FOOD ITEM SKEWERING APPARATUS

The invention relates to food item skewering apparatus, and in particular to poultry or game bird wing skewering apparatus.

Poultry wings, and in particular chicken wings, are comparatively the least profitable part of a bird, and are generally not liked by consumers due to the difficulty in handling them and eating them.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided food item skewering apparatus comprising: food item mounting apparatus adapted to releasably hold an item of food to be skewered in a desired orientation about a skewering axis; and skewer insertion apparatus operable to insert a skewer into the item of food substantially along the skewering axis.

The item of food preferably comprises a poultry or game bird wing.

The food item mounting apparatus preferably comprises clamping apparatus comprising first and second clamp members provided in a spaced relationship and operable to releasably clamp an item of food therebetween in a desired orientation about the skewering axis. The clamp members are preferably elongate clamp members, and extend lengthways generally in the direction of the skewering axis, such that a chicken wing to be skewered will be orientated substantially lengthways between the clamp members.

Preferably, the first clamp member is provided in a fixed position and the second clamp member is moveable between a closed position at a first distance from the first clamp member and an open position at a second, greater distance from the first clamp member. The second clamp member is preferably resiliently biased into the closed position and the food item mounting apparatus further comprises an opening mechanism operable to move the second clamp member from the open position to the closed position.

The first distance is preferably less than the width of a chicken wing to be skewered, such that when the second clamp member is moved to the closed position the main area of meat on a chicken wing located between the clamp members is squeezed by

the clamp members and is thereby arranged such that the skewering axis extends through the meat.

The food item mounting apparatus preferably further comprises one or more engaging projections provided on the food item facing faces of one or both clamp members.

The skewer insertion apparatus preferably comprises skewer guide means adapted to receive a skewer and orientate it along the skewering axis, and skewer drive means operable to engage the skewer and push it along the skewering axis towards and through the chicken wing meat. The skewer guide means preferably comprises a skewer mounting member defining a skewer guide channel for receiving a skewer therein. The skewer guide means preferably further comprises one or more skewer guide rollers movably mounted between a first position spaced from the skewer mounting means, for location of a skewer in the guide channel, and a second position substantially adjacent the skewer mounting means, when a skewer is located in the guide channel, to thereby retain the skewer in the guide channel and control the movement of the skewer towards and through the chicken wing.

The food item mounting apparatus may comprise two second clamp members, provided in spaced relationships on either side of the first clamp member, such that the food item mounting apparatus can be operated to simultaneously mount two chicken wings. The skewer insertion apparatus may further comprise second skewer guide means such that two skewers may be simultaneously be driven into two respective chicken wings.

The skewer insertion apparatus preferably further comprises a skewer hopper and skewer delivery means operable to move a skewer from the hopper into the guide channel on the skewer mounting means.

Also, according to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of skewering a food item, the method comprising: releasably holding the item of food to be skewered in a skewering food item mounting apparatus in a desired orientation about a skewering axis; and inserting a skewer into the item of food substantially along the skewering axis.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of chicken wing skewering apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing the apparatus prior to receiving two chicken wings;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the apparatus of Figure 1 , showing the chicken wings received within the food item mounting apparatus before being skewered;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the apparatus of Figure 1 , showing skewered chicken wings;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of an alternative food item mounting apparatus suitable for use with the apparatus of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 5 is a diagram of a chicken wing which has been skewered using the apparatus of Figure 1 in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the invention provides food item skewering apparatus in the form of a chicken wing skewering apparatus 1 10.

The chicken wing skewering apparatus 1 10 comprises chicken wing mounting apparatus 112 and skewer insertion apparatus 1 14.

The chicken wing mounting apparatus 1 12 comprises clamping apparatus which comprises a first clamp member 41 and two second clamp members 42. The clamp members 41 , 42 in this example comprise elongate clamp plates 41 , 42. A skewering axis (X) extends between each pair of clamp plates 41 , 42, and the clamp plates 41 , 42 extend lengthways, such that a chicken wing to be skewered will be orientated substantially lengthways between the clamp plates 41 , 42.

The first clamp plate 41 is provided in a fixed position and the two second clamp plates 42 are movably mounted in a spaced relationship on either side of the first clamp plate 41. The second clamp plates 42 are movable between a closed position at a first distance from the first clamp plate 41 and an open position at a second, greater distance from the first clamp plate 41. The second clamp plates 42 are resiliently biased into the closed position. The second clamp plates 42 are spring biased into the closed position under the action of a resilient spring (not visible). A cam wheel 48 rides on a cam surface 2IA of a plate 21 on master drive shaft 20. Movement of cam surface 21 A to the left (as orientated in the drawings) causes the second clamp plates 42 to move to the closed position and movement of cam surface to the right causes the second clamp plates 42 to move to the open position.

The opposing faces of each pair of clamp plates 41 , 42 are provided with engaging projections (43A,43B,44,45A,45B,46,46A,46B) to squeeze the meat on a wing upwards (as orientated in the drawings). The first distance is preferably less than the width of a chicken wing to be skewered, such that when the second clamp plates 42 are moved to the closed position the main area of meat on a chicken wing located between the clamp members is squeezed between the clamp plates 41 , 42 and is thereby pushed upwards, across the skewering axis, for skewering, as will be described in more detail below.

