GB2125356A

GB2125356A - Fish transport means

Info

Publication number: GB2125356A
Application number: GB08319685A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Herbert Kroger; Gunther Pinkerneil
Original assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1982-08-06
Filing date: 1983-07-21
Publication date: 1984-03-07
Also published as: IS2819A7; GB8319685D0; DD211095A5; DE3229371C2; NO152723C; GB2125356B; DK269683D0; CA1205038A; NO832806L; FR2531316A1; DK159582C; DK269683A; ES524746A0; NO152723B; SE8303425L; SE8303425D0; ES8404278A1; SE453823B; DK159582B; DE3229371A1

Abstract

Transport means for use as a universal component in a fish processing machine serves for the conveying and single delivery of fish in controllable amounts and distribution. A delivery station (23) is arranged in the region of a return run of a projecting upper section of the conveyor, which includes entraining elements in the form of webs (12), and a cover (21) is provided in the region of a reversing zone of the conveyor. The cover (21) has an edge (24) which faces the delivery station (23) and which may be arranged to be adjusted with respect to its angle relative to the conveying direction. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fish transport means The present invention relates to fish transport means, especially means for conveying and delivering fish in controllable amounts and distribution.

In a conveying device which can be used as a feeding conveyor for a fish processing machine (see German (Fed. Rep.) patent specification No.

27 03 061), the fish are guided to the processing machine by means of a bucket band from an inclined reservoir via a lifting arrangement. In this device, the working run faces the processing machine and is so guided at the end of the lifting arrangement over the same that at the deflecting position the buckets are subjected to a rotating acceleration which ejects their contents. This conveying device cannot be used universally because the space between the lifting run and the delivery station is very limited, since the latter is determined by the reversing station. Consequently an interim conveyor must be added to the processing machine which need more space preferably upstream thereof in order to enable bridging between the delivery station of the conveying device and the feeding position of the processing machine.Moreover, it has proved to be disadvantageous that the conveying sequence produced by this device occurs discontinuously corresponding to each sudden release of the bucket contents. The consequence of this is that interruptions occur in the takeover of the fish by the following processing machine.

There is therefore a need for a conveying device which can be used as a universal component part in a fish processing machine and which is preferably capable of supplying the fish to the machine in a continuous flow in single layers as well as adjustably with regard to the amount and distribution of fish per time unit.

According to the present invention there is provided fish transport means comprising an endless lifting conveyor which is provided with entraining webs bounding chambers for fish to be conveyed by the conveyor and which is guided around deflecting means to define a substantially horizontally projecting upper section for delivery of conveyed fish at a delivery station in a return run of said section, feed means for feeding fish to the conveyor at a feed station, and a cover element which is arranged in a region of a deflection of the conveyor in said section and equidistantly from the path of the outer edges of the webs and which extends as far as the delivery station to terminate in an angled edge facing the delivery station.

In a preferred embodiment the transport means comprises a lifting conveyor provided with chambers, guided endlessly about deflecting elements and including an essentially horizontally projecting upper section in the area of a delivery station, and further comprises a fish supplying container disposed in the region of a supplying station and provided with an inclined base. The chambers are formed essentially by entraining webs moving along a path of the conveyor and the delivery station is arranged in the return run of the projecting upper section, while in the region of a deflecting element positioned in the projecting upper section a cover is provided equidistantly from the path of the outer edges of the entraining webs, which cover extends up to the delivery station and the edge of which facing the delivery station is designed bevelled.The advantages of such an embodiment are, in particular, that an adjustment and adaptation of the delivery station to various circumstances and requirements can be achieved merely by the form and configuration of the cover which is positioned in the region of the deflecting or reversing zone of the conveyor in the projecting upper section of the conveying device or of the edge of the cover facing the delivery station, a continuous single release of the fish is ensured by the fact that the fish, dependent on the effect of gravity, come to rest on the inner surface of the cover in the region of the afore-mentioned deflecting or reversing zone and thereby form a single layer distribution which is then maintained during the following pushing transport.

Apart from the possibility of controlling the speed of movement of the conveyor with the entraining webs and in order to achieve a further adjustability of the transport means the entraining webs may have a first web portion extending upwardly essentially vertically to the conveying direction of the conveyor, which first web portion in the region of the outer part of the chambers carries a second web portion bevelled in the conveying direction, the second web portion being provided on its conveying side with a rail extending along the web and able to be fixed adjustably transverse to the web. As a result the conveying volume of the individual conveying chambers defined by the entraining web is adjustable without the height of the webs, which is dimensioned for a narrow gap with respect to the cover, having to be changed.

