US2977628A - Apparatus for scalding fowls - Google Patents

Description

s. s. BARKER ETAL 2,977,628

APPARATUS FOR SCALDING FOWLS April 4, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 3, 1957 ll! w ll.

n w e fi e a 75 a w w April 4, 1961 s. s. BARKER ETAL 2,977,523

APPARATUS FOR SCALDING FOWLS Filed Sept. 3, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ME E INVENTORS.

5 3% Sizanez 42 [Mr/5422a April 1961 s. s. BARKER ET AL 2,977,628

APPARATUS FOR SCALDING FOWLS Filed Sept. 3, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E s fi k Edward Crane 5422627 lkSlmrp April 4, 1961 s. s. BARKER ET AL 2,977,628

APPARATUS FOR SCALDING FOWLS Filed Sept. 5, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 4ff0rneya United States Patent v 2,977,628 APPARATUS FOR SCALDING FOWLS Seth S. Barker, Edward J. Crane, and Allen W. Sharp,

Ottumwa, Iowa, assignors to Barker Poultry Equipment Company Filed Sept 3, 1957, Ser. No. 681,499

5 Claims. (Cl. 17-112) The present invention relates to apparatus for scalding of fowls preparatory to removing the feathers therefrom. Scalding of fowls, in plants where processing operations are performed on a commercial scale, has long presented serious problems to the processors. The most serious problem, which has continuously confronted the industry, pertains to the matter of lack of sanitation of the scald water employed. While the apparatus herescalding apparatus wherein rapid and eflicient scalding tofore employed have long been in disfavor and criticized as being extremely unsanitary by food inspectors and representatives of various governmental agencies, there has been no appreciable change made over the long period of years because no better apparatus was available. 1

It is believed that in the year of 1926, fowls were for the first time commercially scalded in connection with large volume commercial dressing of fowls. At about this period of time, various concerns commenced the manufacture of scalding apparatus for use by processors of fowls, and considerable investigative and experimental work was done to determine the proper temperatures at which fowls should be scalded.

The present invention is directed to novel apparatus by virtue of which the scalding process may be carried out in an eflicient and sanitary manner on a commercial basis.

By our apparatus; efficient loosening of all of the feathers is attained, and when the fowls are subjected to mechanical picking machines, all feathers and most pin feathers are removed, and results in completely picked fowls without any cooking of the flesh. Our novel apparatus attains these improved results in a very sanitary manner by employing a controlled amountof scald water, with a controlled heat content, applied in a novel manner to the feathers of the fowl. The temperature of the water employed in our novel scalding apparatus, may vary from 122 F. up to 212 F. and the particular temperature of water selected obviously must be correlated with respect to the period of time the fowls are subjected to the application of the scald water.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide novel apparatus for scalding fowls on a mass production basis, in a sanitary manner, either individually or in small unit batches, so as to substantially eliminate all possible contamination by filth and bacteria from fowls previously scalded.

Another object is toprovide novel sanitary scalding apparatus for commercial fowl scalding which utilizes relatively small, controlled amounts of hot scald water for individual or small unit batches of fowls, and which effects economies in the amount of hot water employed.

A further object is to provide novel scalding apparatus which permits performing a high speed scalding operation upon fowls in a manner so as to permit quick, easy and eflicient removal of all of the feathers of the fowls.

Still another object is to provide novel sanitary scald ing apparatus for fowls which permit efficient removal operations are performed by repeatedly pressing orsqueezing small quantities of fresh scald water through the feathers, into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

It is still another object to provide novel fowl scalding apparatus wherein scald water temperatures up to the approximate range of 212 F. may be employed in a manner for effecting a sanitary scalding operation and efficient loosening of the feathers of the fowls for quick and easy removal.

A still further object is to providenovel scalding apparatus for fowls, which utilizes a small amount of fresh scald water, applied to one or small unit batch of fowls, for single use, and wherein the fowls are free to move unrestrictedly within a casing and mechanical pressure is continuously applied to the various portions of the body of the fowls in a manner forrepeatedly pressing or squeezing small quantities of scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowl for effecting a loosening of all of the feathers.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the apparatus embodying the present invention, with parts broken away to show details of construction;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken at line 2--.2 on Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial front elevational view, taken at line 33 on Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a transverse, horizontal sectional view taken at line 55 on Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of apparatus embodying the present invention.

