IE950362A1 - Apparatus and method for tailing crustaceans - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for substantially bisecting a crustacean at a bisecting plane into a head portion and a tail portion. The apparatus comprises means for gripping the crustacean adjacent the bisecting plane; cutting means for substantially bisecting the crustacean at the bisecting plane, the cutting means having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface adapted and arranged to rotate in a plane co-planer with the bisecting plane and to bisect the crustacean at the bisecting plane; and moving means adapted and arranged to urge the crustacean against the cutting surface.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TAILING A CRUSTACEAN The present invention relates to an apparatus and 5 method for tailing a crustacean, for example, a prawn (including Norwegian lobster or scampi), a shrimp and the like.

It is known to tail prawns manually. This involves gripping the head portion with one hand and the tail portion with the other hand and twisting the tail portion relative to the head portion. This is a slow task, which is usually done on board the boats prior to landing. On a typical day, a prawn boat would make three x three hour tows, averaging about 10 stone of prawns per tow and the crew would typically spend about six hours manually tailing the prawns.

It is an object of this invention to facilitate more rapid tailing of a crustacean by providing an apparatus for substantially bisecting a crustacean at a bisecting plane into a head portion and a tail portion, the apparatus comprising means for gripping the crustacean; cutting means for substantially bisecting the crustacean at the bisecting plane, the cutting means having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface adapted and arranged to rotate in a plane co-planar with the bisecting plane and to bisect the crustacean at the bisecting plane; and moving means adapted and arranged to urge the crustacean against the cutting surface. In use, the crustacean is positioned in the gripping means with the bisecting plane co-planar with the cutting means and the moving means urges the bisecting plane of the crustacean into contact with the cutting means thereby substantially OPEN TO PUB’ if INSPECTION H SECTION 28 AND RULE 23 JNL. No.....Γ”.......OF IWM~*aac bisecting the crustacean at the bisecting plane. Preferably, the crustacean is selected from a prawn, a shrimp, or the like. Washing means may be provided to wash the cutting means and the crustacean.

More preferably, the gripping means is a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart gripping belts for gripping the organic material therebetween, each gripping belt being located about a first or drive wheel and a second or driven wheel.

Advantageously, the moving means is a motor operatively connected to the first wheels of the gripping means.

More advantageously, the apparatus additionally comprises feeding means for feeding the organic material to the gripping means. The feeding means may comprise a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart feeding belts for locating the organic material therebetween, each feeding belt being located about the first or drive wheel and a third or driven wheel so that, in use, the organic material is located on the feeding means with the bisecting location aligned with the cutting means and actuation of the moving means transfers the organic material from the feeding means to the gripping means and brings the bisecting location into contact with the cutting means thereby substantially bisecting the organic material at the bisecting location.

Preferably, the cutting means is a rotary cutting wheel with a circumferentially arranged cutting surface. The cutting surface may alternatively comprise a plurality of flexible elongate projections extending substantially radially from the circumference of the cutting wheel.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for substantially bisecting a crustacean; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1, with the covers omitted; Figure 3 is a sectional view of the apparatus of Figure 2, along line III-III shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for substantially bisecting a crustacean.

In the drawings, similar numerals have been used to indicate like parts.

Referring now to Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated an apparatus according to the invention for substantially bisecting a crustacean, generally indicated at 10. The apparatus 10 is provided with a housing 11 having detachable covers 13. The apparatus 10 comprises gripping means generally indicated at 20 for gripping a head portion of a crustacean in the form of a prawn (not shown); cutting means generally indicated at 22 for substantially bisecting the prawn; and moving means generally indicated at 24 to urge the prawn against the cutting means 22. Washing means may be provided (not shown) to wash the cutting means 20 and the crustacean.

The cutting means 22 comprises a rotatable cutting disc or wheel 34 having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface 36. The cutting wheel 34 is actuated by a motor 38, which may be powered from a battery or, alternatively, from a boat's electrical circuit.

