GB2361405A

GB2361405A - Method and device for processing fish

Info

Publication number: GB2361405A
Application number: GB0101438A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Finke
Original assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1998-07-31
Filing date: 1999-07-10
Publication date: 2001-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-10
Also published as: DE19981451D2; DK176713B1; IS2391B; DE19981451B4; DK200100033A; NO20010473L; GB2361405B; GB0101438D0; DE19834523A1; SE518718C2; SE0100217D0; NO20010473D0; NO320215B1; WO2000007451A1; SE0100217L; IS5833A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for processing fish (11), which comprises endless revolving means for receiving the fish, said means being arranged substantially cross-wise to the direction of travel, means (10) for receiving the pectoral fins (12) of the fish, cutting means (5) which are positioned substantially in the region of the pectoral fins, and at least one fish delivery and transfer area.

Description

The invention concerns a method and a device for processing fish.

Such a method or such a device is known, for example from Norway, where the fish is often landed without its head. According to ancient tradition and for practical and economic reasons, the clavicle remains on the trunk. But since different products are made from this trunk but the fisherman does not know which, the fish is decapitated for maximum demand, so-called saltfish or dried fish. For these products the cut surface must have as small an area as possible so that no bacteria and contaminants can enter. The head cut is therefore made in such a way that clavicles, supraclavicles and very frequently also large parts of the dorsicraniurn remain on the trunk. The disadvantage here is, however, that when such a trunk is to be processed into fillets on a so-called saddle machine, the bone remains lead to breakdowns. The previously known clavicle cutters can only remove the clavicles, for reasons of yield the supraclavicles cannot be reached, and the dorsicranium. has hitherto not been accessible for processing in the saddle machine. The supraclavicle thus remains on the fillet and has to be trimmed later manually, and the dorsicraniuni, depending on size, also leads to subsequent trimming or machine stoppage, or loss of yield and quality due to tearing in the scraper blade.

For these reasons the Um is often decapitated later in order to remove clavicles, supraclavicles and dorsicranium. However, this means an additional operation as well as a loss of yield. Moreover, laying in the subsequent machines, e.g. a decapitating machine, which is problematic anyway, is made more difficult by the absence of the head.

Further, a device of this kind is known from DE 3891159 which shows a head separating station with two rotating blades. Here it is a disadvantage that in any case only fish with heads must be present as the staring material. In this application, a distinct loss of yield with respect to the quantity of flesh to be obtained can be recorded. Fish without heads such as are landed for example in Norway cannot be 2 further processed mechanically with such a device, or can be only after elaborate manual work.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a device or a method which helps to avoid the above-mentioned drawbacks and with a high yield processes fish with and without heads safely, cheaply and reliably.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that a device for processing fish is provided including endlessly rotating means for receiving fish, wherein the rotating means are arranged essentially transversely to the direction of rotation, means for detecting and/or receiving the clavicle fins of fish and elements for cutting and/or splaying, wherein the means for cutting and/or splaying are essentially arranged in the region of the clavicles.

Laying of the fish is effected from a storage trough, which stocks the fish to be processed essentially at the same height. The fish is placed in a sideways position with its head towards a nose stop, lying with its back in contact with the rear wall of the trough. The troughs which are driven by an endless chain transport the fish through the processing tools. The nose stop is movable in the longitudinal direction of the fish and exerts on the fish a force which can move it in the tail direction. Due to the trough transport movement on the one hand, which is effected transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fish, and the movement of the fish along its longitudinal axis caused by the nose stop, before entry into the cutting tools there is so-called preparation in which by receiving means which are designed as brushes moving relatively from the tail of the fish to its head in order to erect the clavicle fin. The projecting clavicle fin is caught by means of a strip which stands obliquely in the space and due to the movement of the fish makes itself relative to the progressive reception of the clavicle fin.

The means for receiving the clavicle fin runs in the case of large fish essentially in the region of the tail end onto the fish, which has the advantage that the means for receiving the clavicle fin does not absolutely have to be adjusted to the maximum 3 possible fish thickness and yet can cover the widest possible range of size, and then due to the transport movement moves relatively in the direction of the head and collects the clavicle fin. A small fish moves almost without mechanical action, and the fin is then detected and collected shortly before reaching the end of the region between means for receiving the clavicle fin and the element for longitudinal displacement.

