Apparatuses and methods for automatedly saddling beheaded and eviscerated fish on holding apparatuses for automated further processing and for automatedly obtaining meat from beheaded and eviscerated fish

An apparatus for automatedly obtaining meat from beheaded and eviscerated fish, the apparatus comprising:

• a transport device for transporting the beheaded and eviscerated fish tail first and abdominal cavity downwards in a transport direction T along a transport path;
• and
• at least one processing station for automatedly processing the beheaded and eviscerated fish, wherein:
• the apparatus further comprises an apparatus for automatedly saddling beheaded and eviscerated fish on a holding apparatus of the transport device, and
• the apparatus for automatedly saddling beheaded and eviscerated fish is arranged in the transport direction T before the processing station;
• wherein the apparatus for automatedly saddling beheaded and eviscerated fish on the holding apparatus of the transport device comprises:
• a frame structure;
• the transport device being arranged on the frame structure, configured and adapted for transporting beheaded and eviscerated fish tail first and abdominal cavity downwards in the transport direction T along the transport path, wherein the transport device comprises:
• a transport unit that is driven rotatingly, and
• at least one holding apparatus fitted on the transport unit, the at least one holding apparatus comprising at least one fastening element and a holding plate which is configured and adapted for holding the beheaded and eviscerated fish during processing;
• a feed device configured and adapted for the automated feed of the beheaded and eviscerated fish into a region of the transport device;
• a catching and centring device configured and adapted to catch the beheaded and eviscerated fish released by the feed device, with the abdominal cavity facing downwards, and centring the same parallel to the transport direction T;
• and
• a take-over device configured and adapted for taking over the beheaded and eviscerated fish from the catching and centring device, for holding the beheaded and eviscerated fish in a transfer position, and for releasing the beheaded and eviscerated fish as soon as a holding apparatus transported through the beheaded and eviscerated fish in a region of the abdominal cavity captures the beheaded and eviscerated fish and pulls them in the transfer position from the take-over device.

A method for automatedly obtaining meat from beheaded and eviscerated fish, the method comprising:

• saddling the beheaded and eviscerated fish with an abdominal cavity of the beheaded and eviscerated fish downwards on holding apparatuses of a transport device;
• transporting the beheaded and eviscerated fish by means of the transport device along a transport path tail first in a transport direction T;
• and
• separating the meat from a bone structure of the beheaded and eviscerated fish by means of a processing station arranged along the transport path;
• wherein the beheaded and eviscerated fish are automatically saddled on the holding apparatuses;
• wherein the saddling of the beheaded and eviscerated fish on the holding apparatuses is carried out with an apparatus configured and adapted for automatedly saddling beheaded and eviscerated fish on holding apparatuses for automated further processing of the beheaded and eviscerated fish, the apparatus comprising:
• a frame structure;
• the transport device arranged on the frame structure, configured and adapted for transporting beheaded and eviscerated fish tail first and abdominal cavity downwards in a transport direction T along a transport path, wherein the transport device comprises:
• a transport unit that is driven rotatingly, and
• at least one holding apparatus fitted on the transport unit, the at least one holding apparatus comprising at least one fastening element and a holding plate which is configured and adapted for holding the beheaded and eviscerated fish during processing;
• a feed device configured and adapted for the automated feed of the beheaded and eviscerated fish into a region of the transport device;
• a catching and centring device configured and adapted to catch the beheaded and eviscerated fish released by the feed device, with the abdominal cavity facing downwards, and centring the same parallel to the transport direction T;
• and
• a take-over device configured and adapted for taking over the beheaded and eviscerated fish from the catching and centring device, for holding the beheaded and eviscerated fish in a transfer position, and for releasing the beheaded and eviscerated fish as soon as the at least one holding apparatus transported through the beheaded and eviscerated fish in a region of the abdominal cavity captures the beheaded and eviscerated fish and pulls them in the transfer position from the take-over device.