In order to influence the lateral distribution of the fish the edge of the cover facing the delivery station can be arranged to be adjustable in its gradient.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of transport means embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a projecting upper section of a conveyor and cover of the transport means, showing features at the bottom of this section; and Fig. 3 is a side view of an entraining web of the conveyor.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown fish transport means comprising an upwardly extending machine frame which essentially comprises two side elements 1 and 2 with a gallows-like projecting upper section, which side elements are arranged parallel to each other on a suitable base frame 3. In this machine frame there are arranged reversing or deflecting sections 5 and 6 as well as 7/8 and 9/10 for the guidance of an endless link conveyor belt 11 driven in a controllable manner, these deflecting stations being shown merely schematically. The conveyor belt 11 is provided with entraining webs 12 which are mounted on angle projections 1 3 of the belt and which each comprise a first vertically extending web portion 14 and a second web portion 15 extending therefrom and bevelled in the conveying direction.A small rail 1 6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the web 12 is attached to the bevelled web portion 1 5 on the conveying side and can be adjusted with regard to its distance above the conveying belt 11 by means of elongate holes (not shown).

A fish supplying container 1 7 connecting both side elements 1 and 2 in the manner of a bridge is positioned near the base frame 3 on the side facing away from the projecting upper section 4 and has a base 18. The base 18, which can be oscillated by means of a vibrator 20, is inclined in the direction of a path 1 9 of the entraining web 12 and ends almost at the path 19.

A cover 21 is positioned in the region of the reversing station 6 in the projecting upper section 4 at small equal distances from the path 19 of the entraining webs 12, which cover 21 is guided around a return run 22 of the upper section 4 and ends in front of the deflection station 7/8 so as to leave free a delivery station 23. An edge 24 facing the delivery station is formed by a sliding plate 26, which can be swivelled around a coupling 25 near the side element 1 and is adjustable by means of an elongate hole. The plate can be firmly set by means of a clamping device 27, so that the gradient of the edge 24 in relation to the conveying direction is selectable.

In use, with the support of the vibration of the base 18 of the container 17, the fish supplied to the container reach the path 1 9 of the entraining web 1 2 and are entrained and conveyed by these.

The number of fish conveyed by each entraining web 12 adjusts itself according to the arrangement of the rail 1 6, i.e. the distance thereof from the conveyor belt 11. The fish are thus pushed onto the projecting upper section 4 and run under the cover 21. In the region of the reversing station 6, the fish are released from the belt 11 and the entraining web 1 2 by the effect of gravity and slide, by moving in front of the web 12, on the inner surface of the cover 21, spreading themselves out in a single layer. In the course of further movement, this layer of fish is engaged in a pushing manner by the entraining web 12 which has in the meantime arrived above and is led to the delivery station 23. The distribution of the fish is effected by means of the adjustable sliding plate 26. The edge 24 of the plate 26 can be adjusted with respect to its angular direction in accordance with the speed of the entraining webs 12 so that a delivery of the fish which is essentially uniform over the width of the delivery station 23 can be achieved.

The coupling 25 of the sliding plate 26 is not limited to the described position. It can also be arranged in the region between the side elements 1 and 2, preferably in the middle thereof, a uniform influence on the marginal areas of the delivery station 23 being obtainable when it is adjusted.

Claims

1. Fish transport means comprising an endless lifting conveyor which is provided with entraining webs bounding chambers for fish to be conveyed by the conveyor and which is guided around deflecting means to define a substantially horizontally projecting upper section for delivery of conveyed fish at a delivery station in a return run of said section, feed means for feeding fish to the conveyor at a feed station, and a cover element which is arranged in a region of a deflection of the conveyor in said section and equidistantly from the path of the outer edges of the webs and which extends as far as the delivery station to terminate in an angled edge facing the delivery station.

2. Transport means as claimed in claim 1 , the feed means comprising a container with an inclined base.

3. Transport means as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the webs comprises a first portion extending from the conveyor substantially perpendicularly to the direction of movement thereof and a second portion which extends from the first portion in the region of the outer sides of the adjacent ones of the chambers and which is inclined in the conveying direction, the second portion being provided at a side thereof leading in said direction with a rail extending along and adjustably secured transversely to the web.

4. Transport means as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover element is adjustable to vary the angle of said edge.

5. Fish transport means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.