GB572935A - Filleting machine - Google Patents

Abstract

572,935. Fish filleting machines. ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES CO. Sept. 16, 1943, No. 15205. Convention date, Jan. 21, 1942. [Class 28 (ii)] Beheaded fish to be filleted are pushed tail first and back down towards pairs of rotating circular toothed knives and fixed filleting knives, the under circular pair of rotating knives slitting each side of the dorsal fin and the top pair slitting the belly, after which the fish is pushed against the fixed filleting knives 100 which act as described in Specification 452,688. Each fish is placed by hand in a feed trough, tail first which positions it belly upwards from which it is pushed by a chain of pushers 110 to a positioning trough where a fin guide channel receives the tail and dorsal fin and further positioning guides position the fish vertically. Swivel guides maintain this position. The fish then passes to a tiltable trough which feeds the tail between the rotating slitting knives by which it is propelled forward against the knives 100 whereby the fillets are cut off from each side of the skeleton. As the thicker portion of the fish is engaged by the knives this trough is free to tilt against a light spring so that the backbone and ribs are maintained at the usual level. Fig. 1 joined to Fig la is a plan and Figs. 2 and 2a follow an elevation. In operation, decapitated fish, tail first and back downwards, are placed into a feed trough 8. Pushers 110 on endless chains 114 engage the rear end of the fish and push it through the feed trough 8, Fig. 12, with bent up sides to make it assume a vertical position. The fish then passes on to fin guide plates 20 of a positioning trough 10 where the tail enters the channel 23 and later the dorsal fins also enter the channel. Continuing positioning guides 24 (tilting if necessary) positions the fish in a vertical direction. Swivel guides 27 retain the fish vertical. The guides 27 are urged together by springs and move in unison by engagement of their toothed segments 40. Pushers 110 then push the fish on to a tilting trough, Fig. 13, where a tail enters the channel 73 and positioning guides 75 and swivel guides 74 maintain the fish belly up. Guides 80 in this trough engage the tail and dorsal fin. Continued pushing by pushers 110 enters the tail into the vertical space between the pairs of knives 98, 96, which slit the back and belly. When the knives engage the thicker portion of the body of the fish the tilting trough tilts so that the backbone and ribs are maintained at approximately the correct level. When the fish passes the knives, springs 56 restore the tilting trough back into normal position. The action of the pushers 110 and of the rotating knives 98 at this point project the fish at high velocity on to filleting knives 100. An electric motor and gearing with a hand operated clutch provides the drive for a chain of pushers 110. A water spray to facilitate movement may be introduced into the first trough. The upper rotating knives 96 may be adjusted in a vertical direction.