Figure 7 is an end elevation view of the modified apparatus, taken at the right hand end of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the modified apparatus, taken substantiallyas indicated at line 88 on Figure 6, and showing auxiliary apparatus in association therewith.

The present application is a continuation-impart of our copending application, Serial No. 448,687, filed August 9, 1954, now issued as Patent No. 2,813,298, dated November 19, 1957, and entitled, Process for scalding Animals.

In the apparatus as illustrated in Figures '1 to 5 of the drawings, we employ a suitable main, supporting frame' 10, on which is mounted an enclosed sheet metal housing 11, which surrounds suitable drive mechanism. Attached to the housing 11, by bolts 12, is a cabinet-like structure or casing 15, defining a chamber 16 which, as shown, is of generally polygonal cross-section. The cabinet 15 is formed of sheet metal, and mounted substantially centrally therein is a rotatable drum 18, provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart rows of radially extending flexible fingers 20. These fingers may be formed of any suitable resilient material, such as rubber or synthetic rubber, and are preferably corrugated throughout the major portion of their length, and in general may be said to correspond to flexible fingers as used in a conventional mechanical picking machine. As may be seen in the drawings, the outer ends of the fingers, when free, terminate in close proximity to the walls of the cabinet or casing 15. The drum 18 is mounted on a shaft 22 which extends into the housing 11 and is supported on I atented Apr. 4, 1961 3 bearings 24. On the outer end of said shaft, within the housing, is a pulley 26, driven by a belt 27, from a pulley 28, mounted on the shaft of an electric motor 30.

The upper portion of the casing 15 has a section of its top wall cut away, and an adjacent side wall is extended upwardly to form an upwardly open hopper 34 through which fowls, indicated generally at 36, may be dropped into the cabinet for purposes of performing a scalding operation thereon.

Extending horizontally across the front upper portion of the cabinet 15, is a scald water header pipe 38, which is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart nozzles 40, which extend through the front side wall of the casing, as clearlyseen in Figures 1, 4 and 5. The nozzles serve to project jets or sprays of scald water, as indicated at 41, across the chamber, in the path of the fingers of the rotatable drum, as seen in Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings. The header pipe 38 is connected by piping 42, to a suitable source (not shown) of scald water supply of a desired temperature. interposed in the piping 42 is an electrically operated solenoid valve 44. The machine is controlled by a suitable switch 50, timer 52 and push button control 54, interconnected in electrical circuits, including the solenoid 44, in a suitable manner so that upon initially operating the push button control 54, suitable electrical circuits are established through the timer 52, and the switch 50 for driving the motor 30 and opening the solenoid valve 44, by virtue of which the rotor, including the drum 1% and its fingers 20, is rotated within the casing 15, and the solenoid valve 44 is opened to permit flow of a predetermined, small quantity of scald water through the header 38 and nozzles 40, into the casing, for a predetermined period of time, as controlled by the timer, after which all of the electrical circuits are opened, and the solenoid valve is again clcsed and the motor Si? is permitted to come to rest. During this operation the small quantity of scald water may either be immediately discharged, or may, if desired, be

partially collected temporarily in a sump, as hereafter referred to.

In the apparatus as disclosed in Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, it is to be understood that the fowls 36, when engaged by the flexible fingers 20, are freely moved about within chamber 16 of the casing 15, and the impingement action of the flexible fingers is such, together with the polygonal cross-sectional form of the cabinet, to effect rolling, twisting and turning of the fowls in the process of being prcpelled around within the chamber 16 of the cabinet, during which time the fowl pass through the sprays 41 of scald water. The impingement action of the flexible fingers 20, upon the fowls is intermittent in that the fingers of successive rows are whipped into contact with the body of a fowl as it is turned, rolled, tumbled and repositioned within the chamber. This action of the fingers results in impinging upon the feathers of all the various areas of the entire body of the fowl, in a manner to exert a continuous series of intermittent application of compressive forces, by virtue of which small quantities of fresh scald water are repeatedly pressed or squeezed through the feathers of the fowl, into intimate contact with the skin of the fowl, so as to effect an efiicient loosening of all of the feathers of the fowl, and by virtue of which such fowl, after scalding, when subjected to a picking action, such as a mechanical picker, permits quick and easy removal of all feathers, including most pin feathers, from the body of the fowl. Efficient penetration of the scald water through all the feathers of the fowl, over all areas, is attained by the combined action of the flexible fingers impinging upon the feathers of the fowl and the fowl being turned, and rolled freely in an unrestricted manner within the chamber 16, during the time that the rotor carrying the fingers is revolving.

