CA2593058C - Method for the controlled mechanical treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, and device for carrying out said method - Google Patents
Method for the controlled mechanical treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, and device for carrying out said method Download PDFInfo
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- CA2593058C CA2593058C CA2593058A CA2593058A CA2593058C CA 2593058 C CA2593058 C CA 2593058C CA 2593058 A CA2593058 A CA 2593058A CA 2593058 A CA2593058 A CA 2593058A CA 2593058 C CA2593058 C CA 2593058C
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 30
- 241000442132 Lactarius lactarius Species 0.000 title claims abstract description 13
- 239000008280 blood Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 147
- 210000004369 blood Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 147
- 241000251468 Actinopterygii Species 0.000 claims abstract description 119
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 70
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 55
- 239000012528 membrane Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 36
- 210000000988 bone and bone Anatomy 0.000 claims abstract description 28
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 claims description 30
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 claims description 11
- 210000003734 kidney Anatomy 0.000 claims description 5
- 210000003109 clavicle Anatomy 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 210000000683 abdominal cavity Anatomy 0.000 abstract 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 18
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000009938 salting Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 241000894006 Bacteria Species 0.000 description 1
- 241001609030 Brosme brosme Species 0.000 description 1
- 241000276438 Gadus morhua Species 0.000 description 1
- 241001098054 Pollachius pollachius Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000006978 adaptation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 210000004712 air sac Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 210000003484 anatomy Anatomy 0.000 description 1
- 238000011109 contamination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004069 differentiation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000013332 fish product Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000000796 flavoring agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000019634 flavors Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000011010 flushing procedure Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001788 irregular Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229930014626 natural product Natural products 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 241000894007 species Species 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C25/00—Processing fish ; Curing of fish; Stunning of fish by electric current; Investigating fish by optical means
- A22C25/14—Beheading, eviscerating, or cleaning fish
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
- A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
- A22C25/00—Processing fish ; Curing of fish; Stunning of fish by electric current; Investigating fish by optical means
- A22C25/14—Beheading, eviscerating, or cleaning fish
- A22C25/145—Eviscerating fish
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- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Zoology (AREA)
- Food Science & Technology (AREA)
- Processing Of Meat And Fish (AREA)
- Treatment Of Water By Oxidation Or Reduction (AREA)
- Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a method for the controlled treatment of headless and gutted whitefish (1), especially saltfish. According to said method, before the fish membrane and main bones are extracted, distal blood residues of the neck are removed by means of a high-pressure cleaning liquid jet. Once the main bones have been cut out, proximal blood residues of the neck on the flesh of the fish can be accessed in the region of the abdominal cavity and removed with cleaning means (708) which protect the flesh. The aim of the invention is to mechanically remove the proximal blood residues of the neck, which vary considerably in size and position, in such a way that the flesh is protected. To this end, said residues are removed in layers. An upper part is removed in a device (8) by means of at least one high-pressure cleaning liquid jet oriented towards the proximal blood residues of the neck, said jet being adjusted in such a way that a residue of the proximal blood of the neck remains in order to contribute to the protection of the exposed fish flesh during the application of the jet. The residue is then removed by means of another flesh-protecting means (7). The device for carrying out the method comprises a cleaning device (708) for the layered removal of the proximal blood residues of the neck, said cleaning device being arranged downstream of the filleting device (6).
Description
METHOD FOR THE CONTROLLED MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF HEADLESS
AND GUTTED WHITEFISH, AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD
.he invention concerns a method for the controlled treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, in particular for producing saltfish, including the following steps:
before separating out the backbone which lies in the ventral cavity region with the fish membrane spanning the bone on the ventral side, nape blood remains which are exposed distally on the headless and gutted fish to the left and right laterally of the backbone outside the fish membrane in recesses in the region of the clavicle are removed with at least one high-pressure liquid cleaning jet directed onto the nape blood remains; the backbone is cut out of the fish in the region of the ventral cavity together with the blood kidney located there, in order to make proximal nape blood remains on the fish flesh in the region of the ventral cavity accessible for removal; the proximal nape blood remains are removed with a cleaning means which treats the flesh carefully. The invention also relates to an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method. Cod, pollack, tusk and ling, for example, are named as whitefish to be treated. A special fish's body which is still provided with the backbone in the tail region and with flank bones is produced. By salting, the product can be made capable of keeping for a long time. It then has for example a thickness of the order of 1 cm. For consumption the product is steeped in water, as a result of which it swells to approximately five times the thickness. The fish flesh is relatively firm and acquires its own special flavour due to salting and steeping in water.
For the fish product to be treated, it is typical that a (distal) region of the nape blood located towards the head end is exposed in recesses in the region of the clavicle, while a (proximal) region of the nape blood located towards the tail end becomes free only when fish membrane, backbone and blood kidney in the region of the ventral cavity are removed. With the known method described in patent DE 103 41 941 and the associated machine, there has been success in mechanically removing nape blood. Here it is of special importance that distal and proximal nape blood remains are detected with differentiation for removal. The distal nape blood remains can be eliminated by high-pressure water jetting which is generated with high impingement effect. In the process the fish flesh is protected and undamaged due to the closed fish membrane. After removal of the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity, there are special requirements for removal of the proximal nape blood remains. The risk of contamination by distributing bacteria in a wide area over the flesh must be ruled out. The nape blood remains must be completely removed, and the fish flesh must not be damaged. Usually the initially concealed proximal nape blood remains are relatively small, so that good results are obtained after cutting out the bone with gentle brush cleaning described in DE 103 41 941. As a result of differences in the anatomy of the natural product, however, it happens that proximal nape blood remains are larger and mechanical nape blood removal is not sufficient. The region and quantity of the proximal nape blood remains are also affected by the cuts for cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity. Cuts passing close by the bone for optimum recovery of fish flesh increase the size of the region of proximal nape blood remains. Also, the cuts are subject to anatomical differences. Furthermore, different fish lengths lead to variations in extent and quantity of nape blood remains that cannot be predetermined. Hence it has become necessary to carry out visual checks in order to separate out insufficiently cleaned products. This hinders production and leads to considerable extra costs caused in particular by hiring personnel.
It is the object of the invention to improve the removal of nape blood remains for the mechanical treatment of whitefish. In particular proximal nape blood remains occurring with considerable fluctuations in their size and position are to be reliably removed mechanically in order to increase the product flow and save personnel for subsequent checks. It is to become possible to increase the flesh yield with cuts passing close by the backbone. The quality of the product is to continue to be guaranteed by cleaning which is particularly careful with the flesh. It is also to become possible to operate one and the same machine in automatic control for whitefish with large differences in length, particularly in the range from approximately 300 to 800 mm.
The object is achieved with the method mentioned hereinbefore by the fact that, for removal which is careful with the flesh, the proximal nape blood remains of the fish, from which in the region of the ventral cavity the backbone and at least part of the fish membrane have been removed, are removed in layers, wherein an upper (first) fraction is removed by at least one high-pressure cleaning liquid jet directed onto the proximal nape blood remains and set such that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and only a residual fraction of the proximal nape blood is left behind, which contributes to protection of the fish flesh under liquid jetting, and is then removed with at least one further means which is careful with the flesh. An apparatus suitable for carrying out the method includes a conveying device which defines a conveying zone for conveying the fish to be treated in numbers, a bone removal device arranged on the conveying zone for cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity, a high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device arranged on the conveying zone in front of the bone removal device in the direction of fish travel for the removal of distal nape blood remains exposed outside the fish membrane, and a cleaning device arranged on the conveying zone behind the bone removal device in the direction of fish travel for the removal of proximal nape blood remains in a manner which is careful with the flesh after cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity. According to the invention, the cleaning device arranged behind the bone removal device is formed by a device for removing the proximal nape blood remains in layers in such a way that it comprises a high-pressure liquid jet device for removing the proximal nape blood remains so as to leave a residual fraction and be careful with the flesh, and a cleaning device mounted behind in the direction of fish travel for removing the residual fraction left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting in a manner which is careful with the flesh.
