WO2017162246A1

WO2017162246A1 - Shrimp peeling machine

Info

Publication number: WO2017162246A1
Application number: PCT/DK2017/050054
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas VITTRUP
Original assignee: Seapeeler Aps
Priority date: 2016-03-21
Filing date: 2017-02-27
Publication date: 2017-09-28

Abstract

Shrimp peeling machine incorporating cylindrical rollers (4, 5, 6), where the cylindrical rollers' longitudinal axis is continuously parallel and incorporates primary rollers (4) with a diameter D1 and secondary rollers (5) with a diameter D2 and tertiary rollers (6) with a diameter D3, smaller than both D1 and D2, where minimum the primary (4) and secondary rollers (5) are arranged to rotate via an activating element, which incorporates a motor aggregate, that drives the activating element, as the tertiary rollers (6) are at a distance from the primary (4) and secondary rollers (5) respectively, such that the tertiary rollers' (6) surface does not come into contact either with the primary rollers' or the secondary rollers' surfaces.

Description

SHRIMP PEELING MACHINE

The invention relates to a shrimp peeling machine that incorporates cylindrical rollers, and the cylindrical rollers' longitudinal axes run

continually parallel, incorporating a primary roller diameter D1 , a secondary roller with a diameter D2 and a tertiary roller with a diameter D3 that is smaller than both D1 and D2, where minimum the primary and secondary rollers are arranged so that they are rotated by an activating element, which includes a motor aggregate that drives the activating element.

US 8777701 lists a shrimp peeling machine of the type stated in the introduction, where the rollers are mounted on a chain joint. The chain joints together form a closed chain and the shrimp are peeled during the forward movement of the chain.

US 781 1 157 lists a shrimp peeling machine with rollers of varying sizes arranged in parallel that have surfaces that contact each other, so that the rotation of one of the rollers is transferred to an adjacent roller. The rollers are inclined with their axes at a common angle in relation to the horizontal, so that shrimp being peeled move from a higher plane to a lower plane.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a shrimp peeling machine that does not have the disadvantages of the established technology or at least creates a useful alternative to the established technology.

This is achieved in the first component of the invention in that the tertiary rollers are located at such a distance from both the primary and secondary rollers that the tertiary rollers' surface does not come into contact with either the primary rollers' or secondary rollers' surfaces. It will therefore be possible to drive one or several sets of tertiary rollers independently in a preselected rotation direction and rotation speed, such that the rotation of the tertiary rollers can be governed and controlled independently of the rotation of the primary and secondary rollers. This will create a far more flexible shrimp peeling machine. It is also possible to allow the tertiary rollers to rotate freely, so that they only rotate when shrimp are pinched between their surfaces and an adjacent secondary or primary roller. According to one component of the invention, the distance between the surfaces on the primary rollers and tertiary rollers and the distance between the surfaces of the secondary rollers and tertiary rollers is very small, e.g. between 10/1000 mm and 1 mm or between 10/1000 mm and 0.5 mm, or preferably between 10/1000 mm and 100/1000 mm. Therefore, the tertiary rollers are assured independence from the primary and secondary rollers even if there are variations in manufacturing accuracy on the relevant roller surfaces.

While the rollers are operating, the distance between the rollers can vary because of variations in the surface, because of variations in the distance between a specific surface part and the rotation axis for a specific roller or because of varying wear on the roller bearings. A roller can also be barrel- shaped or oval in cross-section, or have longitudinal ridges or other structures on the surface that will lead to variations in the distance within the stated distances.

In another component of the invention, further benefits of the shrimp peeling machine compared to the type stated in the introduction are achieved, where in the peeling area, two or more pre-defined sets of rollers are driven in pre-set but alternating rotation directions using a connection to one or several activating elements. Operating several sets of rollers will allow more active pinching and grip on the shrimp shell in the gap between the rollers, as their surfaces move actively either in towards the gap or away from the gap between two sequential rollers or alternate between the two movements. It will now also be possible to arrange rollers that on the one side are adjacent to a roller with the same rotation direction, where both rollers turn either clockwise or anticlockwise so that the shrimp are not pulled down into the gap. On the other side the rollers are adjacent to a roller that has the opposite rotation direction so that the rollers' upward facing surfaces both move towards the gap and the legs, tentacles and shell parts of the shrimp are pulled down into the gap between the driven rollers, or both upward-facing surfaces move up away from the gap, so that the shrimp are pushed away from the gap.

