Vertical Paw Tracker Tower for Poultry Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional paw tracking systems in poultry processing plants face challenges in maintaining the correlation between poultry paws and carcasses due to long conveyor belts, which lead to inefficiencies, high costs, and disposal of good paws, especially when line stretching and inspector delays occur.
Innovation Solution
A paw tracker system comprising vertically aligned columns with rotatable gates and a rotating assembly that moves columns at a predetermined speed, allowing paws to be positioned in pockets and dropped into lower receptacles, ensuring accurate correlation and reduced waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional belt conveyor systems are used to track paws, then paw correlation with carcasses can be maintained, but the system requires a large amount of room (600 feet or more of picking line) and incurs high installation and maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a horizontal belt conveyor system occupying linear space to a vertical tower structure utilizing vertical dimension. Multiple pockets are arranged vertically on columns, allowing paws to be tracked upward through the tower rather than horizontally along a 600-foot conveyor, dramatically reducing floor space requirements while maintaining correlation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system is segmented into multiple discrete pockets arranged vertically on columns, with each pocket capable of independently holding and releasing paws. This segmentation allows the system to process paws in discrete stages through vertical movement rather than requiring a continuous horizontal conveyor belt
2Reliability
If long belt conveyor systems are used for paw tracking, then paw correlation is maintained, but the system becomes expensive and difficult to install and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
By reconfiguring the tracking system vertically rather than horizontally, the patent eliminates the need for extensive conveyor belt infrastructure. The vertical tower with discrete pockets requires simpler mechanical components that are easier to install, access for maintenance, and replace if needed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential correlation function from the complex horizontal conveyor system and implements it through a simplified vertical structure with pockets and gates, removing unnecessary complexity while preserving the core capability of tracking paws to their source carcasses
3Reliability
If conventional belt systems are used with large time gates, then paw tracking is possible, but many good paws are thrown away, undesirably lowering plant yield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic gate mechanisms that can be precisely controlled to open at specific moments, allowing paws to be released exactly when needed rather than using large time gates that require early disposal. The rotatable gates provide precise temporal control over paw release, eliminating the need to discard paws prematurely
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses shackle count and shift register feedback mechanisms to track the position and status of paws through the vertical columns, enabling precise control of gate timing. This feedback allows the system to know exactly which paw is in which pocket and when to release it, preventing unnecessary disposal of good paws
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively maintains paws in an ordered manner, reducing waste and operational costs by ensuring accurate correlation between paws and carcasses, even with line stretching and delays, while having a smaller footprint compared to traditional belt systems.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating assembly configured to move the plurality of columns at a predetermined speed
Implementation Method 2
at least one gate arm configured to urge each gate of the plurality of gates from the closed position to the open position at a predetermined time
Implementation Method 3
in the open position, the poultry paw drops out of the pocket
Data Source
AI summary
A paw tracker for maintaining poultry paws in an ordered, indexed manner so that each paw can be matched with the carcass from which it was removed is provided. The paw tracker has a plurality of columns defining a plurality of pockets vertically aligned on the column. A rotatable gate corresponds to each pocket of the plurality of pockets. At least one gate arm urges each gate of the plurality of gates from a closed position to an open position at a predetermined time and a rotating assembly is configured to move the plurality of columns at a predetermined speed.