CPC A22C 21/0015 (2013.01) [A22C 21/0053 (2013.01)] | 9 Claims |
1. A slaughter device for poultry being conveyed in a transport direction hanging by their legs using a conveyor line, wherein the poultry includes a head, a bill, and a neck, the slaughter device comprising:
a track having a first guide and a second guide to define a slit for guiding the neck of the poultry therein from an upstream end to a downstream end of the track as the conveyor line conveys the poultry;
a rotary knife arranged in the first guide of the track for cutting through a first vein, first artery, or both, at a first side of the neck; and
a cylinder arranged in the first guide and upstream relative to the rotary knife for forcing the bill against the transport direction to cause twisting of the neck in a first rotational direction as the neck conveys along the track to expose the first vein, the first artery, or both of the suspended poultry to be cut through by the rotary knife;
wherein the rotary knife is arranged to rotate in the first rotational direction to allow twisting of the neck in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction such that the rotary knife cuts through a second vein, second artery, or both, at a second side of the neck opposite to the first side, a trachea and an oesophagus while avoiding cutting a vertebra in the neck of the poultry.
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