US2618811A - Device for plucking feathers from birds - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 25, F HSHER 2,618,811

DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHERS FROM BIRDS Filed March 16, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l rziq-l INVFN TOR. Fosfer fi-DS/f BY r I Nov. 25, 1952- F. FISHER DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHERS FROM BIRDS Filed March 16, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVEN TOR. 7 0s zerj'zz'sher BY Z fifi/ A T TORNEY Patented Nov. 25, 1952 DEVICE FOR PLUCKING FEATHER/S FROM BIRDS Foster Fisher, Providence, R. I., assignor of onehalf to Benjamin E. Kinne, Rehoboth, Mass.

Application March 16, 1949, Serial No. 81,767

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for plucking feathers from birds.

One of the objects of this invention is to prov1de a gripping device which will pull from the bird the small or short feathers.

Another object of this invention is to provide an arrangement so that the feathers will not only be plucked from the bird but also will be discharged from the device which plucks these feathers.

Another object of this invention is to hold the feathers which are plucked for a suflicient length of time so that they may be controlled.

Another object of this invention is to pluck feathers in a maximum quantity with the power which is provided.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 22 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the inner elements of the device and illustrating the casing and the inner frame in section taken substantially along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the hub which is utilized for mounting the plurality of jaws;

Figure 5 is an enlarged elevation of the hub shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an edge view of one of the jaws which are to be mounted on a hub of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the jaws shown in Figure 6 as viewed from the left end;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the front end portion shown in Figure 2 on a larger scale and additionally showing in dotted lines a portion of the gear train motion transmitting arrangement of the device;

Figure 9 shows the operating jaws of a modified arrangement;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the arms of the swinging jaw shown in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing a difierent modified arrangement; and

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 9 but showing a still different modified arrangement.

In proceeding with this invention I have provided a first jaw which has a very small arcuate curvature so that when this jaw is contacted by another jaw it may grip very close to the skin of the bird. A plurality of jaws are provided to contact this first jaw, which jaws are mounted upon a hub and are so arranged that they may flex and pass by the first jaw, while maintaining their gripping relation with the first jaw to control any small feathers which may be plucked from the bird. I prefer to provide a belt over the first jaw so that a surface is presented which will move with the flexibly mounted jaws in its movement while in contact with the first jaw. Various forms of jaws to contact the first jaw may be provided.

With reference to the drawings, l5 designates a frame upon which the various parts of the mechanism are mounted including a casing or housing I6 which houses the working mechanism and is secured to the frame by screw means 11. The end portion 16 of the housing is of a size to be grasped in the hand of the operator and provides a handle for manually passing the device over a bird to be plucked. In a forwardly extending part l8 of the frame, I have mounted a rubber drum 19 which has a shaft 22 extending through the same and journaled in the forwardly extending part 18. At the forward end of the device there is mounted a small roller 20 which is journaled in the forward part [8 of the frame. This roller 20 forms a first jaw. A belt 2| extends about the rubber drum l9 and over this roller 20.

At a point above the belt 2| and the roller 29 I have provided a hub which is fixed to a shaft 26 which is rotatably mounted on the frame portion 18 of the device. As shown, the hub 25 is divided into two parts by annular flanges 23, 23 and 24, 24 (see Figs. 4 and 5). A plurality of equally spaced shafts 21 (see Fig. 4) are supported on flanges 23, 23 to extend therebetween; similar equally spaced shafts 21 are supported on the flanges 24, 24' to extend therebetween but are staggered in relation with the shafts 21, the shafts on one set of flanges being located in a line extending substantially midway between shafts on the other set of flanges as shown in Fig. 4. On each of these shafts 2T, 21' there is mounted for rotation thereon an arm 28,

each identical with the other. There is mounted on the free end portion of each arm a similar jaw 29, the jaws on the arms 28 mounted on the shafts 21' being indicated 29. Each arm 28 is made of a flexible material so as to be in itself flexible and is swung or biased as by means of a coil spring 30 to be moved in the direction of rotation of the hub 25. Each arm 28 is limited in its arc of movement by reason of its opposite edges 3|, 3| (see Fig. 7) projecting so as to contact abutments 32, 32' which project radially from the flanges 23, 23' and 24, 24' respectively. As previously described, the shafts 21, 2'! are staggered with relation to each other so that the jaws 29, 29 will alternately engage with the jaw 20.

