Poultry plucker with flexible carcass suspension

摘要

Conveyor-born carcases 13 move along path on each side of which are positioned finger supports 20a,20b, 30a and 30b, rotatable about axes extending towards path, and bearing flexible picking fingers at least some of which intersect path; support on each side of path are offset from those on the other side, providing free space for at least part of carcass to swing into and thus out of contact with previously contacted fingers. Reduces mutilation of carcasses while avoiding labour cost of removing from and replacing on conveyor, incurred if carcasses are plucked in free-tumbling system.