Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BONING DEVICE AND METHOD
Description
The present invention relates to a device and a method for
boning limbs of poultry or of animals of similar build, in
particular, for boning wings and legs.
The prior art reveals the most different devices and
methods for automating a boning process. Manual boning,
i.e., manual removal of meat is relatively labor-intensive.
Furthermore, a complete boning process is most of the time
not possible, so that a relatively high percentage of
usable mass of meat will remain on the bone. As a
consequence, efficiency is very low. With automatically
operating methods and devices, one must adopt such a
procedure that rapid, reliable and thorough boning is
possible with the manual efforts being as small as
possible. Especially with small limbs, such as poultry legs
or poultry wings, this requires great efforts.
The devices which are known from the prior art and designed
for such uses are most of the time based on a fundamental
technical principle in which the bone is removed from the
meat during the boning operation. EP-A1-439 7gO, for
instance, describes a device in which the limb is held at
one end while the meat adhering to the other terminal bone
is stripped off. Such a procedure is likely to fail because
the whole stripping force has to be intercepted by the
center joint. When the center joint has been damaged or
when one of the two other bones has been broken, it is not
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possible to perform the boning operation. A similar removal
is already known from FR-A2-566 629 where only a partial
boning operation is, however, performed because the
projecting bone is to serve holding purposes during
consumption.
It is known from EP-A1-402 647 that, as far as poultry or
the like is concerned, the center joint is punched out in
the stretched state of the extremity and the bones are
laterally removed. The problem arises here also that in
case of a broken bone a complete removal is not guaranteed,
so that additional checks are required. Furthermore, the
bones are gripped on the outer joint balls, so that tendon
parts or parts of the muscular tissue can also be removed
due to the stripping and removing operations.
Apart from the functional reliability of the method, it is
important with such boning processes that only a very small
period of time is needed for the boning operation. It is
only in this way that the devices can be used in an
economic way.
Another problem arises with respect to the stability of the
skeleton of the limbs to be boned. Especially with fattened
poultry, the bones have no adequate strength. As a
consequence, procedures are ruled out that are known from
boning operations for other animals, such as pigs or
cattle. It is, for instance, not possible to separate-the
bones in the longitudinal direction to perform the boning
process.
4 2 1 2656 1
It is the object of the present invention to provide a
method and a device which, being of simple configuration
and simple reliable applicability, permit a reliable
boning of limbs. The inventive device and the inventive
method are to be usable with both wings or legs of
poultry and with comparable limbs of similar animals,
such as rabbits, sheep, etc.
According to one aspect of the invention there is
provided a device for boning limbs of animals having
bones similar in strength and orientation to poultry
bones, the limbs having two ends with a center joint
between the ends, comprising: a holding means for
holding said limbs adjacent said joint and adjacent said
ends of said limbs; a first saw cutting means for
separating said center joint of said limbs held in said
holding means; a second saw cutting means for separating
said end joints of said limbs held in said holding
means; and an ejector device for ejecting the bones,
after said center and end joints are separated, by
pushing said bones out of said limbs while said limbs
are held in said holding means.
The device of the invention is characterized by a number
of considerable advantagesO The principle underlying
the invention is that the bones are pressed out from the
meat of the limbs. Since bones have a very great
compressive strength, adequate forces can be applied to
push the bones out of the meat. Furthermore, no
problems arise with partly broken or damaged bones
because even a bone which has been broken into two parts
can be pushed out in a reliable manner. Possibly
existing splinters of bones are also removed through
the existing channel. Since both the center joint and
the end joints and/or end portions of the limbs are
removed with the aid of the device of the invention
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p~ior to ejection, there just remains a substantially
straig~t piece of bone which can he removed without'any
problems. The respective tendons are removed in a reliable
manner due to the separation of the joints and/or end
portions. This i6 also of great advanta~e because operative
trouble or breakdown need not be feared, and no additional
meat is removed together with the bones during the boning
operation.
Another advantage of the solution of the invention is that
cspecially the radius of a wing, for instance, of a chicken
can ~e removed in a reliable manner. Especially with these
tiny needle-like bones, the use of a reliably operating
device and a correspondin~ method is of importance.
Further~ore, it is of spccial advantage that the invention
can be used without any modific~tions for right and left
limbs, i.e., right or left wings or legs, etc.