The skewer insertion apparatus 114 comprises skewer transfer means in the form of a carriage 1 1 which supports a pair of pulley wheels 12A.12B which carry the skewers A. The carriage 1 1 is moveable from a first position supporting a skewer on the skewering axis (as shown in Figure 1 ) to a second lower position (as shown in Figure 3). The carriage 1 1 is moveable up and down relative to a fixed plate 13.

Spring 14 spring biases the carriage 11 into the first position. The carriage 1 1 supports a cam wheel 15 (behind the carriage so not visible in the drawings) which rides on cam surface 16A on the end of a drive rod 16. Movement of the drive rod 16 to the left causes the carriage 11 to move to the second lower position (as shown in Figure 3). The rod 16 is connected to a master drive shaft 20.

A skewer hopper and delivery station 30 is provided to store and transfer skewers to the skewer insertion apparatus 114.

The skewer insertion apparatus 114 further comprises skewer guide means 50 adapted to receive a skewer A from the skewer transfer means and orientate it along the skewering axis X. The skewer guide means comprises two pairs of guide rollers 51 A, 51 B provided on a guide roller plate 52 and guide channels in the form of grooves 53 provided on skewer mounting members 54. The guide roller plate 52 is moveable substantially vertically (as orientated in the drawings) between a first position (as shown in Figure 1 ) above the guide groove 53, to second position (as shown in Figure 3) substantially adjacent the guide groove 53. The guide rollers 51 A, 51 B are spring biased into the second position by a spring 55. A cam wheel 56 (not visible and underneath guide member 50) rides on a cam surface 22A of a plate 22 on master drive shaft 20. Movement of cam surface 22A to the left (as shown in Figure 3) causes the roller plate 52 to move to the second position and movement of cam surface to the right (as shown in Figure 1 ) causes the roller plate 52 to move to the first position.

In the first position, skewers A may be located within the skewer guide means 50, in the guide grooves 53, and in the second position the skewers are held in position between the guide grooves 53 and the guide rollers 51 A, 51 B so that the skewers are supported for transfer through the guide means 50 between the guide grooves 53 and the guide rollers 5IA, 51 B.

The skewer insertion apparatus 1 14 further comprises skewer drive means 60 operable to engage the skewers A and push them along the skewering axis X towards and through the chicken wings. The skewer drive means 60 comprises a push plate 61 which engages the non-barbed ends of the skewers A and is moveable to apply force onto the ends of the skewers, to thereby push them towards and through the respective chicken wings. The push plate 61 is connected to the master drive shaft 20 and moves with the drive shaft 20.

In use a skewer is loaded on wheels 12A 12B of the skewer transfer means from the hopper and delivery station 30 and a chicken wing B placed between the clamp plates 41 , 42, as shown in Figure 1. The drive shaft 20 is then moved to the left (see Figure 3). As the drive shaft 20 moves, the push plate 61 pushes the non-barbed

ends of skewers A along the skewering axis from the skewer transfer means, through the skewer guide means 50 and through the meat on the chicken wings.

As the push plate 61 engages the skewers A, so the carriage 1 1 s lowered to the second position (due to the cam surface 16A on the drive shaft 20 engaging the cam wheel 15). This allows the push plate 61 to pass the skewer transfer means, carriage 1 1.

As the push plate 61 drives the skewers A towards the chicken wings B, the guide roller plate 52, and thus guide rollers 5IA, 5IB, moves vertically from the first position to second position so that the skewers are supported between the guide rollers 5IA, 51 B and guide grooves 53 for transfer through the skewer guide means 50 (due to the cam surface 22A moving away from cam wheel 56).

As push plate 61 pushes the skewers A, the second clamp plates 42 move towards the first clamp plate 41 from the first position to second position to squeeze the meat on the chicken wings B for piercing by the skewers (due to the cam surface 21 A moving away from cam wheel 48).

Once the chicken wings have been fully skewered, the drive shaft 20 is removed fully to the right. This action moves the second clamp plates 42 into the open position and the skewered chicken wings B can be removed. This also places the push plate 61 into the position shown in Figure 1 , with the skewer guide means 50 and carriage 11 in their first positions. A new chicken wing B can be placed in chicken wing mounting apparatus 112 and the hopper and delivery station 30 allowed to place new skewers A onto the carriage 1 1 for another operation.

Figure 4 shows chicken wing mounting apparatus 120 according to a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment the apparatus 120 is for receiving a single chicken wing and operates in the same manner as the chicken wing mounting apparatus 112 of the first embodiment. The same reference numbers are retained for corresponding features.

Referring to Figure 5 of the drawings, the skewer A is preferably inserted into the chicken wing B such that it extends through the cartilage of the shoulder joint SJ,

axially along the humerus bone H, through the cartilage of the elbow joint EJ, axially between the radius bone R and ulna bone U, through the cartilage of the carpal joint CJ and out through the manus M. The manus M may be removed prior to skewering to improved the appearance of the skewered wing.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the food item skewering apparatus may be used to skewer wings of other poultry and game birds. Rather than being driven by a mechanical drive shaft, the push plate and cams may be pneumatically or electrically driven.

In an alternative embodiment the skewers may be inserted by hand once the wings have been clamped in the desired orientation.

The described embodiments provide the advantage of accurately and repeatably skewering a chicken wing with a skewer in the most advantageous orientation. The so skewered chicken wings are easier to manipulate and hold both during preparation and cooking, and for eating by a consumer, and are more attractive to display than unskewered chicken wings.