METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING OF DEAD FISH Russian patent published in 2004 - IPC

FIELD: fish processing industry, in particular, fish dressing.

SUBSTANCE: method involves processing differently sized fish; to provide for precise gripping and moving of fish, catching fish with the help of movable positioning device 4 by fish region having constant size, such as head, without excessive clamping thereof for keeping its shape; moving fish toward cutting surface 39 until predetermined region 38 is in the vicinity of surface 39; decapitating fish by knife having cutting edge extending transverse to fish orientation. Apparatus has positioning device 4 adapted to be engaged with constantly sized fish region, with shape of said fish region being kept. Positioning device 4 has mechanism for fish orientation. Apparatus of such construction automatically provides for required fish orientation in order to provide for high-quality decapitating or, in case fish has been preliminarily decapitated, removal of shoulder bones remaining on carcass.

EFFECT: increased efficiency and provision for adequate correction of errors in fish orientation, which could be made by operator, and undesired offset of cutting sites, which tend to occur owing to plastic deformation of fish body.

36 cl, 7 dwg