In one component, it is also preferable that the activating element includes at least one transmission belt, incorporating a primary contact surface and a secondary contact surface, in which the primary contact surface initially meshes with the primary roller and the secondary contact surface then meshes with the secondary roller, with the primary and secondary rollers having the same or opposite rotation direction. The primary and secondary rollers that mesh with each of their contact surfaces by a transmission belt will thereby each belong to their own set of driven rollers.

If a specific roller rotates clockwise, an adjacent roller can rotate either clockwise or anticlockwise. This can affect the shrimp in four different ways, and the shrimp will land in the gap between two adjacent rollers. If both rollers rotate clockwise, the shrimp will have a tendency to move over the gap from the left to the right. If both rollers rotate anticlockwise, the shrimp will have a tendency to move over the gap from the right over to the left. If the roller on the left rotates clockwise and the roller on the right

anticlockwise, the shrimp tentacles etc. will have a tendency to move down into the gap between the rollers. If the roller on the left rotates anticlockwise and the roller on the right clockwise, the shrimp will have a tendency to move upwards out of the gap and follow along the surface of either the roller on the right or the roller on the left.

The shrimp peeling machine can incorporate a closed chain composed of a number of joints that have cylindrical rollers, where the cylindrical rollers' longitudinal axis is displaced 90 degrees in relation to the direction of the shrimp peeling process. The primary and secondary rollers are rotated initially, for example, by gears or friction wheels that are driven by at least one transmission belt/friction belt connected to a motor aggregate. The gears are mounted on an axle, which is an extension of the associated cylindrical rollers' rotation axis. The gears are activated by at least one transmission belt driven by an actuator and a servomotor. Gears in this context should also be interpreted as drive belts, that have such good contact/friction that the movement of the belt brings about rotation of the device and thereby the rollers, and that the belt does not slip, i.e. the entire translated movement is transferred to rotation.

In one component of the shrimp peeling machine, the tertiary rollers are rotated in the peeling area by an additional activating element designed to operate a first set of tertiary rollers in a first rotation direction and where the activating element is further designed to operate a second set of tertiary rollers. A set of rollers incorporates one or several pre-defined rollers that are driven in the same rotation direction. Therefore, the sets are always separate so that a roller cannot belong to more than one set of driven rollers in the shrimp peeling area.

For the three sets of rollers that are defined here, namely the primary rollers, secondary rollers and tertiary rollers, there will then be a total of eight different operating methods, where the primary and secondary rollers in relation to each other can be driven in four different ways, and for each of these four methods, the tertiary rollers' two sets of rollers can be rotated either anticlockwise or clockwise. As the tertiary rollers are divided into two separated sets that are always driven in the opposite rotation direction, the number of options is not increased above eight.

In one component, it is preferential that the following order of rollers is repeated in a peeling area: one of the primary rollers, one of the first set of tertiary rollers, one of the secondary rollers and one of the second set of tertiary rollers. This will mean that two adjacent tertiary rollers in the shrimp peeling area will always be driven by an additional activating element in opposite rotation directions.

In one component of the shrimp peeling machine, the additional activating element incorporates a drive wheel that drives a closed drive belt with an external and internal drive surface, where the two drive surfaces'

movements are transferred to the first and second set of tertiary rollers respectively, via a directly connected drive wheel on each tertiary roller. So if, for example, the first set of tertiary rollers, via their drive wheel, is connected to the closed drive belt's internal drive surface, and the second set is connected to the closed drive belt's external surface, the two sets of rollers will run in opposite rotation directions. The connection between the closed drive belt's drive surfaces and the tertiary roller's drive wheel can be direct or via an intermediate drive belt.

In a further component it is preferable that the tertiary roller's connected drive wheel is directly mounted on an extension of the tertiary roller's longitudinal axis, external in relation to the roller's bearings, where the first and the second set of tertiary rollers' extended longitudinal axes each have their own extension on which the drive wheels are mounted, such that the first and second set of tertiary rollers' drive wheels are located alongside the two equally parallel lines along the tertiary rollers' bearings. This arrangement makes it extremely easy to select the sets of tertiary rollers that are to be driven synchronously and to connect drives (e.g. transmission belts) to drive wheels, that thus in practical terms can be achieved by gears.

