TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to poultry processing equipment and methods and more particularly to the automated removal of a knee cap from the meat of a poultry part such as, but not limited to, a previously deboned chicken thigh.

BACKGROUND

Thigh deboning machines for poultry processing lines are used to remove the thigh bone or femur from inside the thigh meat to produce a boneless chicken product. In one example of such a machine, poultry thighs are aligned between a rubber diaphragm with a central opening and a pusher rod. The pusher rod is caused to extend toward and possibly through the opening in the diaphragm. This pushes the thigh bone through the opening and the edges of the opening act to strip the meat from the bone as the bone moves through the diaphragm. The result is a piece of boneless thigh meat, which is desirable among the consuming public.

Although automated thigh deboning machines can successfully and cleanly strip thigh meat from a thigh bone, the knee cap of the poultry and associated tendons, cartilage, and other inedible tissue remain attached to the deboned thigh meat. This material must be removed from the thigh meat before the meat is sold to the public. In the past, this generally has been accomplished by human workers who, using sharp knives, stand along the poultry processing line and manually cut away the knee caps and tissue from previously deboned poultry thighs. Unfortunately, this manual step is expensive in human capital, is inconsistent from person to person and shift to shift, usually requires a number of employees to keep up with the line speed of the processing line, and is subject to human error and oversight. A need exists for an apparatus and method of removing the knee cap from deboned thigh meat that is mostly automated and is fast, consistent, and takes the place of at least some human workers on the line. It is to the provision of such an apparatus and method that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY

Briefly described, an apparatus for removing the knee cap from poultry thighs such as previously deboned chicken thighs can include a plurality of plates arranged to move in sequence along a processing line. Each plate has an aperture formed therethrough and the apertures are sized such that the knee cap and surrounding tissue of a deboned poultry thigh can fit through the aperture. A plunger is associated with each plate and includes a tip that has a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the aperture formed in the corresponding plate. Accordingly, the tip of each plunger is extendable through the aperture of the plate. In one embodiment, the aperture is circular and the tips of the plungers are cylindrical. Each plunger can be articulated by a cam or other mechanism to move the tip of the plunger between a second position spaced away from the aperture and a second position extending into the aperture.

In use, a worker loads poultry thighs onto corresponding plates of the apparatus as the plates are carried past the worker along the processing path. Each poultry thigh is positioned and oriented by the worker such that the knee cap and related inedible tissue is aligned with and may extend partially into the aperture in the plate. Downstream of the worker, the plunger associated with each plate is engaged by a cam surface, which causes the tip of the plunger to move to its second position extending into and through the aperture in the plate. This, in turn, pushes the knee cap and associated tissue through the aperture until they project from and are exposed on the opposite side of the plate. Each plate then passes a rotating knife blade, which severs the projecting knee cap and tissue from the thigh meat allowing it to fall away for collection. Further downstream, each plunger is articulated to cause its tip to retract from the aperture and move to its second position spaced away from the aperture, leaving the thigh meat with knee cap and tissue removed resting on the plate. A sweep arm may then sweep the meat onto a conveyor, which moves it further along the line for further processing, packaging, or the like. The plate is then ready for reloading in a subsequent processing cycle.

More in particular the invention provides a method of removing a knee cap from meat of a poultry part that includes the knee cap attached to meat. This method comprises the steps of: (a) aligning the knee cap of the poultry part with an aperture in a plate; (b) urging the knee cap through the aperture until at least a portion of the knee cap protrudes from the aperture on an opposite side of the plate; (c) severing the protruding knee cap from the poultry part; and (d) collecting the meat of the poultry part from which the knee cap has been removed.

When the poultry part is a deboned poultry part, such as a deboned thigh, the knee cap is aligned with an aperture sized to receive the knee cap, and the knee cap is pressed through the aperture to expose the knee cap on an opposite side of the aperture. The exposed knee cap is then subsequently severed from the deboned poultry thigh.

