This invention relates to de-boning poultry.

Difficulties have been encountered for many years in the de-boning of poultry, that is removing from the poultry edible meat such as pectoralis thoracicus, super coracoideus and deltoideus minor. The difficulties are caused primarily by the desirability of removing such muscle meat with a minimum impairment to the quality thereof, whilst ensuring that a maximum quantity of the meat is removed from the poultry carcass. The key to efficient de-boning of poultry is the accurate severance of tendons, because if this step is performed accurately, muscle tissue will be readily detached from the skeleton. However, variation in the size of poultry, on a bird to bird basis, presents a problem in this regard, since the position ofthe tendons relative to any carcass carrying support will vary. It has not hereto proved possible to devise a mechanism which is effective to remove, or to assist in the removal of, meat from the carcass of poultry to any significant extent without impairing the quality of the meat produced.

A conventional processing plan for the de-boning of poultry involves a conveyor from which slaughtered poultry is hung, and conveyed to operatives who remove the meat by the use of shaφ knives. This is a time consuming operation and requires that the operative be skilled, identifying the location of lines along which the poultry- is to be cut to maximise the value ofthe meat removed from the carcass.

Whilst, for some processing, "scrap ^" meat - that is meat which is hacked from the carcass - may be used without any disadvantage, the meat which commands the highest price is the whole muscle meat, which may be used in further processing operations prior to retail. Thus, small errors in the separation of the muscle meat from

the carcass may result in the downgrading of a significant quantity of meat, with significant commercial disadvantage.

The present invention provides effective and efficient apparatus for mechanically removing meat from poultry. The invention comprises a method of removing meat from a poultry carcass determining the relative position ofthe carcass thus causing the severing means to sever tendons by which the meat is attached to the skeleton.

The invention also comprises a method of removing meat from a poultry carcass comprising the step of automatically locating at least one datum point on the carcass and automatically moving the severing means and the carcass relatively into engagement in a manner determined by the position of the datum point or points.

The severing means may be afforded by knives or like cutting means, or by ultrasonic cutting devices, or by lasers or by drills, or by a high pressure water jet, or by any other convenient mechanism.

The method may involve the use of a support or framework by which a poultry carcass may be supported, and means to bring about relative movement between the support and a sensing mechanism operative to detect the position of the datum point or points in relation to the severing means.

The method may involve the use of a conveyor mechanism which is operative to move the support so as to carry a poultry carcass in relation to said sensing mechanism.

Control means may be provided to move the severing mechanism in relation to the datum point or points to effect cutting.

Two or more sensing devices may be utilised to determine the location of the datum point or points in three dimensions.

The severing means may be moved into operative engagement with the carcass to sever tendons by which muscles ofthe carcass are retained to the skeleton.

Advantageously datum points are utilised which allow a determination to be made of the location of the triosseum canal in the carcass. By determining the location ofthe triosseum canals, through or close to which tendons pass, by which major muscles are attached to the skeleton the severing mechanism may be advanced automatically into engagement with a carcass at specific positions in relation to the triosseum canal, to sever the tendons, enabling easier access to interior muscle meat to be gained.

For example, where the poultry used is chicken, by severing the tendons in this manner the pectoralis thoracicus fillets may be removed, together with the deltoideus minor fillets, and the super coracoideus fillets. Not only does this method allow such fillets to be removed without any significant damage in quality, but this exposes a significant quantity of meat beneath these fillets for removal by further automatic operations or by a skilled operator.

The severing means may comprise two severing devices. Preferably each severing device acts on a single triosseum canal.

Additionally the tendons by which the wings are secured may also be severed, allowing the wines to be removed easilv.

The method may be carried out on a carcass from which the legs have been removed, and conveniently the sensing and severing steps are carried out with the wings ofthe carcass extended.

The invention also comprises a machine for use in the removal of muscle meat from the poultry carcass comprising:

a) a support on which a poultry carcass may be mounted;

b) sensing means to sense the location of at least one datum point on the carcass;

c) means for relatively moving the support and the sensing means;

d) severing means; and

e) means for relatively moving the severing means and the carcass into engagement in a predetermined manner relative to the datum point or points.

Conveniently the machine comprises X-ray sensing means to scan the poultry carcass, and an image processing unit to analyse the output ofthe sensing means. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance or Ultrasound may be used instead. The machine may comprise a central data processing unit into which positional information relative to the datum point may be fed, said central processing unit controlling movement of the severing means in a manner determined by the positional information.

The sensing means comprises two or more sensing devices to determine the location ofthe datum point or points in three dimensions.

The severing means may comprise at least one severing element mounted for movement about two, preferably, three mutually peφendicular axes in the manner of a robotic arm, enabling the severing element to be moved into a desired severing orientation to effect a desired cut into the carcass. However, the severing means may be static and the carcass manipulated.

The severing means may comprise a knife or like cutting means, or a drill, or may be an ultrasonic or laser tool or a high pressure water jet.

The machine may be operative to cause the severing means to cut one or more tendons by which one or more major muscles are attached to the carcass skeleton.

Two severing elements may be provided/arranged to cut into the carcass from opposite sides thereof.

The machine may be operative to utilise the datum point or points to allow a determination ofthe locations ofthe triosseum canals ofthe carcass.

The severing means may be operative to cut into and at least partially through the triosseum canals to sever tendons passing therethrough.

The machine may also comprise meat removal means, e.g. afforded by one or more ploughs, to separate muscle meat from the carcass subsequent to the severing of the tendons.

