Improvements in or relating to the Washing and Curing of Fish.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1905
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
Date Application!
Complete Specification Left, 6th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
Improvements in or relating to the Washing and Curing of Fish.
We, THE FISH UTILIZATION SYNDICATE LIMITED, Manufacturers and JOHN
CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, Gentleman, both of 31 Queen Victoria Street, in
the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The method in general use for preparing fish for curing by pickling or smoking
is to remove the inedible parts and then wash the fish free from blood, etc. This
invention deals with the curing of fish generally but particularly with mackerel
curing which is an important industry on the West Coast of Ireland.
The fish when taken from the nets or lines should be placed in baskets to preserve
them from injury. These baskets may be made of any design material or dimensions,
the ends may be solid wood cut in a half-round, the bottom formed by fixing in any
suitable manner bamboo or other rods or other material spaced about one inch or
other desired distance apart. For convenience of transit we place rings at the four
corners through which a bamboo rod may be passed and in this manner one or more
baskets may be carried by two persons without injury to the fish.
The fish when taken to the curing house are sorted into uniform sizes and treated
in the following manner.
We construct a tank with a raised frame on which is carried a shaft with
eccentrics at each end the rods of which suspend a basket similar to that above
described; the rods are connected to the ends of the basket by pins so that it can
he turned over. The throw of the eccentrics is so arranged that when the tank is
filled with water, on the top lift the basket is lifted out of the water by rotating
the shaft by any convenient means.
Cranks levers or other means may be employed
instead of eccentrics.
The fish are placed on a table split and gutted and to remove every particle of
black skin &c. we use a hollow perforated brush to which is fixed a hollow
handle and flexible tube connected with a supply of water. By opening a tap the
water will be discharged under pressure amongst the fibres and prevent particles of
flesh felting up the fibres and so prevent their use and by having a constant current
of water as the black skin is separated, it and the blood is at once carried away, a
most important feature in cleansing fish for curing.
The fish after splitting and washing with the brush are placed in the suspended
basket which is lowered into the water in the tank and soaked until the blood is
removed, it is then raised out of the water and the fish drained. The basket may
be placed in the water and withdrawn as often and as rapidly or as slowly as
desired.
To remove the fish from the basket a travelling table on wheels is constructed
with a projecting side or top which passes under the basket which is turned over
and the fish fall on the table which is drawn away.
The washed fish are dry salted for pickling, and for this purpose I pack them in
baskets similar to the before described but with lids; when the basket is full it is
removed and placed in brine in a tank completely covering the basket so that all
the fish will be kept floating. When the pickling is complete which takes about
six days the basket is removed and the fish packed with salt in barrels for
transit.

page_text: To ensure that the barrel is properly filled and that the fish have taken up all
the brine they will absorb, the barrel may be placed on the bilge and a hopper
fixed which is kept full of brine for a suitable time.
Fish required for smoking can be taken from the travelling table to the smoking
rooms.
Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention;
for example the arrangements for dipping the baskets may be quite independent of
the tank, may be attached to any part of the building or roof and may be driven
by power, say from the general shafting which drives other machinery in the
building if there be either machinery or building, as the plant may be out in the
open.
Dated this 6th day of February 1895
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
03
We, THE FISH UTILIZATION SYNDICATE LIMITED, Manufacturers and JOHN
CHARLES WILLIAM STANLEY, Gentleman, both of 31 Queen Victoria Street, in
the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:--
The method in general use for preparing fish for curing by pickling or smoking
is to remove the inedible parts and then wash the fish free from blood, etc. This
invention deals with the washing and curing of fish generally but particularly
with mackerel curing which is an important industry on the West Coast of
Ireland.
The sh when taken from the nets or lines should be placed in baskets to preserve
them from injury. These baskets may be made of any design, material or dimensions,
the ends may be solid wood cut in a half-round, the bottom formed by fixing in any
suitable manner bamboo or other rods or other material spaced about one inch or
other desired distance apart. For convenience of transit we place rings at the four
corners through which a bamboo rod may be passed and in this manner one or more
baskets may be carried by two persons without injury to the fish.
The fish when taken to the curing house are sorted into uniform sizes and treated
in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In these drawings,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the plant constructed according to this invention
and
Fig. 2 is an elevation drawn to a scale smaller than that to which Fig. 1 is drawn
showing the apparatus as when the washed fish are being discharged or removed for
further treatment.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
As shown in these drawings we support a tank A in a frame B on the upper part
of which are mounted brackets C in which is pivotted a shaft D. On this shaft D
are secured levers E to the backward luds of which are pivotted the upper luds of
links or rods F pivotted at their lower ends as at F' to the two ends of a basket G
which may be constructed in the same manner as that previously described or
otherwise as may be desired. The forward arms of the levers E may carry
counter-weights E' and be provided with chains and handles or other devices E* to
enable the levers to be readily rocked about the axis of shaft D. The links F are
provided with holes for receiving pins or equivalent F2 which also engage with
Forresponding holes in the ends of the basket G to prevent the basket from turning

