1. An apparatus for preparing a skin of an item for breading comprising:
roller pairs extending lengthwise in parallel one with respect to the other such that the respective axis of rotation for each roller of the pair lay within a common plane and such that the rollers are proximately space apart forming a gap there between, and where each roller of the pair has a plurality of circular blades adjacently mounted on a drive shaft and proximately spaced apart and each circular blade having a common circular blade axis of rotation with respect to the other circular blades, and where each circular blade has a plurality of teeth radially extending from a cutting edge of each circular blade, and where each roller is spring loaded where each applies an inward opposing force and allows variance in the gap between the rollers, and further comprising a scraper member having an arcuate hook-shaped extension positioned between immediately adjacent circular blades, where the arcuate hook-shaped extension member is substantially centered on the common circular blade axis of rotation.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the common plane is at a 45\xb0 angle with respect to horizontal.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising:
an infeed conveyor having an entry end and an exit end of an upper run where the exit end of the upper run is aligned and positioned vertically to feed items being conveyed on the upper run into the gap between the rollers.
4. A method for preparing a skin of an item for breading comprising the steps of:
conveying a poultry item horizontally along a conveyance path and feeding the poultry item into a top opening of a chute directing the poultry item into a roller gap between a pair of rollers where each roller of the pair of rollers has a plurality of proximately spaced approximately mounted circular blades each blade having radially extending teeth and where the axis of rotation of each roller of the pair of rollers lay in a common plane;
urging each roller inwardly one with respect to the other and inwardly rotating each roller, thereby engaging the poultry item with the radially extending teeth penetrating the skin of the poultry item creating a plurality of holes in the skin of the poultry item; and
preventing portions of the poultry item from clinging to the pair of rollers using a scraper having an arcuate hook-shaped extension position between immediately adjacent circular blades.
5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:
feeding a poultry item into a lower roller gap between a pair of lower rollers where each lower roller of the pair of lower rollers have radially extending lower teeth and where the axis of rotation of each lower roller of the pair of lower rollers lay in a lower common plane; and
urging each lower roller inwardly one with respect to the other and inwardly rotating each lower roller, thereby engaging the poultry item with the radially extending lower teeth penetrating the skin of the poultry item creating a second plurality of holes in the skin of the poultry item.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
conveying the poultry item away for breading.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A pressure gauge having an internal device, a pointer, a pressure scale plate and pressure range indicating needles, which are provided in a pressure gauge body, said internal device being adapted to convert a fluid pressure into a corresponding movement of said pointer to indicate the pressure by a position of said pointer, wherein said pressure range indicating needles are movable and capable of being held in desired positions, respectively, and a cover is detachably attached to a front of said pressure gauge body, said pressure gauge comprising:
a window hole formed in said cover; and
a transparent cover plate fitted in the window hole of said cover in such a manner as to be capable of being opened and closed, so that when said transparent cover plate is open, said pressure range indicating needles are movable.
2. A pressure gauge according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said transparent cover plate near one end thereof is engaged with a portion of said cover near one end of said window hole, whereby said transparent cover plate is rotatably fitted, and a portion of said transparent cover plate near the other end thereof is retainable by a portion of said cover near the other end of said window hole.
3. A pressure gauge according to claim 2, wherein an engagement recess is formed on said cover near one end of said window hole, and an engagement projection is formed on said transparent cover plate near one end thereof, and wherein a retaining recess is formed on said cover near the other end of said window hole, and a retaining projection is formed on said transparent cover plate near the other end thereof.
4. A pressure gauge according to claim 2, wherein an engagement projection is formed on said cover near one end of said window hole, and an engagement recess is formed on said transparent cover plate near one end thereof, and wherein a retaining projection is formed on said cover near the other end of said window hole, and a retaining recess is formed on said transparent cover plate near the other end thereof.