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
  • A22C25/142—Beheading fish

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus to be used for removing the heads from fish, said apparatus comprising means for moving the fish through the apparatus .
• Apparatuses . of the kind referred to above are known by means of which the head of the fish is bent rearwardly towards the back of the fish and then the head is moved in the direction away from the tail end of the fish . By such a procedure it is achieved that at least a major portion of the "back-fillets" of the fish and in particular the portion positioned adjacent the head may remain on the fish after the removal of the head .
• the apparatus is character ⁇ ized in that the the means for moving the fish through the apparatus are adapted to move the fish with their longitudinal direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the moving means, said apparatus moreover comprising two rotating circular knives both being arranged with their axis of rotation generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the moving means, one of said knives being arranged in a plane which is oriented in such a way that a cut is made which extends from the back of the fish and obliquely from the front and rearwardly as seen from the nose of the fish and immediately behind skull of the head , whereas the other knife is adapted to make a cut which extends from the ventral side and obliquely from the front and rearwardly also as seen from the nose of the fish .
• a very flesh-saving cutting of the head and a comparatively simple apparatus are achieved .
• a particularly advantageous embodiment of the apparatuses according to the invention is characterized by the other knife being pivotable about an axis extending generally parallel with the direction of movement of the moving means and by the pivoting of the other knife being adjusted in such a way with respect to the passage of the fish that the cut made by the other knife extends more than 180° around the fish .
• the other knife being pivotable about an axis extending generally parallel with the direction of movement of the moving means and by the pivoting of the other knife being adjusted in such a way with respect to the passage of the fish that the cut made by the other knife extends more than 180° around the fish .
• a stationary knife may be arranged after the rotating knifes, as seen in the direction of movement of the moving means, for making a cut in the fish which connects the cuts made by the rotating knifes .
• Such a stationary knife is a simple tool and such a knife will with certainty cut the flesh fibres which after the operation of the two rotating knives still may connect the fish head and the body.
• FIG. 1A and 1B together show a front view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows a section of the apparatus shown in Figs . 1A and 1B according to section line l l -l l in Fig . 1A
• Figs. 1A and 1B together show a front view of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention
• Fig . 2 shows a section of the apparatus shown in Figs . 1A and 1B according to section line l l -l l in Fig . 1A
• Fig . 3 on an increased scale shows a lateral view of a saddle for the apparatus shown
• Fig . 4 the saddle shown in Fig. 3 seen from the left hand side and in two different positions
• Fig. 5 shows a top view of the saddle shown in Fig. 3
• Fig . 6 shows a fish, the head of which has been removed by means of the apparatus shown .
• FIG. 1 On the drawing 1 is a frame which supports the parts of the apparatus shown .
• a double sprocket wheel 2, 2 and 3,3, respectively, is rotatably mounted and the sprocket wheels are rotatable in the directions of rotation indicated by arrows by means of a motor 4 ( Fig . 2) .
• Each saddle 8 consists of a body 9 secured to a sub-plate 10 comprising two end extensions 11 , 11 serving to guide the saddles seing that each of the end extensions 11 , 11 along the major part of the upper run of the chains slides upon a corresponding slide guide 12, 12, each of which has a recess 15 corresponding to the corres ⁇ ponding end extension 11 .
• the end extensions 11 , 11 are guided by means of two guiding fences 16, 16, each of which is secured to the upper surface of one of the slide guides 12 and 12, respectively.
• each sub-plate 10 To the lower surface of each sub-plate 10 a support plate 17 is secured which on its lower surface carries two brackets 18 and 18, respectively, by means of which the corresponding saddle is connected with the two chains 6,6. Between the brackets 18, 18 a further bracket 19 is arranged which rotatably carries a cam disc wheel 20.
• each sub-plate 10 comprises a crosswise extending, upright wall 21 wherein two pivot arms 24,24 are pivotally suspended by means of two bolts 22,22 with corresponding distance tubes 23,23.
• Each of the pivot arms 24,24 carries at the upper end a side guide 25,25, respectively, and moreover, the pivot arms are mutually connected by means of a tension spring 26.
• each pivot arm 24 carries at the lower end a cam disc follower 27 and 28, respectively, which , as it appears from Fig . 3, are offset with respect to each other.
• two cam discs 70 and 71 are secured to the frame 1 for cooperation with the cam disc followers 27,28.
• Each side guide 25 consists of metal sheet material and is de ⁇ formed so that the inner surfaces of the side guides are adapted to the sides of the fish to be treated, in particular cod .
• each side guide 25 is delimited by an obliquely downwardly and outwardly sloping edge 30 which starts at a notch 31 , the upper side of which is formed by a generally horizontal edge 32 forming the lower surface of a projection 33 serving to secure the part of the fish adjacent the head when a fish is arranged in the saddle.
