POULTRY

Technical Field

The invention is related to a plucking machine in which the plucking effect on the poultry is provided by the rotary circular movement of various numbers of plucking fingers, used for plucking the feathers of poultry.

Pior Art

Since manual plucking of the poultry feather is a laborious and an intensive process, nowadays, the use of machines for plucking processes is increasing.

Especially large facilities where high numbers of chicken are slaughtered and therefore plucked, such as chicken slaughtering facilities, have large industrial feather plucking machines. In these type of establishments, after the slaughtering process, the chicken are transported to feather plucking units automatically without human contact, by means of carriers and feather plucking processes are carried out in this section, again automatically by machines.

In the facilities where a low amount of production is made, it is not possible to apply this type of complex production lines. In these types of facilities, the plucking process is usually carried out by smaller sized plucking machines. These machines are generally operated by a moving plucking element which creates the plucking effect to be held against the part of the animal where the feather is desired to be plucked by a user . The utility model application number TR 2015/12732 describes a household type poultry feather plucking machine having a portative motor and belt system which can be used houses, farms and on open ] and. The mentioned feather plucking machine is 5 composed of a chassis with grates, a motor, belt, plucking roller and plucking fingers.

The plucking machine subject to the application number 2015/12732 aims to provide a plucking process having a rotary 10 drum comprising plucking fingers where poultry is treated as the drum rotates. However, the feathers plucked during the plucking process are scattered around and into the inner side of the machine. The feathers which are scattered around in the environment both causes environmental pollution and the lb feathers which may have an economical value is wasted. On the other hand, if the feathers get caught inside the moving elements of the machine; the machine is likely to malfunction.

Another technical difficulty resulting from using the 00 embodiment of the application numbered 2015/12732 is that the user operates without seeing the surface being plucked as he/she carries out the plucking process. In the case where the machine subject of the application numbered 2015/12732 is used, the user aims to lay the poultry down on the grate and 25 pluck it by means of the moving plucking fingers within the grate. The plucking effect takes place in the part of the grate where the poultry is positioned/approximated. For this reason, the user cannot see the plucked part of the poultry during the operation. In such a case, the user will not 30 comprehend whether the plucking operation has been carried out sufficiently during the process and will need to check the plucked area by stopping the plucking process every time, in order to control the plucking condition. US 2543372 mentions a feather plucking machine which has a rather similar structure to the application numbered 2015/12732. For this reason, the application numbered US

2543372 causes the technical difficulties encountered in the application number 2015/12732 to occur.

Within the scope of the patent application numbered US2571042, a rotary feather plucking machine used with the purpose of plucking the feathers of poultry animals is described. Within the scope of the invention, various numbers of plucking fingers have been positioned on a drum which performs circular rotation. The plucking fingers hit the body of the poultry by means of the circular movement of the drum and create the plucking effect.

In order to prevent the scattering of feathers during the plucking process, the feather plucking machine is equipped with a collection port. The feathers gathered together as a result of the plucking are poured into the collection port.

Within the scope of the machine subject of the patent application numbered US2571042, the user carries out the baring process again by positioning the body of the poultry on the circular moving drum. Since the plucking process is carried out by laying the part of the bird to be plucked on the drum, the user cannot see the part of the bird being plucked during the operation. For this reason, he/she needs to continuously check the part of the bird being treated by the plucking finger, by stopping the plucking process.

The application number US 2337201 describes a plucking machine formed by positioning a various number of plucking fingers around a drum which moves in a circular manner alike. During the circular movement of the mentioned plucking fingers, the surface of the poultry desired to be plucked is contacted with these fingers and the plucking process is carried out.

During the use of the machine subject of the application 5 numbered US 2337201, the user does not see the plucking surface during the plucking process. In order to detect how much of the plucking surface has been plucked, he/she needs to check the plucked surface of the poultry by stopping the process continuously.

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On the other hand, using the machine subject of the invention numbered US 2337201 in the dry plucking process causes the feathers to be scattered around during the plucking process. In this case, both the economic value of the feathers is5 reduced and additional labor is necessary in order to collect the scattered feathers.

US 2543372, TR 2015/12732, US2571042, US2337201 described above, within the known state of the art can be used in wet0 plucking processes as well as the dry plucking processes.

However, the economic value of the feather in this case is low since the feather is wetted. The feathers being scattered around the machine cause significant pollution during wet plucking and they will be harder to clean.

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The Problems that the Invention Aims to Solve

The plucking machine used within the scope of the invention is used as coupled with an aspiration unit. The motion shaft in relation to the plucking fingers which move rotatably move0 compatibly with the suction of the aspiration unit. The feathers plucked by the plucking fingers can be collected completely. By this means, both the environmental pollution caused by the feathers during the plucking process is prevented and the feathers can be collected without their economic value being decreased.

