Patent GB-1255270-A (GB)
Title: Device for turning shrimps in the conveyor of a shrimp-handling machine
IPC: A22C29/02
Filed: 1969-03-12
Abstract: 1,255,270. Orientating shrimps. MACHINEFABRIEK B. & S. BEDRIJVEN V. D. WOERDT N.V. 12 March, 1969 [14 March, 1968], No. 13001/69. Heading A2U. [Also in Division B8] Shrimps arranged on a conveyor belt 1 are aligned with their tails all to one side by a reciprocating pusher 3 spaced above the belt a distance so as to pass over the tail of a shrimp but to engage the body thereof and move the shrimp across the belt towards a turning mechanism. The mechanism comprises a first horizontal bar 5 disposed parallel to the belt and spaced above the belt a distance so as to abut the body of a correctly orientated shrimp and thereby prevent further transverse motion but to allow the tail of an incorrectly orientated shrimp to pass thereunder and be positioned over a second horizontal bar 4. The bar 4 and the bar 5 are coupled to a lever 8 whereby they may be raised to lift the tail of the shrimp and turn the same into a correctly orientated position. In an alternative embodiment Fig. 5 (not shown) the shrimps are removed from a conveyor belt (10), by a reciprocating pusher (18), onto a support (11) with a recess (33) to locate the bodies of the shrimps. Those shrimps which are correctly orientated have their tails resting the support (11) whilst the incorrectly orientated shrimps have their tails resting on an inclined support (13). The support (13) is pivoted about a shaft (12) to turn those incorrectly orientated shrimps and has at its outer end a plate (14) pivoted about a shaft (15) by a lever (16) on abutment with a stop (32) to give the tail of the shrimp a flick. The correctly orientated shrimps are then advanced along the support (11) by a shaped pusher (19) into the path of a further pusher (20) for return to conveyor belt (1). In another embodiment Fig. 7 (not shown) the shrimps are removed from a conveyor belt (40) by a pusher (42) and those incorrectly aligned are turned by a pair of pins (58) (59) similar to the pins (4), (5) and are then advanced along the support (41) by a pusher (77) to be received by a pair of pins (66) (67) extending in a direction transverse of the belt to turn those shrimps whose head and tail lead the body. The pins (66) (67) are mounted on bosses (69) (68) freely rotatably mounted on a shaft (64) with a boss (70) fixed to the shaft, mounted there between. A strip (71) attached to the boss (70) extends over the bosses (68) (69) and springs (75) (76) respectively connect the strip with stops (73) (72) mounted on the bosses (68) (69) such that on rotation of the shaft (64) by the lever (65) the pin (67) disposed beneath a shrimp is raised by the reaction between the spring (75) and the strip (71) and the stop (73) to grip the shrimp between the pins (60) (67) and to turn the same whereupon the stop (73) abuts an arm (74) to halt the pin (67) and thereby release the shrimp and the pin (66) is received in a slot between two pushers (61) (62) which return the shrimp to the belt (40). The height of the pin (66) above the support (41) prevents correctly aligned shrimps from being engaged by the pins (66), (67). In a further embodiment Fig. 11 (not shown) shrimps on a conveyor belt (100) abut a stop (103) and are transferred onto a support (102) arranged in two portions with the upstream portion (123) downwardly pivotable whereby those shrimps with their heads leading and hence with their bodies on the portion (123) are discharged to be recirculated and those shrimps with the heads trailing and hence with their bodies on the fixed portion of the support (102) are subsequently advanced on the successive reciprocation of the stop (103) by a pusher (106) onto a plate (113) which simultaneously moves away from the support (102) to allow the body of the shrimps to drop into the gap between two rollers (108) (109) rotating counter clockwise, in the drawing, to turn the shrimps so that their tails are supported by the plate (113). The shrimps are then advanced along the gap between the rollers by pushers (130) mounted on an endless chain (129) to a further conveyor (136). A check on the final orientation of the shrimps is performed by a plate (138) positioned between the rollers (108) (109) and the conveyor (136) such that those in the incorrect position with head and tail leading the body arc discharged when part of the plate is pivoted whilst correctly orientated shrimps are forwarded for shelling since the body portion is positioned on a fixed portion of the plate.