Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 lLgl~615
The present invention relates to a process and
to a device for gutting fish. -
From GermanOffenlegungsschrift 2 232 633 there is ~ ~
already known an automatlcally functioning device for e~tract- ;r
ing the intestines and the hearts of fish, wherein none-decapit-
ated fish lying in a longitudinal trough with their backs
facing downwards are conveyed by a tail clamp each in the ~ -
direction of their longitudinal axes and provides with a ;~
longitutinal cut each from the anus to the gullet by means `
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of a slitting knife arranged above the longitudinal trough,
the intestines and the hearts are separated from the belly
wall by means of a brush, the intestines are removed by means
of a cleaning tool comprising a U-shaped sheathing and a
star-shaped~ rotating ejector, and the belly cavities are
` cleaned by means of a cleaning brush.
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~ This known device is intented for cod or cod-like
; ~ fish weighing between one or four kilograms and able to cut -
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-such fish when they are in a normal state. However, this ~ ~
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device will not work properly in the case of fish having
fully developed ovaries or other fish, because the brush
cannot penetrate the voluminous belly contents or separate
the intestines from the belly cavity.
It is one of the main objects of the invention to
enable a gutting of fish the belly contents of which have a
large volume such as in the case of fish before spawning, or
of fishes such as tunny or its relatives.
Accordingly, the invention as herein claimed is a
process for gutting fish, essentially comprising the steps of
conveying successively the non-decapitated fish lying on ~-
their backs and with their tail ends leading, opening the
belly cavities by severing the belly walls while the fish
are being advanced, and loosening and removing the intestines
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durin~ the further transport of the fish, wherein after the
opening of the belly cavities the intestines are floated by
` : means of a fluid and removed by suction pumping on partially
comminution and severing of the gullet, of the gut, and, if
necessary, of the ligaments holding the intestines.
. The advantages achieved by the invention particularly
:, lie in the fact that the intestines may be separated safely
from the wall of the beily cavity and removed without damaging
or straining the belly cavity.
1 ~ 10 In ordex to perform the above process in an
i advantageous manner the invention also provides for a device
comprising a trough-shaped path or track for receiving the
'. fish in a back-downward position, a conveyor for moving the
: . fish in the direction of their longitudinal axes, a slitting
knife above the trough-shaped path and arranged to be lowered,
and a cleaning tool also arranged to be ~
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lowered, comprising a U-shaped sheathing and being provided
' with a star-shaped rotating ejector, a water supply being
provided downstream of the slitting knife when seen in the
conveying direction of said conveying direction of said conveyor,
and the cleaning tool being in the form of a suction pump.
- Such a sequence of tools is particularly favourable with
'r . respect to its construction and enables the performance of the
, process according to the invention in a very simple and economical
,.
manner.
For the purpose of achieving a particularly simple overall
construction and a favourable work flow the suction pump and/or
the water supply may be connected to means for controlling their
lowering in synchronism with the advancing of the fish, in
particular with the conveying elements for the fish.
Preferably the water supply may comprise one or several
slot nozzles. Thus the fluid can be forced precisely between
the belly cavity walls and the intestines under pressure so as
to enforce the loosening resp. separation even of firmly adhering
intestines.
In order to be able to suck in the intestines tangentially
when they have only been chopped to a relatively small degree,
the suction pump may be arranged as a disc-shaped impeller pump
comprising an impeller and a housing provided with at least one
cutout portion along its circumference. In this connection it
ls possible to achieve an adaptation to the -~
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belly cavities of varying fishes by a segment or sector
shaping of the cutout portion.
According to another embodiment the cutout portion
may be bordered at the entrance position of the impeller into
the-housing by a bow-shaped severing tool provided with a
cutting edge. This enables a simple and safe severing of the
ligaments etc. of parts of the intestines already seized by ~ ~-
suction.
, According to yet another embodiment of the invention
the housing may be provided in the region of the cutout portion
with a guide bracing against the belly sides of the vertebrae.
This helps to avoid that the suction pump immerges resp.
penetrates into the belly cavity too deeply and in an
uncontrolled manner
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An embodiment of the present invention will now be
more partlcularly described by way of example with reference
to the accompanying schematic drawing. In this
Fig. 1 shows an axonometric sectional ~iew of a
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device suited for performing the invention ;
and
Fig, 2 shows a side elevation of the suction pump.