According to the plucking machine subject to the invention, the user can see the plucked part of the poultry while the 5 plucking process is ongoing. Therefore, the need for the user to check how much of the animal has been plucked by stopping the plucking process during the plucking operation has been eliminated . 0 Within the scope of the plucking machine subject to the invention, it is enabled for the motor to be operated in different speeds. By this means, in order to pluck different parts of the same poultry, for plucking different poultry animals or plucking poultry of different ages, the user can5 carry out the plucking process at maximum performance without harming the animal skin, by operating the motor at different speed .

Description of the Figures

0 Figure 1. Perspective view of the feather plucking machine

Figure 2. Top view of the feather plucking machine

E’igure 3. Detailed perspective view of the feather plucking components of the feather plucking machine

Figure 4. Detailed front view of the feather plucking

5 components of the feather plucking machine

Figure 5. Perspective view of the motor that is attached to the plucking fingers

Figure 6. Front view of the feather plucking fingers with a shaft motor connecting piece

0 Figure 7. Detailed perspective view of the aspiration unit and the feather collection port

Figure 8. Detailed perspective view of the aspiration unit

Figure 9. Detailed perspective view of the aspiration fan

Figure 10. Detailed view of the feather plucking orifice and the plucking fingers

Description of the Reference numbers in the figures

I. Support leg

5 2. Fitting foot

3. Plucking finger

4. Motion shaft

4.1. Shaft bearing piece

4.2. Shaft motor connecting piece

0 4. 2.1. Shaft support piece

4. 2.2. Shaft mounting hole

4.2.3. Shaft mounting route

5. Motor block

5.1. Motor

5 6. Aspiration unit

7. Feather collection port

7.1. Plucking cavity

7.2. Sloping port wall

8. Plucking platform

0 9. Monitoring piece

10. Aspiration scroll

10.1. Volute body locking piece

10.2. Volute discharge route

10.3. Volute outlet port

5 10.4. Volute suction port

II. Aspiration motor

12. Aspiration fan

12.1. Flap

13 . Motor control unit

0 14 . Aspiration fitting platform

15. Connection member

16. Bearing support piece Description of the Invention

The invention is related to a feather plucking machine which enables to pluck the feathers off poultry by means of the circular movement of a various number of plucking fingers (3) associated with at least one motion shaft (4) that is moved in a circular manner by means of a motor (5.1) .

The plucking fingers (3) are arranged on the motion shaft (4) in the way to extend outwards from the motion shaft (4) axis across the motion shaft (4) . The system can be operated with more than one plucking fingers (3) and it can be operated by positioning only one plucking finger (3) on the motion shaft (4) as well. However, the preferred application of the invention is operated by more than one plucking fingers (3) being positioned on the motion shaft (4) (Figure 1) .

The motion shaft (4) is fixed by being connected to the motor block (5) from one end and to the bearing support piece (16) from the other end.

The plucking process is performed by the plucking fingers extending outwards from the motion shaft (4) axis with the circular movement of the motion shaft (4) striking the poultry body .

At least one feather collection port (7) is associated with the plucking fingers (3) with the purpose of collecting the feathers being separated from the animal's body during the plucking process such that the feathers are collected without being scattered around The feather collection port (7) aims to collect the feathers that are plucked by the plucking fingers (3) . The plucking process of the poultry is aimed to be carried out at the plucking cavity (7.1) in relation to the feather collection port (7) . The plucking cavity (7.1) is formed under the plucking fingers (3) for the user to be able to see the 5 animal being plucked during the plucking process. By this means, the plucking fingers (3) will strike the poultry from above during the plucking process and the user will be able to follow the plucking process simultaneously. 0 The correct way of performing the feather plucking process is rotating the plucking fingers (3) into the plucking cavity (7.1). For example, according to Figure 3, the motion shaft (4), hence, the plucking fingers (3) move in a circular manner counter clockwise. By this means, the plucked fingers are5 continuously pushed into the feather collection port (7) by the plucking fingers (3) .

In Figure 9, the plucking fingers (3) and the feather collection port (7) are shown together in detail. According to0 the figure, the feather collection port (7) and the plucking fingers (3) define two successive pieces. In order for the feathers plucked by the plucking fingers (3) to be collected entirely, an element in relation to the feather collection port (7) extends to the bottom of the plucking fingers (3) . Inb order to fulfil this purpose, the feather collection port (7) comprises a sloping port wall (7.2) .

