CA1078562A - Fish filleting machine with skinning device - Google Patents

Fish filleting machine with skinning device

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Publication number
CA1078562A
CA1078562A CA293,290A CA293290A CA1078562A CA 1078562 A CA1078562 A CA 1078562A CA 293290 A CA293290 A CA 293290A CA 1078562 A CA1078562 A CA 1078562A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
skinning
fish
machine
roller
conveyor belts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA293,290A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Franz Dohrendorf
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Original Assignee
Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG filed Critical Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority to CA293,290A priority Critical patent/CA1078562A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1078562A publication Critical patent/CA1078562A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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  • Processing Of Meat And Fish (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

In a fish filleting machine for producing individual skin-free fish fillets and comprising conveying means for conveying fish along a conveying path with their longitudinal axes extending in the conveying direction, a plurality of fish filleting tools placed along the conveying path there is arranged a respective skinning device on each side of the conveying path downstream of the last of the filleting tools for skinning a respective fillet of each fish to thus provide for a completely automatical skinning of said individual fillets.

Description

S~

The present invention reL.Ites to a Eish filletin and skinning machine.
lt is usual l~racticc to arr.lnge one or two ~i-,h skinning machines behind a fish Eilletiny machine and to undertake manual feeding of the skinning machine. This is successful when the fillets are of aclequate si~e and when the direction of Conveying of fish in the f;illeting machine is favourable for the skinning operation, the transfer of fillets from the filleting machine to the skinning machine beiny able to take p]ace entirely automatically. However, with small, slender or tender fillets, or particularly in the case of fillets leaving the filleting machine with their head ends foremost, neither automatic delivery to nor automatic intro-duction into a skinning machine is possible.
In theapplicants' German (Fed. Rep.) PatentSpecification No. 550 185 there is disclosed a process for the production of skin-free fillets, in which the skin of the fish is cut through along the dorsal and ventral fins by parallel cuts, and then is gripped at both sicles of the fish, still with its backbone, at the root of the tai] of the fish, is freed from the flesh of the fish, and is drawn off. The withdrawal of skin from a whole fish as thereby proposed represents an as yet unsolved problem in the cutting free of the ventral and dorsal fins, as the severiny of the skin from the collarbone and the belly flap represents an almost unachiev-able task. On the other hand, the skeleton of a skinned fish is not all in a position to accept unaided the pulling forces arising during filleting.
Furthermore, in the applican~s' German (Fe(3. Rep.) Patent Specification No. 26 10 ~98 there is disclosed a device for the skinning of block ~illets, in which the double fil]ets of a dish are held in a circumEerential groove of '' 1 ~ .

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78S~2 a pulley by means of an endl.ess rope and are skinned by circular knives co-operating wi.th the support surface of the pulley. ~fowever, this device also cloes not represent a satisfactory solut:ion to the problem o~ procluction o~ skin-free individual fillets, beca~se both the Fin ho].ders and the dorsal rins o~ the ~ish interrere with the skinning operation.
It is one of the main objects of the invention to provide for a completely automatical skinning of individual fish fillets produced in a fish filleting machine.
According to the present invent:ion there is prov:ided a fish filleting and skinning machine comprising conveying means for conveying fish along a conveying path with their longitudinal axes extending in the conveying direction, a plurality of fish filleting tools arranged along the conveyiny path to provide individual fillets of the fish, and a respective skinning device so arranged on each side of the conveying path douwnstream of the last of the filleting tools as to skin each individual fillet of each fish. .
The advantages to be derived from this arrangement ~.
consist, in particular, in that individual fillets can also be obtained from small fish in high yield and can be fed in a careful manner to the skinning devices~ Moreover, operating personnel for delivery of fillets to the skinning devices are not required and a greater number of fillets per unit of time can be fed to these devices than is possible with manual feeding.
Preferably, each of the skinning devices comprises a rotatable sk.inning roller for engaying the skin oE each fish fillet conveyed thereto and a skinning knife co-operable with the roller to remove the sk;.n frorn each fillet enga-.3ed by the roller, the skinni.ng rollers pre~erably being rotatable .. --2--~ ~V7~S~;2 about substantially vertical. axes or ahollt axes arranged in a substantially V-shaped formatioll. For preference, the skinning knife of each skinn;ny device comprises a cutti.ny edge arranged at a side of the associated skinning roller faciny the conveying path.
By this means, the i.ndividual fillets may be fed in careful manner, and skinned, in the posltion they have after the filleting process.
Expediently, the conveying means comprises two ~ndless first conveyor be].ts to each engaye the outer skin-covered side of arespective fil].etofeach fish and convey suc~