Due to removal of the proximal nape blood remains in layers according to the invention, there is success in completely removing proximal nape blood remains with considerable fluctuations in quantity, local extent and/or position, this being with a guarantee of cleaning which is particularly careful with the flesh. According to the invention, it is important also to remove proximal nape blood remains locally in isolated areas with jetting produced at relatively high pressure, but with the dynamic pressure impingement effect reduced such that localised jetting does not cut into the fish flesh, but instead deliberately leaves a residual fraction or residual layers of proximal nape blood remains. As a result, reduced defined proximal nape blood remains are produced for subsequent removal with a further cleaning means that is careful with the flesh. These remains have been removed to a degree of the same order of magnitude by the high-pressure liquid jetting. This localised residual fraction or residual layers defining the latter can then be reliably removed with the further means that is careful with the flesh. It is important that the preliminary high-pressure liquid jetting which treats the flesh carefully removes both smaller and larger quantities of proximal nape blood remains, depending on irregular occurrence, so that residual fractions which are then still to be removed are left in a defined reduced quantity of substantially similar shape and appearance. Even if the fish quality fluctuates considerably and/or the quantity of the backbone cut out of the ventral cavity in each case is very different, complete removal of the nape blood is obtained. As a result, production becomes higher-yielding, and continuous visual checking can be avoided and hence personnel can be saved.
Within the meaning and in accordance with the invention, a high-pressure cleaning liquid jet for the distal nape blood remains means a pressure jet or pressure -jettinq which, in case of removal of blood remains on open flesh not protected by the fish membrane, would lead to damaging it.
Distal jetting of an isolated localised area of blood remains is produced for example and appropriately with a flat-jet nozzle having a jet angle of approximately 200 and a flat thickness (flatness) of approximately 3 to 4 mm. On the other hand, within the meaning and in accordance with the invention, a high-pressure liquid cleaning jet for the proximal nape blood remains means a pressure jet or pressure jetting which is designed so that the blood remains occurring on exposed, unprotected flesh are removed except for the deliberately left residual fraction without damaging the fish flesh. This proximal jetting of an isolated localised area of blood remains is produced for example and appropriately with a flat-jet nozzle having a jet angle of approximately 65 and a flat thickness ( f latness) of approximately 2 to 3 mm. In order to produce the high-pressure liquid jets for distal and proximal nape blood remains according to the invention, the nozzles can for example also be connected to low-pressure liquid sources by suitable pipes. As a result it is important that, at and in front of the nozzle jet openings, the pressure and jet characteristics described are obtained with the associated effect.
As is known in the art from DE 103 41 941, it is particularly advantageous to use a mechanical cleaning means which treats the flesh carefully, appropriately a controlled brush means, to remove residual quantities of the proximal nape blood remains. A controlled brush means is particularly suitable for the purposes of the invention, because for this cleaning the proximal nape blood remains have been reduced to largely the same small amount, so that brush cleaning can be operated carefully, in a short time and in a precisely defined localised area. The intensity of brush cleaning can be very largely reduced, as only proximal nape blood remains of a smaller and substantially the same quantity are to be removed. Due to the low intensity of brush cleaning, the latter can also cover the areas in which proximal nape blood remains have been previously removed with high-pressure liquid jetting. Since high-pressure liquid jetting is carried out with careful treatment of the flesh for the proximal nape blood remains, this can also advantageously be applied to the areas in which distal nape blood remains have been previously removed with intensive high-pressure liquid jetting kept away from the flesh area by the fish membrane.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, high-pressure jetting of the distal nape blood remains and high-pressure jetting of the proximal nape blood remains can be produced with at least substantially the same source pressure, the impingement effect of proximal high-pressure jetting being smaller than the impingement effect of distal high-pressure jetting. Appropriately, proximal jetting is fanned out by suitable flat-jet nozzles which, in each case with a jet angle of approximately 50 to 70 , have a jet flatness of below approximately 3 mm. On the other hand, for distal jetting areas in each case a concentrated, relatively focused jet of a narrow jet flat cone is produced, which appropriately has a jet angle of approximately 10 to 30 and a jet flatness of more than 3 mm.
Although according to the invention basically there is consideration of producing successive jetting for the distal and proximal nape blood remains respectively by two g or even more stations, in a preferred embodiment for distal and proximal jetting there is provided only one station which appropriately has a pair of nozzles arranged symmetrically to the vertical fish conveying plane. In order to cover extensive proximal nape blood remains associated with long fish lengths, relative to the vertical conveying plane there may however appropriately also be provision of outer nozzles with a flat-jet angle of e.g.
45 and correspondingly inner nozzles with a flat-jet angle of e.g. 200, which can also succeed each other at short intervals in the direction of conveying and then form two stations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the further removal means which treats the flesh carefully is constructed with only one cleaning station. But it is also conceivable that appropriately brush cleaning means succeed each other in e.g. two stations.
For optimum flesh recovery, the cuts for cutting out the backbone in the ventral cavity region can pass close by the backbone, the central portion of the fish membrane being cut away, and lateral longitudinal edges being left behind as remains of the membrane. For these cuts, high-pressure liquid jetting is adjusted for removing the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains in such a way that the membrane edges are pushed aside to widen the ventral side of the fish and made easy to detach by the jetting, and then a controlled brush means removes the membrane edges in order to remove the residual fraction of nape blood remains which is thus exposed for the brush means.
Appropriately, high-pressure liquid jetting which removes the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains can also cover the areas of the distal nape blood remains which have previously been subjected to high-pressure liquid jetting.
To make the procedure particularly favourable in an apparatus, appropriately in the usual manner the fish to be treated is cut open in the tail region laterally of the backbone from below to beyond the backbone, before distal nape blood remains exposed outside the closed membrane are removed by high-pressure liquid jetting. Advantageously here, as is known in the art, the process of cutting the fish open in the tail region laterally of the backbone is used to recover a fish size value for controlled operation of al1 cleaning steps, depending on the fish to be treated each time. In the apparatus, in front of the cutting device is mounted a measuring device with associated conveying path for the detection of fish length data which are determined for programmed linking to fish data for operational control of the cleaning devices which remove nape blood remains.
Subsidiary claims are aimed at the above and also other appropriate and advantageous embodiments of the invention.
Particularly appropriate and advantageous embodiments or possible designs of the invention are described in more detail with the aid of the following description of the practical examples shown in the schematic drawings. They show:
Figure 1 in a longitudinal side view, an apparatus according to the invention with cleaning stations, Figure 2 in a detailed side view of the apparatus of Figure 1, a cutting device associated with the tail region of the fish and a cleaning device mounted behind it for distal nape blood remains, Figures 3A a headless and gutted whitefish before and 3B treatment in a bottom view and sectional view, Figure 4A in a bottom view and sectional view, the fish of Figure 4B Figure 3 after cutting open in the tail region and with the membrane closed in the position for removal of exposed distal nape blood remains, Figure 6 in a bottom view, the fish of Figure 4 after bone removal in the region of its central cavity, Figures 7A in longitudinal and transverse views, the and 7B fish of Figure 6 after bone removal in the position for brush cleaning, Figure 8 in a cross-section, a first high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device for proximal nape blood remains and Figure 9 in a bottom view, the fish from which the bones have been removed in the ventral cavity region and from which the nape blood remains have been removed.
An apparatus 9 according to the invention provided for carrying out the method of the invention, as can be seen ~l from Figure 1, includes in a manner known in the art a frame 91 with a cutting device 4 and a bone removal device 6 mounted behind the latter. A table 92 is provided by means of which the apparatus 9 is successively provided with whitefish 1 to be treated. A conveying device 3 includes, in a row, groups of driver elements 311 which are endlessly rotated and driven with a conveying chain 31 for transport of the fish 1 in the direction of fish travel R
along the conveying zone of the apparatus 9. Each fish 1 is gripped with a tail clamp 312 and conveyed tail first.
