GB2139075A

GB2139075A - Fish transport and aligning apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2139075A
Application number: GB08406746A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Wenzel
Original assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1983-03-17
Filing date: 1984-03-15
Publication date: 1984-11-07
Also published as: FI840778A0; NO840991L; GB8406746D0; DE3309602C1; FI75476B; FI75476C; DD216378A5; GB2139075B; SE8400928L; DK159521C; DK96484D0; DK96484A; SE453878B; FR2542576A1; CA1208402A; IS2889A7; FR2542576B1; ES8500551A1; ES530586A0; FI840778L

Abstract

Apparatus for supplying fish uniformly aligned with respect to their bellies and backs and head-tail position to a fish processing machine comprises a feed channel 2, a conveyor 17, a righting station with a toothed roller 4 and a guide element (10), and a discharge channel 3. The conveyor comprises an endless belt which is provided with inclined spikes 19 and which is deflected out of engagement with the conveyed fish only shortly upstream of the righting station. The head flank of the fish head is engaged on the base surface of the channel, which is necessary for a trouble free righting of the fish. The spikes 19 are arranged at a pitch spacing greater than a predetermined maximum length of fish to be handled by the apparatus. The stopping flap 21 is so arranged that each fish is held by a spike penetrating the belly wall closely behind the shoulder girdle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fish transport and aligning apparatus The present invention relates to fish transport and aligning apparatus, and has particular reference to apparatus for the automatic supplying of fish to a fish processing machine.

In apparatus disclosed in DE-PS 1 454 092, fish already aligned with their heads first are guided in timed manner to a righting station buy a conveying wheel equipped with needles in that the needles penetrate the bottom surface of a feed channel in the region of the highest point of their orbit, the timed sequence of the fish corresponding to that of the needles. The kinetic energy imparted to the fish in this way effects its further transport into the righting station, which consists of a driven toothed roller extending above the base surface of the feed channel. The guiding surface of a guide element is arranged resiliently at a distance opposite the circumferential surface of the toothed roller, the front end of the guide element being twisted.The feed channel is arranged at a steep inclination and runs into a discharge channel of less inclination in the region in front of the toothed roller.

The practical use of th is arrangement has proved that a satisfactory manner of working, i.e. sufficiently high functional reliabilty and therefore the desired rationalising effect, is only guaranteed if the fish to be processed are of high quality. The operating efficiency has a clear dependence on the presence of undesired additional catch in the form of extremely small and large sizes, on the amount of damage and distortion caused by the catch or intermediate storage, on the consistency of the fish, and on changes of body contour or fish shape due to the time of year the catch is made, for example if the catch occurs in spawning time.The operational reliability of the apparatus depends on the fish reaching the passage between the circumferential surface of the toothed roller and the guide element with their head flank lying flat, since this a prerequisite for orderly righting of each fish. The different inclination of the feed channel and discharge channel represents a feature that is effective in this respect. However, it has become apparent that further improvement is necessary. Moreover, this feature is responsible for the apparatus being undesirably high and therefore difficult to inspect from the operator's stand arranged on a downstream machine. Apart from that the fish must be lifted to this level by a corresponding lifting conveyor and platforms or steps are necessary to enable access.

Improvement of the apparatus would thus be desirable with respect to simplification and to a capability for processing fish of a wider quality tolerance.

According to the present invention there is provided fish transport and aligning apparatus for transporting fish and aligning them with respect to their bellies and backs, the apparatus comprising a feed channel defining a path for movement therealong of fish one after the other and head first, a conveyor forming at least one part of a base surface of the feed channel and being operable to move fish along the path, righting means arranged to right fish fed from the feed channel and comprising a rotat able toothed conveying roller and a resiliently deflectable guide element facing the circumferential surface of the roller, and a discharge channel for the discharge of fish from the righting means, the conveyor comprising an endless belt which is deflected in the region of the roller to diverge from the base surface of the feed channel and which is provided along its length with a plurality of fish engaging spikes arranged at a pitch spacing greater than a predetermined maximum length of fish to be handled by the apparatus.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus can serve for the automatic supplying of fish to a fish processing machine and comprises at least one belly-back aligning section for aligning the fish into uniform belly-back position, which aligning section comprises a feed channel, defining a path for the fish, guiding the fish head first, singly, one behind the other and including a conveyor for the positive conveying of the fish, a fish righting station inciuding a driven toothed roller and a guide element, which lies opposite the circumferential surface of the toothed roller and is resiliently deflectable, and a discharge channel following downstream of the righting station.The conveyor forms at least one part of a base surface of the feed channel and comprises an endless rotationally driven conveying belt equipped with spikes, which belt is deflected near the toothed roller to diverge from the base surface of the feed channel, the spikes being arranged at a distance to each other which is larger than the length of the largest fish to be handled. It is thus made possible to convey the fish to the righting station in apparatus of rather simple and compact structure.

