Poultry shoulder and neck skinner

1. An automated skinning apparatus for removing skin from a poultry carcass that hangs from a moving support, the skinning apparatus comprising:

a. a first elongated, planar support wall and a second elongated, planar support wall, the second support wall parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first support wall; and

b. a neck skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall, the neck skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of elongated fins extending radially therefrom, at least one fin comprising an essentially flat surface at an outer end; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the second support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a shoulder skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall and longitudinally adjacent the neck skinner, the shoulder skinner comprising:

a. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

b. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the first support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween.

3. An automated skinning apparatus for removing skin from a poultry carcass that hangs from a moving support, the skinning apparatus comprising:

a. a first elongated, planar support wall and a second elongated, planar support wall, the second support wall parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first support wall;

b. a neck skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall, the neck skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the second support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween; and

c. a rotatably-driven indexing conveyor laterally intermediate the neck skinner and the second support wall, the indexing conveyor having a plurality of evenly-spaced guide prongs extending therefrom for engaging, and maintaining a minimum longitudinal separation between, lower ends of successive poultry carcasses that are conveyed through the skinning apparatus.

4. An automated skinning apparatus for removing skin from a poultry carcass that hangs from a moving support, the skinning apparatus comprising:

a. a first elongated, planar support wall and a second elongated, planar support wall, the second support wall parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first support wall;

b. a neck skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall, the neck skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the second support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween; and

c. an elongated bumper rail mounted to the first support wall for maintaining a predetermined distance between the poultry carcass and the first support wall and between the poultry carcass and an indexing conveyor.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the bumper rail is adjustably spaced from the first support wall.

6. An automated skinning apparatus for removing skin from a poultry carcass that hangs from a moving support, the skinning apparatus comprising:

a. a first elongated, planar support wall and a second elongated, planar support wall, the second support wall parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first support wall;

b. a neck skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall, the neck skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the second support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween; and

c. a first elongated guide rail mounted to the first support wall and a second elongated guide rail mounted to the second support wall, the second guide rail parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first guide rail for limiting the lateral movement of a shackle line extending vertically between the guide rails.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the guide rails are adjustably spaced from the support walls.

8. An automated skinning apparatus for removing skin from a poultry carcass, the skinning apparatus comprising:

a. a first elongated, planar support wall and a second elongated, planar support wall, the second support wall parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first support wall;

b. a neck skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall, the neck skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the second support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween; and

c. a shoulder skinner mounted to the first support wall laterally intermediate the first support wall and the second support wall and longitudinally adjacent the neck skinner, the shoulder skinner comprising:

i. a rotatably-driven gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a pinch block laterally intermediate the gripper and the first support wall, the pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in a tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the gripper for trapping and pulling poultry skin into a pinch point defined therebetween.

9. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising a rotatably-driven indexing conveyor laterally intermediate the neck skinner and the second support wall, the indexing conveyor having a plurality of evenly-spaced guide prongs extending therefrom for engaging, and maintaining a minimum longitudinal separation between, lower ends of successive poultry carcasses that are conveyed through the skinning apparatus.

10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising an elongated bumper rail mounted to the first support wall for maintaining a predetermined distance between the poultry carcass and the first support wall and between the poultry carcass and the indexing conveyor.

11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the bumper rail is adjustably spaced from the first support wall.

12. The apparatus in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising a first elongated guide rail mounted to the first support wall and a second elongated guide rail mounted to the second support wall, the second guide rail parallel to, and spaced laterally apart from, the first guide rail for limiting the lateral movement of a shackle line extending vertically between the guide rails.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the guide rails are adjustably spaced from the support walls.

14. A process for removing skin from a poultry carcass having a neck with neck skin attached thereto, the process comprising:

a. conveying the poultry carcass into the skinning apparatus of claim 1 ;

b. engaging the neck skin with the pinch point; and

c. rotating the neck skinner gripper, thereby pulling the neck skin downwardly between the gripper and the neck skinner pinch block, whereby the neck skin is pulled from the neck of the poultry carcass.

15. A process for removing skin from a poultry carcass having a neck with neck skin attached thereto and shoulders with shoulder skin attached thereto, the process comprising:

a. conveying the poultry carcass into the skinning apparatus of claim 8 ;

b. engaging the neck skin with the neck skinner pinch point;

c. rotating the neck skinner gripper, thereby pulling the neck skin downwardly between the neck skinner gripper and the neck skinner pinch block, whereby the neck skin is pulled from the neck of the poultry carcass;

d. engaging the shoulder skin with the shoulder skinner pinch point; and

e. rotating the shoulder skinner gripper, thereby pulling the shoulder skin downwardly between the shoulder skinner gripper and the shoulder skinner pinch block, whereby the shoulder skin is pulled from the poultry carcass.

16. A process for removing skin from a poultry carcass having a neck with neck skin attached thereto, the process comprising:

a. engaging the neck skin with a neck skinner pinch point, the neck skinner pinch point defined by:

i. a neck skinner gripper, the neck skinner gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom, at least one fin comprising an essentially flat surface at an outer end; and

ii. a tapered lip of a neck skinner pinch block, the tapered lip in a close-clearance relationship with the neck skinner gripper, the neck skinner pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in the tapered lip; and

b. rotating the neck skinner gripper, thereby pulling the neck skin downwardly between the neck skinner gripper and the neck skinner pinch block, whereby the neck skin is pulled from the neck of the poultry carcass.

17. The process of claim 16 for removing skin from a poultry carcass, the poultry carcass further including shoulders with shoulder skin attached thereto, the process further comprising:

a. engaging the shoulder skin with a shoulder skinner pinch point, the shoulder skinner pinch point defined by:

i. a shoulder skinner gripper, the shoulder skinner gripper having a plurality of fins extending radially therefrom; and

ii. a tapered lip of a shoulder skinner pinch block in a close-clearance relationship with the shoulder skinner gripper, the shoulder skinner pinch block having an arcuate surface terminating in the tapered lip; and

b. rotating the shoulder skinner gripper, thereby pulling the shoulder skin downwardly between the shoulder skinner gripper and the shoulder skinner pinch block, whereby the shoulder skin is pulled from the neck of the poultry carcass.