Along the conveying zone, between the cutting device 4 and the bone removal device 6 is arranged a high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 5 for removing distal nape blood remains 21. Behind the bone removal device 6 in the direction of fish travel R is provided a cleaning device 708 according to the invention for removal of proximal nape blood remains 22 in a manner that treats the flesh carefully after the backbone 111 has been cut out in the region of the ventral cavity 14. Behind the latter is mounted a flushing device 99. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, at the entrance to the cutting device 4 are arranged ordinary guide bodies 93, 94 by which the fish 1 is brought to a circular cutting blade 41 of the cutting device 4.
Each whitefish 1 to be treated involves a headless and gutted fish's body still having the backbone 11. This body is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. As is usual for producing saltfish from whitefish, the fish 1 is cut open in the tail region laterally of the backbone 11 from below to beyond the backbone 11 by means of the cutting device 4 and correspondingly vertically oriented blade 41. The cutting line 411 can be seen in dot and dash lines in Figures 3A
and 3B. The product shown in Figures 4A and 4B, which is guided by a guide body of the cutting device 4, is produced. It has distal blood remains 21 exposed towards the head end of the fish 1 and exposed at the bottom to the left and right laterally of the backbone ill outside the fish membrane 13 in recesses in the region of the clavicle 12. The distal blood areas 2 are caused when cutting through lateral blood kidneys on the head of the fish when the head is cut off with a sloping cut of approximately 45 .
The distal nape blood remains 21 exposed on the ventral side of the fish 1 are removed before cutting out the backbone ill which is located in the region of the ventral cavity 14, with high-pressure water jets directed onto them (Figure 2). As can be seen from Figures 4A and 4B, the high-pressure water jets 54 cover a localised working area 510 with isolated areas 2, including the nape blood remains 21 on the head side. As the backbone 111 of the ventral cavity region has not yet been cut out, the fish flesh remains protected from high-pressure water jetting 84 by a fish membrane 13 spanning the backbone 111 on the ventral side. This allows nozzles 51 of the high-pressure liquid jet device 5 for removing the distal nape blood remains 21 to be directed onto the latter at a steep angle to the surface of the nape blood remains 21, in particular in the region of 90 . Jets with a relatively high dynamic impingement effect are dispensed by the nozzles 51. For example, flat-jet nozzles with a jet angle of 20 and a jet flatness of 3 to 4 mm proved to be particularly suitable.
Essential parts of the water-jet cleaning device 5 for distal nape blood remains can be seen in detail in Figure 2. The lead-over body 42 has a ridged roof-shaped profile cross-section. In each lateral roof ridge surface 420 is located an opening 421 from which water with the above-mentioned jet characteristics spurts upwards into the working region 510. The openings 421 are formed by a pair of vertically directed through-holes 53 in the guide body 42. Below the body 42 are arranged in the pair the high-pressure water jet nozzles 51 which in each case via a hose 52 admit pressurised water dispensed by a pressurised water source 95 and are in each case directed onto the associated through-hole 53.
As can be seen from Figure 2, the two high-pressure water jets 54 produced ant the roof ridge surfaces 420 are still in the region of the cutting blade 4, so that cleaning takes place within a short time and space and immediately following cutting in the cutting device 4.
As is usual in fish processing apparatuses and machines, the assemblies acting on each fish are controlled as a function of the length of the fish 1 conveyed in each case into the apparatus. For this purpose the length of each fish 1 is measured. Appropriately, the length is measured in a manner known in the art in the region in front of the cutting device 4. The length value used for cutting the fish 1 is used to control the water jet nozzles 51. In particular, the water jets 54 are controlled by means of solenoid valves 97 by means of an ordinary computer, not shown, as a function of the fish length in conjunction with specific stored fish species data. The water jets are relatively short-lived, in a locali5ed area and have a high impingement intensity when passing the areas 2 of the distal blood remains 21.
The backbone 111 located in the region of the ventral cavity 14 is cut out centrally in the region of the flank bones by means of the bone removal device 6 only after separation of the distal nape blood remains 21 in the cleaning device 5. The bone removal device 6 includes in a normal layout and design a pair of circular blades 61 which are shown with dot and dash lines in Figure 4B. They are oriented at an angle to each other according to the flank bones of the ventral cavity 14. While the portion 112 of the backbone 11 in the tail region of the fish 1 remains, the portion 111 of the backbone 11 in the region of the ventral cavity 14 together with the central portion of the membrane 13 and the blood kidney located on the backbone portion 111 are cut out of the fish 1. As a result, the proximal nape blood remains 22 which can be seen in Figure 6 and which are located in the areas 2 towards the tail end of the fish 1 are made accessible on the ventral side of the fish 1. The fish membrane 13 consists of upper and lower membranes with the swim bladder in between.
To optimise the yield of flesh, the cuts for cutting out the backbone portion 111 pass close by it, the central portion of the fish membrane 13 being cut away, and lateral longitudinal edges or remains 131 of the lower membrane being left behind. Admittedly the proximal nape blood remains 22 are then still located under the lateral membrane remains or edges 131 which are left. The proximal nape blood remains 22 according to the invention are nevertheless covered by high-pressure liquid cleaning jetting 84 described in more detail below. To cut out the backbone portion 111 with precision, it is important that the membrane is not opened until the backbone portion is cut out.
The proximal nape blood remains 22 according to the invention are carefully removed in two steps to save the flesh by removing them successively in layers. Admittedly the proximal nape blood remains 22 are usually much smaller than the distal nape blood remains 21; but they are subject to particular fluctuations depending on the fish quality, the fish length and the quantity of the backbone portion 111 which is cut out. According to an essential concept of the invention, gentle brush cleaning which is known in the art is to be made capable of being used to remove the proximal nape blood remains 22. For this purpose behind the bone removal device 6 in the direction of fish travel R is arranged the cleaning device 708 which carries out removal of the proximal nape blood remains 22 in layers. The cleaning device 708 comprises a high-pressure liquid jet device 8 for carefully removing the proximal nape blood remains 22 so as to leave a residual fraction, and a cleaning device 7 mounted behind in the direction of fish travel R for careful removal of the residual fraction left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting 84 in accordance with and in adaptation to the preceding removal.
First of all, according to the invention it is important that an upper or first fraction of the proximal nape blood remains 22 is removed to make it even. High-pressure liquid jetting 84 is adjusted so that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and a residual fraction with residual layers which contributes to saving the fish flesh during high-pressure jetting is left deliberately. The residual fraction therefore arises as a result of the fact that the proximal nape blood remains 22 are removed by the high-pressure liquid jetting 84 to a degree of the same order of magnitude. The remaining fraction which is for example approximately 500 of the proximal nape blood remains 22 to be removed initially, can then be removed with brush means 71 of the cleaning device 7 which are particularly careful with the flesh.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 8, a pair of high-pressure nozzles 81 of the device 8 are arranged below through-holes 83 in a lead-over device which guides the fish 1 on the ventral side. The lead-over device comprises a roof ridge-shaped guide body 62 which takes over the fish 1 from the bone removal device 6, guides it on its ventral side past the through-holes 83 and delivers it via brush windows 621 in the guide body 62 for brush cleaning. In the process the fish 1 is passed through the stations tail end first.
As can be seen from Figure 8, each nozzle 81 is directed onto nape blood remains 22 directly. On the one hand it is important that the jet dispensed has a high enough pressure, and on the other hand the jet is fanned out into a flat cone encompassing the blood area to be removed, in order thus to save the fish flesh and bring about the associated, adequately defined removal. As a result of the high-pressure, the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains 22 is removed in a short time, so that this results in careful treatment, avoiding excessively long jetting, and the throughput rate can be made high. Each jet is produced for example appropriately as a flat jet 84 with a jet angle 85 of 65 and a flatness (directed perpendicularly to the sheet plane) of approximately 2 to 3 mm. Such a characteristic proved to be particularly suitable in the practical example.
With a further function of the flat nozzles 81, the result is that the flat jets 84 push aside the lateral remains 131 of the lower membrane, not shown in Figure 8, which are still left to the left and right beside the (cut-out) backbone 111, so that jetting impinges unhindered on the proximal nape blood remains 22 with a reduced impingement effect. As a result the membrane edges/remains are flushed from underneath and softened and prepared for easy mechanical detachment with the subsequent brush means 7.
