Patent GB-386878-A (GB)
Title: An improved method of and apparatus for decapitating, cleaning, and removing the bones from fish
IPC: A22C25/00
Filed: 1932-06-17
Abstract: 386,878. Dressing fish. BAADER, R., 33, Wakenitzmauer, Lubeck, Germany. June 17, 1932, No. 17190. [Class 28 (ii).] In a method and machine for decapitating, boning and cleaning fish, a feeler passes over the body of the fish and, by falling over the prominent cranium bones on to the snout, sets decapitating and cleaning tools in correct positions corresponding with the length of the fish being operated upon. As shown, the fishes are placed on a slowly moving disc 1 with their tails in abutments 1<1>. The disc 2 has four tail gripping devices and rotates at three times the speed of the disc 1. As the fish is being transferred to the disc 2 it is pulled beneath a feeler 7 on a rocking arm 5, 6, which is moved bodily by a crank arm 56‹ in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the fish. When the feeler drops on to the snout of the fish it influences trip gear to release a spring-operated guillotine decapitating knife 3. The trip gear comprises a locking-pawl 16 engageable with a projection 31 on the knife and carried by a lever 15 retained, against the stress of a spring 40, by a latch 13 on a lever 12 which is retained by a latch 10 against the stress of a spring 14. The latch 10 is on a lever 9 controlled by a stop on the end of the feeler lever 5, 6 and loaded by a spring 11. The lever 5, 6 is retained with the feeler 7 elevated, to permit the fish to be positioned therebeneath, by a rollerended lever 18, 19 actuated by a multiple cam disc 17. The lever 55 is cam operated to tap the fish sideways and correctly position it beneath the feeler 7. The knife 3 is connected to a rod 21 on a sleeve 20 surrounding a shaft 53 The sleeve 20 carries a stop 22 which is, at times, in the path of a stop 23 on a lever 24 loaded by a spring and having a cam end 27 The cam 27 engages cams 30, 31, 32 pivoted at 41 on a gear-wheel 29. The cams 30, 31, 32 are moved angularly by the cam 27 engaging rollers 33, 34, 35 thereon, and the frictional resistance to movement is greater than the force of the spring loading the lever 24. The cams 30, 31, 32 are afterwards -locked by camoperated eccentrics 36, 37, 38. The cam-faces of the cams 30, 31, 32 contact with a roller 46 on an arm 44 pivoted at 47 and carrying the cleaning-brush 43. The cleaning-brush is thus set according to the position of one of the cams 30, 31, 32, and this cam-position is adjusted indirectly by the feeler 7 according to the size of the fish. This is effected by the stop 22 being released, by the fall of the knife 3, later in the case of a large fish than in the case of a small one. The cam 30, 31, 32 is thus swung inwardly further for a large fish than a small one, and when release of the stop 23 is effected, the cam 27 is displaced, against the weak spring without effecting further movements of the cams 30, 31, 32. The adjustment of the cam is stored in the rotating cam assembly until the appropriate fish is under the cleaning brush, after which the cam is restored by a fixed stop 45. The arm 44 is spring-loaded to press the brush against the fish, and guide means are provided to retain the brush central. Instead of a guillotine knife, two decapitating knives, e.g. rotating disc knives, may be arranged at an angle to one another, so as to cut, one on each side of the fish, behind the gills obliquely into the fish's head.