A further component has the tertiary roller's drive wheel represented by a gear, where the first and second set of tertiary roller's mounted gears are driven each by their own transmission belt, as the one transmission belt is in drive contact with the external side of the closed drive belt and the other transmission belt is in drive contact with the internal side of the closed drive belt. This will mean that the two sets of tertiary rollers are driven

synchronously by the same drive mechanism - but each in their own rotation direction.

The rollers' gears do not come into contact with each other and so wear on the gears is minimal. This also has the effect that the rollers only rotate in the peeling area, thus wear on these is also minimal. If the shrimp peeling machine is installed on board shrimp trawlers, the shrimp peeling process can be optimised by adjusting the speed of the motor driving the chain and by adjusting the speed of the transmission belt/belts that drive the cylindrical rollers.

The shrimp peeling machine, according to claim 9, incorporates a closed chain comprised of a number of joints connected to the cylindrical rollers, in which the cylindrical rollers' longitudinal axes are displaced 90 degrees in relation to the direction of the shrimp peeling process, where a motor aggregate drives the closed chain forward in the direction of the shrimp peeling process. This will create a machine that ensures that the shrimp are kept in the shrimp peeling area for a fixed time, as it is the movement of the rollers themselves, from the movement of the chain, that ensures the shrimps' path through the peeling area and not a more or less random progress.

The shrimp peeling process itself is carried out in that the chain is driven in the direction of the shrimp peeling process, where shrimp to be peeled are fed on to the chain at one end via an intake on the horizontal run of the chain. The shrimp are then peeled by friction via contact with the rollers, which are driven when the transmission belt/belts are activated. When the chain and associated rollers reach the end of a horizontal run and begin a return movement in the opposite direction of the shrimp peeling process, the now peeled shrimp fall off the rollers and can be collected by a suitable conveyor belt. The return run of the chain with the rollers is below the horizontal peeling area.

The released shrimp shells are collected below the chain between the peeling area and the chain's underlying return run. As transmission belts/friction belts are used to rotate the gears/friction wheels and thereby the primary, secondary and tertiary rollers, it is possible to have random rotation of the rollers. These can rotate in one direction a random number of times, and then in the opposite direction for a random number of times. It is therefore possible to perform an optimal shrimp peeling process, as the rotation speed and number of rotations can be adapted to the size of the shrimp and their stage of maturity.

Shrimp in the aforementioned processes are often matured artificially in order to ease peeling. The artificial maturing can here be reduced to a minimum, since flexible adjustment of the rollers can regulate the length of time shrimp are in the peeling area and how much friction they are subjected to, as the rotation speed can also be regulated.

A long transmission belt can be used, that in an appropriate system has a contact surface with the primary rollers' gear, thus driving them

synchronously. Two separate transmission belts can also be used, where one transmission belt drives the gears for the primary rollers, whilst the other transmission belt drives the gears for the secondary rollers. The two transmission belts are driven such that the rollers operate synchronously. The shrimp peeling machine can be installed and operated in maritime vessels and shrimp trawlers. This means that shrimp, in an uninterrupted process, can be landed by the shrimp trawler and subsequently cooked, peeled and packed on board the vessel and thus be ready for sale to consumers as soon as the trawler is back in harbour. The quality of the sales-ready shrimp will therefore be significantly higher than has been possible to achieve up to this point, as the production process is optimised. It will also be less expensive, among other things, because the entire shrimp preparation process is brought together on the fishing vessel landing the shrimp, and because the maturing process and the time spent on processing is minimised. This will also achieve better quality for the peeled shrimp.

The shrimp peeling machine can of course also be used for shrimp peeling on land. In a further appropriate component, the activating element incorporates two transmission belts - a primary transmission belt and a secondary transmission belt - where the transmission belts are driven by a first motor aggregate, and the primary transmission belt drives the primary rollers and the second transmission belt drives the secondary rollers. By having two separate transmission belts to drive the primary rollers and the secondary rollers respectively, the wear on the transmission belt surfaces is distributed across two separated transmission belts. In addition, it can be simpler to install two belts instead of only one transmission belt, as they can simply be fed over driving rollers at both ends and are otherwise driven by a servomotor that, by a separate transmission belt drive, drives the drive rollers. The rollers are driven synchronously and thus via the different gear sizes and diameters of the rollers have the same

surface/peripheral speed.

