Rotatable Poultry Holding Clamp for Fast, Precise Saddling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing poultry processing systems face challenges in securely and efficiently loading eviscerated poultry carcasses or parts thereof onto holding devices due to ergonomically suboptimal manual alignment requirements and the inability to rotate holding devices perpendicular to the transport direction, leading to potential processing errors and reduced cycle speed.
Innovation Solution
A transport device with rotatable holding devices about an axis perpendicular to the transport direction, featuring an actuating lever system that allows for easy alignment and fixation of poultry carcasses, including a spring-loaded mechanism and mounting aid to ensure symmetrical and secure attachment without manual effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If poultry carcasses are transported on conventional conveyors, then transportation is possible, but the carcasses cannot be automatically hung on wires for processing and require manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the transport conveyor function with the wire hanging function into a single integrated system. The conveyor carries carcasses while simultaneously positioning them for automatic wire attachment, eliminating the need for separate manual operations and achieving automated flow from transport to processing preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system performs multiple functions: it transports the carcasses, positions them for wire attachment, and facilitates the hanging operation. This multi-functional design reduces the number of separate devices needed and enables automated operation without increasing overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If carcasses are moved through multiple separate devices, then processing can be performed, but production time increases due to multiple stops and manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated conveyor system maintains continuous movement of carcasses through the processing area without requiring stops for manual wire attachment. The wire hanging operation occurs continuously during transport, eliminating idle time and reducing production time while removing manual intervention requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs the wire attachment preparation in advance during the transport phase. Carcasses are positioned and oriented for wire hanging while being conveyed, so that when they reach the processing zone, the wire attachment can occur immediately without additional stopping or manual handling.
3Extent of automation
If conventional transport methods are used, then carcasses can be moved, but they cannot be automatically subjected to processing operations like wire attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the transport function with the processing preparation function into a single integrated conveyor system. This combination enables automatic wire attachment during transport without requiring separate devices, achieving automated processing capability while managing integration complexity through functional consolidation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a transport device (10) designed and configured to transport eviscerated poultry carcasses or parts thereof, in particular front halves of poultry carcasses, in the transport direction T along a transport path, said transport device comprising: a frame (11); a transport unit (12) which is mounted on the frame (11) and has a transport means (13) driven in a circulating manner; and at least one holding device (14) which is fastened to the transport means (13) and which is designed and configured to attach and hold the poultry carcass or the part thereof during transport and during processing in a device (15) for processing poultry carcasses or parts thereof, the holding device (14) comprising a clamping unit (16) which, in order to secure the poultry carcass or the part thereof, has a clamping hook (17) which is designed so as to be pivotable about an axis of rotation DK from a waiting position into a clamping position and back by means of an actuating mechanism (18), the actuating mechanism (18) comprising an adjusting lever (19) which is designed so as to be pivotable about an axis of rotation DS and can be brought into operative connection with an actuating element (20), which is located on the frame (11) along the transport path, in order to pivot the adjusting lever (19) and thus to pivot the clamping hook (17). The transport device is characterised in that: the holding device (14) is designed and configured so as to be rotatable relative to the transport means (13) about an axis AH, which runs perpendicularly to the transport direction T, at least for the purpose of completely attaching the poultry carcass or part thereof, and, to this end, can be brought into operative connection with an actuating lever (23) which is located on the frame (11) along the transport path; and the axis of rotation DS of the adjusting lever (19) is oriented perpendicularly to the axis of rotation DK of the clamping hook (17), wherein the actuating lever (24) for rotating the holding device (14) is arranged upstream of the actuating element (20) for actuating the adjusting lever (19) in the transport direction T. The invention also relates to a processing device and to a method for attaching and processing a poultry carcass or a part thereof.