Fish processing systems and methods
AssigneeRYCO Equipment, Inc.
InventorErik Murphy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fish processing system includes a measurement sensor configured to measure a distance across a head of a fish as the fish moves along a conveyor. A drive mechanism provides movement of a blade across a transport path of the fish along the conveyor in response to the determined distance to accurately sever the head of the fish based on the size of the fish. The system may also include a detection sensor for closing a wall of a trough to reject fish with heads that are not properly removed by the blade as well as an adjustment cylinder to vary a position of a conveyor relative to a fish processing subsystem to avoid jamming. Related methods for severing a portion of each fish in a series of transported fish based on the size of each fish are also provided.
Claims22
A fish processing system, comprising:
- a structural frame;
- a first conveyor device coupled to the structural frame configured to convey a fish received on the first conveyor device along a transport path including a measurement location and a cutting location;
- a measurement sensor coupled to the structural frame configured to measure a distance across a head of the fish conveyed by the first conveyor device at the measurement location;
- a blade movably coupled to the structural frame configured to move across the transport path of the fish conveyed by the first conveyor device at the cutting location;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled to the structural frame and mechanically coupled to the blade, the drive mechanism in communication with the measurement sensor and configured to move the blade between a standby position and a cutting position in irregular intervals in accordance with the measured distance across the head of the fish to sever a portion from the fish conveyed across the cutting location based on the measured distance.
A fish processing system, comprising:
- a first processing subsystem, including:
- a first conveyor device configured to convey a fish along a transport path;
- a measurement sensor coupled to the conveyor device configured to measure a distance across the fish;
- a blade movable across the transport path;
- and
- a drive mechanism mechanically coupled to the blade and in communication with the measurement sensor, the drive mechanism configured to move the blade across the transport path in irregular intervals in accordance with the measured distance across the fish.
A method of processing fish, comprising:
- transporting fish through a measurement location and a cutting location with a first conveyor device;
- measuring a distance across the fish with a measurement sensor at the measurement location;
- and
- severing a portion of the fish at the cutting location with a blade driven by a drive mechanism in communication with the measurement sensor, including moving the blade in irregular intervals in accordance with the measured distance with the drive mechanism.
A fish processing system, comprising:
- a structural frame;
- a conveyor device coupled to the structural frame configured to convey a fish received on the conveyor device along a transport path including a cutting location and a detection location;
- a blade movably coupled to the structural frame configured to move across the transport path of the fish conveyed by the conveyor device at the cutting location;
- a drive mechanism coupled to the structural frame and mechanically coupled to the blade, the drive mechanism configured to move the blade between a standby position and a cutting position to sever a portion from the fish conveyed across the cutting location;
- and
- a detection sensor coupled to the structural frame configured to detect at the detection location whether the portion from the fish was successfully severed at the cutting location.
A fish processing system, comprising:
- a first processing subsystem configured to sever a first portion of a fish;
- a second processing subsystem configured to remove a second portion of the fish;
- and
- a conveyor device in communication with the first processing subsystem and the second processing subsystem, including:
- a trough proximate an outlet of the first processing subsystem having a sidewall movable between an open position and a closed position to selectively provide access to the trough;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the sidewall of the trough configured to move the sidewall from the open position to the closed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.