Poultry Leg Severing Clamping and Conveyor Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for severing poultry drumsticks and thighs at the knee joint fail to ensure precise positioning post-severing, hindering automatic processing due to natural variations in leg length and structure.
Innovation Solution
A clamping device is integrated to securely hold the thigh during and after passing the cutting device, with an adjustable height and synchronized movement with the overhead conveyor, ensuring precise severing and maintaining the natural angle between the drumstick and thigh, while a detection device signals the transition for optimal adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a support wheel with recesses is used to hold the leg during severing, then the leg is supported during processing, but the positioning of drumstick and thigh after severing cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is divided into multiple segments: the overhead conveyor hook holds the drumstick, the clamping device clamps the thigh, and the support wheel provides additional support. This segmentation ensures both parts are independently secured, guaranteeing precise positioning after severing and enabling continuous automatic processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device is positioned to clamp the thigh before the cutting blade severes the drumstick. This preliminary action secures the thigh in advance, ensuring precise positioning during and after severing, which enables continuous automatic processing without positioning issues.
2Manufacturing precision
If the clamping device holds fast the thigh during severing, then positioning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The overhead conveyor serves multiple functions: it conveys the leg, positions it for severing, and its hook continues to hold the drumstick after severing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, improving severing precision without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping device is designed to be automatically actuated by the position of the leg itself, without requiring external control systems. The leg's natural position triggers the clamping action, improving severing precision while keeping the control system simple.
3Manufacturing precision
If the cutting device is disposed between the hook and clamping device, then severing precision is improved, but the processing path becomes more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade is positioned in a plane between the hook and clamping device, creating a balanced processing zone where both the drumstick (held by hook) and thigh (clamped) are equidistantly controlled. This equipotential positioning improves severing precision while distributing control requirements evenly, reducing processing path criticality.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for severing a drumstick and a thigh that are part of a leg of poultry from each other includes an overhead conveyor for supplying the suspended leg, a supporting member for supporting the leg while the drumstick and thigh are being severed, and a cutting device for severing the drumstick from the thigh at the height of a knee joint A clamping device is provided for holding fast the thigh at least while it passes the cutting device.