GB337379A - Improvements in or connected with means for removing feathers, stubs and down from poultry, game-birds and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

337,379. Budd, A. G., and Barton, H. June 29, 1929. Poultry &c., dressing. - A machine for removing feathers, stubs amd down from poultry and other birds comprises a number of resilient gripping members revolubly mounted and so shaped and arranged that the feathers are gripped between parts of the adjacent members which tend normally to contact with each other in virtue of their shape and natural resilience. Positive means are provided for separating the grippers to release the plucked feathers &c. As shown in Fig. 4, a portable appliance consists of a handle 3 through which passes the flexible drive to a core 1 carrying discs 6 (some are not shown for clearness) on which the spring loops 4 are secured. The discs 6 are secured to the core by a ring nut 10 and the assembled unit is secured to the drive shaft by a nut 11. The feathers are gripped at the contacting points 5 of the loops 4 and are released by the combs 7 entering between and opening the loops. A guard 12 positions the bird correctly and raises up the feathers to facilitate the gripping of the loops. A stationary apparatus is shown in Fig. 5. The spring loops 13 are mounted on a shaft 20 and are enclosed in a housing 16. A rotary comb is used, consisting of a drum 18 on a shaft 19, which may be geared or otherwise connected to the shaft 20, and fingers 17 projecting from the drum through slots in a cylinder 22 which is supported eccentrically to the drum 18 by adjustable rollers 23. The fingers 17 project through the cylinder 22 adjacent to the loops 13 which are thus opened and release the feathers, but at the opposite point are totally within the cylinder 22 to permit it to be scraped by a leather portion 26 at the end of a spring blade 25. The feathers are carried around by the cylinder 22 and are delivered by the scraper 25 to the shoot 28 and, if desired, with the assistance of a fan, are delivered to a bag. In a further modification, the comb members are stationary and are arranged to form a wall of a shoot leading to the bagging apparatus. Some or all of the loops may be replaced by spring blades of sheet material, and dummy loops or blades may be provided to increase the drumilike surface without increasing the number of gripping members.