By reason of the fact that the fowls are free to move unrestrictedly within the casing 15, the body, the legs, the wings, neck and head of the fowls are free to assume various positions as they are engaged by the flexible fingers 20, so that the fowl are continuously tumbling and turning about within the casing and the flexible fingers contact substantially all body areas of the entire fowl, from various angles and directions and, thus, results in effecting a complete forced penetration of scald water through all of the feathers of the fowl, and thereby obtaining a complete and efiicient scalding operation by virtue of which the feathers of the fowls may be quickly, easily and completely removed from the body of the fowls.

By virtue of the action of the fingers 20 impinging against the fowls, simultaneously with the introduction of the scald water, into direct contact with the feathers and the skin of the fowls, there also results a thorough washing and scrubbing action on both the feet and the head of the fowls, removing soil, blood and bacteria on the fowls, which greatly improves the sanitary condition of the fowls being immediately processed, as well as those being subsequently processed in the apparatus. This improved sanitary condition resulting from the scrubbing action taking place on the feet and head of the fowls dur-. ing process of scalding is of great advantage, as com pared with currently and previously employed processes, when keeping in mind that fowls, prior to being killed, normally stand on wire grates or grilles and have their feet contaminated with droppings and foodstuffs. Furthermore, the heads of the fowls, after being killed, usually become congested by the blood of the fowls. Such filth and contamination are sanitarily dispensed with by complete washing and removing in the process of scalding. It must be recognized that for many years last past, considerable effort and thought have been given to the possibility of devising suitable apparatus for mechanically scrubbing the feet of fowls as part of the processing operation. It has been found, however, that due to the fact that, in prior commercial systems, the fowls are suspended by their feet from a shackle on a conveyor, it is not possible to effect a proper scrubbing and cleansing operation without removal of the fowl from the shackle. It must also be recognized that in processing certain fowls, such as turkeys, there exist certain regulations, primarily from a sanitation standpoint, which necessitate scrubbing of the feet and head of such fowls.

In the machine, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the lower wall thereof is formed with a movable section 60, constituting a door, which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 61, carried by brackets 62, secured to the end walls of the cabinet. The door includes end flanges a which are journaled on the shaft 61, and when the door is in closed position, as seen in Figure 1, it constitutes a portion of the wall of the cabinet. This door member, as shown in the drawings, is formed with an arcuate section 60b, which is located at the bottom thereof, and

when the door is in closed position, said section 60b constitutes a sump for temporarily collecting and retain-. ing scme of the scald water introduced into the casing in the form of sprays 41, so that as the fowls are moved about within the casing, passing through the sprays 41, they also pass through the small puddle of scald water which accumulates in the sump 60b, for further assisting in placing scald Water in contact with the feathers of the fowls After the fowls have been scaldcd for the desired period of time and the machine is shut off, the door 60 may be unlatched and tilted downwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, for discharging the fowls which have been scalded within the cabinet 15.

The door 60, is secured in closed position by handoperated latches 66, mounted on the ends of a rod 67, carried on the underside of the leading edge of the door. These latches are adapted to cooperate with stud members 69, on opposite ends of the cabinet 15. When the, door is in open position, as seen in Figure 1, said latches engage stop 70, carried on the housing 11, to position which is not picked up and retained by the fowls being' processed therein, which falls to the bottom of the casing, maybe immediately drained away to a suitable discharge and, hence, there will be no re-use whatsoever of the scald water in any manner, and the soil, contaminating matterand bacteria are immediately disposed of after each operation of the machine.

