Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for automatically removing the tendon from the tenderloin fillet of a poultry breast which includes a continuous conveyor for carrying the fillet of meat to a tendon gripping and pulling station mounted adjacent to the conveyor. The conveyor comprises a plurality of laterally extending trays adapted to receive a meat fillet and each tray includes a slot at the outer or lateral edge thereof for receiving an exposed strip portion of the major tendon contained in the fillet. The exposed strip of tendon in the slot hangs downwardly below the tray. The tendon gripping and supporting assembly is mounted below the upper run of trays on the conveyor and is aligned with the path of the slots in the trays moving along the conveyor. The latter assembly includes a rotating cylindrical member provided with radial extending fins which cooperates with an arcuate wall surface mounted closely adjacent to the path of the outer ends of the fins to entrap the strip of tendon hanging through the slot in the conveyor tray between the outer end of rotating fin and the fixed arcuate wall surface to securely grip and pull the tendon strip downwardly and away from the meat fillet on the conveyor tray as the meat fillet continues toward a collection station.

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First Claim