Due to the cooperation of the element for longitudinal displacement of the fish with the brushes moved by the fish and the means for receiving the clavicle fin, there is a small, precisely defined region in which the fin is collected, which as a result makes the machine effective, short in length and therefore cheap. At the end of the strip, the fish has reached the correct position and is fed into the seamlessly following tool. A small fish moves without stress until its clavicle fin is collected by a guide of channellike design. It is an advantage here that a large fish is more capable of taking a load and is pushed or pulled. The smaller the fish, the less displacement is necessary. Movement of the fish is effected essentially in the direction opposite its direction of swimming.

The position of the strip is at the end parallel to trough movement in order to ensure the seamless transition to the cutting tools, here the so-called scraper blade.

A development according to the invention provides that the means for receiving fish are designed as troughs.

In another development according to the invention, it is provided that the means for receiving fish are designed in at least two parts.

Further, according to the invention it can be provided that the means for receiving fish have elements for the longitudinal displacement of the fish, in particular coupled to an overload stop. Here, levers coupled by means of resilient springs are used, controlling 4 the elements for longitudinal displacement in such a way that a yielding movement of the elements is possible in the case of larger fish.

A development according to the invention provides that the elements for cutting consist of circular blades and/or ordinary blades, in particular vertical blades.

After the clavicle fin has been received and transferred to the pair of scraper blades, the latter moves completely flat from above and from below, behind the clavicle fins, and each perform a cut along the clavicle and supraclavicle as far as the centre bone. Preliminary cutting is done with a vertical blade, the cut is made, and by transport of the fish and pressure from the head the clavicle is not cut though, scraping is carried out along it. The upper and lower scraper blades are each independently mounted by a pivot point on the head side. By a stop and a tension spring, a rear opening is adjusted according to the bone thickness of the small fish. A thicker bone can press the blades against the tension spring. In order to adapt the blades to the different fish thicknesses, both coupling points of the scraper blades are mounted not stationarily, but rotatably about a point between the coupling points. By means of a so-called waiting position, the ad ustment of the scraper blades is made for a small fish, while a large fish rotates and pushes the scraper blades according to its thickness. Since a large range of sizes is processed, and the fish thicknesses vary, the entrance opening is controlled by a transition from preparation. By pressure from the nose stop in the direction of the tail, the fish is pushed into the scraper blades and the cut is made in cooperation with the transport movement. Here, preferably a smooth lower surface is used, e.g. in the trough, or processing is done with water sprinkling.

In another development according to the invention, it is provided that the elements for cutting are arranged essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fish.

Further, according to the invention it can be provided that the elements for cutting are arranged within a range of angle of inclination from 10 to 90 degrees, referred to the longitudinal axis of the fish.

A development according to the invention provides that the means for splaying are made so that they can correspond to the means for cutting. A transition from preliminary cutting as well as pressure from the head in the direction of the trunk by the nose stop splay the gill covers and clavicles in such a way that they are at the same angle as the subsequent circular blades in order to make a cut on the dorsicranium. Two circular blades with a spacing of 2-3 nun cut though the centre bone and guiding is effected by the cut from preliminary cutting. Due to the distance between the blades, the centre plate is not damaged and remains on the head. Centring adjusts the circular blades in such a way that the centre bone lies centrally to the gap. Hence, the centre plate which is attached to the head is advantageously not damaged. A plough pulls head and trunk slightly apart from each other in such a way that the centre plate no longer extends into the trunk.

A subsequent separating blade cuts through the last skin connections still remaining, which exist due to the distance between the spaced-apart circular blades. Head and trunk are now completely separated and are guided out of the machine separately.