It is to be understood that in the machine, as illustrated in the drawings, an individual fowl may be processed therein, or a small unit batch of fowls may be simultaneously processed at one time, 'such as a batch comprising four fairly good size fowls or six comparatively'small fowls. Obviously, the machine could be increased in size so that larger batches of fowls may be processed at one time. When small unit batches of fowls are thus processed, it will be apparent that the maximum possible extent of contamination of the fowls will be only by the other fowl making up the small batch. Bacteria cannot grow or multiply in the short period of time during which a batch of fowls is being scalded, whereas in currently used tank-type scalding apparatus there is no appreciable change of the scald water during the entire day of performing the scalding operations. Make-up water, which isadded to the tank to replace the water removed by scalded fowls, continues to dilute the tank water to a small degree, and by virtue of which bacteria remain in the tank and multiply many times during the day.

In the construction herein disclosed, it has been found that a satisfactory scalding operation can be performed on either one or small unit batches of fowls by the use of approximatelyl /z gallons of scald water. If six fowls are scalded in one batch, this amount of water used closely approximates the amount of water required for make-up in tank-type scalders for the same number of fowls. 1

As is well known in the art, only the hot scald wate that intimately contacts the skin of the fowls is of any value; the heat that penetrates the skin to the feather follicles is what effects loosening of the feather quills. Since feathers are good heat insulators, it is necessary that the hot water penetrate the feathers and intimately-' contact the skin before it can perform the work of loosening feathers.

It'has been found that very satisfactory scalding operations result when using scald water of varying tempera-- tures. I he period of time during which the scald water is introduced should, however, be proportionately varied.

Inother words, it has been found that a satisfactory scalding operation can be performed upon fowls when using water temperatures in the general range of 210 F. to 212 F. for a period of approximately ten seconds: a It has also been found that satisfactory scalding operations can be performed, utilizing water of a temperature in the range of 140- F. for a longer period of time.

When utilizing water temperatures below 140 F., it-

dotted lines in (a) That by virtue of theuse of flexible fingers for.

impinging upon the feathers simultaneously with intro-- and effect efficient loosening of all feathers in a very The scald water is applied in a;

short periodof time. manner, by the. action of the flexible fingers, so. as to cause small quantities. of scald water to be repeatedly: pressed through the feathers, replacing water previously; pressed through the feathers and which has given up a.

portion of its heat to the skin and is no longer hot enough to loosen feathers.

(b) The amount of scald water used per individual fowl, or small batches of fowls, and which is discarded after each use, is economically practical and results in scalding in a sanitary manner.

(0) The sanitary condition resulting from our scald-1 ing operation by not'using the same scald water over and-over again, for large quantities of fowls being scalded, for. the first time permits attaining a satisfactorysanitary scalding operation which is economically practical, for scalding either individual or small unit batches of fowls.

(d) The scalding operation embodying the present invention results in substantially total elimination of all cooking of the flesh of fowls when the higher scalding temperature is used. This results in greatly increasing the shelf life of the fowls.

Our novel apparatus results in applying scald water to' water after each .use, together with the resultant loss ofheat utilized in bringing the water up to the proper temperature, is deemed to result in a commercially practical and highly satisfactory scalding operation which substantially eliminates the unsanitary condition of contamination of fowls as currently exist in commercial poultry processing establishments. After the fowls have been scalded in accordance with the present invention, they may be transferred in any convenient manner to conventional picking machines wherein substantially all of the feathers, including most pin feathers, are quickly and easily removed from the body of the fowls.

Because of the relatively small amount of scald water employed and, consequently, the small amount of heat in connection with each fowl processed, it is entirely practical from a commercial, economical aspect, not to re-use the scald water on other fowls. By mechanically pressing or squeezing, repeatedly, small quantities of scald.

water through the feathers of the fowls onto the skin of the fowls, effects a reduction in the amount of time required to perform an efficient and complete scalding.

operation, at a given temperature of water, and effects a relatively uniform distribution of heat to all parts of the fowls. Because of the nature of the scalding apparatus employed, it is now possible to dispense with the use of large scalding tanks and, hence, only a relatively. small amount of floor space is required for performing the scalding operation.

-By our new scalding apparatus, fowls for the first time, may be sanitarily scalded on a practical, economical commercial basis because of the immediate disposal of the small quantity of scald water after each use on" an individual fowl, or on a small batch of fowls.