An elongated recess 52 is provided in the apparatus 10, defining a path for guiding the prawn therethrough. The side walls 53, 55 of the recess 52 taper outwardly to form a mouth 54, to facilitate receiving the crustacean thereat. The cutting wheel 34 extends across the recess 52 and into a groove 56 provided in the side wall 53 of the recess 52.

The gripping means 20 comprises the juxtaposition of the cutting wheel 34 and the side wall 53 of the recess 52.

The moving means 24 comprises the arcuate movement of the cutting surface 36 toward the groove 56 in the side wall 53.

In use, a prawn is tailed in the following manner. Each prawn is sequentially positioned with its bisecting plane co-planar with the plane of the cutting wheel 34, by feeding each prawn in the mouth 54 and along the recess 52 until the prawn is gripped by the gripping means 20, and urged by the moving means 24 against the cutting wheel 34, which bisects the prawn at the bisecting plane 16. The tail portion then drops through an aperture 51 having inclined lateral faces 58 into a container (not shown). The head portion is held in the user's hand and is placed in any suitable container (not shown) downstream of the cutting wheel 34.

Referring now to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated a second embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for substantially bisecting a crustacean, the apparatus being generally indicated at 110 and the crustacean in the form of a prawn being generally indicated at 112. The prawn 112 comprises a head portion 114 joined at a bisecting plane 116 to a tail portion 118.

The apparatus 110 comprises gripping means generally indicated at 120 for gripping the head portion 114; cutting means generally indicated at 122 for substantially bisecting the prawn 112; moving means generally indicated at 124 for urging, in use, the prawn 112 against the cutting means 122; and feeding means generally indicated at 126 for feeding the prawn 112 to the gripping means 120.

The gripping means 120 comprises a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart gripping belts 128 for gripping the head portion 114 therebetween. Each gripping belt 128, which is located about a first or drive wheel 130 and a second or driven wheel 132, is formed from a flexible material. The gripping belts 128 are adapted and arranged in spaced-apart relationship to firmly grip each head portion 114. It will be appreciated that damage to the head portion 114 by this firm gripping action is unimportant - the head portions 114 are currently discarded as waste, although recent research indicates that the crushed head portions 114 may have utility as a fertiliser.

The cutting means 122 comprises a rotary cutting wheel 134 having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface in the form of a plurality of flexible elongate projections 136 extending substantially radially from the circumference of the cutting wheel 134. The projections 136 are 2.5 cm approximately long wires.

The cutting wheel 134, which is located under a lower I surface 150 of the gripping belts 128 and intermediate the gripping belts 128, is actuated by a motor (not shown) which may be powered from a boat's electrical circuit.

The moving means 124 comprises a 12-24V motor (not shown) operatively connected to the drive wheels 130 by means of drive spindles 140. The motor (not shown) may be powered, for example, from the boat's electrical circuit. The motor effects movement of the drive spindles 140/drive wheels 130 so as to move the prawn 112 from left to right on accompanying Figure 4 towards, and into contact with, the cutting means 122.

The feeding means 126 comprises a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart feeding belts 142 for locating the prawn 112 therebetween, the feeding means 126 being adapted and arranged for feeding the prawn 112 to the gripping means 120. Each feeding belt 142, which is located about the first or drive wheel 130 and a third or driven wheel 144, is formed from a flexible material.

The feeding belts 142 are adapted and arranged in spaced-apart relationship to lightly grip tail portions 118 of varying sizes. It will be appreciated that avoidance of damage to the tail portion 118 is important, while feeding the prawn 112 to the gripping means 120 - this is achieved by providing a layer of flexible material 146, for example foam rubber or the like, on each feeding belt 142. The motor (not shown) effects movement of the prawn 12 from left to right on accompanying Figure 4 towards the gripping means 120.