In another development according to the invention it is provided that essentially each means for cutting has a corresponding means for cutting or splaying in a cutting thrust bearing. In an alternative embodiment is produced a postdecapitating device which removes both the clavicle and the supraclavicle and the dorsicranium. of an already decapitated fish in one piece. The nose stop is adapted by the absence of the head. After preparation and preliminary cutting, the spring forces are adjusted in such a way that the trunk enters the separating unit. The blades are arranged in such a way as to be one inside the other, wherein the lower blade head is equipped with a second circular blade so that a cutting thrust bearing is formed for the upper blade. The upper blade is lowered into the gap between the two lower blades. Further, there can be provision for increasing the speed of the upper blade, in particular in order to obtain slip between upper and lower blades, to achieve a suitable separating effect.

6 In a finther alternative embodiment according to Fig. 8 is provided a postdecapitating device which removes the clavicle, the supraclavicle and the dorsicranium of an already decapitated fish in one piece. The nose stop is modified in such a way that it compensates for the falling head. After preparation and preliminary cutting, the trunk is transferred to a guide (10, 5, 8, 9), as can be seen in Fig. 2, and guided by means of trough 2 as far as the separating blade (7).

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8, the separating blade 7 has a so-called cutting thrust bearing, which consists of a ftirther blade head with separating blade 20. The two separating blades 7, 20 form an inlet wedge which ensures reliable separation of the clavicle. In a further alternative embodiment according to Fig. 8, the shear blades 6 shown in broken lines are dismounted. Further, the separating blade can be designed as a movable cutting thrust bearing.

The object is achieved according to the invention by the fact that a method for processing fish is provided, wherein a device according to one or more of the abovementioned claims is used.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. They show:

Figure 1 a schematic view of fish processing in order of the processing operations, Figure 2 a side view of the device, Figure 3 a section though the device according to Fig. 2 in the region of the scraper blades (section line A-A), Figure 4 a section though the device according to Fig. 2 in the region of the shear blades (section line B-B), Figure 5 a section though the device according to Fig. 2 in the region of the separating blade (section line C-C), Figure 6 a top view of the device according to Figure 2, 7 Figure 7 a schematic view of the fish supply region, Figure 8 a schematic view of the postdecapitating construction.

The processing sequence used in the device for processing fish I is shown in Figure I from top to bottom. After the clavicle fin 12 of the fish 11 to be processed has passed into the region of the means for receiving the clavicle fin 10, as can be seen for example in Figure 6, the fish I I during continuing forward movement is conveyed into the region of the means for cutting 5, which are designed as ordinary blades or as so-called scraper blades. These stationary blades 5 are wedge-shaped such that during continuing movement of the fish 11 the wedge-shaped design cuts with a scraping effect as far as the main bone of the fish 11 behind its gills. During the continued processing the vertical blade 5 merges with a means for splaying 8, which communicates with the blade 5 in such a way that it can be regarded as a blunt extension. The means for splaying 8 has no cutting function, but instead it varies the angle of inclination referred to the longitudinal axis of the fish in the continuing forward movement in such a way that the gill covers are bent up as shown 2 in Figure I - This is done as far as an angle of inclination which essentially corresponds to that of the subsequent means for cutting 6, which are designed as circular blades or as socalled shear blades 6. These shear blades 6 cut through the main bone of the fish 11 without destroying the so-called centre plate in the process. The shear blades 6 are followed in the direction of movement by the means for stripping 9 which, like the means for splaying, widen in a wedge shape in the direction of movement. Due to this wedge-shaped widening of the means for stripping 9, the head 14 which simply still hangs from bone-free tissue is extended along its longitudinal axis in order to strip the bone-containing regions of the head 14 from the cutting zone of the means for cutting 7, which is also designed as a circular blade or a so-called separating blade 7. The separating blade 7 releases all connections between the head 14 and the remaining trunk of the fish 11. Both the head 14 and the trunk of the fish I I leave the device via the fish output or transfer region 15.

