Poultry Conveying Assembly Shackle Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing poultry carcass conveying assemblies are complex, prone to misalignment due to narrow shackle spacing, and struggle to effectively stabilize carcasses against rotation, especially at the outfeed where guide chains cause issues with stop disengagement and do not adequately prevent movement around both vertical and horizontal axes.
Innovation Solution
The conveying assembly features a guide element with stops that engage the leading leg of each poultry carcass between the ankle and knee joint, synchronized with the drive chain, and protruding sideways to ensure proper alignment and stabilization, addressing the complexity and misalignment issues by allowing engagement of the carcass legs directly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stops are mounted on a stationary guide chain to prevent rotation of shackles, then rotation around horizontal axis is prevented, but misalignment occurs due to narrow shackle spacing and swinging motion
Solution Approach 1:
The guide chain is transformed from a stationary component to a moving component that travels synchronously with the shackle train. This dynamic configuration allows the stops to move in sync with the shackles, maintaining proper alignment and preventing misalignment issues that occur with stationary guides when shackles are swinging.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving guide chain acts as an intermediary between the stationary structure and the moving shackles. By providing a moving reference frame that travels with the shackle train, it mediates the interaction between stops and shackles, enabling accurate engagement even as both move through the conveying system.
2Reliability
If stops engage the trailing part of shackles, then rotation is prevented, but disengagement becomes difficult at the outfeed due to guide wheel interference
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having stops engage the trailing part of shackles as in conventional systems, the invention inverts the engagement point to the leading part of the shackles. This inversion allows stops to engage before the shackle reaches the guide wheel, enabling smooth disengagement at the outfeed without interference from the guide wheel mechanism.
3Reliability
If a separate stationary guide element is used to prevent vertical axis rotation, then shackle orientation is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the function of preventing vertical axis rotation with the moving guide chain that prevents horizontal axis rotation. By integrating both stabilization functions into a single moving guide chain structure, the system eliminates the need for a separate stationary guide element, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining comprehensive shackle control.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving guide chain is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it prevents rotation around both the vertical and horizontal axes, and it maintains proper shackle spacing. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated components for each function, reducing system complexity.
4Productivity
If shackle pitch is reduced to increase throughput, then productivity increases, but space between adjacent shackles decreases making stop positioning more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The moving guide chain travels synchronously with the shackle train at the same speed and in the same direction. This dynamic synchronization ensures that regardless of the reduced pitch between shackles, the stops maintain proper alignment with each passing shackle, enabling accurate engagement even in the limited space between closely spaced shackles.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
Conveying assembly comprising an overhead conveyor embodied with shackles for suspending poultry carcasses by the legs and for transportation of said poultry carcasses in a conveying direction, said overhead conveyor comprising a track and a series of trolleys suspended from the track, said trolleys being interconnected by a drive chain, wherein each trolley comprises a hanger projecting downwardly and wherein each hanger is provided with a single one of said shackles suspended from the hanger, and wherein the conveying assembly further comprises a guide element disposed generally horizontally below and essentially parallel to the overhead conveyor to prevent rotation of the shackles about an essentially vertical axis and that the conveying assembly further comprises stops to prevent rotation of the shackles about an essentially horizontal rotation axis, and wherein the guide element is movable in said conveying direction and the stops are mounted on said guide element.