Constructional or procedural changes are not necessary.
This leads to a vcry con~iderable advantage in comparison
with the prior art because the devices of the prior art
must always be built for right or for left limbs.
In an especially advantagcous development of the invention,
the holding device comprises a stripping die means for
pressing the center joint therethrough and for stripping
off the meat and/or associated skin in the area of the
center joint. Especially with chicken wings, the center
joint (knee joint) is covered by a relativcly thick meat
and/or skin layer. Erficicncy can considerably be increased
by stripping off this mcat and/or skin laye~ because said
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meat continues to stick to the limb upon subsequent cutting
off or separating of the center joint.
To be able to work the limbs integrally in one operation,
it may be of very great advantage when the holding device
is designed such that the bones are clamped substantially
in parallel. This means that for instance a wing or a
chicken leg is bent with respect to the knee or elbow joint
accordingly so as to be able to align the bones in parallel
with one another. This alignment of the bones makes it
possible to perform a complete boning process within a few
operations. As an alternative, the upper wing and the lower
wing could however be boned in separate operations as
residual parts after the center joint has been severed.
The joints or joint balls are preferably separated with the
aid of a saw.
In an advantageous development of the invention the ejector
device comprises a first pressure plate and a second
pressure plate according to the invention. These can be
moved relative to one another with interposition of the
meat of the limb. The meat is thereby pressed and
compressed, so that it has increased strength on the one
hand and the bones within the meat are already somewhat
pressed out on the other hand. This will facilitate the
subsequently following entire ejection of the bones. The
first pressure plate is provided with recesses for pushing
the bones therethrough. These recesses may have the shape
of cylindrical holes, but it is also possible to facilitate
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the threading of the bones by designing the recesses in
the shape of funnels.
The second pressure plate is provided with ejector
means, preferably in the form of pushing means. These
are guided in recesses of said second pressure plate and
designed such that they are substantially associated
with the position of the bones to be ejected.
In an alternative development of the invention, at least
one of the pressure plates is formed as clamping tongs,
the latter being also provided with recesses for
gripping around the bones. As a consequence, the limb
can selectively be fixed and aligned in an even more
precise manner at the beginning of the processing
operation.
According to another aspect of the invention there is
provided a method for boning the meat from limbs having
two ends and a center joint intermediate said ends,
comprising the steps of: holding said limbs to be
boned; severing said center joint, including any tendons
adhering thereto; severing said ends of said limbs,
including any tendons adhering thereto; clamping said
limbs between a first pressure plate and a second
pressure plate, at least one of said plates having at
least one hole sized and aligned to correspond with the
size and location of a severed end of one of said bones;
pressing said meat of said limbs between said pressure
plates and partly pushing out the at least one bone
through said pressure plate; and pushing a pin through
one of said plates to push said at least one bone
through said at least one hole.
8 2 1 265~ ~
Hence, the method of the invention is characterized in
that the individual steps can be carried out fully
automatically. Any manual reworking is not required.
Furthermore, a high degree of operational reliability is
ensured. While it is possible to bone two chicken legs
or chicken wings per minute by hand, the method of the
invention permits an increase to about 40 pieces per
minute. In addition, the meat yield is increased by 2
or more.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there
is provided a method of boning limbs having opposing
ends and an joint intermediate said ends, comprising the
steps of: clamping at least one of said limbs between a
first pressure plate and a second pressure plate while
said bones are substantially parallel, said first plate
having at least one hole sized and aligned to correspond
with the size and location of one of said ends or joint
to allow passage through said hole; pressing said meat
of said clamped limb between said pressure plates and
partly pushing out the at least one bone through said
hole; severing the distal portion of the bone pushed out
of said hole, including any tendons attached to the
bone; pushing on said severed ends to force the opposite
end of the limb though at least a second hole in said
second pressure plate; severing the distal portion of
the bone pushed out of said second hole, including any
tendons attached to the bone; pushing at least one pin
through at least one of said plates to push said bones
out of said meat.
The device can be cleaned and serviced in a very easy
manner due to the simple design of the device of the
invention and the method of the invention. This is a
considerable advantage of the invention.