8 The device shown in Figure 2 for processing fish I comprises an endlessly rotating trough belt 16 on which the fish 11 to be processed lie essentially transversely to their direction of transport and which transports them to the processing tools. From the ungraded quantity of fish I I in the storage trough 17 a fish is removed e.g. by hand and in a sideways position with its back against the boundary of the trough 2 and with its head forwards is pushed towards an element for longitudinal displacement 3, as can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the so-called nose stop 3. The fish trough 2 is divided in two for subsequently receiving in each case head and trunk after decapitation. Storage trough 17 and fish trough 2 lie essentially in one plane so that no lifting of the fish is necessary. A first tool which has means for receiving the clavicle fin 10, which is designed as a gap tapering in a wedge shape between two plates, detects the clavicle fin 12 and due to transport the fish is pushed at these plates towards the yielding nose stop 3. At the end of the element for longitudinal displacement of the fish the clavicle 12 has reached a position in which it is pressed against the plates of the means for receiving the clavicle fin 10. The transition to the preliminary cutting unit from the plates described above to the scraper blade is made seamlessly without a transition, wherein the scraper blades adjoin the plates. The abutting clavicle is in this way transferred from the plates to the scraper blades. Preliminary centring adjusts the tool to the respective fish size. Then a pair of scraper blades 5 synchronised with equalising gear 18 travels completely flat, both from above and from below, behind the clavicle fin 12, and, guided by the already abutting clavicle, supraclavicle and dorsicranium, cuts deep into the cranium 14 as far as the centre bone and in the longitudinal direction as far as the dorsicranium. The required cutting pressure is applied by the nose stop 3. Then the fish is transferred to the shear blades 6. By means of increasing pressure from the nose stop 3 in the direction of the trunk, clavicles and gill covers 13 are bent up with the means for splaying 8 until they are essentially at the same angle as the shear blades 6. This pair of blades 6 are at a distance of approximately 2-3 mm from each other and cut though the main bone without damaging the so-called centre plate, as a centre plate separated from the head on the trunk can lead to problems in the filleting machine. After the first shear cut, head 14 and trunk are pulled apart from each other slightly by a means for stripping 9 so that 9 the centre plate no longer extends into the trunk, then a final separating blade 7 separates the still remaining (skin) connections with the head. Finally, head 14 and trunk are guided separately via the fish output or transfer region 15 out of the machine. In an alternative embodiment, the means for splaying 8 comprises additional blades for cutting.

In Figure 3 is shown a section through the device for processing fish I in the region of the scraper blades 5. The means for receiving the fish, which can be seen here as a trough 2 divided in two, contain, on the side on which the head of the fish comes to lie, an element for longitudinal displacement 3 which is coupled to a spring-linked overload stop 4. Cooperation of longitudinal displacement of the fish 11 during its continuing transport in the direction of the means for cutting, which are designed as scraper blades 5, as well as the scraper blades 5 extending in the direction of transport of the fish in its head direction, lead to a scraping cut behind the clavicles, or along them. The endlessly rotating trough belt 16 is arranged below the trough 2. The spacing between the scraper blades 5 as a function of the thickness of the fish to be processed is adjusted by means of the equalising gear 18. In an alternative embodiment the scraper blades are slidable in such a way that they can follow the contour of the fish or its clavicle.

A section through the device for processing fish I is shown is Figure 4. The fish 11 lies in the trough 2, which shows the element for longitudinal displacement 3, which is deactivated in this processing stage, in its starting position. In an alternative embodiment the element for longitudinal displacement 3 pushes the fish head towards the shear blades 6. The means for cutting, which are designed as circular or shear blades 6, cut through the main bone, the circular blades being inclined in such a way that they engage behind the gill covers 13 of the fish 11, which are splayed at the same angle, without damaging them. The head 14 of the fish I I now just hangs loosely, due to the gap between the circular blades 6, by the remaining skin connections to the trunk, which are cut through without remainder by the separating blade 7 shown in Figure 5. Then the parts separated from each other in the respective half of the trough are carried off into the output region or into the input region of a subsequent machine.

