Squid processing machine
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsRajinder P. Singh, Daniel E. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A squid processing machine supports and specially positions a squid. The squid is treated by being severed into three longitudinally separate tentacle, eye or head, and body portions. The tentacle portion is released into one zone and the eye portion is released into another zone. The body portion is impaled on a peg and is rotated and subjected to external water jets that remove the skin, which is discarded, and to internal water jets that remove the viscera, which are discarded. The remaining body portion is ejected from the peg and is directed away from the treatment portion of the machine.
Claims18
A squid processing machine for a squid having a body with an intermediate eye portion, an end tentacle portion and an end envelope portion having a skin with a circumferential rim comprising a frame;
- a substantially horizontal alignment trough on said frame and having a movable side wall;
- a feeding table on said frame directing a squid thereon into said alignment trough;
- means on said frame for engaging said circumferential rim on a squid in said alignment trough and moving said squid rim into a predetermined longitudinal position in said trough;
- a pair of knives on said frame movable across said trough on opposite sides of said predetermined longitudinal position to sever a squid therein into a separate intermediate eye portion, an end tentacle portion and an end envelope portion;
- means for moving said side wall to release said separate squid portions from said trough;
- means for conducting said eye portion from said trough;
- means for conducting said tentacle portion from said trough;
- a hollow peg;
- means for mounting said peg on said frame for rotation about an upright axis;
- means for directing said end envelope portion from said alignment trough into a substantially upright position with the severed end thereof down and in alignment with said peg;
- means for urging said substantially upright end envelope portion into impalement on said peg;
- means for rotating said peg and said end envelope portion therewith;
- means for projecting a water jet against said rotating end envelope portion to remove said skin therefrom;
- means for discharging said skinless end envelope portion from impalement on said peg.
Apparatus for processing the body portion of a squid comprising peg means sized and contoured to receive and fit into the body portion of a squid for retaining said body portion for rotation therewith, said peg means being hollow and including a radial flow passage communicating between its interior and exterior surfaces;
- means for injecting fluid under pressure into the interior of said peg means, thereby causing said fluid to issue radially from said peg means in the form of a high speed fluid jet from the external opening of said fluid flow passage;
- and clamping means disposed radially outward from said peg means and selectively movable between an open position and a body portion grasping position, said clamping means, in its body portion grasping position, being adapted to engage said body portion and arrest rotation thereof despite continued rotation of said peg means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.