~ 8a 21 26561
The invention shall now be described with reference to
embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawing, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a limb to be boned,
such as a chicken wing;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the chicken wing
shown in FIG. 1 after the center joint has
been severed;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the upper piece
according to FIG. 2;
FIG 4. is a diagrammatic view of the upper piece
-
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shown in FIG. 3 with severed end joint;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the intermediate
product shown in FIG. 4, which is disposed
between two pressure plates;
FIG.6 is a view of the assembly shown in
FIG. 5 after the meat has been pressed;
FIG. 7 is a view, similar to FIG. 6, after the bones
have been pressed out;
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view of the lower wing
obtained after the working step shown
in FIG. 2, with the lower wing being positioned
between two pressure plates;
FIG. 9 is a view, analogous to FIG. 6, of the pre-
pressed meat;
FIG. 10 is a view, similar to FIG. 9, after the end joint
has been severed;
FIG. 11 is a view of the working step following the one
of FIG. 10 with illustration of the pushing
ejector meansi
FIG. 12 is a view of the assembly shown in FIG. 11
after the bone has been ejected;
FIG.13 is another view, analogous to FIG. 1, of a
2 1 ~
chicken wing to be boned;
~IG. 14 is a diagrammatic view of a holding device
in the form of tongs;
~IG. 15 is an overall view of the blank shown in FIG.
13 after the holding device illustrated in FIG.
15 has been mounted;
~IG. 16 is a view of the blank shown in FIG. 15 after
the center joint and the end joint or end portion
have been severed;
~IG. 17 is a view of the blank shown in FIG. 16 after
pressing between two pressure plates has been
performed and with approaching push-out means;
~IG. 18 is a view, similar to FIG. 17, after the bones
have been pushed out;
~IG. 19 is another diagrammatic view of a holding and
cutting device for severing the center joint
portion and the end portions of the limb;
~IG. 20 is a diagrammatic view of a limb to be boned,
namely a leg, e.g., of a chicken;
~IG. 21 is a diagrammatic view of the leg shown in
FIG. 20 and of first and second pressure
plates;
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~IG. 22 is a view of the working step following the
working step of FIG. 21 after pushing through
the first pressure plate;
~IG. 23 is a view of the next working step after the
the end joints have been severed;
~IG. 24 shows another working step for preparing
the separating operation for the center joint;
~IG. 25 shows another working step after the meat and
the skin have been stripped off in the area of
the center joint;
~IG. 26 is a diagrammatic view of the state after the
center joint has been separated;
~IG. 27 shows a subsequent working step with approaching
pushing means; and
~IG. 28 shows a final working step after the bones have
been ejected.
A variant of the method shall be described with reference
to FIGS. 1 to 12, wherein a limb 1 (chicken wing) is boned.
A center joint 3 (elbow joint) is first removed, as
illustrated in FIG. 3. To this end a device similar to the
assembly shown in FIG. 9 may be used. Furthermore, limb 1
can be held in a holding means which comprises endless
transporting chains 18 having holders 19 secured thereto.
Limb 1 can be placed thereinbetween. A first cutting means
-
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2, such as a circular saw, can then remove the center joint
3 along a cutting line 20. This state is shown in FIG. 2.
Since the limb, as is also shown in FIG. 2, is inserted
into holder 19 in a state in which the individual bones are
each aligned in parallel with one another, one obtains two
individual pieces after the center joint 3 has been
severed, namely an upper piece shown in FIG. 3 and a lower
wing shown in FIG. 8.
The limb shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a poultry wing and
includes an upper wing bone 7. If a chicken leg were
concerned, reference numeral 7 would be assigned to a
thighbone. This is femur and humerus. Furthermore, the
chicken wing comprises ulna 8 and radius 9. As far as a a
chicken leg is concerned, there would be a tibia 8 and a
fibula 9.
The upper wing piece according to FIG. 3 is now further
processed by means of a second cutting means to sever an
end portion 6. The resultant initial product is arranged
between a first pressure plate 10 and a second pressure
plate 11. The first pressure plate 10 is provided with
recesses 15 and 16 whose size substantially corresponds to
radius 9 and ulna 8, respectively; likewise, the alignment
of recesses 15 and 16. Pressure plate lI also comprises
recesses in which a second pushing means 13 and a third
pushing means 14 are movably supported.