According to Figure 1, the feather collection port (7) is associated with the aspiration unit (6) . By this means, the0 feathers plucked from the poultry positioned at the plucking cavity (7.1) are continuously drawn by the aspiration unit ( 6 ) . In order for the feather suction to have high efficiency, the aspiration fan (12) in relation to the aspiration unit (6) is positioned at the same level as the plucking cavity (7.1) . Figure 4)

Feathers sucked in by means of the Aspiration fan (12) are discharged out of the system by means of the aspiration volute (10) . The aspiration fan (12) is operated by an aspiration motor ( 11 ) .

The aspiration volute (10) in relation to the aspiration unit (6), the aspiration motor (11), the aspiration fan (12) and all the pieces are positioned on the aspiration fitting platform

(14) .

According to the application preferred in relation to the invention, the aspiration volute (10) is produced from polymer materials. The aspiration volute (10) is formed by two separate pieces and is joined by using the volute body locking piece (10.1) . The two pieces are formed symmetrically to each other and the aspiration volute (10) is formed by joining the same by means of the volute body locking piece (10.1) .

According to Figure 8, the aspiration volute (10) is equipped by the volute suction port (10.4) . Volute suction port (10.4) defines the section where the plucked feathers enter the aspiration volute (10). The volute suction port (10.4) also enables the connection of the aspiration volute (10) to the feather collection port (7) by means of a connection member

(15) .

According to Figure 7, the feathers taken into the aspiration volute (10) are transferred to the volute outlet port (10.3) by means of the volute discharge route (10.2). With the purpose of collecting the feathers from the plucking process in a bag or a sack, the feathers can be collected by attaching a bag or a sack to the volute outlet port (10.3) .

According to Figure 9, the aspiration fan (12) comprises flaps

(12.1) which are convex in the direction of movement. The aspiration fan (12) conveys the feathers drawn from the volute suction port (10.4) to the volute discharge route (10.2) continuously, by rotating clockwise.

Thanks to the flaps (12.1) being convex, the feathers can be carried to the discharge route (10.2) without being harmed.

According to Figure 4, the motion shaft (4) is connected to the bearing support piece (16) by means of the shaft bearing piece

(4.1) and to the motor block (5) by means of the shaft motor connecting piece (4.2) . The shaft motor connecting piece (4.2) is composed of a shaft support piece (4.2.1), a shaft mounting hole (4.2.2) and a shaft mounting route (4.2.3).

While the shaft mounting hole (4.2.2) defines the connection gap suitable for housing the motor (5.1) shaft, the shaft mounting route (4.2.3) enables for the motor (5) shaft to be fixed into the shaft mounting hole (4.2.2).

The above described functional pieces of the machine subject of the invention are positioned on support legs (1) arranged perpendicularly to the ground plane and fitting feet (2) that are formed perpendicularly to the support legs (1) .

The fitting feet (2) define the floor pieces which enable the positioning of the subject machine on the ground. For the absorption of the vibration created during the operation of the system, the fitting feet (2) are equipped with rubber detai Is . The number of revolutions of the motor (5.1) described within the scope of the invention can be changed. By this means, different types of poultry can be operated by assigning different numbers of revolutions to the motion shaft (4). The motor (5.1) is equipped with the motor control unit (13) in order for the motor (5.1) revolution numbers to be changed.

D plucking platform (8) is positioned on the plucking fingers (3) and the motion shaft (4) described within the scope of the invention. With the plucking platform (8), creating a flat working cavity on the top surface of the feather plucking machine is aimed.

The section of the plucking platform (8) which contains the plucking fingers (3) at the bottom is equipped with the monitoring piece (9) . The monitoring piece (9) is produced from transparent materials. By this means, the user operating the machine can observe the poultry being plucked in the plucking cavity (7.1) during the process. The user will be able to keep clear from splattering and other such dangers while observing the process by means of the monitoring piece.

Applicability of the Invention to the Industry

The invention is related to a machine which can be used with the purpose of plucking poultry in nonindustrial circumstances where low numbers of poultry animals are aimed to be plucked.

In fact, there are no obstacles in the way of using the structures described within the scope of the invention in industrial-purpose facilities where a large amount of plucking processes are carried out. However, in order to operate the machine subject to the invention, a user should hold the poultry body against the plucking fingers (3) . The system subject to the invention that is operated by a user may not be preferred by industrial facilities.

On the other hand, the embodiment of the invention is particularly created with the purpose of being used in dry plucking processes. However, it can be used with the purpose of wet plucking. In this case, the aspiration unit (6) may be separated from the machine or be kept within the machine.