Clamp for poultry thighs and cartridge for same

Abstract

A clamp to retain thighs in eviscerated poultry from which the legs and feet have been removed in trussed condition is formed of wire having a central, U-shaped portion. On either side of the U-shaped portion, the wire is symmetric and extends in a backward stretch at about a 90.degree. angle and then bends in an outward stretch into a plane at an angle to both the backward stretch and the U-shaped portion. In the aforesaid plane, the wire extends in an outward-downward stretch, a convex stretch and then a concave stretch. Below the concave stretch is a straight stretch which terminates in a hook stretch at about a 90.degree. angle to the straight stretch. In use, the hook stretches are inserted inside the poultry carcass and their ends fit into the kidney cavities of the carcass. The straight stretches extend out of the tail opening of the carcass. The concave stretches fit alongside the inside of the thighs when they are brought into trussed position, the convex stretches fit alongside the outsides of the thighs and the rearward stretches fit into the creases in the knuckles of the thighs. For shipping and handling, a V-shaped cartridge is used. The central portion of the claim rests in the vertex of the cartridge, the convex stretches extend over the side edges of the cartridge and the concave stretches around the undersides of the sides of the cartridge.