GB557099A - An improved fish dressing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

557,099. Dressing fish. WIND, S. DE., and CRUICKSHANK, J. Feb. 2, 1942, No. 1340. [Class 28 (ii)] A fish-dressing machine comprises a heading unit for decapitating, splitting and gutting herring in one operation whilst stationary, and an independent boning unit for filleting the fish transferred from the heading unit, the two units being assembled together in a single machine. The head of the fish is inserted in an opening 64, Fig. 7, until it rests on an inclined head locator 133, Fig. 1, (shown in its inoperative position). Guides 61 centre the body of the fish with its belly towards a vertical slot 65. In effecting the operations of decapitating, splitting and gutting the fish, a handle 10 is depressed. On the initial movement of the handle the lower part of a tappet 11 permits a spring 19 to rock the head locator 133 into its inclined headsupporting position, and then by means of a telescopic spring rod 26, to close a pair of roughened jaws 37 upon the head. Further movement of the handle engages the tappet 11 with a crank pin 15 and rotates a main shaft 7 to swing a knife 46 quickly in an upward direction to slit open the belly of the fish, and to cause a pair of notched knife blades 55 to sever the head. When the handle 10 is allowed to return, the various parts resume their normal positions and the head of the fish together with its attached entrails falls out through the bottom of the machine. To perform the boning operation, the decapitated fish is inserted, shoulders first and belly upwards, through an opening 129, Fig. 7, on to a pivoted tray 67 until the shoulders of the fish rest against the apex 86a of a fixed hollow boning knife 86. A drank handle 78 is turned to rotate a serrated feed wheel 79. Cam mechanism allows the pivoted tray 67 to rise and press the fish against the feed wheel and at the same time to lift a lever 103 until the bifurcated upper end of a plate 96 straddles the boning knife 86. On further rotation of the crank handle the feed wheel forces the fish against the boning knife. The apex of the knife gouges out the backbone which passes through the hollow knife whilst the flesh passes down the lower inclined outer surface of the knife. The cam mechanism also allows the bifurcated plate 96 to descend and spread the lugs of the fish and press it into contact with a roller 95 rotated by gearing, to draw the fish through the boning unit. Continued rotation of the crank handle rocks a tail fin guide 123 and a knife 12 in a clockwise direction to guide the tail as the knife severs the backbone, allowing the backbone to travel through the hollow boning knife whilst the tail remains on the fish. During the travel of the backbone through the boning knife the curved upper edge 86b of the knife separates the finer belly bones from the flesh. The cam mechanism depresses the pivoted tray 67 and allows the filleted fish to be ejected by the roller 95 after which the mechanism returns to its starting position.