IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SPLITTING HERRINGS AND OTHER FISH
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Newson Cole at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1878.
JAMES NEWSON COLE, of Lowestoft, in the County of Suffolk.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF APPARATUS FOR SPLITTING HERRINGS
AND OTHER FISH."
This Invention consists in improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for splitting herrings and other fish for the purpose of smoking and
curing the same, and by means of which such operation is effected in a more
expeditious and economical manner than by the means at present employed, whilst
at the same time the liability of the operators to be injured by the knife or knives
employed is entirely avoided.
Upon a fixed table or other suitable flat surface is mounted a circular revolving
table, from the underside of which and at the centre thereof projects a spindle
which passes through an aperture and bearings provided in the fixed table, and is
furnished at the lower end with a bevilled cog-wheel which gears into a similar
wheel fixed at one end of a horizontal shaft, the other end of the said shaft being
provided with a winch handle, and by means of which arrangement of mechanism the
said circular table may be caused to revolve, as will be well understood. Friction
rollers may be placed between the under surface of the revolving table and the
fixed table in order to lessen the amount of friction, and also to prevent any
tendency of the former to rock. Upon the upper surface of the revolving table,
and around the edge thereof, are formed a series of recesses, over each of which
recesses is a lid having a corresponding recess in the lower surface thereof, and
being hinged at that side which nearest the centre of the table. To the upper
surface of each lid is pivoted one end of a rod, the other end thereof extending
nearly to the centre of the circular table, and having fixed thereto a pin which
passes through a slot in the latter and projects into a groove in the fixed table,
which groove
eccentric to the axle of the revolving table, any suitable contrivance
is employed to prevent the pins on the respective rods becoming disengaged from
the said groove. To one side of the fixed table is attached a cutting blade in such
Davina 011

page_text: a manner that it rests immediately above the recesses in the revolving table, and is
parallel to the surface of the latter.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The fish to be operated upon having
been placed in the last mentioned recesses the circular table is caused to revolve,
and as the pins gradually come to that portion of the eccentric groove which is
farthest from the centre of the said circular table, the rods attached thereto are
forced forward in their respective slots, thereby closing the lids, the fish being thus
securely held, and on the revolution being continued the cutting blade passes
between the lid and the surface of the table, and coming into contact with the fishi
effectually splits the same; the pins then passing along the eccentric groove are
again brought nearer the centre of the circular chamber, taking with them their
respective rods, and the lids are consequently relifted; the split fish are then
extracted, and others substituted. .
Although it is preferred to employ the above described arrangement for obtaining
the revolution of the circular table, any suitable and known means for effecting the
same purpose may be employed.