US-20260123638-A1 - EQUIPMENT AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING POULTRY PARTS

Abstract

The present invention refers to an equipment ( 30 ) and a method for processing poultry parts ( 14 a, 14 b, 14 c ). The equipment ( 30 ) comprising: —a conveyor belt ( 11 ) comprising; a plurality of recesses ( 12 a, 12 b, 12 c ), each recess ( 12 a, 12 b, 12 c ) being configured to receive a proximal part ( 13 a, 13 b, 13 c ) of the poultry part ( 14 a, 14 b, 14 c ), while allowing for a distal part of the poultry parts ( 14 a, 14 b, 14 c ) to be processed, to remain free; the distal part of the poultry parts ( 14 a, 14 b, 14 c ) being processed by a set of bristles ( 21 ) associated with a rotative axis ( 22 ).

Inventors

• Sérgio Renato Martins Pereira
• Bruno Luis Lise

Assignees

• John Bean Technologies Máquinas e Equipamentos Industriais Ltda.

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251110

Priority Date

20220106

Claims (20)

1. 1 . Equipment for processing poultry parts comprising: a longitudinal conveyor belt moving relative to the scrubbing device, comprising: a plurality of recesses carried by the conveyor belt, each recess being configured to receive a proximal part of the poultry part in an orientation transverse to the length of the conveyor belt, while allowing for a distal part of the poultry parts to be processed, to remain free to be processed by the scrubbing device; and a support associated with the recesses to support and retain the poultry part within the recess.
2. 2 . The equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a stabilizer bar positioned in contiguity with the proximal part and resiliently pressed against the proximal part.
3. 3 . (canceled)
4. 4 . The equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the set of bristles is made of polyamide 6 and has bactericidal properties.
5. 5 - 6 . (canceled)
6. 7 . The equipment according to claim 1 , further comprising a first set of sprinkle nozzles directed at the plurality of recesses and configured to sanitize the plurality of recesses.
7. 8 . The equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprising a stabilizer chain associated with the equipment by means of rotative axes.
8. 9 . The equipment according to claim 8 , wherein the stabilizer chain comprising teeth configured to extend radially outwards and being positioned in contiguity with the section of the free distal part.
9. 10 . The equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the distance of the scrubbing device and the stabilizer in relation to the free distal parts and the proximal parts, respectively, is adjustable.
10. 11 . (canceled)
11. 12 . The equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprising a tongue associated with each recess for supporting the distal part of the poultry part.
12. 13 . The equipment according to claim 12 , wherein the tongue is slidably received in a slot formed in and extending horizontally through the recess.
13. 14 . The equipment according to claim 13 , wherein the tongue comprises a tab at one end for receiving a pin emerging from a track formed in the conveyor belt.
14. 15 . The equipment according to claim 14 , wherein the tongue is selectively retractable and extendable by the interaction between the tab and a shape of the track.
15. 16 . (canceled)
16. 17 . The equipment according to claim 12 , wherein each recess comprises a receiving channel to receive the proximal part of the poultry part the channel flaring outwardly in a direction away from the scrubbing device and defining a lead-in to the channel.
17. 18 . The equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the support comprises a stabilizer chain comprising links positioned in contiguity with the proximal part of the poultry parts.
18. 19 . (canceled)
19. 20 . The equipment according to claim 18 , wherein each link of the stabilizer chain has a channel portion having a flared region corresponding, respectively, to a receiving channel and a lead-in of each recess.
20. 21 . The equipment according to claim 18 , wherein at least one snubber is provided in each link for holding the proximal part of the poultry part when the links of the stabilizer chain and the recesses mate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/725,924, filed Jul. 1, 2024, which is a National Stage Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/BR2023/050003, filed Jan. 5, 2023, which claims priority to Brazilian Application No. 102022000222-3, filed Jan. 6, 2022, each of which applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention refers, in a general manner, to an equipment configured for processing poultry cuts in a poultry processing line. In particular, the present invention relates to a modular equipment capable of processing poultry paws by means of the removal of the tissue affected by pododermatitis. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The contact dermatitis, or contact eczema, is a cutaneous disease that manifests as an inflammatory reaction of the skin caused by direct contact with an external agent having allergenic or irritant potential. Specifically in veterinary practice, the contact dermatitis which affects the distal part of the paws (feet) of the animals, such as the footpad and at times the digital pads is called contact pododermatitis. The pododermatitis is one of a group of dermatoses that are frequently diagnosed in animals. In broiler chickens, the etiology suggests that this cutaneous disease can also be connected to the genetic selection by poultry farmers for broiler chickens that present a high rate of growth and weight gain, to the deficiencies in the nutrition of these animals, the housing conditions of these animals, among other factors that can directly affect the immunologic system of the broiler chickens, making them more susceptible to the development not only of pododermatitis, but also of other diseases. Regarding the housing conditions, it is observed that in an intensive farming system of broiler chickens wherein there is a high population density of birds, allied to bad ventilation practices and bad conditions for handling the bedding used in these breeding places, there is an environment that is propitious for the animals to be in direct contact with a humid bed deteriorated with compounds originating from the uric acid excreted in the urine and feces of these animals. For this reason, the contact pododermatitis is known as ammonia burn, since the direct contact of these animals with said caustic compounds causes irritation of the skin and consequently, the development of an inflammatory response. This inflammatory response can manifest in its initial phase as erythema, capable of evolving to skin hyperkeratosis. For this reason, the contact pododermatitis is also commonly called paw callus, which in its more severe form can cause rupture of the animal's skin, presenting ulcerative wounds which create an entry door for bacterial infections, particularly by the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria when the wound is in contact with fecal material. In this case, the pododermatitis can evolve to limb necrosis. Thus, the contact pododermatitis in broiler chickens is a disease that can cause severe financial losses to the avian farmer, since its ulcerative phase is responsible for the deterioration of the animal's well-being, making it difficult to move and consequently, the ideal weight gain for slaughter. As regards the current livestock market, China and a large part of Southeast Asia are the main importers and consumers of poultry paws for Brazilian livestock activity. The exported supply is submitted to sanitary norms and current quality standards. In this sense, it is a common practice of the avian market to assess the quality of the poultry paws in basically three classes: Class A: Those that, when submitted to visual inspection do not present any type of abrasion and are considered fit for human consumption;Class B: Those that, when submitted to visual inspection present light and moderate abrasions, but are still considered fit for human consumption, despite there being depreciation of the commercial value thereof; andClass C: Those that, when submitted to visual inspection present severe damages, being characterized as unfit for human consumption, and normally destined to rendering plants. In this sense, there are several solutions presented in the state of the art of the avian industry which aim at the processing of poultry paws to remove tissue damaged by pododermatitis through the epidermal scarification of the affected area, to add more commercial value to the B and C class cuts. A common practice can be verified from FIG. 1, which discloses a method and equipment to scarify poultry paws affected by pododermatitis. The equipment disclosed by FIG. 1 consists in a rotating abrasive material, confined in a protective box having slots for access to the abrasive material. This equipment further comprises an emergency stop button. Despite comprising an emergency stop button, the equipment of the state of the art disclosed by FIG