Abstract:
A method and device for positioning a fish is presented. In an exemplary method, a fish is positioned in relation to a cutting plane. Pressure is applied to a rising area of the fish&#39;s head via a pressure part such that the fish is displaced in the direction of the fish&#39;s body, thereby positioning the fish for heading. Thereafter, the fish is headed. In another embodiment, an exemplary device for positioning a fish in a heading machine comprises a pressure part having a pressure surface configured to be lowered onto to a surface area of the fish that is rising relative to the substrate on which the fish is placed. The pressure surface is configured to slide against the rising area of the fish. Under a force of the pressure surface of the pressure part being lowered onto the rising area of the fish, the fish is displaced and positioned for heading.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present application relates to a method for cutting a fish head off a fish, i.e., heading a fish, and in particular, a method for orienting a fish in a heading machine for heading. The present application also relates to a device for orienting a fish in a heading machine, in which a blade suitable for heading a fish is provided.  
         [0002]     An underlying issue of heading a fish using a heading machine is solving the problem of removing the entire fish head without removing usable fish meat from the fish body. An array of suggestions have been proposed regarding positioning the fish such that a blade plane spanned by a cutting blade runs precisely between the fish body and the fish head. For example, a suggestion has been made to create a form fit between a fish head and a positioning unit. Pointed objects, such as nails or needles, are attached to the positioning unit. These pointed objects penetrate into a thin flesh cover of the fish head. Through a comparatively complex displacement mechanism, with the aid of which a positioning unit is lowered in a direction toward the fish&#39;s head, the pointed objects are pressed into the flesh. In this manner, the fish is coupled to the positioning unit. The positioning unit must then be controlled in a constructively complex carousel unit so that the fish body is displaced in a trough in which it is conveyed in a direction toward the positioning unit and then transported out of it.  
         [0003]     While the devices described above are capable of positioning a fish in the desired position such that the fish may be headed, these devices are very costly and therefore fail to consider the demands placed on modern fish processing machines.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The following summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.  
         [0005]     As described in the present application, a method and a device is presented that uses comparatively little operative outlay to precisely position a fish such that the fish may be headed along a desired cutting plane. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that applies a displaceable pressure part to act on an area of the fish&#39;s head, thereby displacing the fish&#39;s head in a direction toward the fish&#39;s body. Yielding to this pressure, the fish is displaced into a position suitable for heading.  
         [0006]     In another embodiment, a device is presented that utilizes a pressure part that may be lowered onto a rising area of the fish&#39;s head. The pressure part has a surface that is applied to the rising area of the fish&#39;s head. The fish is displaceable on a substrate as the pressure part is lowered.  
         [0007]     Embodiments described herein advantageously dispense with the complex form fitting and coupling of the fish&#39;s head to a positioning unit, as previously described. Rather, the pressure part of the embodiments described herein utilizes the fact that a fish has a very smooth surface, both in regard to its shape as well as its scale covering with which the fish lies on a substrate. Through selectively applying pressure to a part of the fish, the fish moves in a desirable direction for positioning purposes. The fish is stopped in a position suitable for heading via the fish&#39;s fins or gills catching on device positioned proximate to the fish.  
         [0008]     Through the use of a fish&#39;s natural composition, a comparatively light pressure part may be used for positioning the fish for heading. The pressure part may be controlled with the aid of a light control device to exert a pressure suitable for positioning the fish for heading. Moreover, the pressure part may be moved rapidly after executing a positioning procedure, such that it is again available in its starting position for positioning another fish.  
         [0009]     In one embodiment, the pressure part is displaced in a vertical direction. Through this displacement in the vertical direction, relatively little space is required to position a fish. In addition, through the vertical displacement of the pressure part, an adequate pressure may be exerted on an appropriately formed area of the fish&#39;s head, resulting in desired positioning of the fish under the effect of the pressure.  
