GB1204629A - Method and apparatus for conveying and handling articles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,204,629. Conveying fish. ATLANTIC BRIDGE CO. Ltd. 28 Oct., 1968 [7 Nov., 1967; 26 April, 1968], No. 50951/68. Heading B8A. Apparatus for continuously handling fish or vegetables &c. (e.g. transferring them from the hold of a ship), comprises an elongated passageway (40) (Fig. 3, not shown) from which the fish are transferred by an airstream, a chamber 18 in which they are separated from the airstream and are fed along a surface 60 at an acute angle to the horizontal into a liquid bath 12, from which they are subsequently removed. The chamber 18 comprises a cyclone chamber, air being drawn out by a blower (44). A pressure jet of liquid at 78 tends to separate lumps of ice from the fish. A conveyer 86 tends to draw floating fish below the surface. The fish are removed from the bath 12 by an endless conveyer 98. Ice drops through spaced bars (62) (Fig. 1A, not shown) forming the surface 60, and is conveyed away at 68. A water jet 84 assists the latter process. In a modification (Fig. 5), the conveyer 98 is dispensed with, the fish being swept up on to a flume 132. The water loss from the latter is restricted by a pivoted flap 134 which is pushed up by the passing fish. In a further modification (Fig. 5A, not shown), the conveyer 86 is dispensed with, and the suction outlet (28a) is taken from the space above the bath 12, instead of from the chamber 18. In another arrangement of suction outlet (Fig. 9, not shown), the suction blower is connected to a perforated annular housing in the chamber wall above the bath 12. The conveyer 98 may be replaced by a screw conveyer (Fig. 7, not shown).