US1727352A - Fowl-plucking machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 10, 1929. P. A. McTERNEY 1,727,352

FOWL PLUCKING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet -l E m I vzvfok PEEC/ mud/7 Tee/vs) 2 4 TTORNEY Sept. 10, 1929. P. A. M TERNEY FOWL PLUCKING MACHINE Filed April 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTO u Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

PEROIVAL A. MOTEBNEY, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

FOWL-PLUGKING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1928.

This invention relates to plucking devices and has more special reference to devices for removing the feathers from poultry.

Comprehensivel stated, the invention comprises relative y moving members having slots adapted to be brought intoregistry with each other and mechanism for moving the object to be plucked relatively to these slots.

More specifically stated, the invention comprises concentric cylindershaving longitudinally disposed slots, the cylinders moving relatively to each other and with a vacuum producing chamber or jacket surrounding one of these cylinders so as to produce an outward current of air through the slots of the cylinders when they come into registry with each other to suck the feathers into said slots whereby the feathers are caught between the edges of the relatively moving slots and removed.

In the drawings accompanying this specification one embodiment of the invention is shown although it is to be understood such embodiment is merely for the purpose of affording a clear understanding of the underlying principles of the invention without limiting the invention to the specific details shown therein.

In said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention partly fragmentary.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the outer cylinder. 1

Fig. at is a vertical section of the inner cylinder.

Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 1 at right angles to the longitudinal axis.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section of a portion of the slots of the cylinders shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 7 is a' side elevation of a modification also partly fragmentary.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view of the construction shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view of the vacuum chamber and plucking members of the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Referringmore specifically to the drawings,

and more especially to Figs. 1 to 6, a cylindri- Serial No. 270,893.

cal member indicated in its entirety by A comprises preferably an annular vacuum jacket A having an outlet A, leading to any con venient form of suction producing apparatus which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. One end of the cylinder A may be and preferably is provided with a cover D for permitting the object to be placed in an inner cylinder and to close the end of the outer cylinder A when theobject is in place so that an appreciable vacuum ma be produced in the jacket A and within t e device. The inner cylindrical wall of the jacket A in the specific embodiment illustrated, forms a stationary cylinder indicated in its entirety by B, has a plurality of longitudinally disposed openings E each of which may be provided with a comb edge F on one side thereof, although the comb edge is not absolutely essential. This stationary cylinder B has a sleeve E supported in a suitable bracket. Concentrically mounted within the cylinder B is a second or inner cylinder G having a plurality of longitudinally disposed openings or slots 'H, preferably provided with comb edges H, the comb edges not being absolutely essential but if used, being oppositely disposed the comb edge F of the outer cylinder so that when the inner cylinder is rotated relatively to the stationary outer cylinder the feathers may be caught between the oppositely pointed combs, the feathers also partly wedging in the interstices between adjacent teeth.

The inner cylinder G has a sleeve G extending from one end and journalled in the sleeve E of the cylinder B. The sleeve G of the inner cylinder is suitably rotated in any convenient manner as for example, by the pulley' K which may be keyed to the sleeve G in any suitable manner.

In order to afford means for moving the object from one end of the cylinder to the other and thus move it relatively to the slots, a helical conveyor L is carried by a suitable journal or axle journalled in the sleeve G and which is driven in any convenient manner as for example by the pulley wheel J.

In using the device the cover D is removed, the object placed at one end of the conveyor L and is carried bythe conveyor in a lateral direction from one end of the cylinder G to the other when the pulley J is rotated. The object may be carried back and forth in the cylinder by reversing the direction of rotation of the pulley J and the conveyor L as will be readily understood and as will be more fully explained in connection with the description of Figs. 7 to 9. The inner cylinder Gris simultaneously rotated tumbling the object some what around in the cylinder so as to present I new surfaces of'the object in the region of the .stri1ction to a great extent.

chamber P has an outlet P connected to 9,

slots H. -This tumbling is efiected because the grip of the feathers during the plucking step will jerk the body of the fowl around slightly as will the movement of the cylinder. When the slot H of the rotating cylinder comes in registry with slot E of the inner wall of cylinder B the air suction created through the registering slots pulls the feathers into the slots H and E and the further rotation of the cylinder and its slot H relatively to the cylinder B and its slot E forces the feathers projecting into the slots out and into the vacuum. chamber A. Eventually they pass into outlet A". The vacuum chamber A may of course be provided with an opening to permit the removal of feathers which have not been drawn into the outlet A.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 8 and 9, a cylindrical member M similar to the cylindrical member A shown in Fig. 1 has a hinged door N. The member M has a similar internal arrangement of concentric cylinders similar to the cylinders E and H as shown in Fig. 2. However, instead of a concentric vacuum chamber such as A as shown in Fig. 2 entirely jacketing the member M, the vacuum chamber P is located at the bottom of the cylinder M, thereby simplifying the con- The vacuum vacuum producing member or blower Q, the vacuum producing member Q in turn being driven by a motor R or other suitable drive member. The motor R also drives a worm gear R. A reducing gear S engages the worm gear and has a pinion S keyed thereto in any suitable manner. The pinion S drives the gear V which is in turn secured to the sleeve G of the inner cylinder which is similar to the cylinder H. The shaft carrying pinion S also operates a bell crank or rocker arm arrangement T which rocks a gear T which in turn rotates a pinion U in opposite directions as will be readily understood. The pinion U is keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft of the helical conveyer L and the purpose of the rocker gear arrangement is to rotate the conveyer L in one direction a predetermined number of revolutions and then to reverse its direction so that the object introduced into the inner cylinder of chamber M will be moved backwards and forwards in a longitudinal direction.