Furthermore, the jet region of the nozzles 81 is widened and oriented so that it also covers the areas of the distal nape blood remains 21 removed by jetting 54. Hence cleaning is perfected.
As with the cleaning device 5, water jet control of the device 8 appropriately also takes place with a solenoid valve 97 as a function of the appearance and passage of the proximal nape blood remains 22. For this purpose, valves 97 of the water jet control means are connected to the usual operational control computer of a fish processing machine in order to use fish length data measured in a programmed link and stored species-specific fish data for generating control signals for operation of the machine assemblies.
A pressure source 95 which supplies pipes 52 of the high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 5 and which is integrated in the apparatus 9 is appropriately also connected to supply a pipe 82 of the high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 8. The different impingement effects caused by the nozzles 51 and 81 are in each case determined by jet angle, orientation and flatness. In this respect the nozzle characteristic with its effects is important, and not the pressure source 95 as such, which may appropriately be a low-pressure assembly.
The brush cleaning device 7 of the two-stage cleaning device 708 is shown with its essential components in Figures 7A and 7B. The device 7 includes a roller brush 71 which is double cone-shaped in longitudinal cross-section and which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis 710 in conjunction with a rotary drive 75. The axis 710 is oriented perpendicularly to an imaginary conveying plane of symmetry 90 in which the drivers 311 of the conveying device 3 rotate. Bristles 76 end, according to the obtuse-angled shape and guiding of the fish 1 on its lower side, with a brush remover surface sloping in a cone shape, so that in adapted shape in the working region 720 they engage carefully with the proximal residual fractions of the nape blood remains 22 located in the areas 2 when the fish 1 passes the brush 71 for cleaning directly following high-pressure jet cleaning in time and space. Brush cleaning selectively also covers the areas which have been subjected to the high-pressure flat jets 54, 84 of the devices 5 and 8. Hence complete removal of the nape blood remains is guaranteed to a particular degree.
The device 7 includes a brush cover 72, shown in Figure 7A, forming a controlled engagement means and comprising a shell segment which corresponds to the conical shape of the brush and which is pivotable back and forth about the roller axis 710 by control means as a function of passage of the proximal nape blood remains 22. In Figure 7A is shown the cover 72 in a position releasing the bristles 76 for cleaning. Outside the cleaning stage, the cover 72 is pivoted under the fish 1. It forms a guide surface which closes the brush window 621 in the guide body 62 which takes over the fish 1 from the bone removal device G. The brush 71 is mounted and arranged so as to be pivotable by an arm about an axis 730 parallel to the roller axis 710, in such a way that it is pivotable towards and away from the lower side of the fish 1, and hence it can be lifted and lowered in direction B. This movement for brush engagement is controlled in correspondence and conjunction with the movement of the cover 72 as a function of the appearance and passage of the areas 2 to be cleaned.
Appropriately, pneumatic control means are provided which are connected to the usual fish machine control system.
The brush cleaning device 7 comprises hold-down devices 74 which are arranged so as to be pivotable about an axis 740 parallel to the brush roller axis 710. The pivot movement is controlled in time with the fish processing machine 9 so as to prevent the fish 1 from yielding upwardly when the cover 72 is pivoted away and the brush 71 is pivoted up.
With wash nozzles 79 the brush 71 is cleaned.
The apparatus as in Figure 1 is equipped with a wash device 99 which immediately follows the device 7 in space and time. This wash device 99 comprises a plurality of water nozzles. The water jet force is only great enough for a final cleaning rinse with low jet pressure to take place in the working region 992 shown in Figure 9, namely in the region of the areas 2 from which nape blood remains have already been removed.
AND GUTTED WHITEFISH, AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD
.he invention concerns a method for the controlled treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, in particular for producing saltfish, including the following steps:
before separating out the backbone which lies in the ventral cavity region with the fish membrane spanning the bone on the ventral side, nape blood remains which are exposed distally on the headless and gutted fish to the left and right laterally of the backbone outside the fish membrane in recesses in the region of the clavicle are removed with at least one high-pressure liquid cleaning jet directed onto the nape blood remains; the backbone is cut out of the fish in the region of the ventral cavity together with the blood kidney located there, in order to make proximal nape blood remains on the fish flesh in the region of the ventral cavity accessible for removal; the proximal nape blood remains are removed with a cleaning means which treats the flesh carefully. The invention also relates to an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method. Cod, pollack, tusk and ling, for example, are named as whitefish to be treated. A special fish's body which is still provided with the backbone in the tail region and with flank bones is produced. By salting, the product can be made capable of keeping for a long time. It then has for example a thickness of the order of 1 cm. For consumption the product is steeped in water, as a result of which it swells to approximately five times the thickness. The fish flesh is relatively firm and acquires its own special flavour due to salting and steeping in water.
For the fish product to be treated, it is typical that a (distal) region of the nape blood located towards the head end is exposed in recesses in the region of the clavicle, while a (proximal) region of the nape blood located towards the tail end becomes free only when fish membrane, backbone and blood kidney in the region of the ventral cavity are removed. With the known method described in patent DE 103 41 941 and the associated machine, there has been success in mechanically removing nape blood. Here it is of special importance that distal and proximal nape blood remains are detected with differentiation for removal. The distal nape blood remains can be eliminated by high-pressure water jetting which is generated with high impingement effect. In the process the fish flesh is protected and undamaged due to the closed fish membrane. After removal of the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity, there are special requirements for removal of the proximal nape blood remains. The risk of contamination by distributing bacteria in a wide area over the flesh must be ruled out. The nape blood remains must be completely removed, and the fish flesh must not be damaged. Usually the initially concealed proximal nape blood remains are relatively small, so that good results are obtained after cutting out the bone with gentle brush cleaning described in DE 103 41 941. As a result of differences in the anatomy of the natural product, however, it happens that proximal nape blood remains are larger and mechanical nape blood removal is not sufficient. The region and quantity of the proximal nape blood remains are also affected by the cuts for cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity. Cuts passing close by the bone for optimum recovery of fish flesh increase the size of the region of proximal nape blood remains. Also, the cuts are subject to anatomical differences. Furthermore, different fish lengths lead to variations in extent and quantity of nape blood remains that cannot be predetermined. Hence it has become necessary to carry out visual checks in order to separate out insufficiently cleaned products. This hinders production and leads to considerable extra costs caused in particular by hiring personnel.
It is the object of the invention to improve the removal of nape blood remains for the mechanical treatment of whitefish. In particular proximal nape blood remains occurring with considerable fluctuations in their size and position are to be reliably removed mechanically in order to increase the product flow and save personnel for subsequent checks. It is to become possible to increase the flesh yield with cuts passing close by the backbone. The quality of the product is to continue to be guaranteed by cleaning which is particularly careful with the flesh. It is also to become possible to operate one and the same machine in automatic control for whitefish with large differences in length, particularly in the range from approximately 300 to 800 mm.
The object is achieved with the method mentioned hereinbefore by the fact that, for removal which is careful with the flesh, the proximal nape blood remains of the fish, from which in the region of the ventral cavity the backbone and at least part of the fish membrane have been removed, are removed in layers, wherein an upper (first) fraction is removed by at least one high-pressure cleaning liquid jet directed onto the proximal nape blood remains and set such that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and only a residual fraction of the proximal nape blood is left behind, which contributes to protection of the fish flesh under liquid jetting, and is then removed with at least one further means which is careful with the flesh. An apparatus suitable for carrying out the method includes a conveying device which defines a conveying zone for conveying the fish to be treated in numbers, a bone removal device arranged on the conveying zone for cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity, a high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device arranged on the conveying zone in front of the bone removal device in the direction of fish travel for the removal of distal nape blood remains exposed outside the fish membrane, and a cleaning device arranged on the conveying zone behind the bone removal device in the direction of fish travel for the removal of proximal nape blood remains in a manner which is careful with the flesh after cutting out the backbone in the region of the ventral cavity. According to the invention, the cleaning device arranged behind the bone removal device is formed by a device for removing the proximal nape blood remains in layers in such a way that it comprises a high-pressure liquid jet device for removing the proximal nape blood remains so as to leave a residual fraction and be careful with the flesh, and a cleaning device mounted behind in the direction of fish travel for removing the residual fraction left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting in a manner which is careful with the flesh.
