GB1335637A - Classifying method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1335637 Measuring and sorting poultry carcasses W R GRACE & CO 4 Feb 1972 5348/72 Heading G1M The carcasses of fowls are fed by a conveyor 11, Fig.1, to a faster moving conveyor 14 which directs each fowl beneath a mechanism 17 having a blade 21 pivoted at 24 and connected to a crank 25 and a rod 26 moving a slider 22. The breast bone of the fowl passing beneath the blade 21 pivots it an amount depending upon the height of the bone and thus pivotal movement causes the con rod and slider 22 to move a distance related to the bone height and operate one of a number of pulse air switches 31-36. According to which switch is operated a gravity sorting or classifying chute 13 is pivoted to one side or another by means of pistons 55, 57, Fig.3 and bolted together cylinders 53, 54, operated by an air circuit as in Fig.4 (not shown) which was opened by the pulse air switch and later supplied with air by the carcase moving a further deflection member 41. A deflecting plate 74 is actuated by the fowl passing through the chute and signals the exit of the product. The plate 74 also actuates an air venting switch 75 which returns the air circuit in preparation to index another fowl into one or another packaging channels. As there are only three positions for the chute but possibly six pulse switches 31-36 then the air line (62), (65) (67) Fig. 2 (not shown) may be reconnected to any combination of the fittings (81-86) to obtain different classifications.