For each set of primary rollers there is a primary gear with a number of teeth t1 , and for each secondary roller there is a secondary gear with a number of teeth t2, where the teeth on the gears and the diameters of the rollers are arranged such that the peripheral rotation speed of the rollers is equal when the gears interface with the transmission belt/belts. It is assumed here that the teeth on the two gears are identical.

Therefore, an optimal relative rotation is achieved for the primary rollers and the secondary rollers, so that one of the tertiary rollers can be driven by friction with shrimp shell parts with the surface of one of the primary rollers and one of the secondary rollers.

In a further component, the diameter D1 is less than the diameter D2 and the number of teeth t1 is less than the number of teeth t2. An appropriate value for D1 is 63.5 mm and for t1 is 20 teeth, while the appropriate value for D2 is 76 mm and for t2 is 24 teeth. The small wheel/cylindrical roller after the tertiary roller has a diameter D3 of 12 mm.

In another appropriate component, the gears are in contact with the transmission belt/belts in the peeling area and the gears are arranged in such a way that they do not touch each other. The gears are not in contact at any time throughout the entire shrimp peeling process. As the gears that are located outside of the rollers are connected (fixed) to the primary, secondary and tertiary rollers respectively, the rollers rotate when the gears rotate. As the gears are not in contact with each other at any time throughout the chain movement, nor in the peeling area, there is limited wear on the rollers as the primary, secondary and tertiary rollers are only moving in relation to each other in the peeling area since the gears are driven in the peeling area by the transmission belt/belts.

In a further appropriate component, the first motor aggregate is

servo-driven and can be programmed to randomly drive the transmission belt/belts, where the primary and secondary rollers rotate on movement of surfaces opposing each other at intervals of 10 degrees to infinity in one direction and intervals of 10 degrees to infinity in the opposite direction, preferentially at an interval of 20 degrees to 30 000 degrees, more preferentially in an interval 180 to 20 000 30 degrees. The tertiary roller can be driven synchronously or asynchronously with the primary and secondary rollers. The degrees given here must be interpreted as continual rotations, where 360 degrees is a full rotation. So, for example, 30 000 degrees is the same as 83 1/3 complete rotations in the same direction. An infinite number of degrees thereby corresponds to continuous operation in one and the same rotation direction.

Processing of shrimp can therefore be regulated and the machine can be set optimally, in terms of rotation of the rollers as a function of the shrimp's size and stage of maturity.

In a further appropriate component, the rollers have a metallic or polymer surface, the primary and secondary rollers have a polymer surface and the tertiary rollers have a metallic surface. The shrimp are peeled by friction between the activated rollers and the peeled shells are collected below the chain in the intermediate space between the chain's peeling area and the return run.

In a further appropriate component, the chain is installed to run continually forward and the primary and secondary rollers in the peeling area are arranged such that they rotate in alternating directions.

In a further appropriate component, the tertiary rollers are located between the primary rollers and the secondary rollers, and a spring device or similar pushes the tertiary rollers towards the primary and secondary rollers. The primary rollers' upward surfaces are therefore tangential to the first common plane and the secondary rollers' upward surfaces are tangential to a second common plane. The first plane in the peeling area in the vertical direction lies over the second plane. As tertiary rollers do not have their own drive it is assumed that the gap is filled with peeled debris and shell parts from shrimp undergoing peeling, so that there will in any case be a transfer of rotation to the tertiary rollers from the rotation of the primary and secondary rollers.

In a further appropriate component, the shrimp peeling machine

incorporates a cleaning station, where the cleaning station is located below the peeling area.

In a further appropriate component, the first contact surface and second contact surface are the same surface.

This is the case when there is only one transmission belt, where a specific surface on the transmission belt will be that which has contact with the first gear and the second gear for driving the primary rollers and secondary rollers. However, there will naturally be a time displacement from the point where the first surface makes contact with the primary rollers' gear and the point where the same surface makes contact with the secondary rollers' gear and thereby becomes the second surface.