When the poultry part further includes a bone associated with the knee cap, with meat partly separated from the bone, the step (a) of aligning includes inserting the bone with the knee cap through the aperture in the plate, the step (b) of urging includes urging the bone and the associated knee cap to extend through the aperture in the plate until the bone and at least a portion of the knee cap protrudes from the aperture on an opposite side of the plate, and the step (c) of severing the knee cap includes severing the knee cap together with the protruding bone.

The invention further provides an apparatus for removing a knee cap from a poultry part including the knee cap attached to meat, the apparatus comprising: at least one bay comprising a plate with an aperture formed therethrough, the plate being arranged such that the poultry part can be located against the plate with the knee cap of the poultry part substantially aligned with the aperture; a plunger associated with the at least one plate, the plunger having a plunger tip sized to move through the aperture in the plate; a mechanism for selectively moving the plunger tip between a first position spaced away from the aperture and a second position extending into the aperture; the mechanism moving the plunger tip to its first position for locating a poultry part against the plate and moving the plunger tip to its second position after the poultry part is located against the plate to urge the knee cap through the aperture until it protrudes from the other side of the plate; and a blade on the other side of the plate arranged to sever the protruding knee cap from the poultry part.

The apparatus when used in conjunction with a poultry part that further includes a bone associated with the knee cap, with meat partly separated from the bone of the poultry part, has its at least one plate arranged such that the poultry part can be located against the plate with the bone substantially aligned with and inserted through the aperture. The mechanism for moving the plunger tip from its first position to its second position is then adapted to urge the bone through the aperture until at least a portion of the associated knee cap also protrudes from the other side of the plate, and a cutting blade on the other side of the plate is arranged to sever the protruding bone and associated knee cap from the meat part.

The apparatus, whether arranged for removing knee caps or knee caps associated with bones from a plurality of poultry parts, advantageously can also comprise: a plurality of bays for receiving poultry parts; and a mechanism for moving the plurality of bays in side-by-side relationship in a processing direction. In this version of apparatus each bay may comprise a plate having an aperture formed therethrough and a plunger assembly associate with the plate. The aperture being sized to receive a knee cap of a poultry part resting on the plate, and each plunger assembly includes a plunger tip sized to be received through the aperture. Each plunger assembly including a cam follower configured to move the plunger tip between the first position and the second position upon engagement of the cam follower with a cam located along the processing path. The plunger tip is arranged for pressing a knee cap of a poultry part resting on the plate through the aperture to expose the knee cap on an opposite side of the plate, and the cutting blade is in the form of a knife located on the opposite side of the plates and positioned to sever the exposed knee cap from the poultry part as each bay passes the knife.

Thus, an automated method and apparatus are now disclosed that address the above discussed needs and others associated with the removal of the knee cap and related inedible tissue from a poultry thigh. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus and method of the invention will be better appreciated by the skilled artisan upon review of the detailed description set forth below taken in conjunction with the

accompanying drawing figures, which are briefly described as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus that embodies principles of the disclosed invention in one preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the many bays of the apparatus of Fig. 1 showing one embodiment of a plate and plunger assembly with the tip of the plunger retracted away from the aperture of the plate.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the station of Fig. 2 showing the plunger articulated to extend the tip of the plunger through the aperture in the plate.

Figs. 4a - 4c is a sequence of images viewed from the end of the plate of Figs. 2 and 3 illustrating the operation of the apparatus of this disclosure to remove the knee cap and related tissue from a deboned poultry thigh. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of an apparatus for removing knee caps from poultry thighs according to the disclosure.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 5 illustrating the cam followers of the plungers engaging with a cam to force the tips of the plungers through the apertures of plates below.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of a rotating blade located on the bottom sides of the plates of the apparatus of Fig. 5 and ahgned with the apertures of the plates to slice off knee caps and associated tissue pressed by the tips of the plungers through the apertures of the plates.

Fig. 8 shows a piece of thigh meat located beside a knee cap and related inedible tissue that has been severed from the thigh meat according to the invention.

Fig. 9 shows a partial transverse cross section of a plate and plunger assembly similar to those of Fig. 5, but in use with a boned poultry part.