A further advantage of the new scalding apparatus is that in process of scalding, substantially all soil, blood and bacteria on the body of the fowls is completely removed and disposed of so that it cannot be transmitted to and effect contamination of subsequently scalded fowls. The scalding apparatus effects a complete washing and scrubbing of the fowl, including the head and feet and, hence, results in a total cleansing of the fowls externally in a manner never'heretofore obtainable on a commercial basis.

We have. illustrated, in Figures 6 to 8 of the drawings,

a modified form of scalding apparatus which also produces the various advantages" in scalding of fowls, as.

heretofore pointed out in connection with apparatus rep nular flange or skirt 76b, projecting down into a trough-.

like portion of a conveyor structure indicated generally at A, to be hereinafter described. The trough-like structure contains a body of water B, and the lower end of the skirt 76b extends down into the water so as to form a sealed closure for the lower end of the chamber 77. Extending upwardly from the upper end of the frustoconical portion 76a, is an annular section 76c, the upper edge of which is outwardly flanged. A cover 78 is seated on and bolted to the flange, with a sealing gasket therebetween. When the coveris in place, the chamber 77 is thus totally sealed.

Mounted for rotation within the chamber of the easing, about an upright axis, is a rotatable drum 79, having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart rows of radially extending flexible fingers 80. Said fingers are formed of suitable resilient material, such as rubber, and are preferably corrugated throughout the major portion of their length. The drum is so positioned within the casing that at least a plurality of rows of fingers have the ends terminating in close proximity to the frusto-conical wall portion 76a and the skirt portion 76b, of said casing. The drum 79 is fixedly secured to a shaft 81, journaled in bearings 82 and 83, which are in turn attached respectively to the cover element 7870f the casing, and to a transversely extending strap 84 which is secured to the skirt portion 76b of the casing. The upper end of the shaft 81 projects upwardly beyond the bearing 82, and is provided with a pulley 84, driven by a belt 85, from a pulley 86, secured on the shaft of a motor 87 which, in turn is secured to the side wall of the casing 76.

Mounted in the cover plate 78 are a multiplicity of nozzles 88, which are interconnected to a common water supply conduit 89, for providing a multiplicity of jets or sprays of hot scald water in the chamber 77, onto and around fowls being scalded. The conduit 89 is connected by a section of pipe 90, to a solenoid valve 91 which, in turn, is in communication with a main hot water supply conduit 92, through which hot water fiows in a constantly recirculating hot water system, through the medium of a pump 93. The solenoid valve 91 is connected to a timer 94, which is adapted to be manually set so as to maintain the solenoid valve energized, in an open position, so as to supply hot scald water, within the cahmber 77, for a predetermined period of time.

Fowls to be scalded are adapted to be introduced into the chamber 77 of the casing 76 by means of a double gated hopper. The construction provides an air locked arrangement which serves, at all times, to reduce to a minimum the loss of heat and moisture from the chamber 77, incident to discharging fowls into the chamber. The double gated hopper, as seen in the drawings, includes an upright, open ended body 95, which is herein shown of rectangular form, the lower end of which is fixedly mounted on the cover plate 78 in registration with an opening 78a formed in said cover plate. 'The upper end of the body 95 is adapted to be closed by a sliding gate or panel 96, and the lower end of said body 95 is adapted to be closed by a sliding gate or panel 97. When the lower gate 97 is closed, as seen in Figure 8 of the drawings, the chamber 77 is maintained sealed, and the gate 96 may then assume an open position so that said body 95 may function as a hopper for the reception of fowls to be scalded. When the fowls within the hopper are to e discharged into the chamber 77, the upper gate 9.6 is

first closed, and the lower gate 97 is then opened, so that the fowls fall directly into the chamber. The lower gate 9.7-: is then again closed so as to ag ain effectively seal the chamber 77 against escape of heat and moisture therefrom. This results in minimum heat and moisture loss in performing a scalding operation on successive batches offowls.