Each of the jaws 29, 29 is arcuate as at 35 so as to closely fit the curved surface of the traveling belt 2| as it moves about the roller or jaw 20 and with the ends of the jaws 29, 29 engaging the belt below the axis of the said jaw 20 (see Fig. 1). The arcuate surface provides for the feathers to be gripped very close to the skin of the bird. The forward end portion of the casing is cut away as at It and a comb 36 extends over this cut-away portion to prevent engagement of the jaws with the skin of the bird. As the device is advanced into the feathers of the bird lengthwise of the said feathers, the same will project through the teeth of the comb on to the jaw 20 to be gripped between the said jaw and the jaws 29, 29 as moved into gripping relation with the jaw 20 to be pulled from the bird upon further movement in the same direction of the said jaws. The pulled feathers will be carried rearwardly by the belt 2| to be discharged by gravity through an opening 3'! in the bottom wall 39 of the casing. A doctor blade 28 extends into engagement with the roller 20 to clean the same of any feathers, chaff, and the like material which may lodge thereon and for the said material to work itself along the said blade 38 to spill over the edges thereof beyond the edges of the belt and shaken out of the casing through the opening 31. A doctor blade 40 extends into engagement with the outer side of the belt 2| at a location to be in line with the opening 37 to remove from the belt such feathers or foreign matter which may adhere thereto and for said matter upon bein removed to fall by gravity action through said opening 31.

A drive for the mechanism, just described, comprises an electric motor 4| which is secured on the frame l as by means of screws 4| and extends into the end portion l6 of the casing IS. The shaft 42 of the motor has a gear 43 thereon and through the train of gears 44, 45, and 46, shaft 41, bevel gears 48 and 49, and shaft 22, the drum I9 is revolved. The other end of shaft 22 is geared to drive the shaft 26 through the train of gears 52, 5|, 52, and 53, as shown in Figure 3. Electric power is supplied through the conduit 54 in which line there is interposed a switch 55 by reason of the electrical wires 56.

In some cases instead of backing up the flexible arms 28 with coil springs 30, I may provide arms 60 made of very flexible spring metal material slit as at 59 for flexibility as shown in Figure 10. Jaws may be formed at their ends by stiffening this material as by folding it back on itself as at 6|. In this case each of the jaws is mounted upon a hexagonal hub 62 along one side of the hex of the hub to extend in the plane of this side, the hub 62 being mounted on the shaft 26' to rotate therewith. Each of the jaws is reenforced by spring 63 tending to swing them in the direction of rotation of the hub.

These jaws are limited in their forward movement as by a plate 64 so as to remain somewhat under tension. The arms will each flex after they have passed their gripping contact with the roller 20 as they pass along the belt 2|, as shown in Figure 9. Each jaw will have an arcuate surface 66 to conform closely to the curvature of the roller 20 and the belt 2| which passes over it. In Figure 11 I have shown a further modification which is substantially identical with that shown in Figure 9 with the exception that the flexible arms designated 69' in the figure have rubber jaws 65 provided with an arcuate surface 61.

In Figure 12 I have shown a further modification comprising a hub 10 which may be formed of resilient rubber material and having radial projecting arms H on the end of which are formed arcuate surfaces 12. These arms may also be formed of this same rubber material molded integral with the hub so that the arcuate surfaces 12 may contact the roller 28 and then the arms flex, as shown in this Figure 12, in passing beyond the grip with the jaws, the hub 10 being mounted on a shaft 26".

In all modifications shown the feathers will be pulled during the contact of the jaws with the roller 20 and then will be maintained in controlled relation as the jaws flex and keep the plucked feathers on the belt for an extended length of its movement. The feathers will remain on this belt and fall out of the opening 31 in the casing. This device may be easily taken in the hand for operation and controlled by the thumb moving the switch 55.

I claim:

1. A device for plucking feathers comprising a housing, a hollow handle on said housing to be held in the hand to pass said device over the body of the bird to be plucked, a revolving first jaw within said housing, a plurality of resilient revolving fingers within said housing movable in a direction towards and past said first jaw to grip matter to be plucked positioned between said first jaw and revolving fingers to carry said matter past said first jaw, a motor within said handle, and driving means for transferring motion from said motor to said first jaw and said revolving fingers for rotating said first jaw and said fingers.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first jaw is an endless band and said driving means is a gear train.

FOSTER, FISHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,980,034 Budd et a1. Nov. 6, 1934 2,521,491 Stukenborg Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,143 Great Britain 1887 23,524 Great Britain Oct. 23, 1906

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