In a further appropriate component, the first contact surface is different to the second contact surface. This is the case when the machine

incorporates separate transmission belts to drive the first gears and the second gears respectively. In a further appropriate component, the transmission belt/belts are driven by transmission belt gears.

In a further appropriate component, the gears that drive the cylindrical rollers are mounted on an axle that is an extension of a cylindrical roller's rotation axis.

In general, it should be mentioned that this invention uses less water - approximately 75% less than established machines.

The quality of shrimp is improved when using the invention in relation to machines presently on the market since the shrimp is not as watered down and they are not matured artificially to the same degree as is the case when using established machines.

The variable speed of the chain and rotation of the rollers means an exact degree of peeling and greater yield of 1 .5% - 2% in relation to traditional shrimp peeling. Wear on rollers is more even, as wear takes place across the entire surface. The transmission belt system is extremely easy to clean.

Cleaning of rollers is carried out in the area below the peeling process, thus the rollers are always clean and there is no need for stoppages.

The invention will hereafter be explained in more detail with references to drawings, where:

Figure 1 shows a section of a preferred component of a shrimp peeling machine in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 indicates a section of the chain shown in Figure 1 , which is used to remove the shell or peel shrimp,

Figure 3 shows the centre of a section of the shrimp peeling area viewed from above, and on the left a side image seen from the right of the section, and on the right a side image seen from the left of the section,

Figure 4 shows a side image of a complete shrimp peeling machine, viewed from the side where the drive for the tertiary rollers is installed,

Figure 5 shows an image viewed from above of the shrimp peeling machine,

Figure 6 shows a 3-D image of a section of the chain with the drive device for the tertiary rollers shown in an enlarged section of the tertiary rollers' gear,

Figure 7 shows a traditional shrimp peeling system, where the shrimp are moved along the rollers during peeling, but arranged according to the invention with the small steel rollers lifted free of contact with the large primary and secondary rollers,

Figure 8 shows an image seen from above of the shrimp peeling machine in Figure 7, and

Figure 9 shows a cross-section image through the rollers of the shrimp peeling machine in Figure 7 with an enlarged section of the rollers.

Figure 1 shows a shrimp peeling machine 1 in accordance with the invention. It incorporates a closed chain 3 composed of a number of joints, which drive cylindrical rollers 4, 5, 6. The cylindrical rollers' 4, 5, 6

longitudinal axes are displaced 90 degrees in relation to the shrimp peeling process direction 7. The rollers incorporate primary rollers 4 with a diameter D1 , secondary rollers 5 with a diameter D2 and tertiary rollers 6 with a diameter D3. The rollers have a metallic or polymer surface, where the primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5 have a polymer surface and the tertiary rollers 6 have a metallic surface. The rollers 4, 5, 6 are located in relation to each other in such a way that the tertiary rollers 6 are placed between the primary rollers 4 and the secondary rollers 5. Via a spring device (not shown) the tertiary rollers 6 are pushed towards the primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5; however, the tertiary rollers 6 are arranged so that they do not come into contact with the primary and secondary rollers, but remain independent in relation to each of the two adjacent rollers. On rotation of the primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5 the tertiary rollers 6 rotate if shrimp are pinched between the rollers. The primary rollers 4 form a first plane and the secondary rollers 5 a second plane. The first plane in a peeling area 8 - i.e. the area of the machine where shrimp peeling takes place - is in a vertical direction lying above the second plane. The primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5 rotate in the peeling area 8 with the help of an activating element 9, which is driven by a first motor aggregate 10 in the form of a servomotor, which can be programmed. A second motor aggregate 1 1 drives the closed chain 3 forward in the direction of the shrimp peeling process 7.

The activating element 9 incorporates a transmission belt 12, and in the example shown, two transmission belts: a first transmission belt 17 and a second transmission belt 18. The first transmission belt 17 has a first contact surface 13 and the second transmission belt 18 has a second contact surface 14. The first contact surface 13 is initially 15 in the form of a first gear 19 in contact with the primary roller 4, as the first contact surface 13 is ridged and drives the gears round by friction. The gears are therefore connected (fixed) to the rollers, and the gear's rotation is transferred directly to the rollers. The second contact surface 14 is secondary 16 in the form of a second gear 20 in contact with the secondary rollers 5. The transfer of energy is the same as for the primary rollers 4. The primary 4 and secondary rollers 5 have a peripheral speed vector that is opposite where the roller surfaces are closest to each other. The gears are mounted on the same axis around which the rollers rotate; however, a gear and the roller to which it is connected, are fixed to each other.