The frusto-conical portion 76a of the casing is provided with an opening adapted to be normally closed by a sealing type of door 98, adapted to be maintained closed by a latch 99. The purpose of the door is to afford access to the interior of the chamber 77 to remove the fowls which have been scalded. For convenience, we provide a hopper 100 having, an inclined portion 101 functioning as a chute, terminating in close proximity to the lower portion of the door opening in the casing tofac'ilitate removing of the scalded fowls from the chamber and collecting them in the hopper 100 for further processing.

It will be observed that by virtue of the inclined wall of the frusto-conical portion 76a of the casing, the fowls, as indicated generally at C, will normally tend to slide down the incline into contact with the flexible fingers of the rotatable drum. As the drum is rotated, the flexible fingers impinge upon the fowls, causing the fowls to be turned, rolled, tumbled and repositioned, so as to continuously expose diflerent areas of the bodies of the fowls to the sprays of scald water and to the action of the flexible fingers 80. The flexible fingers serve to impart a continuous series of intermittent applications of the compressive force, by virtue of which small quantities of fresh scald water are repeatedly pressed or squeezed through the feathers of the fowls into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls. As heretofore pointed out, it is essential to have intimate contact of the hot scald water with the skin of the fowls to effect an efficient loosening of all of the feathers of the fowls so that when the fowls are subsequently subjected to a picking action, such as by a mechanical picker, all feathers, including most pin feathers, are quickly and easily removed from the bodies of the fowls. It will be appreciated that by virtue of the construction herein disclosed, the fowls, in addition to-being turned, rolled, etc., are capable of being freely moved in an unrestricted manner, in the casing, during the time that the drum 79 is rotating so that the legs, wings, necks and heads of the fowls are free to assume various positions for engagement by the flexible fingers 80and at the same time, a complete washing and scrubbing action is performed upon the feet and head of the fowls for removing soil, blood and bacteria therefrom,

By reason of the casing 75 being sealed, heat and moisture are effectively conserved so that a practical minimum amount of scald water and heat is required in performing successive scalding operations.

The nozzles 86 may be so adjusted that the water spray is more or less in mist form. Very satisfactory scald operations can be performed when the scald water is in the form of mist or moisture saturated air because the fingers 80, upon impingement with the fowls, continue to press and force the moisture in the air through the feathers of the fowls into intimate contact with the skin. Scaling the casing prevents evaporation beyond that required to saturate the air in the closed casing. The evaporation, which consumes heat and cools the scald water when introduced in fine sprays, stops when the trapped air becomes saturated. Thus, the mist, which is not evaporation, but finely dispersed moisture at full temperature, can be repeatedly pressed through the feathers for scalding the skin of the fowls.

It has been found that satisfactory scalding results can be obtained by introducing the scald water into the chamber for a predetermined period of time, and then shutting it off and permitting further operation of the drum so as to cause the fingers to continue to drive water and/ or moisture through the feathers into contact with the skin of the fowls. Satisfactory results are also attained when the sprays of scald Water are used continuously throughout the entire scalding cycle.

It will 'be noted that by virtue of placing the door 98 in the position indicated, there will result a minimum loss of heat from the scalding chamber, during the time that the door is open and while the scalded fowls are being removed, because of the tendency for the heat and moisture laden air to rise within the chamber 77. The retention of the heat within the chamber is an important factor in processing successive batches of fowls as it reduces, to a practical minimum, the loss of heat, and thus requires only a small amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature within the sealed chamber, to a desired value for performing an efficient scald operation on the next batch of fowls. All of the saturated air that can be retained in the casing between batches means less evaporation, when the casing is sealed, for scalding the next batch of fowls, and thus reduces heat loss.

The fingered drum is never shut off, during scalding operations, but revolves continuously, so the batch of fowl, after completion of the scalding operation, are automatically discharged through the door opening by the forces of the revolving fingers.

By virtue of the structure herein disclosed, all soil, foreign matter, etc., tend to drain naturally out of the chamber into the body of water B, associated with the conveyor structure A, so that transmitting and importing soil and bacteria from one batch of fowls to the next is substantially eliminated.

