Fish characteristic detecting and sorting apparatus

Apparatus for sorting fish including detector means for detecting a characteristic of fish, fish-moving means for moving fish past the detector means, and channeling means operable in response to the detector means to channel fish in accordance with the effect of the fish on the detector means, the improvement comprising fish-moving means including an arcuate trough of truncated crescent shape having end portions of a width slightly greater than the maximum width of a fish being processed in the apparatus, said arcuate trough having a rough surface on which the fish lie, and oscillating means for oscillating said trough for effecting movement of fish along the trough by the action of such rough surface.

Apparatus for sorting fish including detector means for detecting a characteristic of fish, fish-moving means for moving fish along a path past the detector means and channeling means operable in response to the detector means to channel fish in accordance with the effects of the fish on the detector means, the detector means including a radiant-energy source at one side of such path and energy-responsive means at the opposite side of such path, the improvement comprising the energy-responsive means including a first energy-responsive element generally centered with respect to such path and two additional energy-responsive elements spaced lengthwise of the path from said first energy-responsive element, spaced apart transversely of such path and located at opposite sides of said first energy-responsive element with respect to such path and having no energy-responsive elements therebetween, whereby the orientation of the back and belly of a fish relative to the path is detected.

In conveying means for fish including pushing means and means for reciprocating said pushing means, the improvement comprising the pushing means including plate means having a plurality of pushing teeth integral with and upstanding from said plate means, made of the same material as said plate means and inclined from said plate means in one direction for producing a pushing force on a fish while being moved in one direction greater than the force exerted by said teeth on the fish when said pushing means is moved in the opposite direction.

In apparatus for detecting a characteristic of fish including a radiant-energy source for location at one side of a fish directed toward the fish and energy-responsive means for location at the other side of the fish for receiving from the fish energy originated by the radiant-energy source, the improvement comprising fish-characteristic indicating signal light means, and actuating means operable by the energy-responsive means for controlling illumination of said signal light means for indicating a characteristic of a fish between the radiant-energy source and the energy-responsive means.

Apparatus for processing fish comprising fish-orienting means for orienting fish from a disarray condition into substantially unidirectional relationship, and fish-singling means for moving fish lengthwise headfirst along a substantially horizontal path in single file, including substantially horizontal fish-accelerating means for exerting a substantially horizontal accelerating force on fish moving in single file along such substantially horizontal path to space apart successive fish.

Apparatus for orienting fish from a disarray condition into a substantially parallel relationship comprising spaced parallel bars forming slots therebetween, the upper edges of said bars being saw-toothed with the teeth of alternate bars raked in the same direction and the teeth of the intermediate bars raked in the opposite direction, and means for vibrating said bars for effecting swinging of fish deposited on said bars in positions with their lengths extending crosswise of said bars into positions generally parallel to said bars to drop through the slots between said bars.