The device shown in Figure 6 for processing fish comprises an endlessly rotating trough belt 16 on which the fish to be processed lie essentially transversely to their direction of transport and which transports them to the processing tools. The fish lies in a sideways position with its back against the boundary of the trough 2 and with its head forwards towards the element for longitudinal displacement 3, the so-called nose stop. The fish trough 2 is divided in two for subsequently receiving head and trunk after decapitation. A first tool comprising means for receiving the clavicle fin 10, which is designed as a gap tapering in a wedge shape between two plates, detects the clavicle fin of the fish to be processed, and by transport the fish is pushed at these plates towards the yielding nose stop 3. At the end of this nose stop 3 designed as a sliding strip, the clavicle of the fish has reached a position in which it is pressed against the plates of the means for receiving the clavicle fin 10. In the region of this means for receiving the clavicle fin are arranged movable brushes 19 which have the function of erecting any clavicle fins abutting against the fish trunk, so that the means 10 can engage precisely behind the fin and thus in the region of influence of the clavicle.

The transition to the preliminary cutting unit from the plates described above to the scraper blade 5 is made searnlessly without a transition, wherein the scraper blades adjoin the plates, the abutting clavicle is in this way transferred from the plates to the scraper blades. Preliminary centring adjusts the tool to the respective fish size. Then a pair of scraper blades 5 synchronised with an equalising gear 18 (Fig. 3) travels completely flat, both from above and from below, behind the clavicle fin, and, guided by the already abutting clavicle, supraclavicle and dorsicranium, cuts deep into the cranium 14 as far as the centre bone and in the longitudinal direction as far as the dorsicranium. The required cutting pressure is applied by the nose stop 3. Then the fish is transferred to the shear blades 6. By means of increasing pressure from the nose stop 3 in the direction of the trunk, clavicles and gill covers 13 are bent up with the means for splaying 8 until they are at essentially the same angle as the shear blades 6. This pair of blades 6 have a spacing of about 2-3 mm from each other and cut though the centre bone without damaging the so-called centre plate or bone plate which supports the dorsicranium and lies in the plane of symmetry of the fish, as a centre plate separated from the head on the trunk can lead to problems in the filleting machine. After the first shear cut, head 14 and trunk are pulled apart from each other slightly by a means for stripping 9, so that tile centre plate no longer extends into the trunk, then a final separating blade 7 separates the still remaining skin connections with the head.

In Figure 7 it is shown schematically how the fish 11, which come to lie both with different sizes and at different locations of the endlessly rotating trough belt 16, move precisely into the region of influence of the means for receiving the clavicle fin due to the coordination of the element for longitudinal displacement 3 of the fish 11, so that said means can engage behind each clavicle of each fish.

12 List of reference numbers I device for processing fish 2 means for receiving, trough 3 element for longitudinal displacement 4 overload stop means for cutting, ordinary blade, scraper blade 6 means for cutting, circular blade, shear blade 7 means for cutting, circular blade, separating blade 8 means for splaying 9 means for stripping means for receiving the clavicle fin 11 fish 12 clavicle fm 13 gill cover 14 head fish output or transfer region 16 endlessly rotating trough belt 17 storage trough 18 equalising: gear 19 brushes separating blade (thrust bearing) 13

Claims

1. Device for processing fish, including endlessly rotating means for receiving fish, wherein the rotating means are arranged essentially transversely to the direction of rotation, means for detecting and/or receiving the clavicle fins of the fish and means for cutting and/or splaying, wherein the means for cutting and/or splaying are essentially arranged in the region of the clavicles, and at least one fish output or transfer region.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the means for receiving fish are designed as troughs.

3. Device according to claim I or 2, characterised in that the means for receiving fish are designed in at least two parts.

4. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised in that the device comprises elements for longitudinal displacement of the fish, in particular coupled to an overload stop.

5. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised. in that the means for cutting consist of circular blades and/or ordinary blades, in particular vertical blades.

6. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised in that the elements for cutting are arranged essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis of the fish.

7. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised in that the elements for cutting are arranged within a range of angle of inclination from 10 to 90 degrees, referred to the longitudinal axis of the fish.

14

8. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised in that the means for splaying are made so that they can correspond to the means for cutting.

9. Device according to one or more of the above claims, characterised in that essentially each means for cutting has a corresponding means for cutting or splaying in a cutting thrust bearing.

10. Method for processing fish, wherein a device according to one or more of the above claims is used.