It naturally follows that in performing a scalding operation as hereinabove disclosed, the multiplicity of impacts imparted to the fowls by the flexible fingers 80, results in the removal of some of the feathers of the fowls. Such feathers are flushed out of the chamber and discharged into the body of water B, and the purpose of the conveyor structure A is to remove such feathers from the body of water. It is to be understood that the conveyor structure A, does not constitute any part of the present invention, but for convenience will herein be briefly described. The conveyor structure includes an endless belt, having chains 105, provided with a multiplicity of projections 106, spaced throughout the length of the belt so that the lower run thereof, when passing through the sump or lower portion of the conveyor structure, collects the feathers on said projections and moves them upwardly over and across a wire screen 107, where the excess water carried by the feathers ispermitted to drain off into a container 108, and the further movement of the conveyor belt conveys the feathers over a guide plate 110 for discharge of the feathers into a hopper 111.

Although we have herein shown and described certain embodiments of our novel apparatus, manifestly it is capable of modification without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. We do not, therefore, Wish to be understood as limiting the invention to the precise embodiments herein disclosed, except as we may be so limited by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for scalding fowls, comprising a casing for the reception of fowls to be scalded, pressing means movably mounted in the casing for engaging the fowls, means operatively connected to the casing for supplying a small amount of fresh scald water into the casing, and driving means operatively connected to said pressing means for causing the latter to exert a continuous series of intermittent applications of compressive force over the entire body of the fowls and thereby repeatedly pressing small quantities of fresh scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

2. Apparatus for scalding fowls, comprising a casing for the reception of fowls to be scalded, pressing means movably mounted in the casing for engaging the fowls,

means operatively connected to the casing for supplying a small amount of fresh scald water into the casing, said scald water supplying means comprising one or more nozzles for discharging sprays of scald water onto the fowls, and driving means operatively connected to said pressing means for causing the latter to exert a continuous series of intermittent applications of compressive force over the entire body of the fowls and thereby repeatedly pressing small quantities of fresh scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

3. Apparatus for scalding fowls, comprising a sealed casing adapted to retain heat and moisture therein and adapted for the reception of fowls to be scalded, pressing means movably mounted in the casing for-engaging the fowls and exposing difierent areas of the bodies of the fowls for contact by said pressing means, means operatively connected to the casing for supplying a small amount of fresh scald water into the casing, and driving means operably connected to and adapted for actuating said pressing means for causing the latter to exert a continuous series of intermittent applications of compressive forces over the entire body of the fowls and thereby repeatedly pressing small quantities of scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

4. Apparatus for scalding fowls, comprising a casing for the reception of fowls to be scalded, said casing having a continuous, downwardly and inwardly sloping side wall, a drum rotatable about an upright axis and mounted in said casing, a plurality of flexible fingers mounted on and extending radially outwardly from the drum with some of said fingers being aligned with said Wall whereby to engage and freely move the fowls in the casing for exposing different areas of the bodies of the fowls for contact by said fingers, means operatively connected to the casin for supplying a small amount of fresh scald water into the casing, and driving means operably connected to and adapted for rotating said drum for causing said fingers to exert a continuous series of intermittent applications of compressive forces over the entire body of the fowls and thereby repeatedly pressing small quantities of scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

5. Apparatus for scalding fowls, comprising a casing for the reception of fowls to be scalded, said casing having a continuous, downwardly and inwardly sloping side wall, the bottom of said casing being open and seated in a body of water and the remainder of the casing being closed to provide a sealed casing adapted to retain heat and moisture therein, a drum rotatable about an upright axis and mounted in said casing, a plurality of flexible fingers mounted on and extending radially outwardly from the drum with some of said fingers being aligned with said wall whereby to engage and freely move the fowls in the casing for exposing different areas of the bodies of the fowls for contact by said fingers, means operatively connected to the casing for supplying a small amount of fresh scald water into the casing, and driving means operably connected to and adapted for rotating said drum for causing said fingers to exert a continuous series of intermittent applications of compressive forces over the entire body of the fowls and thereby repeatedly pressing small quantities of scald water through the feathers into intimate contact with the skin of the fowls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 686,576 Blache Nov. 12, 1901 2,389,404 Barker Nov. 20, 1945 2,642,618 Stubelek June 23, 1953 2,728,938 McKinley et al. Jan. 3, 1956 2,790,199 Zebarth Apr. 30, 1957 2,830,316 Toti Apr. 15, 1958 2,855,625 Corey et a1. Oct. 14, 1958

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