In use, a prawn 112 is tailed in the following matter. After actuation of the motor (not shown), each prawn 112 is sequentially positioned at the left end of the feeding means 126, with the bisecting plane 116 adjacent an upper surface 148 of the feeding belts 142 and aligned with the cutting means 122. Each prawn 112 is carried from left to right towards the gripping means 120 and is transferred into the gripping means 120, with the bisecting plane 116 adjacent the lower surface 150 of the gripping belts 128 and aligned with the cutting means 122. Each prawn 112 is then carried from left to right towards the cutting means 122 where contact with the projections 136 of the cutting wheel 134 causes the tail portion 118 of each prawn 112 to be cut, at or adjacent the bisecting plane 116, from the head portion 114. The tail portion 118 then drops through an aperture 151 into a container (not shown).

The head portion 114 is carried further along with the gripping means 120 and is ejected from the gripping means 120. The head portions 114 can be deflected in any desired direction by the provision of a suitable deflector (not shown) into any suitable container (not shown).

It will be appreciated that the feeding means 126 is optional in the apparatus 110 according to the invention - an operator could feed the prawns 112 directly into the gripping means 120, with the bisecting planes 116 aligned with the cutting means 122. However, because of the firm gripping action of the gripping means 120, the operator would be unable, if desired, to correct the alignment of the bisecting plane 116 relative to the cutting means 122. Thus, the operator would need to feed the prawns 112 correctly positioned into the gripping means 120, thereby slowing his work output. Provision of a feeding means 126, with its light grip on the more valuable tail portion 118, permits rapid feeding of prawns 112 into the apparatus 110 and facilitates correction of the alignment of the bisecting plane 116, if needed.

Claims (15)

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus for substantially bisecting a crustacean at a bisecting plane into a head portion and a tail portion, the apparatus comprising means for gripping the crustacean adjacent the bisecting plane; cutting means for substantially bisecting the crustacean at the bisecting plane, the cutting means having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface adapted and arranged to rotate in a plane co-planer with the bisecting plane and to bisect the crustacean at the bisecting plane; and moving means adapted and arranged to urge the crustacean against the cutting surface.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the crustacean is selected from a prawn or shrimp.

3. An apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the apparatus additionally comprises washing means adapted and arranged to wash the cutting means and the crustacean.

4. An apparatus according to any one of the Claims 1-3, in which the cutting means comprises a substantially horizontally disposed disc having a circumferentially arranged cutting surface.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, in which the gripping means comprises the juxtaposition of the cutting surface and a side wall of a recess.

6. An apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the cutting surface comprises elongate projections extending substantially radially from the cutting means.

7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, in which the cutting surface comprises a plurality of flexible elongate projections extending substantially radially from the cutting means.

8. An apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the gripping means is a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart belts for gripping the crustacean therebetween, each gripping belt being located about a 15 first or drive wheel and a second or driven wheel; and the moving means is operatively connected to the first wheels of the gripping means.

9. An apparatus according to Claim 8, in which the 20 apparatus additionally comprises feeding means for feeding the crustacean to the gripping means.

10. An apparatus according to Claim 9, in which the feeding means comprises a pair of substantially 25- parallel spaced-apart feeding belts for locating the crustacean therebetween, each feeding belt being located about the first or drive wheel and a third or driven wheel so that, in use, the crustacean is located on the feeding means with the bisecting plane aligned 30 with the cutting means and the moving means effects transfer of the crustacean from the feeding means to the gripping means and brings the bisecting plane into contact with the cutting means thereby substantially bisecting the crustacean at the bisecting plane.

11. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apparatus is provided with an aperture beneath the cutting means; and a container in communication with the aperture, to collect the tail portions.

12. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the apparatus is provided with a second container downstream of the cutting means, to collect the head portions.

13. An apparatus for substantially bisecting a crustacean at a bisecting plane intermediate a head portion and a tail portion of the crustacean, substantially as herebefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1-3 and Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A method for substantially bisecting a crustacean into a head portion and a tail portion, the method comprising the steps of gripping the crustacean adjacent a bisecting plane; cutting the crustacean at the bisecting plane; collecting the tail portions in a first container located under the cutting means; and collecting the head portions in a second container downstream of the cutting means.

15. A method for substantially bisecting a crustacean at a bisecting plane intermediate a head portion and a tail portion, substantially as herebefore described with reference to Figures 1-3 and Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.