Expediently, a stopping flap is provided in the region of the place where the spikes emerge into the feed channel, the flap being positioned to extend into the path of the fish from above opposite the emerging position of the spikes such that each fish is gripped conveyingly in the region shortly behind the shoulder girdle. In other words, the stopping flap is arranged at a distance downstream of said emerging position of the spikes, which distance corresponds at least to the distance between the front end of the fish head and the shoulder girdle of the largest fish to be handled. It is thereby ensured that the head flank of the fish is brought to rest on the base surface of the feed channel since the spikes are deflected at their disappearing point with increasing inclination in the direction of movement, which effects that the fish head is forced towards the base surface.This effect can be heightened by arranging the spikes to be inclined in the conveying direction. To achieve a similar effect or even to increase the same the guide element can have a bevel, which points away from the circumferential surface of the roller, on its lower edge facing the base surface of the feed channel, which bevel ends or runs out in the region of the greatest proximity of a guiding surface of the guide element to the roller circumferential surface.

Since the fish are fed in an undefined mannerwith respect to their belly-back position it is expedient if a guide member is arranged opposite the guide element in the region of the feed channel, which guide member forms a funnel-shaped inlet with the guiding surface of the guide element, and if a bevel pointing outwards is positioned on the lower edge of each of the guide member and the guide element, which bevel runs out or ends in the region of the circumferential surface of the toothed roller.

In order to safeguard the conveying engagement of the toothed roller shortly before the righting station, the toothed roller can have a bevel on its end face facing towards a base surface of the discharge channel, the peripheral surface of this bevel being toothed in correspondence with the circumferential surface.

An apparatus of even lower construction is achieved if the discharge channel and the toothed roller are inclined downwardly in the direction of passage of the fish and the feed channel is arranged substantially horizontally, and if a deflecting member is associated with the upper end face of the roller. In that case it is also possible to interrupt the base surface in the region of the righting station so that additional catch and other foreign bodies can fall out. By forming the deflecting member as a cover disc attached to the upper end face of the toothed roller and rotatable with the roller, the conveying of the fish in the righting station can be so improved that the danger of the fish being obstructed at this position can be further reduced.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic partially sectional elevation of first apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic partially sectional elevation of second apparatus embodying the invention; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, as seen from the section line I-I in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown fish transport and aligning apparatus comprising several elongate guide paths arranged, preferably side by side, in a frame of the apparatus, the apparatus serving for aligning fish, which are supplied head first along the paths, in uniform belly-back position.

For reasons of better clarity only part of one guide path 1 is shown. In the embodiment of Figures 1,2 and 4, it comprises an inclined feed channel 2 and a horizontal elongate discharge channel 3. A toothed roller 4 is positioned in the region of that end of the discharge channel 3 which is remote from a downstream processing machine to be supplied, which roller 4 rotates, laterally offset, about an axis 6 essentially perpendicular to a base surface 5 of the discharge channel 3. The driving of the roller 4 takes place in such a manner that its circumferential surface 7 projecting into the discharge channel 3 is moved in the direction of the aforesaid end according to the arrow shown in Figure 2. The transitional area between the surface 7 and an end face 8 of the roller 4 facing the base surface 5 is formed by a bevel 9.A guide element 10, which is pivotable about a substantially vertical pivot axis 11 disposed nextto the discharge channel 3 and upstream of the roller4 when seen in the direction of movement of the fish, is arranged opposite the circumferential surface 7.

The guide element 10 together with the surface 7 of the roller 4 forms a substantially parallel passage which can be enlarged by displacement of the guide element against the force of a spring 13. The guide element 10 ends in a twisted portion, continued via the place of the greatest proximity of the element to the circumferential surface 7, and with its lower edge forms a gap 14 with respect to the base surface 5.

The feed channel 2 changes over into the discharge channel 3 shortly upstream of the roller 4, the inclination of the feed channel 2 to the discharge channel being about 15o. A base surface 15 of the feed channel 2 has a longitudinal extending gap 16.

A conveyor 17 is driven continuously to rotate underneath the surface 15 and at least partly in the gap 16. The conveyor 17 comprises an endless conveying belt 18 which carries spikes or needles 19, which penetrate the gap 16. The spikes 19 are arranged at a spacing from each other which is greaterthanthe length ofthe largestfishto be processed. The belt 18 is deflected around two deflection wheels or rollers 20 so that in the region of a stopping flap 21 displaceable against the force of a spring 13 above the surface 15, the spikes 19 appear above the surface 15 and disappear in the region of the transition between the feed channel 2 and the discharge channel 3.