The first gear 19 has a number of teeth t1 and the second gear 20 has a number of teeth t2. Each of the second gears 20 is connected to a secondary roller 5. The number of teeth and diameters of the rollers are arranged such that the peripheral rotation speed for the rollers 4, 5 is equal when gears 19 and 20 are in contact with the transmission belt/belts 12, 17, 18.

The first motor aggregate 10 shown has a servo drive that can be

programmed for random operation of the transmission belt/belts 12, 17, 18 from which the primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5 rotate, and has the opposing peripheral speeds where they are closest to each other, but the same rotational direction, so that they either all rotate clockwise or all rotate anticlockwise. The transmission belts are each stretched across two drive rollers 27 located at each end of the shrimp peeling area. The rotation of the rollers can be in intervals between 10 degrees and infinity in one direction and 10 degrees and infinity in the opposite direction. Preferentially, the rotation is in the interval between 20 degrees to 10 000 degrees. During rotation, the tertiary rollers 6 turn in the shrimp peeling area 8. The changing rotation direction is indicated with the arrow I.

As the tertiary rollers 6 are driven by both the primary 4 and the secondary rollers 5 they ideally have the same peripheral speed as the primary and secondary rollers they contact, but the opposite rotation direction. The tertiary rollers 6 are raised, so that their surfaces do not touch the surfaces of the primary or secondary rollers; they are driven indirectly when shrimp shells, debris etc. are pinched between the tertiary rollers and the adjacent primary or secondary rollers.

The chain 3 is designed to run continuously forward and the primary rollers 4 and secondary rollers 5 in the peeling area 8 are arranged to rotate in alternating directions. On rotation, the tertiary rollers 6 turn as stated insofar as there is material between the rollers to transfer the movement.

Figure 2 shows a section of the chain that is used to de-shell or peel shrimp. It shows the primary rollers 4 that are on one plane, and the secondary rollers that are located in relation to the primary rollers' vertical extended plane. In between these, the tertiary rollers rotate when there are shrimp shells between the rollers, and in such cases the tertiary rollers 6 or wheels will contact the large rollers 4, 5 or wheels, so that the surface speed is the same. As the three wheels/rollers have different diameters (preferably 076.5; 063.5; 012) the number of rotations is not the same. The small wheel 012 with 012 thus runs 076.5 / 012= 6.37 times the rotations of the primary rollers 4. The described combination of different diameters and surfaces of the inward rollers 4, 5, 6 has proved to be optimal for de-shelling or peeling shrimp effectively. A shrimp peeling process that takes place in that chain 3 is driven in a rotation direction as indicated by the arrow 7, where shrimp are added to the chain 3 at the top of the horizontal feed. The shrimp are de-shelled continuously by friction through contact with the rollers 4, 5, 6 that are driven by the activating element 9.

The released shrimp shell parts are collected below the chain 3 and the peeled shrimp can be collected at the end of chain 3 at the horizontal outlet. On installation of the shrimp peeling machine on board a shrimp trawler, the shrimp peeling process can be optimised by adjusting the speed of the second motor aggregate 1 1 , that drives the chain 3 forward and around, also by adjusting the speed of the first motor aggregate 10 (and thereby the transmission belt/belts) that drive the cylindrical rollers 4, 5.

The design shown in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be described in detail. Figure 3 shows that the tertiary rollers 6 in the peeling area 8 are rotated by an additional activating element 30; 30.1 ; 30.2 arranged for the drive of a first set 6.1 of tertiary rollers 6 in an initial rotation direction, and where the activating element 30; 30.1 ; 30.2; is also arranged to drive a second set 6.2 of tertiary rollers 6 in a second and opposite rotation direction.