page_text: upon the pivots F1, when however it is desired to invert the basket for discharging
its contents as hereinafter described, the pins F2 are disengaged from the basket
ends. Catch devices other than the pins F2 may be used for retaining the basket
in position.
If desired the two levers E may be connected together at their ends so as to
constitute a frame; or instead of either of the foregoing arrangements cranks,
eccentrics or other means may be substituted therefor, the object of all these
devices being to enable the basket G to be readily lowered into and removed to a
sufficient height above the water contained in the tank A.; so long as these
operations are provided for, the precise arrangement of apparatus employed is
immaterial.
At the front of the tank A we provide a table H which may conveniently slope
down towards a channel or gutter H', itself sloping down to a pipe H2 connected
with a drain or other suitable outlet, the gutter H¹ being provided with a grating H³
to prevent any large particles of the fish passing into the drain.
Conveniently at one end of the frame B a tank J is supported at a sufficient
elevation, for containing a supply of water for use in the tank A. and for cleaning
the fish on the table H. From this tank leads a pipe K to which is connected one
end of a flexible pipe K¹ whose other end is connected to the tubular handle L' of
a hollow perforated brush L, the flexible pipe being also provided with a tap or
valve K².
M is a table top adjustably mounted on a stand M' provided conveniently with
wheels or rollers M². The table top M is of such a size and supported at such a
height from the floor in relation to the apparatus previously described that when
the basket G is in its raised position the table top may be inserted between the
basket and upper edge of the tank A to enable the contents of the basket to be
discharged on to it as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2. The
table-top M may be rigidly secured to the stand M' but it is preferred to mount
it so that it may be moved independently of the stand towards and away from the
tank A and basket G and thereby provide greater facility for adjustment than
would otherwise be possible.
For treating fish according to this invention they are placed on the table H,
split and gutted, and to remove every particle of black skin &c. they are brushed
with the hollow perforated brush L, among the fibres of which water is discharged
under pressure by opening the tap K2. By supplying water to the brush in this
manner the particles of flesh are prevented from felting up the fibres or bristles and
by baving a constant current of water both the black skin as it is separated and
the blood are at once carried away, as for example to the gutter Hand pipe H, a
most important feature in cleansing fish for curing. The brush L L' may be of
any desired shape the handle L' either being parallel with the axes of the bristles
as shown, or at any desired angle thereto.
The fish after splitting, gutting and washing, as before described are placed in
the suspended basket G which is lowered into the water in the tank A and soaked
until the blood is removed, it is then raised out of the water and the fish drained,
the basket having previously been placed or plunged in the water and withdrawn
as often and as rapidly or slowly as desired.
To remove the fish from the basket G the table-top M is pushed under the basket,
the catches F disengaged and the basket then turned over as shown in Fig. 2, the
fish being thereby discharged on to the table M M¹ which is thereafter drawn
away.
When the fish are to be dry salted, as for pickling, they are taken from the
table M M and packed in baskets similar to those herein first described but
provided with lids; when the basket is full it is placed in brine in a tank
completely covering the basket so that all the fish will be kept floating. When
the pickling is complete, which takes about six days, the basket is removed and
the fish packed with salt in barrels for transit.
To ensure that the barrel is properly filled and that the fish have taken up all

page_text: the brine they will absorb, the barrel may be placed on the bilge and a hopper
fixed which is kept full of brine for a suitable time.
Fish required for smoking can be taken from the travelling table M M¹ to the
smoking rooms.
Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention;
for example the arrangements for dipping the basket G (which may be provided
or not with a lid or cover) may be quite independent of the tank, may be attached
to any part of the building or roof and may be driven by power, say from the
general shafting which drives other machinery in the building-if there be either
machinery or building-as the plant may be out in the open, and moreover the
water to the brush L and tank may be supplied directly from the main.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is ;-
1. The complete process for treating or cleansing fish substantially as described.
2. In apparatus for cleansing fish the combination with a tank A and a basket
such as G of devices such as the levers E and links F for lowering the basket into
and raising it out of the tank substantially as described.
3. In apparatus for treating or cleansing fish the combination with a tank of a
turning basket such as G for immersing lifting and discharging the fish substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In apparatus for treating or cleansing fish the combination with a basket such
as G of a travelling table such as M M M² substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In apparatus for treating or cleansing fish the combination with a tank and
scrubbing table such as AHH³ of a superstructure and turning basket substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In apparatus for treating or cleansing fish the combination with a tank and
scrubbing table such as A H II³ of a superstructure turning basket and table such
as M substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
7. In apparatus for cleansing fish the combination with a tank A a basket such
as G and devices for lowering the basket into and raising it out of the tank of a
travelling table such as M so arranged that its top is capable of insertion between
the basket and the tank substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete apparatus
for treating fish substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Fifth day of December 1895.