According to the embodiment of Figures 1,2 and 4 a guide member 29 is arranged in the inlet region of the roller 4, which member 29 forms a sidewall of the channel 2 in its end part and defines a funnelshaped inlet with the guide element 10. The guide member 29 and the guide element 10 both have bevels 30 extending outwardly on their lower edges pointing towards the surface 15, which bevels 30 run out near the circumferential surface 7 of the roller 4.

in the embodiment according to Figure 3, the feed channel 2 extends substantially horizontally. A discharge channel 22 inclined at about 15' follows downstream thereof, and a toothed roller 24, which has an upper end face 26 remote from the base surface 23 of the discharge channel 22, is arranged to be rotatable about an axis 25 substantially perpendicular to the surface 23. The roller 24 carries a deflecting member 27 at its upper end face 26, which deflecting member rotates with the roller. As described above the guide element 10 is opposed to the circumferential surface of the toothed roller 24, the arrangement of the element 10 being such that the deflecting member 27 forms the fish-engaging surface and not the base surface 5 (as in Figure 1).

The base surface 15 of the channel 2 ends shortly in front of the roller 24 and leaves a free opening 28.

In use, coming from a suitable head-tail aligning section the fish reach the base surface 15 of the feed channel 2 in side position, singly and head first, and are first of all held back by the flap 21. Each fish stays there until one of the spikes 19 of the conveyor 17 penetrates the surface 15 and entrains the fish, penetrating the belly wall closely behind the shoulder girdle. The fish is thus guided to the righting station. Before it reaches the latter, the conveyor 17 is deflected by the left one of the deflection wheels 20 so that the spike 19 disappears under the surface 15. Its inclination in the conveying direction thus increases, which has the consequence that the fish head is forced onto the surface 5 of the discharge channel 3 before the spike 19 disengages from the fish.The inherent kinetic energy of the latter effects its penetration into the passage between the guide element 10 and the circumferential surface 7 of the roller 4. Due to the drop-shaped cross-section of the fish body with burr-like belly contour, according to its position the fish with this contour either runs under the bevel 9 of the roller 4 or penetrates the gap 14 between the surface 5 and the lower edge of the element 10. The pressure exerted on the element 10 by means of the spring 13 has the effect that the fish rights itself into the swimming position by displacement of the element 10. From this position it is then turned into uniform side position by means of the twisted portion of the guide element.

As described above it is necessary for a secure uprighting of the fish that the head lies with its head flank on the base surface 5. According to Figure 4 this is achieved in that the lower jaw side of the head runs under the bevel 30 of either the guide element 10 or the guide member 29. Due to the width of the cranium no guiding occurs in the respective bevel 30 lying opposite, so that, in addition to the forcing down of the head flank on the surface 5, a righting momentaboutthe longitudinal axis of the fish is produced in this area of the apparatus.

In the embodiment according to Figure 3 the structure is such that the fish, due to its inherent energy, is guided at an acute angle against the deflecting member 27 inclined downwards with respect to the direction of movement of the fish. The repulsing force acting upon the fish in that process also effects the necessary engagement of the head flank and secures that the fish is righted, which means turning into the belly upwards position in this embodiment.

Claims

1. Fish transport and aligning apparatus for transporting fish and aligning them with respect to their bellies and backs, the apparatus comprising a feed channel defining a path for movement therealong of fish one after the other and head first, a conveyor forming at least one part of a base surface of the feed channel and being operable to move fish along the path, righting means arranged to right fish fed from the feed channel and comprising a rotatable toothed conveying roller and a resiliently deflectable guide element facing the circumferential surface of the roller, and a discharge channel for the dishcarge of fish from the righting means, the conveyor comprising an endless belt which is deflected in the region of the roller to diverge from the base surface of the feed channel and which is provided along its length with a plurality of fishengaging spikes arranged at a pitch spacing greater than a predetermined maximum length of fish to be handled by the apparatus.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a flap so arranged to extend into the path of movement of fish along the feed channel and from above a region where the spikes emerge in the feed channel as to cause each fish to be held in a position which it is engageable in a region closely behind its shoulder girdle by one of the spikes.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of the spikes is so arranged as to be inclined forwardly in the fish conveying direction when travelling along the feed channel.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guide element is provided at a lower edge portion thereof with a bevel facing away from the circumferential surface of the roller, the bevel commencing at one end of the guide element upstream of the roller and ending in a region of greatest proximity of the guide element to the roller.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a guide member is arranged opposite the guide element in the region of the feed channel and defines a funnel-shaped inlet with the guide element, the guide member being provided at a lower edge portion thereof with a bevel which faces outwards and which ends in the region of the circumferential surface of the roller.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the roller is provided at a lower edge portion thereof with a bevel facing a base surface of the discharge channel, the bevel of the roller being toothed in correspondence with the circumferential surface thereof.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the feed channel extends substantially horizontally and the discharge channel extends at an inclination downward therefrom, the roller being rotatable about an axis substantially normal to the direction of inclination of the discharge channel and a deflecting member being arranged in association with an upper end face of the roller.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide element is provided at an upper edge portion thereof adjacent to the deflecting member with a bevel facing away from the circumferential surface of the roller, the bevel commencing at an end of the guide element upstream of the roller and ending in a region of greatest proximity of the guide element to the roller.

9. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the deflecting member comprises a cover disc mounted on the upper end face of the roller to be rotatable with the roller.

10. Fish transport and aligning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1,2 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

11. Fish transport and aligning apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.