There will now be given a detailed description to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a machine which is a preferred embodiment of this invention, having been selected for the puφoses of illustrating the invention by way of

example, together with a method of removal of meat from a poultry carcass, which is also illustrative of certain aspects of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic view illustrating the performance of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view illustrating the mounting of a poultry carcass on a support in the performance ofthe invention; and

Figure 3 is an exploded view illustrating part of the structure of a poultry carcass.

The machine which is the preferred embodiment of this invention is for use in severing tendons by which certain major muscles of a poultry carcass are secured to the skeleton, to enable the muscle meat to be removed relatively easily, specifically at least semi-automatically, without the requirement ofa skilled operative, and is based on the principle of operating a severing device in relation to the poultry carcass in a manner determined by the location of a datum point on the poultry carcass, the severing device being moved in relation to the datum point.

In the performance of the invention, a poultry carcass is mounted on a support 8 at a loading station 5 which is moved by a conveying device 7 across the range of a sensing device 10, conveniently an X-ray sensing device which may be pulsed or continuous, comprising an emitter 12 and a receiver 13. The output from the sensing device is fed to an image processing unit 18. which uses this output to compute the position of the one or more datum points.

The datum point utilised for each side ofthe poultry carcass is one ofthe triosseum canals ofthe carcass: it is however to be appreciated that other datum points may be utilised, if desired.

The severing means are in the form of shaped cutting elements such comprising hollow cylindrical cutters 14 mounted on robotic arms 16a. 16b the arms 16a, 16b and cutters 14a. 14b being controlled by a manipulator 17 under the control of data derived from the image processing unit 18.

A poultry carcass 6 is mounted on the support 8, clamping members 44a, 44b being operative to clamp the wings ofthe carcass 6 and to move to spread the wings away from the carcass body, enabling easier access to the triosseum canals 30a, 30b, and easy determination ofthe locations thereof.

The support 8 is moved by the conveyor mechanism in the direction ofthe arrow A (Figure 1) in front of sensing mechanism comprising twin X-ray sensors each comprising an X-ray emitting device 12 and a camera 13. The sensing device senses the position of the carcass 6 particularly in relation to the support 8, and. by repeated scanning ofthe X-ray image ofthe carcass, determines the location ofthe two triosseum canals 30a, 30b. Having determined the location ofthe canals 30a, 30b_ in relation to the support 8, in particular the two axes X-X and Y-Y on which the canals are located, the two cutters 14a, 14b_ advance towards and into engagement with the coracoid bone surrounding the triosseum canals, severing tendons passing through the triosseum canals and in front of the triosseum canals.

Two X-ray emitters 12a. 12b and receivers 13a. 13b are used. Such an arrangement permits the location of the triosseum canals to be determined in three dimensions. It should be noted that the triosseum canals can be located by X-ray interrogation by directly "seeing ^" them. The position of the triosseum canals could be

inferred, for example, from the geometry of the bone structure, but it is not usually possible to determine their location from an inspection of external, topographical features ofthe carcass. According to the present invention, efficient de-boning is achieved using the position ofthe triosseum canals relative to the support to accurately drive the cutters.

The poultry carcass 6 mounted on the support 8 is shown in enlarged scale in Figure 3, illustrating the keel bone 20, the clavicle or wishbone 22, the coracoid 24, and the humerus 26 extending therefrom. The location of each of the two triosseum canals 30a, 30b is shown, and it is through and in the vicinity of these canals that the tendons pass by which major muscle meat is attached to the carcass. In particular, tendons from pectoralis thoracicus 34, tendons A from the super coracoideus 36, and tendons B from the deltoideus minor 38 pass through the triosseum canals, and tendons C from the scapula humeralis (eye meat) 40, and tendons D from the serrati muscles 42 pass over the scapula in the vicinity ofthe triosseum canal, whilst tendons E pass over the shoulder cartilage in the vicinity ofthe triosseum canal. Thus, by cutting or drilling through the triosseum canal, particularly by the use of a hollow cylindrical cutter which engages the coracoid around the triosseum canal, so as to sever tendons passing through the triosseum canal and the tendons which pass over the triosseum canal, these muscles are detached from the skeleton.

As is shown in Figure 2, two sensing devices are utilised to sense in three dimensions the position of the two triosseum canals as they pass in front of the device, the output from each sensing device being fed to the image processing unit 18 and central processing unit to cause two cutters 14a, 14b each operative under the control of the manipulator 17 to pass the drill through the appropriate left or right hand triosseum canal 30a or 30b.

On conclusion ofthe cutting operation, and severing the tendons A-E, the support may be advanced by the conveying mechanism to a further processing station.

at which the detached muscles may be removed from the carcass, either by hand or by ploughs. On completion of removal of these muscles, further operations may be carried out to remove the remainder ofthe meat from the carcass, either manually or by the use of further automatic operating mechanisms. However, it is has been found that by the use of the process above described, significantly easier access to the interior of the carcass is provided, enabling a skilled operative to remove the remainder ofthe muscle meat relatively easily.

Thus by the use ofthe present invention muscle meat may be removed from a chicken carcass more easily than has heretofore been found practical, and/or with significantly less damage to the quality ofthe meat removed.

It is to be appreciated that the term "poultry" as used herein relates to poultry animals generally, including chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc., and also includes game birds such as pheasant, partridge, woodcock and the like.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may. separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.