Fig. 10 is a partial perspective view of the further modification of

Fig. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The leg of poultry such as a chicken includes a thigh bone or Femur movably coupled to a leg bone or Tibia at the knee. Meat surrounds the Femur and Tibia and a knee cap is located over the coupled ends of the bones. Various ligaments and other inedible tissue are associated with the knee cap. In a typical automated thigh deboning operation or whole leg deboning operation, the thigh bone usually is separated from the meat of the thigh by pushing the bone through a stripper disc or other device. This strips the thigh meat from the thigh bone, allowing the thigh bone to drop into a collection bin. Such automatic deboning methods and apparatus are well known in the art, and examples are described in patent documents US 5277649, US 5401210, and US 6699116. However, the knee cap and its associated tissue remain attached to the stripped away meat and must be removed. The apparatus and method of this invention accomplishes this, as detailed below.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, wherein like reference numeral where appropriate indicate like parts throughout the several views, Fig. 1 illustrates a poultry processing station or apparatus that embodies principles of the invention. The apparatus 11 includes a linear conveyor 12 that moves in a downstream processing direction D past one or more workers 15. The conveyor carries poultry thighs 13 that have previously been deboned at another processing station such as a thigh deboner or a whole leg deboner as discussed above. The deboned thighs 13 comprise thigh meat with the inedible knee cap and associated tendons and tissue 14 still attached to the meat as described above. The apparatus 11 further comprises a plurality of individual bays 16 attached in a known manner to an endless conveyor such that the bays move sequentially as indicated by arrows 17 first along a processing path in the downstream direction D past the workers 15 thence along a return path in the upstream direction U for a subsequent cycle.

As described in more detail below, each of the individual bays 16 includes a plate 18 having an aperture 19 formed therethrough. A plunger assembly 21 is associated with each of the plates and, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, includes a pivoting arm 22 having a plunger tip 24 (Fig. 2) attached at an end of the arm overlying the plate and a cam follower mounted to the opposite end of the pivoting arm. The plunger tip is aligned with respect to the aperture in its corresponding plate in such a way that when the pivoting arm 22 pivots toward the plate 18, the plunger tip is guided into and at least partially through the aperture 19 in the plate. Conversely, when the pivoting arm 22 is pivoted away from the plate 18, the plunger tip is moved out of and away from the aperture 19. A cam 26 is disposed along the processing path downstream of the workers 15. The cam 26 is positioned and configured such that the cam followers 23 of the bays engage the cam 26 as the bays move past the cam. The cam followers 23 follow the cam 26 in such a way as to cause the pivoting arms 22 of the bays to pivot toward the plates of their

corresponding bays to move the plunger tips of the arms into and at least partially through the apertures of their respective plates. As the bays move beyond the cam surface 26, the pivoting arms pivot away from their plates to move the plunger tips out of and away from the apertures. Accordingly, the pivoting arms are configured to move the plunger tips between second positions extending into and at least partially through their corresponding apertures and second position spaced away from their corresponding apertures.

In operation, workers 15 remove the deboned thighs 13 from the passing linear conveyor and position or load each thigh on the plate 18 of one of the bays 16 with the knee cap and associated tissue 14 aligned with and extending partially into the aperture of the plate. The knee caps may be pressed partially into the apertures by the workers as they load the thighs onto the bays. As each of the loaded bays moves downstream past the cam surface 26, engagement of its cam follower 23 with the cam 26 causes the pivoting arm to pivot and thereby move the plunger tip of the bay to its second position extending into the aperture. This, in turn, presses the knee cap and associated tissue of the deboned thigh through the aperture until it projects or protrudes from the bottom of the plate.