         [0010]     The pressure part may also be displaced in a horizontal direction. By allowing horizontal displacement, the pressure part may follow the fish as it moves resulting from the pressure effect exerted on the fish&#39;s head until the fish has slipped into its final position.  
         [0011]     The pressure part acts on the rising area of the fish&#39;s head using an inclined pressure surface. The incline of the pressure part corresponds approximately to that of the rising area of the fish&#39;s head. The inclined pressure surface, acting on the rising area of the fish&#39;s head, aids in proper displacement/positioning of the fish.  
         [0012]     In one embodiment, the fish is placed in the heading machine lying in a lateral position. Pressure is exerted on an area of the fish&#39;s head which rises according to the lateral position of the fish. Through this lateral position, the fish is in a stable position as the pressure is exerted thereon, so that a secure introduction of the pressure on the appropriate area of the fish&#39;s head may be expected.  
         [0013]     The fish is guided in a trough on which it is laid when it is placed on the heading machine. During the action of the pressure part, a side edge of the trough determines the displacement direction in which the fish is brought into the desired heading position.  
         [0014]     The pressure part is applied to the fish in a direction toward the side edge of the trough. The edge, therefore, provides a solid support for guiding the fish into the desired heading position.  
         [0015]     The pressure part is applied to the fish to move it in the direction toward the trough&#39;s side edge and also in the direction of the fish&#39;s tail. A fish is generally inclined both in a longitudinal direction and also transversely to the longitudinal direction of the fish such that pressure, in one or both directions may be applied to the fish. In one embodiment, the pressure surface of the pressure part is positioned diagonally to edges of the pressure part, in which the pressure surface is inclined not only in the longitudinal direction of the fish body, but also transversely to the longitudinal direction of the fish body. In this arrangement, when the pressure part is lowered toward the fish body, the pressure part influences the fish body both in its longitudinal direction and also transversely to its longitudinal direction.  
         [0016]     Because the pressure surface of the pressure part is inclined in two directions, it acts to displace the fish both in the longitudinal direction of the fish and also transversely to the longitudinal direction of the fish. By selecting an appropriate area of the fish body to which pressure is applied when the pressure part is lowered, the fish is displaced into the desired heading position, even when slight pressure is applied.  
         [0017]     As previously noted, the fish is pressed by the pressure part against a side edge delimiting a trough, in which the fish is laid for the purpose of heading. The trough defines the direction that the fish is displaced/positioned, such that the fish lying in the trough is oriented in relation to the cutting plane for heading.  
         [0018]     The fish may be stopped during displacement/positioning by a braking device which, in one embodiment, engages the fish under a lateral fin. Braking devices that engage a lateral fin are useful to adequately position of the fish for heading.  
         [0019]     The pressure part may be controlled by a four-bar chain. A four-bar chain is capable of performing control procedures in multiple planes. In addition, it is comparatively light and may be easily controlled by disk cams.  
         [0020]     As will be described further in the Detailed Description below, a first part of a four-bar chain which controls horizontal movement of the pressure part may be connected via a coupling joint to a second part of the four-bar chain which controls vertical movements of the pressure part. The control in the horizontal and vertical planes may be performed easily and securely with the aid of the four-bar chain.  
         [0021]     The first and second parts of the four-bar chain can be mounted independently of one another in pivot joints, each of which is attached to a support. In this way, the four-bar chain receives a secure suspension which allows reliable continuous operation of the entire device.  
         [0022]     The first and second parts of the four-bar chain may each be pivoted around pivot axes of the pivot joints, which can run in vertical planes parallel to one another, of which each may run at an angle of 40 to 70° to a vertical plane spanned by the trough edge. Thus, the four-bar chain is operated in a position pivoted in relation to the trough edge. Through this pivoting of the four-bar chain and the distribution of the pivot bearings provided in the four-bar chain, a guide curve to be executed by the pressure part may have its course influenced to a wide extent. During execution of an operating cycle, it is desirable to guide the pressure part along a guide curve in which the pressure part is guided with angular velocities that are as constant as possible.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment, the vertical planes spanned by the pivot axes may run at an angle of 50 to 60° to the vertical plane spanned by the trough edge. With an arrangement of a four-bar chain of this type, a guide curve results whose planar component passes harmonically into a curved component.  
