by the use of one or more sensors for monitoring the activity of the motor operating the rotary knife and / or the activity of the rotating blade.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sensor is a torque sensor in operation with the motor driving the rotary knife; a current sensor or current transducer in operation with the motor driving the35 rotary knife used for current measurement; a microphone monitoring or detecting the sound (acoustic waves) emitted from the engine and / or the saw blade passing through the neck during the cutting process (noise measurement); or#229-40-WO (claims)2 an encoder or similar tachometer measure.

8. The method of claim 6, which method further comprises the use of the information system described in, e.g., WO2017174768.5