With the plunger tip holding the knee cap and tissue in this protruding and exposed position, the bay moves past a rotating knife 41 (Fig. 4b) located below the moving bays and aligned with the apertures thereof. The knife slices off the protruding knee cap and tissue, which falls away to be collected and/or further processed. Each loaded bay then moves beyond the cam surface 26 and the pivoting arm pivots away from its plate to withdraw the plunger tip from the aperture and move it to its second position spaced away from the plate. Each bay then passes a sweep 27, which rakes the deboned thighs with knee caps and associated tissue now removed back onto the conveyor 12, which conveys them downstream for further processing.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective of one of the bays of the station according to an embodiment of the invention. The bay 16 includes a plate 18 preferably made of stainless steel or another non-corrosive material. An aperture 19 is formed through the plate 18 at a central location. The aperture 19 is circular in this embodiment, but may be any other

appropriate shape such as oval, square, triangular, or otherwise, all within the scope of the invention. The aperture is sized such that the knee cap and associated tendons and other inedible tissue can be pressed relatively easily and substantially completely through the aperture. For processing chicken thighs, for example, it has been found that an aperture with a diameter between about 1 cm and 5 cm and more particularly about 2.5 - 3 cm functions well in this regard. Clearly, different sized apertures are required for different types of poultry such as turkey, for example, which has larger knee caps than chickens. The plate 18 has an area that is sufficient to receive and support a deboned poultry thigh 13, which is indicated in phantom lines in Fig. 2. A thigh is placed on the plate 18 by a worker with the thigh meat supported by the plate and the still attached knee cap 14 and related tissue aligned with and preferably pressed partially through the aperture 19 in the plate 18.

In the embodiment of Fig. 2, a support 28 is attached to the back edge of the plate 18 and extends rearwardly to support a bracket 29 having spaced walls. A plunger arm 22 extends between the spaced walls of the bracket 29 and is pivotally connected to the bracket on a pivot pin 30 extending through the bracket and the plunger arm. Accordingly, the plunger arm 22 can pivot about the pivot pin 30 such that its ends move in the directions indicated by arrows 32 and 33 respectively. A plunger tip 24 is secured to the end of the pivot arm overlying the plate 18 and projects downwardly therefrom. The plunger tip 24, which is cylindrical in shape in this embodiment to match the shape of the aperture, is positioned and oriented on the pivot arm 22 such that when the pivot arm 22 pivots toward the plate 18, the plunger tip moves to a second position extending into and at least partially through the aperture 19 in the plate. The diameter of the plunger tip is less than the diameter of the aperture to define a clearance that allows the tip to pass through the aperture without becoming jammed by the tissue of a poultry thigh as it does so. It has been found that for processing chicken thighs, a clearance in the range of about 1 mm to about 5 mm functions well with a preferred clearance being about 2 -3 mm, although this is not limiting.

An axle 31 projects from the opposite end of the pivot arm 22 and is provided with a stop 40 at a predetermined location. A cam follower 23, which in this case is oblong or egg-shaped, is rotatably mounted on the axle 31 and is captured on the axle between the stop 40 and a retainer 44, fixed on the end of the axle 31. The cam follower 23 may be made of plastic or another appropriate material and preferable is freely rotatable about the axle 31. The pivoting arm 22 with cam follower and plunger tip is balanced such that in its normal condition, gravity maintains the plunger tip in its second position spaced away from the aperture as illustrated in Fig. 2. The pivoting arm also may be biased to this position by appropriate springs and the like as an alternative.

As detailed below, as the bay 16 moves in a downstream direction

D, the cam follower may encounter a ramped surface of a cam, which causes the cam follower to ride up the cam surface. This, in turn, pivots the pivoting arm 22 toward the plate 18 until the plunger tip 24 moves to its second position extending at least partially through the aperture 19. In doing so, the plunger tip presses the knee cap and related tissue substantially completely through the aperture until it protrudes through the aperture from the bottom of the plate in position to be sliced away with, for example, a rotating knife. When the knee cap is sliced off, the cam follower moves beyond the cam surface and the balancing of the pivoting arm causes the pivoting arm to pivot upwardly and move the plunger tip 22 to its second position spaced away from the plate 18 in preparation for reloading during a next cycle of operation.