         [0024]     The pressure part may be guided by the four-bar chain at a constant distance from the trough edge. In this way, during positioning the fish only has forces applied to it in the displacement direction.  
         [0025]     In one embodiment, the pressure part may be guided at a distance of 10 to 40 mm parallel to the edge. This distance of 10 to 40 mm may help avoid deformation of the fish even under the influence of forces acting transversely to the displacement/positioning direction.  
         [0026]     In another embodiment, the four-bar chain is controlled by disk cams. A controller of this type has an advantage that control curves may be situated on the disk cams, with the aid of which the control procedure may largely be influenced in a predefined way, for example, to have the most uniform possible angular velocities.  
         [0027]     Still further, the four-bar chain may be moved by an external control curve of the disk cam to control the horizontal movements of the pressure part.  
         [0028]     The four-bar chain may be moved by an internal control curve of the disk cam to control the vertical movements of the pressure part. In this way, different control curves can be situated in one disk cam, so that all movements of the four-bar chain may be controlled by a single disk cam.  
         [0029]     As previously noted, in one embodiment, the pressure part is controlled in the direction of the trough edge and transversely to the direction of the edge by an internal and external control curve. Through these uniform control curves, the constructive complexity for executing the control in the horizontal plane may be kept small.  
         [0030]     The control movements of the disk cam may be transmitted to the four-bar chain by cams guided on the control curves. These cams allow sensitive scanning of the control curve, so that even sensitive parts of a control curve, for example, upon the transition from the planar part of the control curve to its curved part, may be traveled precisely.  
         [0031]     In this particular embodiment, the four-bar chain is lowered by its second part in the direction toward the fish body, and the pressure part is pressed thereon by an extension spring. Thus, with the aid of the extension spring, an approximately constant contact pressure force is exerted on the fish, largely independently of its dimensions.  
         [0032]     The pressure part is provided on an angled end, running parallel to the trough edge, of a lower strut of the four-bar chain running in a horizontal direction. Through this parallel orientation of the angled end to the edge, a parallel guide of the pressure part along the edge may be ensured, although this edge may be moved during the orientation of the fish as a conveyance device on which the troughs are situated moves the troughs in a conveyance direction.  
         [0033]     An action center of the pressure part applied to the fish&#39;s head may be moved on a guide curve which runs in a plane in a lowered state of the pressure part and runs curved in a raised state of the pressure part. Such a guide curve allows nearly uniform distribution of the angular velocities of the pressure part over the entire course of the guide curve. Insignificantly increased angular velocities may arise in the curved part of the guide curve in relation to the planar course of the guide curve. The difference of the angular velocities is generally slight, however, so that significant accelerations and/or delays do not occur in the area of the control elements, such as the control cam. Rather, the angular velocities may rise upon the transition from the planar area of the guide curve into the curved part and increase approximately up to the middle of the curved part. The angular velocities are then reduced again in the direction toward the deflection of the guide curve in the direction toward the planar part, in which the angular velocities are constant.  
         [0034]     The disk cam may be mounted on a drive axis that runs parallel to the pivot axes of the pivot joint. In this way, the cams guided on the control curves of the disk cam may sensitively scan the control curve without forces acting on the control curves that are greater in some areas than others.  
         [0035]     In a device for orienting a fish body in a heading machine, in which a blade suitable for cutting a fish head off of a fish body is provided, the control curves on one side and the four-bar chain on the other side may run in first set of planes that are parallel to one another, and which run diagonally to a second set of planes plane spanned by the edge of the trough. Through these planes running diagonally to one another, it is possible to determine a guide curve for the pressure part in which the angular velocities of the pressure part are distributed largely uniformly over the entire guide curve.  
