Patent GB-185672-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to fish dressing and like machines
IPC: A22C25/00
Filed: 1921-11-02
Abstract: 185,672. Waugh, E. H. Nov. 2, 1921. Fish, dressing.-In a fishcleaning machine of the type described in Specification 173,908, means are provided for varying the duration of the slitter saw application, additional scrapers comprising hinged plates 5 are incorporated and means are provided whereby the backbones are positively ejected from the tubular cutter 6. The fish are fed from a beheading- device of known construction to a trough 20 and from thence individually, through resilient centring- plates 21, to opposed rotary carrier rings 1. The rings 1 are supported on internal rollers 10 and the fishes are held between them by pins 12, 13 which are camoperated as described in the above-mentioned Specification, the pins being resiliently ejected by springs. Additional pins 18 are provided for holding down the tail fin to prevent it from being damaged by the slitter saw 3. After engagement with the carrier rings, the fish passes through pivoted centring-arms 22 which are spring-controlled and connected together to move simultaneously towards the central plane and are carried on levers 23. The slitter saw 3 is mounted on an arm 35, pivoted at 36, and is rotated by a train of gear-wheels driven by a wheel 17 attached to the carrier rings. The arm 35 is oscillated, to apply the saw to the fish or to withdraw it, by cam-operated levers 113, 114, the movement being restricted by a member 37. The entrails are removed by diverging scrapers 40, curved to conform with the periphery of the carrier rings and resiliently supported at their ends by rods 42 and springs 43; and diverging scrapers 41 pivoted on an arm 44, the pressure on the fish being normally relieved by a rod 45 and spring 46. Supplementary scrapers comprise diagonally slotted plates 5 attached to the scrapers 41 and to each other by hinges 50, the lower plate being held against the carrier rings by a rod 51 and spring 52. The tubular backbone remover is of the type described' in the above-mentioned Specification, an internal helical rib 67 being provided positively to eject the backbones the rotation of which is prevented by a rod 74 which is supported by the arm 63 of the presser gear and by the cutter casing and passes through the tubular cutter 6. The cutter 6 is preceded by a. presser which controls the depth of the cut, the presser being held against the fish by a spring 73 and terminating in a curved plate 7 which enters the end of the cutter 6 Side plates 72, spaced from the plate 7, pass outside the cutter. The arm 63, pivoted at 64 on the cutter frame 60, rests on the plate 7 and is adjusted by a screw 65 and wheel 66. The fish is finally brushed by flexible helical rotary members 80 which may be made of layers of canvas stitched together and are arranged to brush the fish outwards from the centre line. The fishes when released are dropped on to an endless conveyer for removal. The adjusting-means for the slitter saw and back-bone remover comprise cams 56, 57, 95 mounted on a continuation of the shaft 82, the cams 56, 57 being relatively adjustable to regulate the duration of the slitter saw application and the cam 95, which is provided with a roller groove 96, operating the backboneremover. A shaft 9 passes through the casing B ard rotates the cam 57 through a gear wheel 9<1> and a wheel 55 to which the cam 57 is secured. The cams 56, 57 are similarly shaped, and engage a common roller 109. The cams 57, 95 are mounted on a sleeve 94 slidably keyed to a sleeve 84 which rotates with the extension 83 of the shaft 82 and is moved longitudinally on the extension 83 by a lever 86 engaging in a groove 85 in the sleeve. The extension 83 is helically twisted and the bore of the sleeve 94 is similarly shaped, the longitudinal movement thereby importing a relative angular movement between the sleeve 94 and the shaft 82. The cams 56, 95, partake of the angular movement thereby controlling the slitter saw and backbone-remover through levers 99. 100, 106, 107, 108, a spring 110 being provided to keep the roller 109 against the cams 56, 57. The lever 100 is secured to the shaft 101 which controls the backbone-remover through the, levers 102, 104 and connecting-rod 103. The lever 106 is secured to a sleeve 115 on the shaft 101 and controls the slitter saw through levers 113, 114. The shaft 82 rotates the carrier rings 1 by gearing 16, 17.