GB637126A - Apparatus for and method of filleting fish - Google Patents

Abstract

637,126. Filleting fish. ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES CO. Aug. 11, 1947, No. 22300. Convention date, Sept. 20, 1946. [Class 28(ii)] Instead of cutting off fillets from each side of the backbone of a fish by upper and lower pairs of circular saw knives and by ribbing knives as in Specification 452,688, the cutting is done by a single pair of circular knives 10 which cut from the back right up to the belly side, leaving the fillets attached temporarily to the ribs only and subsequently severed by ribbing knives. Rotating cut-off knives 300 completely sever the fillets from the belly membrane. A stripper 312 helps fillet removal. A fish, tail leading and back down, is fed between a pair of circular slitting knives 10 and an upper pair of hold down discs 70 which can yield under adjustable spring pressure 104 to accommodate variations in the fish contour. Through cuts are thus made longitudinally on each side of the back-bone from the tail fin as far as the beginning of the belly cavity and thereafter the cuts are made in the back but not yet along the ribs. The high speed of the knives and hold down discs project the fish on to fixed longitudinal ribbing knives 160. Sharp ends 176 on these knives detach any adhering skin at the tail. The fillets are supported by hinged guides during detachment from the ribs. A hold down 178 may be provided comprising a belly fin guide, rib guides and the fillet supports all mounted to allow simultaneous or independent adjustment to suit the fish contour. The knives 10 and discs 70 are yieldingly mounted at the outer ends of pivoted arms 82, Fig. 2. When the slit fish is projected on to the fixed ribbing knives 160 the hold down mechanism which may be provided comprises a pair of plates 178, Figs. 7 and 9, pivoted to yield by a fork 186 and bell crank 194 and spring biassed to press lightly on the fish and also to yield at one end independent of the other end. The hold down mechanism also includes yielding pivoted rib guides 240 which press the fish against the ribbing knives. Fillet supports 280, Fig. 15, also help to press the fish towards the ribbing knives. Fixed variably curved shields 171 support the fish by entering the back slits when the fish is projected from the knives 10 on to the ribbing knives. Specification 589,509 also is referred to.