         [0036]     The pressure part may have a higher conveyance speed in the area of the curved part of the guide curve than in the planar part of the guide curve. The particular velocity is controlled in accordance with an arrangement of pivot joints in the four-bar chain in the diagonal position of the two planes to one another. In this way, the individual variables that influence the guide curve are set sensitively, which ensures that high accelerations of the pressure part in the area of the guide curve are generally avoided. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0037]     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0038]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective illustration of a fish heading machine,  
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows a front-side view of the fish heading machine,  
         [0040]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of the fish heading machine,  
         [0041]      FIG. 4  shows a rear view of the fish heading machine in a perspective illustration,  
         [0042]      FIG. 5  shows an enlarged illustration of a control unit corresponding to a detail area identified in  FIG. 4 ,  
         [0043]      FIG. 6  shows a side view of the fish heading machine,  
         [0044]      FIG. 7  shows an enlargement of the control device corresponding to a detail area identified in  FIG. 6 ,  
         [0045]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  show cross-sections of the fish heading machine,  
         [0046]      FIG. 9  shows an enlarged view of the fish heading machine in the area of the controller,  
         [0047]      FIGS. 10A and 10B  show perspective illustrations of a controller in the direction of a drive axis which drives the disk cams,  
         [0048]      FIG. 11  shows an enlarged view of a controller transverse to the plane spanned by the four-bar chain, and  
         [0049]      FIG. 12  shows a further enlarged view of a detail area identified in  FIG. 11  of a guide curve to be executed by the pressure part. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0050]     As shown in  FIGS. 1-12 , a fish heading machine I comprises a machine frame  2 , a conveyor  3 , a control device  4 , and a cutting blade  5  which is driven by drive  6 . The conveyor  3 , having an upper belt  7  and a lower belt  8 , is guided in the machine frame  2 . Troughs  9 , in which fish  10  are placed for heading, are attached to the conveyor neighboring one another. As shown, each trough  9  is divided by a partition line  11  into a head receptacle  12  and a carcass receptacle  13 . The fish&#39;s head  14  lies in the head receptacle  12 , while a fish&#39;s body  15  rests in the carcass receptacle  13  on the other side of the partition line  11 . The fish&#39;s tail  16  adjoins the fish&#39;s body  15  in the longitudinal direction of the fish  10 .  
         [0051]     Each fish  10  rests on its side in such a way that its back  17  presses against an edge  18  delimiting the trough  9 . More particularly, the edge  18  delimits the trough  9  transversely to a conveyance direction  19  of the conveyor  3 , with the edge  18  delineating the rear of the trough  9  in respect to the conveyor direction  19 .  
         [0052]     The cutting blade  5  is implemented as a circular blade driven by the drive  6 , and is situated in a plane spanned by the partition line  11 . A fish&#39;s head  14  is cut off of the fish body  10  with the aid of this cutting blade  5 . For this purpose, a fish  10  is oriented within a trough  9  in such a way that the fish&#39;s head  14  is cut off of the fish&#39;s body  15  at a point which lies directly in front of a fin  20  on the fish&#39;s body. For orientation, the fish  10  is moved with the trough  9  by application of pressure from a pressure part  21  until the fin  20  catches in a braking device  22 , which is attached to a lever  24  pivotable around a transverse axis  23 . This lever  24  extends above the fish  10  in the conveyor direction  19 .  
         [0053]     The pressure part  21  is implemented as a two-arm lever mounted so it is pivotable around a pivot point  25 . The pressure part  21  includes a pressure surface  26  that is applied to an area  27  of the fish&#39;s head  14  rising in the direction toward the fish&#39;s body  15 . For this purpose, the pressure surface  26  is provided with a first incline  28 . This first incline essentially corresponds to the incline of the rising area  27  of the fish&#39;s head.  