Fig. 3 shows the bay 16 as it appears when the cam follower 23 has moved upwardly and onto a surface of a cam 26. It can be seen that this has caused the pivot arm 22 to pivot toward the plate 18 and the plunger tip 24 to press the knee cap and related tissue, which was aligned with the aperture by a worker, through the aperture. While not visible in Fig. 3, the knee cap and related tissue that is pressed through the aperture protrude downwardly and are exposed on the underside of the plate 18 to be sliced off as detailed below.

Figs. 4a through 4c are views from the outer edge of a bay 16 illustrating progressively the methodology of the present invention for removing a knee cap and related tissue from a deboned poultry thigh. In Fig. 4a, the bay, which has previously been loaded with a deboned thigh 13 having an attached knee cap aligned with the aperture 19, is seen moving from left to right in the direction indicated by arrow 36. The cam follower 23 is approaching the surface of a cam 26, up which the cam follower will ride to move the pivoting arm 22 downwardly toward the plate 18 of the bay as described. In Fig. 4b, the bay has moved further downstream in the direction of arrow 36 and the cam follower 23 has ridden up onto the top surface of the cam 26. This, in turn, has caused the plunger tip 24 to move to its second position extending at least partially through the aperture 19. In the process, the plunger tip 24 presses the knee cap 14 and related inedible tissue of the deboned thigh substantially completely through the aperture. This material protrudes from the aperture on the bottom side of the plate 18 as illustrated in Fig. 4b and approaches a rotating knife 41 to be sliced away from the meat of the thigh.

With the plunger tip 22 in place holding the knee cap and tissue 14, the bay passes the rotating knife, which cuts through the tissue near the aperture to slice the knee cap and its tissue from the remaining meat of the thigh. In Fig. 4c, the bay has moved beyond the rotating knife and the knee cap and tissue 14 has been sliced off and is seen falling away for collection and/or further processing. In the mean time, the cam follower 23 has just moved beyond the cam 26 and is dropping down under the influence of gravity to raise the pivoting arm 22 and thus retract the plunger tip 24 from the aperture 19 and move it to its second position spaced away from the aperture. The pivoting arm 22 eventually rises up to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the bay 16 is configured to be loaded with another deboned poultry thigh in a next cycle of the apparatus. As this occurs, the deboned thigh meat, now with knee cap and related inedible tissue cut away, may be removed from the plate 18 and collected or conveyed to a subsequent processing station as desired. In the preferred embodiment, this function is accomplished by a sweep arm (27 in Fig. 1) that rakes the thigh meat from the plates of the bays onto a waiting conveyor or collection bin.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. While the principle is the same as described above, the structure and function of this embodiment is different. Here, the apparatus 51 comprises a rotatable carrousel 52 driven by a motor and drive train (not shown) to rotate in the direction of arrow 63. A plurality of plates 53 are attached to and arrayed around the carrousel and each plate 53 has an aperture 54 extending therethrough. A pair of vertically spaced apart annular supports 56 is mounted to the carrousel 52 and rotates therewith. A plurality plunger assemblies 57 each have a sleeve 60 that extends between the spaced annular supports 56 at equally spaced intervals and the sleeves are secured to the annular supports. The sleeves 60 are each aligned directly above an aperture 54 of a corresponding underlying plate 53 and a plunger rod 58 is slidably disposed within each of the sleeves 60.

Each plunger rod 58 terminates in a plunger tip 59 that also is aligned with an aperture below. The plunger rods 58 can slide within their sleeves 60 in a vertical direction between a raised or second position wherein the plunger tips are spaced away from the apertures of their respective plates and a lowered or second position wherein the plunger tips extend into and at least partially through their respective apertures. A pin and slot arrangement 69 define the upper and lower limits of movement of the plunger rods. A spring 55 is disposed about each plunger rod between the upper annular support 56 and the top of the plunger rod and normally biases the plunger rods to their upward positions as shown in Fig. 5. Each plunger rod terminates at is upper extent in a rotating cam follower 61 oriented in the direction of rotation of the carrousel 52. A cam 62 is located at a predetermined location around the path of travel of the plunger rods and is positioned to be engaged by the cam followers 61.

