Method of separating meat of a poultry with bones and apparatus for use in such method

Abstract

A process for separating the hollowed body of a poultry carcass into a lower half body including the thighs and part of the back, and a upper half body including the breast inclusive of the ribs and the remaining part of the back, including a first process step in which the hollowed body is cut from the roots of the thighs through the tail ends of the ilia while the hollowed body is transferred in a suspended state without cutting the keel, and a second process step in which the sinews and connective tissues are cut at the side of the hipbone and the thighs are ripped off with high yields. Apparatus for the first step includes a conveyer line a peritoneum cutting part a 90 degree reversing part and a poultry carcass severing part Apparatus for the second step includes a toothed conveyer with a lower belt which transfers the lower half body hooked at the hipbone, a parallel running conveyer provided under the toothed conveyer for ripping and carrying out the thigh of the lower half body, and a pair of parallel guide plates provided under the lower belt, the lower half body including the hipbone and thigh being transferred clasped between the parallel guide plates and the lower belt.