Tyson Foods, Inc.

Kelvin D Lasse

James Allen Ruff

Marshall Vanderpool

Tim Reddell

Brandon Casey Haley

Charley Reed

Bobby Z Haley

William David Royall

Angela D Haley, Legal Representative

Charley Lee Reed, Jr

Larry R Welch

A whole muscle slicer and separator that solves the product separation problem and other problems found with an ordinary slicer. The invention is where one embodiment includes a special peel out finger bar comb that peels out every other product piece onto a conveyor and a final comb that peels out the remaining product pieces onto a second conveyor. This can be accomplished by tilting the cutting assembly to about approximately a 45 degree angle off vertical. There can be an upper and lower combs arranged in a interfacing relationship with the cutter for separating the product. Another embodiment includes a single finger bar comb having two sets of fingers.

Whole muscle slicer and separator

An apparatus for positioning poultry, meat, or fish product pieces on a conveyor and a system and method which utilize the inventive apparatus. The inventive apparatus comprises an array of side-by-side upwardly arched product channels and a plurality of catch members mounted for rotating through the product channels such that they lift and pull the product pieces through the upwardly arched product channels and then release the product pieces onto the conveyor.

Apparatus, system, and method for positioning poultry, meat, and fish product pieces on a conveyor

Mechanical assembly comprising a roller chain mounted on multiple sprockets attached via shafts and bearings to a frame. Multiple unloader shackles are attached to the roller chain such that all shackles are aligned in a consistent manner. The roller chain assembly is mounted in such a way as to align it longitudinally with an overhead shackle-line. It is mounted in such a way as to allow the individual unloader shackles to align directly opposite the individual overhead shackles at a specific offset distance and travel in the same direction as the overhead shackles. It is also mounted in such a way as to allow the attached shackles to rise in elevation from beneath the overhead shackles as they travel in the same direction as the overhead shackles. The chain is driven at a rate which synchronizes the attached unloader shackles with the overhead shackle-line to which it is aligned in order to transfer a carcass such as a leg quarter.

Apparatus and method for transferring leg quarter from shackle

The invention is a method and apparatus for removing feathers from a carcass, and more specifically is a method and apparatus for removing feathers from the wing tips of poultry. The method and apparatus comprises at least one wing tip puller which further comprises upper and lower wing guides and a pinch roller adjacent said wing guides where the upper and lower wing guides are designed to receive a wing therebetween and the wing guide is further designed to laterally present the wing tip to the pinch roller.

Wing tip feather puller

An apparatus for cutting poultry carcasses as they are continuously conveyed by a shackle conveyor having a plurality of shackles. The inventive apparatus comprises a gap provided between two rails. The rails are positioned such that the exterior of the carcass adjacent the spine will contact and slide along the back rail while the front rail will pivot the front half of the carcass backward with respect to the back half, thereby placing the skin connecting the two halves in a peeling position with respect to the front half. The apparatus further comprises a blade positioned for cutting a segment of skin while the carcass is in this stretched position such that at least most of the segment of skin remains attached to the back half.

Growing community of inventors

Springdale, AR, United States of America

Kelvin D Lasse