Due to removal of the proximal nape blood remains in layers according to the invention, there is success in completely removing proximal nape blood remains with considerable fluctuations in quantity, local extent and/or position, this being with a guarantee of cleaning which is particularly careful with the flesh. According to the invention, it is important also to remove proximal nape blood remains locally in isolated areas with jetting produced at relatively high pressure, but with the dynamic pressure impingement effect reduced such that localised jetting does not cut into the fish flesh, but instead deliberately leaves a residual fraction or residual layers of proximal nape blood remains. As a result, reduced defined proximal nape blood remains are produced for subsequent removal with a further cleaning means that is careful with the flesh. These remains have been removed to a degree of the same order of magnitude by the high-pressure liquid jetting. This localised residual fraction or residual layers defining the latter can then be reliably removed with the further means that is careful with the flesh. It is important that the preliminary high-pressure liquid jetting which treats the flesh carefully removes both smaller and larger quantities of proximal nape blood remains, depending on irregular occurrence, so that residual fractions which are then still to be removed are left in a defined reduced quantity of substantially similar shape and appearance. Even if the fish quality fluctuates considerably and/or the quantity of the backbone cut out of the ventral cavity in each case is very different, complete removal of the nape blood is obtained. As a result, production becomes higher-yielding, and continuous visual checking can be avoided and hence personnel can be saved.
Within the meaning and in accordance with the invention, a high-pressure cleaning liquid jet for the distal nape blood remains means a pressure jet or pressure -jettinq which, in case of removal of blood remains on open flesh not protected by the fish membrane, would lead to damaging it.
Distal jetting of an isolated localised area of blood remains is produced for example and appropriately with a flat-jet nozzle having a jet angle of approximately 200 and a flat thickness (flatness) of approximately 3 to 4 mm. On the other hand, within the meaning and in accordance with the invention, a high-pressure liquid cleaning jet for the proximal nape blood remains means a pressure jet or pressure jetting which is designed so that the blood remains occurring on exposed, unprotected flesh are removed except for the deliberately left residual fraction without damaging the fish flesh. This proximal jetting of an isolated localised area of blood remains is produced for example and appropriately with a flat-jet nozzle having a jet angle of approximately 65 and a flat thickness ( f latness) of approximately 2 to 3 mm. In order to produce the high-pressure liquid jets for distal and proximal nape blood remains according to the invention, the nozzles can for example also be connected to low-pressure liquid sources by suitable pipes. As a result it is important that, at and in front of the nozzle jet openings, the pressure and jet characteristics described are obtained with the associated effect.
As is known in the art from DE 103 41 941, it is particularly advantageous to use a mechanical cleaning means which treats the flesh carefully, appropriately a controlled brush means, to remove residual quantities of the proximal nape blood remains. A controlled brush means is particularly suitable for the purposes of the invention, because for this cleaning the proximal nape blood remains have been reduced to largely the same small amount, so that brush cleaning can be operated carefully, in a short time and in a precisely defined localised area. The intensity of brush cleaning can be very largely reduced, as only proximal nape blood remains of a smaller and substantially the same quantity are to be removed. Due to the low intensity of brush cleaning, the latter can also cover the areas in which proximal nape blood remains have been previously removed with high-pressure liquid jetting. Since high-pressure liquid jetting is carried out with careful treatment of the flesh for the proximal nape blood remains, this can also advantageously be applied to the areas in which distal nape blood remains have been previously removed with intensive high-pressure liquid jetting kept away from the flesh area by the fish membrane.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, high-pressure jetting of the distal nape blood remains and high-pressure jetting of the proximal nape blood remains can be produced with at least substantially the same source pressure, the impingement effect of proximal high-pressure jetting being smaller than the impingement effect of distal high-pressure jetting. Appropriately, proximal jetting is fanned out by suitable flat-jet nozzles which, in each case with a jet angle of approximately 50 to 70 , have a jet flatness of below approximately 3 mm. On the other hand, for distal jetting areas in each case a concentrated, relatively focused jet of a narrow jet flat cone is produced, which appropriately has a jet angle of approximately 10 to 30 and a jet flatness of more than 3 mm.
Although according to the invention basically there is consideration of producing successive jetting for the distal and proximal nape blood remains respectively by two g or even more stations, in a preferred embodiment for distal and proximal jetting there is provided only one station which appropriately has a pair of nozzles arranged symmetrically to the vertical fish conveying plane. In order to cover extensive proximal nape blood remains associated with long fish lengths, relative to the vertical conveying plane there may however appropriately also be provision of outer nozzles with a flat-jet angle of e.g.
45 and correspondingly inner nozzles with a flat-jet angle of e.g. 200, which can also succeed each other at short intervals in the direction of conveying and then form two stations. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the further removal means which treats the flesh carefully is constructed with only one cleaning station. But it is also conceivable that appropriately brush cleaning means succeed each other in e.g. two stations.
For optimum flesh recovery, the cuts for cutting out the backbone in the ventral cavity region can pass close by the backbone, the central portion of the fish membrane being cut away, and lateral longitudinal edges being left behind as remains of the membrane. For these cuts, high-pressure liquid jetting is adjusted for removing the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains in such a way that the membrane edges are pushed aside to widen the ventral side of the fish and made easy to detach by the jetting, and then a controlled brush means removes the membrane edges in order to remove the residual fraction of nape blood remains which is thus exposed for the brush means.
Appropriately, high-pressure liquid jetting which removes the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains can also cover the areas of the distal nape blood remains which have previously been subjected to high-pressure liquid jetting.
To make the procedure particularly favourable in an apparatus, appropriately in the usual manner the fish to be treated is cut open in the tail region laterally of the backbone from below to beyond the backbone, before distal nape blood remains exposed outside the closed membrane are removed by high-pressure liquid jetting. Advantageously here, as is known in the art, the process of cutting the fish open in the tail region laterally of the backbone is used to recover a fish size value for controlled operation of al1 cleaning steps, depending on the fish to be treated each time. In the apparatus, in front of the cutting device is mounted a measuring device with associated conveying path for the detection of fish length data which are determined for programmed linking to fish data for operational control of the cleaning devices which remove nape blood remains.
Subsidiary claims are aimed at the above and also other appropriate and advantageous embodiments of the invention.
Particularly appropriate and advantageous embodiments or possible designs of the invention are described in more detail with the aid of the following description of the practical examples shown in the schematic drawings. They show:
Figure 1 in a longitudinal side view, an apparatus according to the invention with cleaning stations, Figure 2 in a detailed side view of the apparatus of Figure 1, a cutting device associated with the tail region of the fish and a cleaning device mounted behind it for distal nape blood remains, Figures 3A a headless and gutted whitefish before and 3B treatment in a bottom view and sectional view, Figure 4A in a bottom view and sectional view, the fish of Figure 4B Figure 3 after cutting open in the tail region and with the membrane closed in the position for removal of exposed distal nape blood remains, Figure 6 in a bottom view, the fish of Figure 4 after bone removal in the region of its central cavity, Figures 7A in longitudinal and transverse views, the and 7B fish of Figure 6 after bone removal in the position for brush cleaning, Figure 8 in a cross-section, a first high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device for proximal nape blood remains and Figure 9 in a bottom view, the fish from which the bones have been removed in the ventral cavity region and from which the nape blood remains have been removed.
An apparatus 9 according to the invention provided for carrying out the method of the invention, as can be seen ~l from Figure 1, includes in a manner known in the art a frame 91 with a cutting device 4 and a bone removal device 6 mounted behind the latter. A table 92 is provided by means of which the apparatus 9 is successively provided with whitefish 1 to be treated. A conveying device 3 includes, in a row, groups of driver elements 311 which are endlessly rotated and driven with a conveying chain 31 for transport of the fish 1 in the direction of fish travel R
along the conveying zone of the apparatus 9. Each fish 1 is gripped with a tail clamp 312 and conveyed tail first.
