Rehanging of slaughtered animals

Abstract

In a method and device for opening a blood vessel in the neck of a pre-positioned slaughter animal, a blood vessel is opened as a result of at least one cutting device being moved into the neck from one side of the neck towards the opposite side of the neck, the blood vessel being located in the path of the cutting device. The cutting device is an elongate blade which is moved in its longitudinal direction and is provided with a sharp, inclined front side. Before the blood vessel is opened, the distance between the trachea and the blood vessel is increased in an area of the opening.

1 .- 62 . (canceled)  
     
     
         1 . A method for processing a slaughter animal, the method comprising: 
 hanging the slaughter animal by its head;    shifting the point by which the slaughter animal is hung from the head to at least one leg; and    opening a blood vessel of the slaughter animal when the slaughter animal is hanging by its head or by the at least one leg.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shifting of the point by which the slaughter animal is hung from the head to at least one leg comprises: 
 connecting at least one leg of the slaughter animal to a leg carrier; eliminating the hanging by the head; and    hanging the slaughter animal from the leg carrier by the at least one leg.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hanging of the slaughter animal by the head is performed by: supplying the slaughter animal lying on a surface; and 
 manipulating the head of the slaughter to place it into a carrying opening of a head carrier.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the surface is the base of a crate, or a compartment of a crate.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the surface is a belt of a moving belt conveyor.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the head carrier forms part of a conveyor.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the beak of the slaughter animal faces towards the carrying opening or away from the carrying opening of the head carrier.  
     
     
         8 . A device for processing a slaughter animal prior to or following an opening of at least one blood vessel of the slaughter animal, the device comprising: 
 a head carrier for carrying the slaughter animal by its head;    a leg carrier for carrying the slaughter animal by at least one leg; and    leg positioning means interacting with the leg carrier for placing the at least one leg of the slaughter animal in the leg carrier.    
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the head carrier comprises a substantially U-shaped carrying opening, the transverse dimension of which is smaller than the width of the head of the slaughter animal.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the head carrier forms part of a conveyor, the path of which at least extends from a location where slaughter animals are supplied to the location of the blood vessel opening means.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the leg carrier is a hook.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the leg carrier is moved synchronously with the head carrier.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the leg positioning means comprise a support which can tilt about an axis, for tilting at least part of the at least one leg from a substantially vertical position into a substantially horizontal position.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein said part of the leg extends below the knee joint.  
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the support is adapted also to support the breast of the slaughter animal.  
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the support is provided with gripper means for securely gripping the at least one leg.  
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 13 , further comprising one or more stops which interact with the leg positioning means, for positioning the at least one leg substantially in a horizontal plane.  
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein one of the stops is adapted to be placed against the rear side of the slaughter animal.  
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein one of the stops is adapted to be placed on the front side of the slaughter animal.  
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein one of the stops is adapted to be placed against the rear side of the slaughter animal, and one of the stops is adapted to be placed on the front side of the slaughter animal, the stop on the front side of the slaughter animal being adapted to push the slaughter animal against the stop at the rear side of the slaughter animal.  
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 8 , further comprising a leg separating means for physically separating the legs of a slaughtered animal from each other.  
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 8 , comprising: 
 two belt conveyors which are arranged next to and at a distance from one another, are substantially parallel and are driven synchronously, in such a manner that a gap is formed between the belt conveyors, the width of which gap being smaller than the smallest width dimension of the slaughter animal, and over a predetermined length at a topside and an underside of the belt conveyors being smaller than the head of the slaughter animal, for guiding the neck of the slaughter animal between the belt conveyors and to enclose the head between them; and    a conveyor for advancing a head carrier along the underside of the belt conveyors and at least partially parallel thereto at the level of the gap for receiving the neck for hanging the slaughter animal by its head.