In a frame (not shown) there are arranged reversing
or deflection elements and a drive (also not shown) for an
endless conveyor 2, the upper run of which is shown in
Fig. 1. The conveyor 2 is provided with V-shaped longitudinal
troughs 21, carries upwardly extending fork-shaped con~eying
elements at a fixed distance between the longitudinal troughs
; 21, and runs in a conveying direction 23. Above the path or
track of the conveyor 2 there are arranged consecutively
- when seen in the conveying direction 23 - a slitting knife
3 driven to rotate, a water supply 4, and a suction pump 5.
The slltting knife 3 is arranged to yield in height in a `~
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know~ manner and connected or provided with a non-illustrated
known control device or arrangement. The water supply is
formed as a slot nozzle or jet 43 charged by pressurized
water and carried by a plvoted arm 42 mounted to swivel about
a swivelling axis 41 fixed to the frame. The suction pump 5
is arranged as a disc-shaped impeller pump and comprises a
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housing 51, which is arranged to swivel about a swivel axis
58 aIso fixed to the frame. In the housing there is mounted
a rotor shaft 59 driven to rotate in an appropriate manner,
` 10 this shaft carrying an impeller 60. The housing 51 has a
U-shaped cross section, is provided with a tangential or
lateral exit 57, at its peripheral part facing the conveyor
2, and carries a sector-shaped cutout portion 52, which is
limited by a bow-shaped severing tool 53. The latter surrounds
the impeller 60 closely and is provided with a cutting edge
54 facing the impeller 60. In the region of the cutout
portion 52 there is arranged a guide 55, which limits the
penetration depth of the suction pump 5 by contacting and
; gliding along the vertebrae. The guide 55 is also U-shaped
- as shown in Fig. 2 - and has an outward chamf)er 56, but
it may also be formed by a bow arranged in a curcular man-
ner around the rotor shaft 59 and surrounding the cutout
portion 52.
The method of operation of the device according to
the invention is as follows:
A fish 1 lying with its back in the longitudinal
~; troughs 21 and being supported at its trailing head end by the
conveyor element 22 is, during its passage underneath the
slitting knife 3, provided with a cut in the region of its
belly cavity and its gill cavity, the cut severing at least
its belly wall. In consequence of this, the belly cavity is
opened. A pressurized water jet emerging from the slot
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nozzle 43 penetrates between the intestines formed by the
ovaries, the gullet the stomack, and the gut, loosens these
from the inner wall of the belly cavity and effects their
floating. The suction pump 5, which thereupon dips into the
belly cavity, seizes the intestines with its impeller 60
rotating at a high peripheral speed according to the shown
~ dart and chops resp. comminutes these by co-acting with *he
`~ cutting edge 54 of the severing tool 53. At the same time,the impeller 60 creates a suction in the region of the cutout
portion 52, which suction sucks, i.e. allows to flow the
mixture of pressurized water and pertially comminuted intestines
into t~e housing 51. This accelerated mixture leaves the
housing 51 at the exit 57, from which it may be conducted
from the path of the fish by means of a tube or hose, not
shown in the drawing. In order to avoid the damaging of the -
- fish by the rotating impeller 60, the penetration depth of the t'~
suction pump 5 is limited by the guide 55, coming to rest and -
gliding on the under side, i.e. the side of the belly cavity,
of the vertebrae of the fish.
In order to be able to remove safely the intestines
of fish having voluminous intestines or intestines sticking ;
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firmly together by salting, it may be advantageous to arrange
two slot nozzles 43 adjacent to each other. The pressurized
water jets of these can penetrate between the intestines
and the belly flaps and the intestines are floated by ;~
lateral wash-out.
In order to improve the cleaning effect, it may be
advantageous to use an external suction station, which may
then be connected to the exit 57 of the housing 51.
It may also be advantageous to allow the impeller
60 to work against the moving direction of the fish; to this
end the suction pump 5 will be arranged mirror-inverted to the
vertical axis of Fig. 2.
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