Fig. 6 illustrates engagement of the cam followers 61 of the plunger rods 58 with the cam 62 to move the plunger rods downwardly until the plunger tips extend into and at least partially through the apertures of corresponding plates below. The cam 62 is seen to be shaped with a declining cam surface 70, a level cam surface 71, and an inclining cam surface 72. The carrousel moves in direction 79 in Fig. 6. As each plunger rod 58 approaches the cam 62, the cam follower 61 of the rod first engages and begins to follow the declining cam surface 70. This, in turn, causes the plunger rod 58 to begin to move downwardly against the bias of the spring 55 until the cam follower 61 reaches the level cam surface 71. At this point, the plunger tip at the other end of the plunger rod has moved to its second position extending into and at least partially through the aperture of its corresponding plate to press the knee cap and associated tissue of a thigh through the aperture as described above. While the plunger rod and tip are held in this position by the level surface 71 of the cam 62, a rotating knife 76 (Fig. 7) below the plates slices off the protruding knee cap and related tissue, which fall away. The cam follower 61 of the plunger rod then encounters and rides up the inclined cam surface 72, which allows the plunger rod to rise under the bias of its spring 55 until the plunger tip is located in its second position spaced away from its plate. The thigh meat still resting on the plate can then be removed by a sweep arm or other structure and collected for further processing.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view from beneath the plates 53 showing the rotating knife 76 for severing protruding knee caps and related tissue from a thigh. The rotating knife rotates in direction 79 (or the opposite direction) and is aligned beneath the plates 53 such that the apertures in the plates pass the rotating knife 76 as the plates move in direction 77. In the illustrated embodiment, a divider plate 74 is disposed beneath the plates and the blade of the rotating knife extends through a notch in the plate to its other side. In this way, when a protruding knee cap is sliced off upon encountering the knife, if falls on the opposite side of the divider plate for collection. The rotating knife is angled such that the edge of its blade passes close to the bottoms of the plates to ensure that

substantially all of the protruding knee cap and tissue are cut away upon encountering the rotating knife. In Fig. 8, a deboned thigh is shown next to a knee cap and associated tendons and tissue that has been removed from the thigh meat according to the invention. The thigh 80 is seen to comprise virtually all edible meat and the knee cap and related tissue 81 is cleanly sliced from the thigh meat, as indicated at 82.

While the previous examples have been described in reference to previously deboned chicken thighs, it is also possible to adapt these methods and apparatus to poultry parts that still include a bone in association with the knee cap. Then the meat of the poultry part has previously been separated from the bone, but the bone is still attached to the meat through its associated knee cap. Such poultry parts can also be obtained by the typical automated thigh deboning operation or whole leg deboning operation, if the meat at the meat stripping station is not completely removed from the bone. When suitably adjusted the afore noted automatic deboning methods and apparatus, such as those of patent documents US 5277649, US 5401210, and US 6699116, can interrupt the meat stripping operation before the meat is completely removed from the bone.

When the poultry part includes a bone associated with the knee cap the step of aligning the knee cap with the aperture in the plate is simplified by being preceded by inserting the bone through the aperture in the plate. Urging the knee cap to extend from a bottom of the aperture in the plate can then be accomplished in exactly the same manner and with exactly the same means as if with the poultry part that had only the knee cap attached to the meat, as described herein above. The cutting blade then severs the protruding bone together with the associated knee cap from the meat part.

A further modification of the embodiment of Fig. 5 is shown in the partial transverse cross section of Fig. 9 and illustrates the use with a boned poultry part. In the plate and plunger assembly of Fig. 9 a poultry part 91 is positioned including a bone 93 associated with a knee cap 95 and still attached to a meat part 97. The meat part 97 is already partly separated from the bone 93, but the bone 93 is still attached by the knee cap 95, to the meat part 97. As seen in Fig. 9 the bone 93 is inserted through an opening 101 in plate 103. The opening 101 is part of an insert 105 as will be further explained in reference to Fig. 10. Also shown in Fig. 9 is a plunger rod 107 which is held for vertical movement within a sleeve 109. The sleeve 109 being held between upper and lower rotatable support plates 111, 113. The plunger rod 107 at its lower end has a plunger tip 115 for pressing the knee cap 95 with the associated bone 93 to the lower side of the plate 103.