As can also be seen in Figure 3, the closed chain 3 is repeated in the following order by rollers 4, 5, and 6 entirely around the chain: one of the primary rollers 4, one of the first set 6.1 of tertiary rollers 6, one of the secondary rollers 5, one of the second set 6.2 of tertiary rollers 6, so that two adjacent tertiary rollers 6 along the chain in the shrimp peeling area are always driven by the additional activating element 30.1 ; 30.2 in opposite rotation directions. The direction of movement for the transmission belt is indicated with an arrow 30.4 in Figure 3. The image on the right in Figure 3 shows a side view from the left, where all of the gears 6.3 on the tertiary rollers 6, apart from the chain's individual link 3.1 , are shown. This indicates that the gears 6.3 connected to tertiary rollers 6, directly mounted on the longitudinal axis of the extensions of the tertiary rollers 6 each have their own extension on which gears 6.3 are mounted, so that the first and second set of tertiary rollers' gears 6.3 are located along two equally parallel lines along the closed chain 3 in the peeling area. The first set 6.1 and the second set 6.2 of the tertiary rollers' 6 extended longitudinal axes each have an extension, on which drive wheels 6.3 are mounted, such that the first and second set of the tertiary rollers' drive wheels 6.3 lie along two equally parallel lines along the closed chain 3 in the peeling area.

Therefore, the activating element is designed as two parallel running transmission belts 30.1 ; 30.2 in the same plane, that each drive their own set 6.1 ; 6.2 of tertiary rollers 6.

As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 6, the additional activating element incorporates a gear 31 , that drives a closed transmission belt 30 with an external and internal drive surface, where the two drive surfaces' movements are transferred to the first and the second set of tertiary rollers 6, via a gear 6.3 connected to a tertiary roller. The tertiary roller's 6 drive wheel 6.3 is a gear, where the first set 6.1 and the second set 6.2 of the gears mounted on the tertiary rollers are driven by their own transmission belt 30.1 , 30.2. This is because one transmission belt 30.1 is in drive contact with the external side of the closed transmission belt 30 via a return pulley 35 and connected simple belt 36, and the second transmission belt 30.2 is in drive contact with the internal side of the closed transmission belt via a gear 37.

The driving wheel 31 has contact with the internal teeth on the closed transmission or drive belt 30, and runs anticlockwise as shown by the arrow in Figure 6. Correspondingly, a gear 37 is also in drive contact with the internal teeth of the closed transmission belt 30 anticlockwise, and this rotation direction is retained on transmission belt 30.2, which is driven by a gear mounted on the same axis as the wheel 37. The external teeth of the closed transmission or drive belt 30 contact the gear 35, and this wheel then runs clockwise. In the same way, the belt 36, which is connected with the gear 35, runs clockwise and this movement is transferred to transmission belt 30.1 , which subsequently runs clockwise with the indicated rotation direction for gear 31 .

The transmission belt 30 is driven by a servomotor 38, so that the rotation speed and rotation direction is controllable.

As shown in figure 5, in the area 41 immediately before intake of shrimp there is a roller brush 50 which, on rotation, cleans the primary, secondary and tertiary rollers.

The shrimp peeling machine 1 can be installed and operated on board maritime vessels and shrimp trawlers.

This invention allows for an uninterrupted process where shrimp can be landed on board a shrimp trawler and subsequently cooked, peeled and packed on board the vessel and thus be ready for sale to consumers as soon as the trawler is back in harbour. The quality of the sale-ready peeled shrimp will therefore be significantly higher than has been possible up to this point, as the production process is optimised and made less expensive, among other things because the entire shrimp preparation process is brought together on board the fishing vessel landing the shrimp. The shrimp peeling machine can also be used on land and installed in buildings. Figure 7 shows an alternative arrangement of the rollers 4, 5 and 6 with an angled centre axis. The concept here is that the shrimp are fed onto the rollers' surfaces on the high side 42, and the finished peeled shrimp leave the system on the low side 43, as the shrimp, during peeling, move gradually along the angled rollers. The primary, secondary and tertiary rollers can have drives as indicated in Figure 8, and the drives can be independent of each other as explained above. The rollers are illustrated in Figure 9 which shows an enlarged section.

Here the rollers are arranged in the normal manner with the primary rollers

4 above, secondary rollers 5 in a lower lying plane and tertiary rollers 6 in between the primary and secondary rollers. The tertiary rollers 6 are also raised slightly, so that there is free motion between the surfaces of the tertiary rollers 6 in relation to the primary rollers 4 and the secondary rollers

5 respectively.