Along the conveying zone, between the cutting device 4 and the bone removal device 6 is arranged a high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 5 for removing distal nape blood remains 21. Behind the bone removal device 6 in the direction of fish travel R is provided a cleaning device 708 according to the invention for removal of proximal nape blood remains 22 in a manner that treats the flesh carefully after the backbone 111 has been cut out in the region of the ventral cavity 14. Behind the latter is mounted a flushing device 99. As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, at the entrance to the cutting device 4 are arranged ordinary guide bodies 93, 94 by which the fish 1 is brought to a circular cutting blade 41 of the cutting device 4.
Each whitefish 1 to be treated involves a headless and gutted fish's body still having the backbone 11. This body is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. As is usual for producing saltfish from whitefish, the fish 1 is cut open in the tail region laterally of the backbone 11 from below to beyond the backbone 11 by means of the cutting device 4 and correspondingly vertically oriented blade 41. The cutting line 411 can be seen in dot and dash lines in Figures 3A
and 3B. The product shown in Figures 4A and 4B, which is guided by a guide body of the cutting device 4, is produced. It has distal blood remains 21 exposed towards the head end of the fish 1 and exposed at the bottom to the left and right laterally of the backbone ill outside the fish membrane 13 in recesses in the region of the clavicle 12. The distal blood areas 2 are caused when cutting through lateral blood kidneys on the head of the fish when the head is cut off with a sloping cut of approximately 45 .
The distal nape blood remains 21 exposed on the ventral side of the fish 1 are removed before cutting out the backbone ill which is located in the region of the ventral cavity 14, with high-pressure water jets directed onto them (Figure 2). As can be seen from Figures 4A and 4B, the high-pressure water jets 54 cover a localised working area 510 with isolated areas 2, including the nape blood remains 21 on the head side. As the backbone 111 of the ventral cavity region has not yet been cut out, the fish flesh remains protected from high-pressure water jetting 84 by a fish membrane 13 spanning the backbone 111 on the ventral side. This allows nozzles 51 of the high-pressure liquid jet device 5 for removing the distal nape blood remains 21 to be directed onto the latter at a steep angle to the surface of the nape blood remains 21, in particular in the region of 90 . Jets with a relatively high dynamic impingement effect are dispensed by the nozzles 51. For example, flat-jet nozzles with a jet angle of 20 and a jet flatness of 3 to 4 mm proved to be particularly suitable.
Essential parts of the water-jet cleaning device 5 for distal nape blood remains can be seen in detail in Figure 2. The lead-over body 42 has a ridged roof-shaped profile cross-section. In each lateral roof ridge surface 420 is located an opening 421 from which water with the above-mentioned jet characteristics spurts upwards into the working region 510. The openings 421 are formed by a pair of vertically directed through-holes 53 in the guide body 42. Below the body 42 are arranged in the pair the high-pressure water jet nozzles 51 which in each case via a hose 52 admit pressurised water dispensed by a pressurised water source 95 and are in each case directed onto the associated through-hole 53.
As can be seen from Figure 2, the two high-pressure water jets 54 produced ant the roof ridge surfaces 420 are still in the region of the cutting blade 4, so that cleaning takes place within a short time and space and immediately following cutting in the cutting device 4.
As is usual in fish processing apparatuses and machines, the assemblies acting on each fish are controlled as a function of the length of the fish 1 conveyed in each case into the apparatus. For this purpose the length of each fish 1 is measured. Appropriately, the length is measured in a manner known in the art in the region in front of the cutting device 4. The length value used for cutting the fish 1 is used to control the water jet nozzles 51. In particular, the water jets 54 are controlled by means of solenoid valves 97 by means of an ordinary computer, not shown, as a function of the fish length in conjunction with specific stored fish species data. The water jets are relatively short-lived, in a locali5ed area and have a high impingement intensity when passing the areas 2 of the distal blood remains 21.
The backbone 111 located in the region of the ventral cavity 14 is cut out centrally in the region of the flank bones by means of the bone removal device 6 only after separation of the distal nape blood remains 21 in the cleaning device 5. The bone removal device 6 includes in a normal layout and design a pair of circular blades 61 which are shown with dot and dash lines in Figure 4B. They are oriented at an angle to each other according to the flank bones of the ventral cavity 14. While the portion 112 of the backbone 11 in the tail region of the fish 1 remains, the portion 111 of the backbone 11 in the region of the ventral cavity 14 together with the central portion of the membrane 13 and the blood kidney located on the backbone portion 111 are cut out of the fish 1. As a result, the proximal nape blood remains 22 which can be seen in Figure 6 and which are located in the areas 2 towards the tail end of the fish 1 are made accessible on the ventral side of the fish 1. The fish membrane 13 consists of upper and lower membranes with the swim bladder in between.
To optimise the yield of flesh, the cuts for cutting out the backbone portion 111 pass close by it, the central portion of the fish membrane 13 being cut away, and lateral longitudinal edges or remains 131 of the lower membrane being left behind. Admittedly the proximal nape blood remains 22 are then still located under the lateral membrane remains or edges 131 which are left. The proximal nape blood remains 22 according to the invention are nevertheless covered by high-pressure liquid cleaning jetting 84 described in more detail below. To cut out the backbone portion 111 with precision, it is important that the membrane is not opened until the backbone portion is cut out.
The proximal nape blood remains 22 according to the invention are carefully removed in two steps to save the flesh by removing them successively in layers. Admittedly the proximal nape blood remains 22 are usually much smaller than the distal nape blood remains 21; but they are subject to particular fluctuations depending on the fish quality, the fish length and the quantity of the backbone portion 111 which is cut out. According to an essential concept of the invention, gentle brush cleaning which is known in the art is to be made capable of being used to remove the proximal nape blood remains 22. For this purpose behind the bone removal device 6 in the direction of fish travel R is arranged the cleaning device 708 which carries out removal of the proximal nape blood remains 22 in layers. The cleaning device 708 comprises a high-pressure liquid jet device 8 for carefully removing the proximal nape blood remains 22 so as to leave a residual fraction, and a cleaning device 7 mounted behind in the direction of fish travel R for careful removal of the residual fraction left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting 84 in accordance with and in adaptation to the preceding removal.
First of all, according to the invention it is important that an upper or first fraction of the proximal nape blood remains 22 is removed to make it even. High-pressure liquid jetting 84 is adjusted so that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and a residual fraction with residual layers which contributes to saving the fish flesh during high-pressure jetting is left deliberately. The residual fraction therefore arises as a result of the fact that the proximal nape blood remains 22 are removed by the high-pressure liquid jetting 84 to a degree of the same order of magnitude. The remaining fraction which is for example approximately 500 of the proximal nape blood remains 22 to be removed initially, can then be removed with brush means 71 of the cleaning device 7 which are particularly careful with the flesh.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 8, a pair of high-pressure nozzles 81 of the device 8 are arranged below through-holes 83 in a lead-over device which guides the fish 1 on the ventral side. The lead-over device comprises a roof ridge-shaped guide body 62 which takes over the fish 1 from the bone removal device 6, guides it on its ventral side past the through-holes 83 and delivers it via brush windows 621 in the guide body 62 for brush cleaning. In the process the fish 1 is passed through the stations tail end first.
As can be seen from Figure 8, each nozzle 81 is directed onto nape blood remains 22 directly. On the one hand it is important that the jet dispensed has a high enough pressure, and on the other hand the jet is fanned out into a flat cone encompassing the blood area to be removed, in order thus to save the fish flesh and bring about the associated, adequately defined removal. As a result of the high-pressure, the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains 22 is removed in a short time, so that this results in careful treatment, avoiding excessively long jetting, and the throughput rate can be made high. Each jet is produced for example appropriately as a flat jet 84 with a jet angle 85 of 65 and a flatness (directed perpendicularly to the sheet plane) of approximately 2 to 3 mm. Such a characteristic proved to be particularly suitable in the practical example.