Vertical movement of the plunger rod 107 is limited by a pin 117 extending through an elongate slot 119 in the sleeve 109. A compression spring 121 urges the plunger rod 107 to an upper most position. An upper end of the plunger rod 107 is provided with a cam follower roller 123, which follows a cam track (not shown in Fig. 9, but similar to that shown in Fig. 6). This cam track urges the plunger rod 107 downward when the support plates, 111, 113 rotate with respect to the camtrack, which is stationary. With the plunger rod 107 and plunger tip 115 in a most downward position the bottom of the plate 103 also passes a rotating knife (not shown, but similar to that of Figs. 4b, 4c and 7), which rotating knife severs the protruding bone 93 together with the associated knee cap 95 from the meat part 97. After which the meat part 97 can be harvested.

The partial perspective view of Fig. 10 also relates to the further modification shown in Fig. 9. As shown in Figure 10 the plunger assembly including its plunger rod 107, sleeve 109 and cam follower roller 123 can be mounted on a carrousel, represented by the rotating support plates 111, 113. The carrousel of the Fig. 10 embodiment can be substantially smaller than that of the Fig. 5 embodiment, when the plates 103 (only one being shown in Fig. 10) are arranged on a separate conveyor, which coincides with the rotating plates 111, 113, only for a portion of its path of travel. In Fig. 10 the moment is illustrated when the aperture 101 in the plate 103 meets the plunger tip 115. At this point of time the poultry part, with or without bone, would already be placed in the plate 103 and be aligned with the opening 101 in as far as the knee cap and optionally the associated bone are concerned. However for clarity the poultry part is omitted from Fig. 10.

A further aspect of this embodiment is that the opening 101 has a shape different from round, in this case rectangular, which may assist in the positioning of certain poultry parts. Another aspect best seen in Fig. 10 is that the opening 101 is part of an insert 105, which is exchangeably mounted in the plate 103. The exchangeability of the insert 105 makes it possible to select from differently contoured apertures 101, depending on the job at hand. A still further aspect of the insert 105 shown in Fig. 10 is that the aperture 101 is also provided with a funnel collar 125, which

additionally may assist in aligning the knee cap and optionally the associated bone with respect to the aperture 101. For a further

understanding of the structure of Figs. 9 and 10 the reference numerals described in reference to Fig. 9 are also included in Figure 10.

Thus is described a method and apparatus for removing a knee cap or a bone comprising a knee cap from a poultry part, which may optionally have previously been deboned. An apparatus for performing the method includes a plurality of bays attached to an endless conveyor and movable by the conveyor in a processing direction. Each bay includes a plate sized to support meat of a poultry thigh and having an aperture formed therethrough for the knee cap and associated inedible tissue. A plunger assembly includes a plunger tip that can be moved selectively into and out of the aperture by a cam mechanism. Poultry parts are placed by workers on the plates as they move in the processing direction with the knee caps of the parts aligned with and pressed partially into the apertures. The cam mechanism then moves the plunger tip of each bay into its respective aperture to press the knee cap through the aperture, where it is severed by a rotating knife. The plunger tip is then withdrawn for a successive processing cycle.

The invention has been described herein in terms of preferred embodiments and methodologies considered by the inventors to represent the best mode of carrying out the invention. However, the illustrated and discussed embodiments are presented only as examples and the invention is not limited to these embodiments. A wide variety of additions, deletions, and modifications, both subtle and gross, might well be made to the illustrated embodiments by the skilled artisan without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. For instance, the invention is described in the context of removing a knee cap from a poultry part. However, the method and apparatus of the invention also may be applied to removing virtually any difficult-to-remove bones from poultry and indeed from other meets such as pork, beef, lamb, and the like. The scope of the invention is intended to cover these and other variations that may be made by the skilled artisan.