         [0054]     Pressure is exerted by the pressure surface  26  on the rising area  27  of the fish&#39;s head  14 . The pressure surface  26  is dimensioned as sufficiently large to displace the fish  10  in its trough  9  in the direction toward the fish&#39;s tail  16 . The pressure applied by the pressure surface  26  is generated with the aid of an extension spring  29 , which pulls the pressure part  21 , implemented as a dual-arm lever, on the other side of the pivot point  25  in the direction toward a coupling point  30  and, at the same time, presses the pressure surface  26  downward onto the rising area  27  of the fish&#39;s head  14 .  
         [0055]     To orient the fish  10  along the edge  18 , the pressure surface  26  also has, in addition to the first incline  28  tailored to the fish head&#39;s rising area  27 , a second incline  31 , which is applied to an area  32  of the fish&#39;s head  14 , the second incline  31  rising transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fish  10 . Through this second incline  31  of the pressure surface  26 , the fish  10  is impinged in the direction toward the edge  18 , against which the back  17  of the fish  10  presses. In this way, the fish  10  is displaced in the direction toward its tail  16  because of the pressure along the edge  18  exerted by the first incline  28 . The fish&#39;s movement within the trough  9  ends when the fish&#39;s fin  20  is caught within the braking device  22  which halts the movement of the fish  10 .  
         [0056]     Once positioned by applying pressure on the fish  10  with the pressure surface  26 , the fish  10 , lying in the trough  9 , is transported by the conveyor  3  in the direction  19  toward the cutting blade  5 , which cuts the fish&#39;s head  14  off of the fish&#39;s body  15  in the area of the partition line  11 . While the fish&#39;s head  14  falls out of the head receptacle  12  into a collection container (not shown) after it is cut off, the fish&#39;s body  15  is transported further in its trough  9  until it falls out of the trough upon the deflection of the upper belt  7  in the direction toward the lower belt  8  and is also collected in a container (not shown).  
         [0057]     During the conveyance of the fish  10  in the direction toward the cutting blade  5 , the pressure part  21  may track the moving fish. In this case, the fish  10  moves both in the conveyor direction  19  of the conveyor  3  and also within its trough  9 . These movements of the fish  10  occurring in the horizontal plane should be tracked by the pressure part  21 . In addition, the pressure part  21  should also be deflected in this movement direction as soon as the fish  10  has reached the cutting blade  5  and is adjusted thereby into its particular position. In this instant, the pressure part  21  is raised in the vertical direction from the fish  10  under the cutting blade  5 , and is moved backward against the conveyor direction  19  of the conveyor  3  to the following trough  9 . There, the above sequence is repeated: the pressure part  21  is lowered onto the head  14  of the fish  10  lying in the trough  9 ; pressure is applied to the fish  10  via the pressure part  21  such that the fish  10  is positioned for heading; and the fish  10  is transported to the cutting blade  5 . Positioning the fish  10  ends as soon as the fish, lying in the trough  9 , has reached the cutting blade  5 .  
         [0058]     The pressure part  21  is controlled by a four-bar chain  34 . This four-bar chain  34  essentially comprises struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38 , each two of which are connected to one another via joints  39  and  40 . In this case, the two struts  35 ,  36  form a first part  41  of the four-bar chain  34 , connected via pivot joint  39 . Struts  37 ,  38  form a second part  42  of the four-bar chain  34 , connected via pivot joint  40 . The first part  41  is connected to the second part  42  via a coupling joint  43 .  
         [0059]     The first part  41  is mounted in a pivot joint  44  so it is pivotable, while the second part is mounted in a second pivot joint  45  so it is pivotable. The first pivot joint  44  and the second pivot joint  45  are attached to a support  46 , which is connected to the machine frame  42 .  
         [0060]     The strut  36  of the first part  41  of the four-bar chain  34  executes movements in the horizontal plane, while the strut  37  of the second part  42  executes movements in the vertical direction. If horizontal movements executed by the strut  36  are superimposed on vertical movements transmitted by the strut  37 , movement sequences both in the horizontal and also in the vertical planes arise in an angled end  47  of the four-bar chain  34  attached to the strut  36 . In this case, the movements are controlled both in the vertical and also in the horizontal plane by a disk cam  48 , in which an internal control curve  49  and an external control curve  50  are impressed. The external control curve  50  is connected via a first control cam  51  to the strut  35  of the first part  41 , so that the strut  34  follows the movements which the control cam  51  scans on the outer control curve  50 .  
