Synchronized Wing Cutting on Shackle Conveyors for Poultry Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The processes of severing poultry wings from a carcass butterfly and loading wings into shackle openings remain labor-intensive, requiring skilled workers and are inefficient in existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A poultry processing apparatus with a shackle conveyor and cutting modules, where cutting heads move in synchronization with trolley velocity to automate wing severing and maintain wings in shackles for further processing, reducing manual labor and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual cone line processing is used to sever wings from poultry carcass, then skilled workers can make precise cuts, but the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical cutting system with an automated cutting head that uses a rotating blade to sever wings from the carcass. The cutting head is positioned and moved mechanically along the conveyor, substituting human labor with automated mechanical systems while maintaining cutting precision through controlled blade engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting system is integrated directly into the conveyor line, allowing the apparatus to perform cutting operations automatically as carcasses move through the system. The cutting head engages and disengages automatically, and the conveyor itself provides the motion needed for processing, eliminating the need for separate manual operations.
2Productivity
If automated cutting systems are introduced to reduce labor, then processing speed increases, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting head assembly serves multiple functions: it positions itself relative to the carcass, engages the blade for cutting, moves along with the conveyor, and disengages automatically. This multi-functional design consolidates what could be multiple separate systems into a single integrated apparatus, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining automated processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the cutting mechanism with the conveyor system, where the cutting head is mounted on or integrated with the conveyor structure. This merging of functions allows the cutting operation to be performed inline without requiring separate positioning systems or additional complex mechanisms.
3Extent of automation
If cutting members engage poultry carcass portion suspended from adjacent pair of shackles, then wing severing is automated, but synchronization with trolley velocity must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting head is positioned and moved at the same velocity as the trolley conveyor, creating a synchronized system where the relative position between the cutting blade and the carcass remains constant. This equipotential approach to velocity matching simplifies the control system, as the cutting head naturally stays in position without requiring complex active synchronization controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system itself acts as an intermediary that couples the motion of the carcass with the motion of the cutting head. By mounting the cutting head on the conveyor structure or using the conveyor's motion to drive the cutting head, the system uses the existing conveyor mechanism as a mediator to achieve synchronized motion without requiring separate control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A poultry processing apparatus for processing a poultry carcass with attached wings. The apparatus includes a shackle conveyor including a set of shackles. Adjacent shackles receive respective wings of a poultry carcass in a wing-receiving opening of the shackle to support the poultry carcass for movement along a shackle path of travel. A first cutting module is positioned adjacent a section of the shackle conveyor, the first cutting module including a cutting head having spaced apart first and second cutting members and a translation mechanism moving the cutting head in two directions: a) moving the cutting head between a retracted position and an engaged position in a direction transverse to the shackle path of travel; and b) moving the cutting head in a direction along the shackle path of travel in synchronization with the conveyor over an engagement distance wherein the first and second cutting members engage the poultry carcass.