Machine and method for packaging poultry products

摘要

A machine for packaging poultry products and for breaking the hocks of the poultry products includes two substantially semi-cylindrical guide members for positioning a poultry product with unbroken hocks in a bag and a plunger device for breaking the hocks of the poultry product. The plunger device has two inclined surfaces forming a substantially V-shaped surface for contacting the legs of the poultry product and for breaking the hocks by compressing the legs of the poultry product against the carcass of the poultry product. Methods for operating the machine to load the poultry product into the bag and to automatically break the hocks are also described.