With a further function of the flat nozzles 81, the result is that the flat jets 84 push aside the lateral remains 131 of the lower membrane, not shown in Figure 8, which are still left to the left and right beside the (cut-out) backbone 111, so that jetting impinges unhindered on the proximal nape blood remains 22 with a reduced impingement effect. As a result the membrane edges/remains are flushed from underneath and softened and prepared for easy mechanical detachment with the subsequent brush means 7.
Furthermore, the jet region of the nozzles 81 is widened and oriented so that it also covers the areas of the distal nape blood remains 21 removed by jetting 54. Hence cleaning is perfected.
As with the cleaning device 5, water jet control of the device 8 appropriately also takes place with a solenoid valve 97 as a function of the appearance and passage of the proximal nape blood remains 22. For this purpose, valves 97 of the water jet control means are connected to the usual operational control computer of a fish processing machine in order to use fish length data measured in a programmed link and stored species-specific fish data for generating control signals for operation of the machine assemblies.
A pressure source 95 which supplies pipes 52 of the high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 5 and which is integrated in the apparatus 9 is appropriately also connected to supply a pipe 82 of the high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device 8. The different impingement effects caused by the nozzles 51 and 81 are in each case determined by jet angle, orientation and flatness. In this respect the nozzle characteristic with its effects is important, and not the pressure source 95 as such, which may appropriately be a low-pressure assembly.
The brush cleaning device 7 of the two-stage cleaning device 708 is shown with its essential components in Figures 7A and 7B. The device 7 includes a roller brush 71 which is double cone-shaped in longitudinal cross-section and which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis 710 in conjunction with a rotary drive 75. The axis 710 is oriented perpendicularly to an imaginary conveying plane of symmetry 90 in which the drivers 311 of the conveying device 3 rotate. Bristles 76 end, according to the obtuse-angled shape and guiding of the fish 1 on its lower side, with a brush remover surface sloping in a cone shape, so that in adapted shape in the working region 720 they engage carefully with the proximal residual fractions of the nape blood remains 22 located in the areas 2 when the fish 1 passes the brush 71 for cleaning directly following high-pressure jet cleaning in time and space. Brush cleaning selectively also covers the areas which have been subjected to the high-pressure flat jets 54, 84 of the devices 5 and 8. Hence complete removal of the nape blood remains is guaranteed to a particular degree.
The device 7 includes a brush cover 72, shown in Figure 7A, forming a controlled engagement means and comprising a shell segment which corresponds to the conical shape of the brush and which is pivotable back and forth about the roller axis 710 by control means as a function of passage of the proximal nape blood remains 22. In Figure 7A is shown the cover 72 in a position releasing the bristles 76 for cleaning. Outside the cleaning stage, the cover 72 is pivoted under the fish 1. It forms a guide surface which closes the brush window 621 in the guide body 62 which takes over the fish 1 from the bone removal device G. The brush 71 is mounted and arranged so as to be pivotable by an arm about an axis 730 parallel to the roller axis 710, in such a way that it is pivotable towards and away from the lower side of the fish 1, and hence it can be lifted and lowered in direction B. This movement for brush engagement is controlled in correspondence and conjunction with the movement of the cover 72 as a function of the appearance and passage of the areas 2 to be cleaned.
Appropriately, pneumatic control means are provided which are connected to the usual fish machine control system.
The brush cleaning device 7 comprises hold-down devices 74 which are arranged so as to be pivotable about an axis 740 parallel to the brush roller axis 710. The pivot movement is controlled in time with the fish processing machine 9 so as to prevent the fish 1 from yielding upwardly when the cover 72 is pivoted away and the brush 71 is pivoted up.
With wash nozzles 79 the brush 71 is cleaned.
The apparatus as in Figure 1 is equipped with a wash device 99 which immediately follows the device 7 in space and time. This wash device 99 comprises a plurality of water nozzles. The water jet force is only great enough for a final cleaning rinse with low jet pressure to take place in the working region 992 shown in Figure 9, namely in the region of the areas 2 from which nape blood remains have already been removed.
Claims (21)
1. Method for the controlled treatment of headless and gutted whitefish (1), in particular for producing saltfish, including the following steps:
- before separating out the backbone (1) which lies in the ventral cavity region with the fish membrane (13) spanning the bone on the ventral side, nape blood remains (21) which are exposed distally on the headless and gutted fish to the left and right laterally of the backbone (111) outside the fish membrane (13) in recesses in the region of the clavicle (12) are removed with at least one high-pressure liquid cleaning jet (54) directed onto the nape blood remains (21);
- the backbone (11) is cut out of the fish (1) in the region of the ventral cavity (11) together with at least part of the blood kidney located there, in order to make proximal nape blood remains (22) on the fish flesh in the region of the ventral cavity accessible for removal;
the proximal nape blood remains (22) are removed with a cleaning means (71) which treats the flesh carefully;
characterised in that, for careful removal to save the flesh, the proximal nape blood remains (22) of the fish (1), from which in the region of the ventral cavity (14) the backbone (111) and at least part of the fish membrane (13) have been removed, are removed in layers, wherein an upper fraction is removed by at least one high-pressure cleaning liquid jet (84) directed onto the proximal nape blood remains (22) and set such that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and only a residual fraction of the proximal nape blood (22) is left behind, which contributes to protection cf the fish flesh under liquid jetting (84), and is then removed with at least one further means (7) which is careful with the flesh.
- before separating out the backbone (1) which lies in the ventral cavity region with the fish membrane (13) spanning the bone on the ventral side, nape blood remains (21) which are exposed distally on the headless and gutted fish to the left and right laterally of the backbone (111) outside the fish membrane (13) in recesses in the region of the clavicle (12) are removed with at least one high-pressure liquid cleaning jet (54) directed onto the nape blood remains (21);
- the backbone (11) is cut out of the fish (1) in the region of the ventral cavity (11) together with at least part of the blood kidney located there, in order to make proximal nape blood remains (22) on the fish flesh in the region of the ventral cavity accessible for removal;
the proximal nape blood remains (22) are removed with a cleaning means (71) which treats the flesh carefully;
characterised in that, for careful removal to save the flesh, the proximal nape blood remains (22) of the fish (1), from which in the region of the ventral cavity (14) the backbone (111) and at least part of the fish membrane (13) have been removed, are removed in layers, wherein an upper fraction is removed by at least one high-pressure cleaning liquid jet (84) directed onto the proximal nape blood remains (22) and set such that exposed fish flesh remains undamaged and only a residual fraction of the proximal nape blood (22) is left behind, which contributes to protection cf the fish flesh under liquid jetting (84), and is then removed with at least one further means (7) which is careful with the flesh.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that first an upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) is removed with high-pressure cleaning liquid jetting (84) with reduced impingement, and the residual fraction left behind in the process is removed with a mechanical cleaning means (71) which is careful with the flesh.
3. Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) left behind is removed by a controlled brush means (71).
4. Method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that removal of the proximal nape blood remains (22) takes place by high-pressure liquid jetting (84) in such a way that the fraction left behind, which is removed subsequently, is at least approximately 50% of the proximal nape blood remains (22) to be removed initially.
5. Method according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the high-pressure liquid jetting (84) which covers the proximal nape blood remains (22) is reduced in impingement by producing at least one jet in a broad fan which is produced at high pressure.
6. Method according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that high-pressure jetting (54) of the distal nape blood remains (21) and high-pressure jetting (81) of the proximal nape blood remains (22) are produced with at least substantially the same source pressure, the impingement effect of high-pressure jetting (84) of the proximal nape blood remains (22) being smaller than the impingement effect of high-pressure jetting (54) of the distal nape blood remains (22).
7. Method according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that, for optimum flesh recovery, the cuts for cutting out the backbone (111) in the ventral cavity region pass close by the backbone (111), the central portion of the fish membrane (13) being cut away, and lateral longitudinal edges (131) of the membrane (13) being left behind, and in that high-pressure liquid jetting (84) is also adjusted for removing the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) in such a way that the membrane edges (131) are pushed aside to widen the ventral side of the fish (1) and made easy to detach by the jetting, and that then a controlled brush means (7) removes the membrane edges (131) in order to remove the residual fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) which are thus exposed for the brush means (7).