FIG. 6 shows another step in which the first and second
pressure plates 10, 11 have been pressed against each
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other. Since the pushing means 13 and 14 close the recesses
of the second pressure plate 11, one obtains a plane
contact surface while recesses 15 and 16 of the first
pressure plate 10 permit the partial pushing through of
ulna 8 and radius 9.
The pushing means 13 and 14 are subsequently pushed
forwards, whereby, as shown in FIG. 7, bones 8, 9 are
entirely pressed out of the now remaining piece of meat.
The bones are fixed and partly ejected due to the pushing
advance movement shown in FIG. 6. This has the effect that
the bones are guided through the first pressure plate 10 in
a reliable manner and held and that the pushing means 13
and 14 are correctly positioned.
FIG. 8 shows the lower wing obtained after the working step
according to FIG. 2, the lower wing being also positioned
between first and second pressure plates 10, 11. The upper
wing bone or upper arm bone 7 additionally comprises an end
joint 5. As shown in FIG. 8, a recess 17 of the first
pressure plate 10 is dimensioned such that the upper wing
bone 7 can be pushed therethrough, but not the end joint 5.
Furthermore, the second pressure plate 11 has a recess 21
whose size corresponds to the diameter of the end joint 5.
The ball of the end jont is guided through recess 21 during
the forwardly pushing operation as illustrated in FIG. 9,
whereby the meat is stripped off and pushed back while part
of bone 7 is pressed through the recess of the first
pressure plate 10. Clamping and forward pushing are thereby
performed. As illustrated in FIG. 10, ball 5 of the end
14
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joint is subsequently severed, e.g., by means of the second
cutting means 4. FIG. 11 shows the first pushing means 12
which is placed against bone 7. After pushing means 12 has
been passed through pressure plates 10, 11, bone 7 is fully
ejected, as shown in FIG. 12.
In another step of the method (not shown), the pressure
plates 10, 11 are separated from each other, so that the
completely boned meat can be removed.
The method steps and device parts illustrated with
reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 are descriptive of the separate
processing of the upper wing and the lower wing. It goes
without saying that the respective working steps can be
carried out in synchronism with one another. As a
consequence, the apparatus parts depicted in FIGS. 1 to 12
can also be arranged or made operative in parallel with one
another.
The apparatus of the invention and the method of the
inventisn are equally applicable to chicken wings, chicken
legs, wings and legs of other poultry or other animals,
such as rabbits, hares, etc.
FIGS. 13 to 18 illustrate another variant of the method
wherein a holding device in the form of clamping tongs is
used, the device being illustrated in detail in FIG. 14.
The holding device comprises an upper member 22 and a lower
member 23 which are interconnected by means of a hinge 24.
There are semicircular recesses 15 to 17 for gripping
around bones 7 to 9, as illustrated in FIG. 15. The holding
21~ 65 6 ~
device is mounted next to the center joint 3, with the meat
and/or respective skin in the area of the center joint 3
being possibly stripped off before. Furthermore, FIG. 15
shows the cutting paths of the first cutting means 2 and
the second cutting means 4. Both the center joint 3 and the
end joint 5 and the end portion 6 are removed, resulting in
the intermediate product shown in FIG. 16. The holding
device with strips 22 and 23 serves as the first pressure
plate 10. A second pressure plate 11 is placed thereagainst
and, as shown in FIG. 17, pressed forwardly. As a result,
the bone is fixed, so that the pushing means 12 to 14 can
subsequently be moved closer and, as illustrated in FIG.
18, can be pressed entirely through the pressure plates 10,
11 and the meat. Bones 7 to 9 are thereby removed entirely.
The method as depicted in FIGS. 13 to 18 (together with the
associated device) differs from the illustration of FIGS. 1
to 12 in that both parts of the wings are held and
processed simultaneously.
FIG. 19 is a top view of a simplified illustration of
another embodiment of the device of the invention, the
first cutting means 2 having arranged in parallel therewith
the second cutting means 4. The latter is movable along a
cutting line 25 so as to sever the end joint 5 and the end
portion 6. FIG. 19 does not show the possible pushing back
or stripping off of meat and/or skin parts.
FIGS. 20 to 28 illustrate another embodiment of the
invention with reference to the boning of a leg, for
16
Zl25~
instance, of a chicken. Like parts have been provided with
like reference numerals as in the preceding embodiments.