         [0061]     In a similar way, a control cam  52  connected to the strut  38  of the second part  42  is guided on the internal control curve  49 . The control cam  52  and thus also the strut  38  are raised or lowered in accordance with this internal control curve  49 . Therefore, the angled end  47  of the strut  36  is also raised or lowered in the same rhythm. The rhythm of the raising and lowering and also the rhythm of the movements of the first part  41  in the horizontal direction are predefined in this case by the speed of the disk cam  48 . This is mounted on a drive axis  53  so it is rotatable. The control curves  49 ,  50  are also defined in relation to this drive axis  53 . The disk cam  58  is driven by a gear  54 , which is synchronized with a drive (not shown) of the conveyor  3 , so that the movements of the angled end  47  controlled by the control curves  49 ,  50  are tailored to the movements of the troughs  9  on the conveyor  3 . In this case, a guide curve  56 , on which an active point  55  and therefore the entire pressure part  21  may be guided at the most uniform possible angular velocities, is desired for the pressure part  21  and/or the active point  55  assumed in the pressure surface  36 . This guide curve has a planar part  57 , along which the pressure part  21  is guided in the lowered state and is applied to an appropriate area  27 ,  32  of the fish  10 .  
         [0062]     A curved part  58  of the guide curve  56  rises above the planar part  57 , along which the pressure part  21  is guided back again to a fish  10  lying in the next trough  9 . The pressure part  21  is then lowered again to this fish  10  lying in the following trough  9 , so that it is applied to the fish  10  lying in this trough  9  along the planar part  57  in a position in which the fish&#39;s head  14  may be cut off of the fish&#39;s body  15 . In this case, the guide curve  56  is guided in a counterclockwise rotational direction  59  on the guide curve  56 . The pressure part  21  tracks the fish  10  lying in the trough  9  in the conveyor direction  19  of the conveyor  3  and the fish  10  is displaced simultaneously both in its longitudinal direction in the direction toward its tail part  16  and also transversely to its longitudinal direction in the direction toward the edge  18 .  
         [0063]     After the fish  10  has arrived in the area of the cutting blade  54 , the pressure part  21  is raised by lifting the pressure surface  26  from the fish  10 , and is simultaneously displaced along the curved part  58  in the direction toward a fish  10  lying in a following trough  9 . In this case, due to the shape of the guide curve  56 , the pressure part  21  is transported along this guide curve  56  at an essentially uniform angular velocity, so that slight accelerations only occur in a rising part  60  of the guide curve up to its uppermost point  61 , and delays during transport of the pressure part  21  occur in an adjoining falling part  62  up to the reentry into the planar part  57  of the guide curve.  
         [0064]     The control procedures in the area of the four-bar chain  34  also occur in accordance with this largely uniform distribution of angular velocities within the guide curve  56 , so that as the control curves  49 ,  50  are traveled by the control cams  51 ,  52  in the individual phases which the pressure part  21  passes through, only slight accelerations or delays occur. The wear of both the control cams  51  and  52 , and the control curves  49  and  50 , is thus held in narrow limits and is largely negligible if appropriate materials are selected.  
         [0065]     The guide curve  56  results on the basis of an array of constructive measures which are tailored to one another. Thus, for example, the pivot movements of the struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38  run in planes which are plane parallel to one another, and which run at an angle of 40 to 70° to a plane spanned by the edge  18 . The control curves  49 ,  50  and therefore also the movements of the control cams  51  and  52  also run plane parallel to the pivot planes of the struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38 .  
