Linco Food Systems A/s

Hermanus Godefridus Wilhelmus Ebbers

Wilhelmus Henricus Berendina Giezen

A lifting apparatus (), configured to lift poultry legs () conveyed suspended in a row, comprises a conveying device () and a poultry leg lifting device (). The poultry legs () can be suspended by their ankle joint balls () in poultry carriers () of the conveying device (). The poultry leg lifting device () has a poultry leg positioning device () having at least one positioning element (-) which, with weight unloading of the poultry carrier (), lifts the conveyed poultry legs () with the ankle joint balls () in a poultry leg lifting way (h) into lifted ankle joint ball positions. A carrier lifting device () is configured to lift each foot hook-in device () to suspension heights which correspond with the ankle joint ball positions lifted in the poultry leg lifting device (). For this purpose, the carrier guiding device () has a dynamically movable lifting guiding member () and a guiding bearing device () which carries the lifting guiding member (), in conjunction with a weight unloading of the poultry carriers () effected by the lifting of the poultry legs (), in a vertically movable manner. The foot hook-in device () is mounted on the poultry carrier () in such a manner that it is freely vertically movable.

Lifting apparatus, designed to lift poultry legs conveyed hanging in a row

A positioning apparatus for positioning poultry legs which are conveyed suspended in a row has a bending device for bending and positioning the poultry legs, as well as a stationary holding and guiding device. The bending device forms a threading device for suspending the poultry leg in the region of the knee joint in a holding and guiding gap of the holding and guiding device. Co-running positioning elements are formed by driven pressing elements which grip the poultry leg from beneath on an axial side of the leg for bending and lifting. Each co-running positioning element forms with a stationary positioning element a functional pair of positioning elements. One of the two positioning elements engages in the hollow of the knee of the poultry leg, while the other positioning element is configured to rest against the thigh on the front side of the leg. Processing stations can be arranged along the holding and guiding gap. In a method for removing the thigh meat from the poultry legs conveyed in a row while they are being conveyed, the poultry legs are guided transversely in a first mentioned positioning apparatus with the lateral side of the leg leading and axially in a second mentioned positioning apparatus with the axial patella side of the leg leading. Along the first stationary holding and guiding gap, cuts are applied on the front side of the leg and on the rear side of the leg. Along the second stationary holding and guiding gap, cuts are applied on the lateral sides of the poultry leg and the thigh meat is pushed to the proximal end of the thigh bone.

Positioning device for positioning poultry legs conveyed in single file in the conveying direction along a conveyor section and the method comprising said positioning for removing the thigh meat from poultry legs

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Angerlo, Netherlands

Hermanus Godefridus Wilhelmus Ebbers