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. ) ~ 1~378562 fillet towards an associated one of the skinning devices, two endless second conveyor belts to each engage the inner side of a respective fillet of each fish and convey such fillet from an associated one of the first conveyor belts to the S skinning device associated therewith, and a respective guide arranged between each first conveyor belt and the skinning roller of the associated skinning device to guide the outer side of each fillet conveyed by the associated second conveyor belt. Each of the second conveyor belts may be guided around a plurality of guide rollers rotatable about axes parallel to an axis of rotation of the skinning roller of the associated skinning device.
Thereby, reliable and careful transfer of the individual fillets from the filleting tools to the skinning devices is made possible.
For preference, each of the second conveyor belts is a flat belt and at least one of the guide rollers of each said plurality is arranged to be deflectable against a resilient blas in a direction away from the associated guide, said at least one guide roller of each plurality being arranged upstream of the or each other guide roller of that plurality with respect to the conveying direction and adjacent to the associated one of the first conveyor belts.
As a result, the second conveyor belts can adapt themselves to different thicknesses of the fillets.
Advantageously, one of the guide rollers of each said plurality is arranged downstream of t'~e or eac~ other guide roller of that plurality with respect to the conveying M~ direction and downstream of the skinnln~ roller of the 135~
associated skinning device by a spacing substantially equal to the diameter oE said one guide roller or said skinning roller. By this means, ln the case of uniformly thin fillets a deflectable arrangement of said downstream guide roller of each plurality of guide rollers can be dispensed with.
Preferably, the conveying means further comprises a respective support extending between the last of the ~illeting tools and each of the second conveyor belts to support the inner side of a fish fillet conveyed by the associated one of the flrst conveyor belts, the supports extending divergently in the conveying direction. This arrangement permits a secure transfer of the fillets to the second conveyor belts.
Expediently, the skinning rollers of the skinning devices are driven to xotate at a given peripheral speed by drive means and the first conveyor belts at a surface speed lower than the given speed. Thereby, a possible or virtual slipping of the skins in the skinning devices is taken into account.
For preference, the apparatus further comprises drive means to drive the first conveyor belts to circulate at a first speed, the skinning rollers of the skinning devices to rotate at a second speed, and the second conveyor belts to circulate at a third speed intermediate the first and second speeds. This may avoid any compressing of the fillets during their transfer from the filleting tools to the skinning devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
An embodiment of the present invention will now be . .

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more particularly described by way o:E example wi-th re.Eerence to the accompanying schematic drawlng, which is a cut-away schematic perspective view of the end part of a fish Eille~ing machine according to the said embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawing, there is shown the end part of a fish filleting machine with a horizontal conveying path 1, along which fish are conveyed in the direction indlcated by the arrow, disposed in a support (not shown), a pair of endlesss conveyor belts 21, 22 being arranged one on each side of the conveying path 1 either in a common plane or in planes inclined relative to each other. The conveyor belt 21 is deflected around a pulley 23, and the conveyor belt around a pulley 24. Upstream of the pulleys 23, 24 with respect to the conveying direction and above the conveying path 1 is arranged a filleting tool 3, which is the last of a pluralitv of filleting tools arranged along the conveying path and which can consist of a pair of circular knives acting as, for example, back filleting knives.
Two rollers 65, which are rotatable about vertical axes 63, are arranged upstream of or between the pulleys 23, 24 of the conveyor belts 21, 22 and one on each side of the conveying path 1, each of the rollers 65 having a respective endless flat conveyor belt 62 guided therearound for the conveying of fish fillets and each of the belts 62 being further guided around and driven by, at a location downstream from the rollers 65, a roller 66 rotatable about a vertical axis 64.
Two skinning devices 4, 5 are arranged one on each slde of the filleting machine and each in association with a 785~;2 respective one of the conveyor belts 21, 22 and a r~spective one of the conveyor belts 62. Each of the skinning devices comprises a skinning roller 42, which ls rotatable about a vertical axis 41 and which i5 disposed upstream of the roller 66 of the associated conveyor belt 62 and closely adjacent to the outer run of that belt. Each skinning roller 42 has a profiled circumferential surface and is associated with a skinning knife 43 having a cutting edge 44 faclng the associated one of the conveyor belts 6~, the cutting edge 44 being arranged at a small spacing from the circumference of the skinnin~ roller 42. As a result, the part behind the cutting edge 44 can be constructed as a pressure shoe.
In addition, arranged parallel to and at a small spacing from the outer run of each conveyor belt 62 is a respective rigld ~ X~, which extends between the pulley 23 or 24 and the associated one of the skinning rollers 42 and which is mounted to be stationary in the machine.
. The pulley 23 and the skinning roller 42 of the skinning device 4 are driven in a suitable manner counter-clockwise and the roller 66 of the associated conveyor belt 62 is driven clockwise. Thereby, the peripheral speed of the conveyor belt 21 to that of the conveyor belt 62 to that of the skinning roller 42 can be, for example, 24 to 25 to 28. The directions of rotation or circulation o~ the pulley 24, the skinning roller 42 of the skinning device 5, and the roller 66 of the associated conveyor belt 62 are counter to those of their counterparts mentioned above, with the speeds thereof having the same relationship as their counterparts.