         [0066]     The axes at the pivot joint  44  and  45  run perpendicularly to these pivot planes in which the struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38  are pivoted, which thus run parallel to the drive axis  53  of the disk cam. In addition, the axes of the joints  39 ,  40 , and  43  also run parallel to these axes.  
         [0067]     The angled part  47  is angled in relation to the strut  36  in a direction which runs parallel to the edge  18 . The pressure part  21  connected to the angled part  47  is thus guided parallel to the trough  9  by the pivot movements which the first part  41  of the four-bar chain  34  executes. Through the synchronization of the movements in the area of the disk cam  48  with the movements of the trough  9  in the conveyor direction  19 , the pressure part  21  acts in the planar part  57  of the guide curve on the fish  10  lying in the trough  9  using the pressure already described, and thus positions the fish  10  within the trough  9  during this action time in such a way that the cutting blade  5  may cut the fish&#39;s head  14  off of the fish&#39;s body  15 .  
         [0068]     While the cutting blade  5  cuts the fish&#39;s head  14  off of the fish&#39;s body  15 , the pressure part  21  is transported back to the head of the fish  10  lying in the following trough  9  as the angled part  47  is simultaneously pivoted back and raised.  
         [0069]     The guide curve  56  is predefined by the implementation of the individual struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38 . The lengths of the individual struts  35 ,  36 ,  37 , and  38  lying between the individual joins  44 ,  39 ,  43 ,  40 , and  45  also particularly play a decisive role.  
         [0070]     The orientation of a fish  10  for the purpose of heading with the aid of a cutting blade S is represented as follows.  
         [0071]     A fish  10  is laid into one of the troughs  9  which are moved by the conveyor  3  in the conveyor direction  19  in such a way that the fish&#39;s body  15  lies in the carcass receptacle  13  and the fish&#39;s head  14  lies in the head receptacle  12 . The fish  10  lying in the trough  9  is then transported in the direction toward the cutting blade  5 . At the same time, the pressure surface  26  of the pressure part  21  is lowered to the rising area  27  and  32  of the head part  14 . This pressure surface  26  has a first inclination  28  for exerting a pressure in the longitudinal direction of the fish  10  and a second inclination  31  transverse to the longitudinal axis of the fish  10 . The pressure surface  26 , which runs diagonally to the main axes of the pressure part  21 , is applied to an area of the fish&#39;s head  14  which is also inclined to the fish&#39;s longitudinal axis and also inclined transversely to the fish&#39;s longitudinal axis.  
         [0072]     By lowering the pressure surface  26  onto the corresponding area of the fish&#39;s head  14 , a force is exerted on the fish  10  under which the fish  10  is displaced both in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the trough  9  and also transversely to its longitudinal axis. In this case, the fish  10  presses against the edge  18  of the trough  9 .  
         [0073]     The pressure part  21  tracks the movements of the trough  9  as it is conveyed on the conveyor  3 . For this purpose, the pressure part  21  is attached to the angled end  47  of the four-bar chain  34 . This four-bar chain  34  is driven by two control cams  51  and  52  guided on control curves  49  and  50  of the disk cam  48 , one of which is connected to the first part  41  of the four-bar chain  34  and the second of which is connected to the second part  42  of the four-bar chain  34 . The disk cam  48  is driven in synchronization with the conveyor  3 , so that the pressure part  21  tracks each trough  9  moved by the conveyor  3  and is returned again to the following trough  9  after reaching the cutting blade  5 . The guide curve  56  assists the tracking and return to a following trough  9  using a planar part  57  and a curved part  58 . In accordance with the planar part  57 , the pressure part  21  is conveyed parallel to the edge  18  in its lowered state, so that it is applied to the fish  10  in the area of the planar part  57 . After reaching the cutting blade  5 , the pressure part  21  is raised from the fish  10  and transported to the fish&#39;s head  14  lying in the following trough  9 . In this case, the pressure part  21  maintains largely uniform angular velocities both in the planar part  57  and also in the curved part  58 .  
         [0074]     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.