Patent GB-608279-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for opening and gutting fish
IPC: A22C25/14
Filed: 1946-03-19
Abstract: 608,279. Fish gutting and filleting. FRIEDRICH, C. H. March 19, 1946, No. 5227. [Class 28(ii)] In a machine for slitting open and gutting fish e.g. for kippering, each fish is slit open through its back and spread out for further operation, while held upwardly by the spreaders 52 &c., against a bearing plate 46 on a moving structure. This structure comprises a pair of vertical rotating discs 16, 17, carrying tail grippers 21, which in turn bring the fish round to a fixed slitting wheel 51, then to gill removers 58 then to a rotary gut cleaner 73. Fig. 2 is a front elevation and Fig. 4 is a side elevation. The operator places a fish tail first between a pair of stationary inlet guides 44 pivoted at 42, Figs. 1 and 4, which are urged together by springs. Spring pressed gripper pads 21, Fig. 4, on levers 20 are allowed to close cn the fish tail. The grippers are carried on the pair of rotating discs 16, 17, so that during rotation the grippers are opened by fixed cams after slitting and gutting. The fish is held up against curved plates on the discs 16, 17. Fig. 2, supporting the back of the fish in a groove 49. The spacing of the plates 16, 17 is sufficient to allow the tail end of a fish to enter between, as shown at 50, Fig. 4. Each fish is better centralized against its support plates during its traverse around the shaft 15 by being pressed between the pair of fixed but spring expandable guides 144, Fig. 1, mounted on quick start screw thread pins 145 so that for longer fish the guides 144 move away from the rotating structure to allow the fish to pass, while small fish are held up well against the plates 46. After slitting by the knives 51 fixed spreaders 52 enter the slit and open and spread the fish so that it is drawn in this position over a yielding curved presser plate 54, Fig. 4. The gills are removed or rubbed off by spring gillers 58 which are held clear of the fish body by a cam 61 until the gills only come within peripheral position to be operated on. After passage of the fish the box 65 is drawn back by a spring 72. A curved spring guide plate 71 is located at the top of the box, the outer end of which holds the fish spread against the rotating support as the fish is still pulled round by its tail to be operated on next by the gutters 73. The fish then arrives at the rotating gutters 73 the gutters being mounted on a swinging arm 74. The gutters comprise short radial chains with small weights at their outer end. The fish is presented to the gutters in flattened out position by the outer end of the plate 71. For soft fish the speed of rotation of the gutter 73 can be slowed down. The fish is drawn by its tail grips past the gutter in its rotations past each operating station in turn. A rotatable brush can be substituted for the chain and ball cleaners or gutters. When the trailing head of the fish reaches the gutter 73 a cam 96 on the rotated plate 47 forces the gutter 73 away from the fish. At this point the cams 22 of the gripper levers 20 reach the upper cam rollers 28, Fig. 1, to open the grippers to release the fish tail. A paddle 102 is rocked on its shaft 103 to assist in ejecting the cleaned fish by engaging its tail end. The rotating chain and ball gutter also does the main ejecting, A water jet 98 also assists ejection and keeps the rotating parts clean. Another water jet cleans the knife 51. The ejected fish slides down the concave curve 71. Filleting. In a modification Fig 5, the splitting knife 51 is replaced by two blunt circular rotating knives 151, 152, spaced apart which detach the flesh but do not cut the ribs so that on final ejection the backbone with ribs and guts attached is only connected to the flesh at the tail and can be separated by hand.