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7l~
The operation of the filleting machine is as follows:
' A beheaded fish 7 is conveyed, wlth its head end leading ; and its belly lowermost, along the conveying path 1 to the filleting tool 3, after having been provided with at least belly filleting cuts and rib cuts by other filleting tools (not shown). By means of the filleting tool 3, back filleting cuts and/or severing cuts are made, whereby individual fillets are severed from the skeleton of the fish. Through the conveyor belts 21, 22, the.fillets are conveyed along the supports 67 to the conveyor belts 62. On reaching the conveyor belts 62, the fillets are removed from the conveyor belts 21 and 22 by the guides 61, and are then each conveyed between a respectlve conveyor belt 62 and guide 61 to the associated one of the skinning devices 4, 5. During such conveying, each conveyor belt 62 is deflected away from the associated guide 61 by an amount determined by the thickness of the fillet conveyed therebetween, the skin-covered side of the fillet being in contact with the guide 61. The skin of the leading end of each fish fillet penetrates between the cutting edge 44 of the skinning knife 43 and the skinning roller 42 of the respective skinning device, and is gripped and entrained by the profiled surface of the skinning roller, whereby the fillet is skinned. The skinned fillet is then collected downstream of the skinning device, or else it can be fed for further processing.

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Claims (12)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows :
1. A fish filleting and skinning machine comprising conveying means for conveying fish along a conveying path with their longitudinal axes extending in the conveying direction, a plurality of fish filleting tools arranged along the conveying path to provide individual fillets of the fish, and a respective skinning device so arranged on each side of the conveying path downstream of the last of the filleting tools to skin each fillet of the fish.
2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the skinning devices comprises a rotatable skinning roller for engaging the skin of each fish fillet conveyed thereto and a skinning knife co-operable with the roller to remove the skin from each fillet engaged by the roller.
3. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the skinning rollers of the skinning devices are rotatable about substantially vertical axes.
4. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the skinning rollers of the skinning devices are rotatable about axes arranged in a substantially V-shaped formation.
5. A machine as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein the skinning knife of each skinning device comprises a cutting edge arranged at a side of the associated skinning roller facing the conveying path.
6. A machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the conveying means comprises two endless first conveyor belts to each engage the outer skin-convered side of a respective fillet of each fish and convey such fillet towards an associated one of the skinning devices, two endless second conveyor belts to each engage the inner side of a respective fillet of each fish and convey such fillet from an associated one of the first conveyor belts to the skinning device associated therewith, and a respective guide arranged between each first conveyor belt and the skinning roller of the associated skinning device to guide the outer side of each fillet conveyed by the associated second conveyor belt.
7. A machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the second conveyor belts is guided around a plurality of guide rollers rotatable about axes parallel to an axis of rotation of the skinning roller of the associated skinning device.
8. A machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of the second conveyor belts is a flat belt and at least one of the guide rollers of each said plurality is arranged to be deflectable against a resilient bias in a direction away from the associated guide, said at least one guide roller of each plurality being arranged upstream of the or each other guide roller of that plurality with respect to the conveying direction and adjactent to the associated one of the first conveyor belts.
9. A machine as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein one of the guide rollers of each said plurality is arranged downstream of the or each other guide roller of that plurality with respect to the conveying direction and downstream of the skinning roller of the associated skinning device by a spacing at least equal to the diameter of said one guide roller or said skinning roller.
10. A machine as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the conveying means further comprises a respective support extending between the last of the filleting tools and each of the second conveyor belts to support the inner side of a fish fillet conveyed by the associated one of the first conveyor belts, the supports extending divergently in the conveying direction.
11. A machine as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, comprising drive means to drive the skinning rollers of the skinning devices to rotate at a given peripheral speed and to drive the first conveyor belts at a surface speed lower than said given speed of the skinning rollers.
12. A machine as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, comprising drive means to drive the first conveyor belts to circulate at a first speed the skinning rollers of the skinning devices to rotate at a second speed, and the second conveyor belts to circulate at a third speed intermediate the first and second speeds.
CA293,290A 1977-12-16 1977-12-16 Fish filleting machine with skinning device Expired CA1078562A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA293,290A CA1078562A (en) 1977-12-16 1977-12-16 Fish filleting machine with skinning device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA293,290A CA1078562A (en) 1977-12-16 1977-12-16 Fish filleting machine with skinning device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1078562A true CA1078562A (en) 1980-06-03

Family

ID=4110307

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA293,290A Expired CA1078562A (en) 1977-12-16 1977-12-16 Fish filleting machine with skinning device

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1078562A (en)

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