FIG. 20 is a diagrammatic view of the leg of a chicken, the
leg comprising a center joint 3, femur 7 with an end joint
5, tibia 8 and fibula 9 with an end portion 6. FIG. 20
illustrates the initial position of the leg in the detached
state.
The bones are first aligned substantially in parallel with
one another for boning purposes (FIG. 21). Two pressure
plates, namely a first pressure plate lOa, shown in FIG. 21
in the upper part, and a second pressure plate 11 are moved
close thereto and, as shown by the arrow, moved relative to
each other. The second pressure plate 11 is provided with a
recess 28 whose size is dimensioned such that, as
subsequently described in connection with FIG. 25, the
center joint 3 can be passed through recess 28 while the
meat and/or skin disposed in the area of the center joint 3
are stripped off, so that joint 3 is substantially exposed.
The first pressure plate lOa is provided with two recesses
29 and 30 whose size is dimensioned such that the end joint
5 or the end joint portion 6 can be pushed through the
recesses, whereby meat and skin, repectively, can be
stripped off.
FIG. 22 illustrates the next working step in which the two
plates lOa and 11 have been moved towards one another, with
the end joint 5 and the end portion 6 being pushed through
recesses 29 and 30. The end joint 5 and the end portion 6
~'~ 2l26~63
can now be severed in parallel with pressure plate lOa.
After the pressure plate lOa has been removed, one obtains
a state as is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 23.
In a next working step illustrated in FIG. 24, another
first pressure plate 10 that is provided with recesses 31
and 32 is brought closer. Recess 31 is dimensioned such
that femur 7 can be moved therethrough while recess 32 is
designed such that tibia and fibula are jointly pushable
through recess 32. Recesses 31 and 32 are closed by closing
elements 33 and 34.
When pressure plates 10 and 11 are brought closer to one
another (see the arrow in FIG. 24), bones 7, 8 and 9 are
each pressed into recess 31 and 32, respectively, and rest
on closure elements 33 and 34 (see FIG. 25). Upon further
movement of the two pressure plates 10 and 11 towards one
another, the center joint 3 is pressed through recess 28.
The pressure plate 11 with recess 28 serves as a die plate,
with the skin and meat being stripped off in the area of
the center joint 3, as already mentioned, and remaining
between the two plates 10 and 11. The center joint 3 can
subsequently be separated by means of a saw or a knife,
resulting in the state shown in FIG. 26.
In another working step, pushing means 26 and 27 are now
moved towards the second pressure plate 11 while the
closing elements 33 and 34 simultaneously release recesses
31 and 32. This state is illustrated in FIG. 27.
2l~6~6~
In a subsequent working step the pushing means 26 and 27
are pushed through recess 28, with the size and arrangement
of the pushing means 26 and 27 being chosen such that bones
7, 8 and 9 are ejected through recesses 31 and 32,
respectively.
As shown in FIG. 28, an entirely boned piece of meat
consequently remains between the two pressure plates 10 and
11. After the pushing means 26 and 27 have been moved back
and the pressure plates 10 and 11 have been moved apart,
the piece of meat can be removed.
It follows from the above description that each of the
bones is pushed out or ejected such that complete boning is
ensured. Any subsequent processing is not required.
The embodiments illustrate that the invention can be used
in a universal manner for boning limbs. Legs and wings of
poultry can be boned just as well as the limbs of other
animals, such as rabbits, sheep, etc.
The invention is not limited to the illustrated
embodiments. Rather, there are many possible alterations
and modifications within the scope of the invention.
To sum up, the following should be noted:
The present invention relates to a device and a method with
the following working steps:
- holding the limbs (1) to be boned;
19
2t26 ~ fi '~
severing the center joint (3), including the tendons
adhering thereto;
severing the end joint portion (5) and/or the end
portion (6), including the tendons adhering thereto;
clamping limb (1) between a first pressure plate
(lO) and a second pressure plate (11),
pressing the meat of limb (1) between the pressure
plates (10, 11) and partly pushing out the at least
one bone (7, 8, 9) through the pressure plate;
and
ejecting the at least one bone (7, 8, 9) with the
aid of a pushing means (12, 13, 14). (FIG. 17).