The driving devices shown for the rollers are appropriate. However, it is also possible to drive the rollers individually with, for example, stepper motors. For rollers installed in a chain arrangement as described above, provision of a power supply will be a challenge. However, for rollers that are located at an angled formation and fixed in a frame, stepper motors are an option.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M

Shrimp peeling machine that incorporates cylindrical rollers (4,5,6), where the cylindrical rollers' longitudinal axis is parallel and incorporates primary rollers (4) with a diameter D1 and secondary rollers (5) with a diameter D2 and tertiary rollers (6) with a diameter D3 smaller than both D1 and D2 and where minimum the primary (4) and secondary rollers (5) are arranged to rotate via an activating element, which incorporates a motor aggregate that drives the activating element characterised by the tertiary rollers (6) being placed at a distance from both the primary (4) and the secondary rollers (5), such that the tertiary rollers' (6) surface is not in contact with either the primary rollers' or the secondary rollers' surfaces.

Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 1 , characterised by the distance between the surfaces of the primary rollers (4) and the tertiary rollers (6) and the distance between the surfaces of the secondary rollers (5) and tertiary rollers (6) being between10/1000 mm and 1 mm or between 10/1000 mm and 500/1000 mm, alternatively between 10/1000 mm and 100/1000 mm.

Shrimp peeling machine (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised by two or several predefined sets selected from among rollers (4,5,6) being driven in rotation in pre-defined rotation directions with the help of a connection to one or several activating elements (9; 30; 30.1 ; 30.2). Shrimp peeling machine (1 ) according to claim 1 , characterised by the tertiary rollers (6) in the peeling area (8) being rotated by an additional activating element (30) arranged for driving a first set (6.1 ) of tertiary rollers (6) in a first rotation direction, and where the activating element (30) is also arrange for driving a second set (6.2) of tertiary rollers (6) in a second and opposite rotation direction.

Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 2, characterised by the following order of rollers (4, 5, 6) being repeated in a peeling area: one of the primary rollers (4), one of the first set of tertiary rollers (6), one of the secondary rollers (5), one of the second set of tertiary rollers (6), so that two adjacent tertiary rollers (6) along the chain (3) are always driven in the opposite rotation direction by the additional activating element (30; 30.1 ; 30.2).

Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 3, characterised by the additional activating element (30; 30.1 ; 30.2) incorporating a drive wheel (31 ), that drives a closed transmission belt (30) with external and internal drive surfaces, where the two drive surfaces'

movements are transferred to the first and the second set of tertiary rollers (6) respectively via a drive wheel connected to the tertiary rollers (6.3). Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 4, characterised by the drive wheels (6.3) connected to the tertiary rollers (6) being directly mounted on extensions of the tertiary rollers' (6) longitudinal axis, externally in relation to the rollers' location, where the first and second set of tertiary rollers' (6) extended longitudinal axis each have an extension length on which drive wheels (6.3) are mounted, such that the first and second set of tertiary rollers' drive wheels (6.3) are located along two equally parallel lines along the tertiary rollers' bearings.

Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 5, characterised by the tertiary rollers' (6) drive wheel (6.3) being represented by a gear, where the first set and the second set of tertiary rollers' gears (6.3) are each driven by their own transmission belt (30.2; 30.1 ), as one of the transmission belts (30.1 ) is in drive connection with the external side of the closed transmission belt (30), and the second

transmission belt (30.2) has a drive connection with the internal side of the closed transmission belt (30).

Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 1 , characterised by the machine incorporating a closed chain (3) composed of a number of joints that incorporate the cylindrical rollers' (4, 5, 6) bearings, where the cylindrical rollers' (4, 5, 6) longitudinal axis is displaced 90 degrees in relation to the direction of the shrimp peeling process (7) and a motor aggregate (1 1 ) that drives the closed chain (3) forward in the direction of the shrimp peeling process (7).

0. Shrimp peeling machine according to claim 9, characterised by the tertiary rollers' bearings being located in a track at the edge of each link such that the tertiary rollers (6), on movement of the bearings in the track can be moved away from the adjacent primary (4) and secondary rollers (5).