• said projection is provided with a raised part 35 in order to increase the securing force.
• To the inner surface of each side guide 25 and at the rear end thereof one of the ends of a supporting rod 36 and 36, respectively, is secured .
• the supporting rods 36, 36 extends obliquely downwardly and rearwardly .
• each body 9 To the upper surface of each body 9 a top plate 37 is secured by means of two screws 38,38 and this top plate supports an up- wardiy and forwardly facing flap 39, to the upper edge of which a comparatively iong and narrow supporting plate 40 is secured .
• cam discs 70,71 are also arranged at the other pair of sprocket wheels 3,3, cf .
• Fig. 1 A the side guides of the saddles will successively be moved away from each other for liberating fish bodies as the saddles pass the cam discs 70,71 .
• the latter pivot movement of the pivot arms 24 is marked at the lower left corner in Fig . 1A by means of double arrows .
• each slide guide 12 is provided with an angular recess 6' and 6 1 , respectively, for each of the chains 6 and 6, respectively, and is moreover secured to the upper surface of a corresponding U-channel 41 , of which only the upper parts are indicated in Fig . 3.
• the U -channels face with their flanges towards each other and their lower flanges are secured to a horizontal part of the frame 1 .
• the U-channels 41 ,41 are also shown in Fig . 2 and the outer side of one of said U-channels 41 is visible in Figs. 1A and I B .
• the frame 1 Upon its upper surface the frame 1 supports a motor bracket 43, Fig . 2, wherein two motors 44 and 45, each comprising a circular knife 46, 47, respectively, are suspended .
• the motor 44 is secured to the bracket 43 by means of two mounting plates 47 and 48 in such a way that the motor 44 is adjustable in the direction of the arrows 49 and 50.
• the shaft of the motor 44 extends generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the upper runs of the chains 6 and extends obliquely downwardly to the left as seen in Fig .
• the other motor 45 is pivotal ly suspended in the bracket 43 by means of a bearing 52, to the movable part of which a mounting plate 53 is secured upon which the motor 45 may be adjusted in the direction of the arrow 54. Due to the bearing 51 the knife 47 is pivotable as indicated by means of the arrow 55. Normally, the motor 45 is maintained in the position shown in Fig . 2 by means of a spring (not shown) .
• a bracket 57 is secured to which one end of a connecting rod 58 is connected .
• the other end of the connecting rod 58 is connected with one end of a pivot arm 59 which projects laterally with respect to the upper run of the chains.
• the other end of the pivot arm 59 is bent upwardly and extends through a hoie in the frame 1 and a hole in the lower flange of one of the U-channels 41 and is connected to a rocking lever 61 provided with a cam disc 60.
• One end of the rocking lever 61 and the cam disc 60 are shown in Fig . 1A, whereas the other end of the rocking lever 61 is shown in 1 B .
• the other end of the rocking lever 61 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 62 supported by the U-channels 41 . Accordingly, the rocking lever 61 is positioned between the U-channels 41 and may, accordingly , cooperate with the cam disc wheels 20 of the saddles .
• the cam disc 60 is shaped and arranged in such a way that it cooperates with the cam disc wheels 20 of the saddles when the saddles pass the cam disc 60, viz. in the following way: When the saddle shown at the right hand side of the knife 47 in Fig. 1A is moved to the left by means of the chains, the cam disc wheel 20 of this saddle will start to cooperate with the cam disc 60. By this movement the rocking lever 61 will be pivoted anti-clockwise in Figs .
• the knife 47 will make a cut in the fish which extends from the ventral side of the fish and up to the lower surface of the supporting plate 40 and also a distance up over this lower surface but to each side of the supporting plate 40. According ⁇ ly, a cut is made which extends more than 180° about the backbone of the fish which rests upon the upper surface of the supporting plate 40 and which is cut through by means of the upper knife 46 simultaneously with the formation of the cut 51 .
• the partly circum- fere ⁇ tially extending cut explained above is shown in Fig . 6 and designated 63.
• a generally horizontal knife 64 is arranged upon the bracket 43.
• the knife is secured to the bracket 43 by means of a downwardly extending arm 65, but may be adjusted in the direction of the arrow 66.
• the knife 64 comprises a cutting edge 67 which extends to the right in Fig . 1A and which during the passage of a fish will cut the last meat fibres which may still connect the head and the body of the fish .
• the knife will , in case the head has not already been separated from the body, form a cut which , in Fig . 6, is designated 68 and which connects the two other cut 51 and 63 previously explained .

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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)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=26064893

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1986
  • 1986-09-09 DK DK430186A patent/DK430186A/da not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1987
  • 1987-02-25 WO PCT/DK1987/000020 patent/WO1987005188A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1987-02-25 EP EP19870901411 patent/EP0261158A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-10-12 FI FI874480A patent/FI874480A0/fi not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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