8. Method according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the high-pressure liquid jetting (84) which removes the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) also covers the areas of the distal nape blood remains (21) which have been previously subjected to high-pressure liquid jetting (54).
9. Method according to any of claims 1 to 8.
characterised in that the further cleaning means (7) which is careful with the flesh and which removes the residual fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) also covers the areas of the distal nape blood remains (21) which have been previously subjected to high-pressure liquid jetting (54, 84).
characterised in that the further cleaning means (7) which is careful with the flesh and which removes the residual fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) also covers the areas of the distal nape blood remains (21) which have been previously subjected to high-pressure liquid jetting (54, 84).
10. Method according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the fish (1) to be treated is cut open in the tail region laterally of the backbone (11) from below to beyond the backbone (11), before distal nape blood remains (21) exposed outside the closed membrane (13) are removed by high-pressure liquid jetting (54).
11. Method according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the fish (1) to be treated is conveyed tail first.
12. Apparatus for treating headless and gutted whitefish (1), in particular for carrying out the method according to any of claims 1 to 11, including a conveying device (3) which defines a conveying zone for conveying the fish (1) to be treated in numbers, a bone removal device (6) arranged on the conveying zone for cutting out the backbone (11) in the region of the ventral cavity (14), a high-pressure liquid jet cleaning device (5) arranged on the conveying zone in front of the bone removal device (6) in the direction of fish travel (R) for the removal of distal nape blood remains (21) exposed outside the fish membrane (13), and a cleaning device (708) arranged on the conveying zone behind the bone removal device (6) in the direction of fish travel (R) for the removal of proximal nape blood remains (22) in a manner which is careful with the flesh after cutting out the backbone (111) in the region of the ventral cavity (14), characterised in that the cleaning device (708) arranged behind the bone removal device (6) is formed by a device for removing the proximal nape blood remains (22) in layers in such a way that it comprises a high-pressure liquid jet device (8) for removing the proximal nape blood remains (22) so as to leave a residual fraction and be careful with the flesh, and a cleaning device (7) mounted behind in the direction of fish travel (R) for removing the residual fraction left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting (84) in a manner which is careful with the flesh.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, characterised in that the high-pressure liquid jet device (8) for removing the proximal nape blood remains (22) has at least one pair of nozzles (81) each causing a high-pressure liquid jet (84) .
14. Apparatus according to claim 13, characterised in that the nozzles (81) are arranged below through-holes (83) in a lead-over device (62) which guides the fish (1) on the ventral side and which transfers the fish (1) to the cleaning device (7) which follows on the path of fish travel and which is adapted for removal of the residual fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) left behind after high-pressure liquid jetting (84).
15. Apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the nozzles (81) of the high-pressure liquid jet device (8) for removing the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) produce a fanned-out jet directed onto the passing proximal nape blood remains (22).
16. Apparatus according to claim 15, characterised in that the fan nozzles (81) are also designed and oriented to flush under membrane remains (131).
17. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 16, characterised in that the nozzles (51) of the high-pressure liquid Jet device (5) for removing the distal nape blood remains (21) produce a focused jet (54) directed at a steep angle onto the distal rape blood remains (21).
18. Apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 17, characterised in that the high-pressure liquid jet device (8) for removing the upper fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) has a jet region which, when the fish (1) passes, covers the proximal nape blood remains (22) as well as the areas of the distal nape blood remains (21).
19. Apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 18, characterised in that the cleaning device (7) for removing the residual fraction of the proximal nape blood remains (22) includes remover elements (76) which, when the fish (1) passes, covers the areas of the proximal nape blood remains (22) as well as the areas of the distal nape blood remains (21).
20. Apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 19, characterised in that along the conveying zone in the direction of fish travel (R) in front of the cleaning device (5) provided for removing distal nape blood remains (21) is arranged a device (4) for cutting open the tail region of the fish (1) laterally of its backbone (11), wherein in front of the cutting device (4) is arranged a measuring device with associated conveying path for detecting fish length data which are intended for programmed linking to fish species data for operational control of the cleaning devices (5, 7, 8) which remove nape blood remains (21, 22).
21. Apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 20, characterised in that it includes a liquid pressure source (95) which delivers pressurised liquid having at least substantially the same pressure to nozzles (51) of the high-pressure liquid jetting system (54) for removing distal nape blood remains (21) and to nozzles (81) of the high-pressure liquid jetting system (84) for removing distal nape blood remains (22).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE200510009034 DE102005009034B3 (en) | 2005-02-18 | 2005-02-18 | Controlled automatic processing method e.g. for headed and gutted white fish, involves carefully removing meat from neck of fish in layers with meat within abdominal cavity is separated from main fishbone |
| DE102005009034.6 | 2005-02-18 | ||
| PCT/EP2006/000111 WO2006087050A1 (en) | 2005-02-18 | 2006-01-04 | Method for the controlled mechanical treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, and device for carrying out said method |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2593058A1 CA2593058A1 (en) | 2006-08-24 |
| CA2593058C true CA2593058C (en) | 2010-08-24 |
Family
ID=35809721
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA2593058A Active CA2593058C (en) | 2005-02-18 | 2006-01-04 | Method for the controlled mechanical treatment of headless and gutted whitefish, and device for carrying out said method |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1715750B1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2593058C (en) |
| DE (1) | DE102005009034B3 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK200700894A (en) |
| ES (1) | ES2292162T3 (en) |
| NO (1) | NO337114B1 (en) |
| PT (1) | PT1715750E (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2006087050A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN103781360A (en) * | 2011-07-11 | 2014-05-07 | 北欧机械制造鲁道夫巴德尔有限及两合公司 | Method for removing blood released during filleting from the backbone of fish, and device for removing such blood |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE2832259C2 (en) * | 1978-07-22 | 1980-07-10 | Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader Gmbh + Co Kg, 2400 Luebeck | Method of de-grazing fish |
| US4446601A (en) * | 1982-08-23 | 1984-05-08 | Carruthers Equipment Co. | Squid cleaning method and apparatus |
| DE3915815C1 (en) * | 1989-05-16 | 1990-11-22 | Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader Gmbh + Co Kg, 2400 Luebeck, De | |
| DE10341941B3 (en) * | 2003-09-06 | 2004-12-16 | Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader Gmbh + Co. Kg | Assembly for mechanical processing of beheaded and gutted white fish, for salt fish production, has a high pressure water jet cleaning station to clean blood from the head ends before filleting |
-
2005
- 2005-02-18 DE DE200510009034 patent/DE102005009034B3/en active Active
-
2006
- 2006-01-04 CA CA2593058A patent/CA2593058C/en active Active
- 2006-01-04 EP EP06700077A patent/EP1715750B1/en active Active
- 2006-01-04 ES ES06700077T patent/ES2292162T3/en active Active
- 2006-01-04 WO PCT/EP2006/000111 patent/WO2006087050A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2006-01-04 PT PT06700077T patent/PT1715750E/en unknown
- 2006-05-15 NO NO20062171A patent/NO337114B1/en unknown
-
2007
- 2007-06-21 DK DK200700894A patent/DK200700894A/en unknown
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN103781360A (en) * | 2011-07-11 | 2014-05-07 | 北欧机械制造鲁道夫巴德尔有限及两合公司 | Method for removing blood released during filleting from the backbone of fish, and device for removing such blood |
| CN103781360B (en) * | 2011-07-11 | 2015-07-22 | 北欧机械制造鲁道夫巴德尔有限及两合公司 | Method for removing blood released during filleting from the backbone of fish, and device for removing such blood |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| NO20062171L (en) | 2006-08-16 |
| WO2006087050A1 (en) | 2006-08-24 |
| ES2292162T3 (en) | 2008-03-01 |
| PT1715750E (en) | 2007-11-07 |
| EP1715750A1 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
| DK200700894A (en) | 2007-11-16 |
| DE102005009034B3 (en) | 2006-03-16 |
| CA2593058A1 (en) | 2006-08-24 |
| EP1715750B1 (en) | 2007-08-22 |
| NO337114B1 (en) | 2016-01-25 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request |