Instead of the feathers being caught between opposed comb teeth of the concentric cylinders as shown in Fig. 2, a modified arrangement is shown in Fig. 9 in the formof V a swinging plate Y pressed by the spring Z in an upward direction so as to strike the edge W of the inner cylinder G. The member Y is normally in the position shown in Fig. 9 and when the inner cylinder is rotated in the direction of the arrow the edge \V of the inner cylinder strikes the plate Y and clamps the feathers between the face 1V and the face of the plate Y. The further movement of the inner cylinder pushes the plate Y backward about its pivot point Y until it slides off the face l/V and permits the inner cylinder to continue its rotation. The outer cylinder in this figure is designated X and corresponds to the wall E of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and has a wall X forming the vacuum chamber P.

When tumbling is mentioned in the claims an irregular movement which is largely determined by chance, is meant.

It'is claimed 1. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining plucking mechanism with means comprising a rotary conveyor to move the object relatively to the plucking mechanism and means to raise the feathers from the body of the fowl to a position where they may be plucked.

2. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining feat-her gripping means, a hollow member to receive the object to be plucked within it having a slot and means to create a draft of air outwardly through said slot.

3. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a plurality of cylinders one of which is adapted to receive the object to be plucked within it, each having a slot and means to move one of the cylinders relatively to another.

Y 4. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a hollow moving member adapted to receive the object to be plucked within it, having a slot edge and yielding means adapted to be struck by the edge of said slot on movement of the member to grip the feathers between the edge and the yielding means.

5. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a movable guiding element on which the object to be plucked is adapted to rest, the movable element having a slot and a stationary element having a slot, the slot of the movable element being adapted to be brought into registry with the slot of the stationary element and means for forcing the feathers into the slots when they are in registry.

6. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining guiding element on which the object to be plucked is adapted to rest, the element having a slot and a second element having a slot, the slot of the first element being adapted to be brought into registry with the slot of the second element and means for forcing the feathers into the slots when they are in registry.

7. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combinin a movable guiding element on which the object to be plucked is adapted to rest, the movable element having a slot and a stationary element having a slot, the slot of the movable element being adapted to be brought into registry with the slot of the stationary element and means for forcing the feathers into the slots when they are in registry.

8. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining fowl plucking mechanism combining a stationary element and a movable element on which the object to be plucked is adapted to rest, the movable element having a slot and sliding over the stationary element and means for forcing the feathers into the slots when they are in registry.

9. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a hollow moving member adapted to contain the body to be plucked having a slot edge and a hinged member adapted to be struck by the edge of said slot on movement of the member.

10. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a hollow member in which the object is adapted to be placed, the hollow member having an opening, means to create an air draft through said opening and feather gripping means adapted to coact with the opening in the hollow member.

11. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl which comprises a movable memher having an edge, a second member having an edge, the edge of the first named member striking the edge of the second member to clamp the feathers between the edges and means for the second member to permit the edge of the second member to slide in a sidewise direction relatively to the edge of the first named member to change the plane of the two members.

12. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining feather gripping means, a confining member for supporting the object to be plucked along which said object may slide freely, said member having an opening near its bottom so that the object will normally slide to a position adjacent to the opening, means to pull the feathers into the opening where they may be gripped by the gripping means and means to move said object relatively to the confining member.

13. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a rotating cylinder having a slot, the cylinder being adapted to re- .ceive the object Within it, means to rotate the cylinder so that the slot will intermittent ly pass in close proximity with the object, and npeans to cause the feathers to project into the s 0t.

14:. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a feather gripping means, a surface on which the object rests, means to move the object relatively to the gripping means, and means to raise the feathers to a device where they may be gripped by the gripping means, the feather gripping means when in feather gripping position lying in a constant plane.

15. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl combining a member on which the fowl is adapted to rest, said member having an opening into which only the feathers are adapted to protrude, means to grip the protruding feathers and means to move the ob ject to be plucked relatively to the plucking mechanism.

16. A device for plucking the feathers from fowl, combining gripping means, an arcuate confining member along which the object may freely slide and having an opening near the bottom so that the object will normal- 1y take a position adjacent to the opening, and means to pull the feathers into the opening where they may be gripped by the gripping means.

17. A fowl plucking device combining a pair of members adapted to come together so as to clamp the feathers between them, means to raise the feathers to a position where they may be gripped, means for supporting the fowl and means whereby the gripping means may operate on different portions of the fowl,

the gripping position of the gripping means being invariable with respect to the supporting means.

18. A fowl plucking device combining feather grippin means, means to support the object to be pluc (ed, means whereby the gripping means may operate on different portions of the fowl, the last named means compre hending a pusher member adapted to bear against the object and means to raise the feathers to a position where they may be gripped.

19. A plucking device combining feather gripping means, means to raise the feathers to a position where they may be gripped and means to tumble the object around whereby the gripping means may grip the feathers on different portions of the object.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 31st day of March, 1928.

PERCIVAL A. MoTERNEY.

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