Automatic fish feeder and orientator

An automatic fish feeder and orientator adapted for continuously delivering fish into an automatic fish scaler comprising a framework mountable upon a floor and including a pair of laterally spaced top rails;

• opposed longitudinally spaced pairs of substantially upright support arms intermediate their ends pivotally mounted upon said rails respectively;
• an elongated reciprocal feed table overlying said framework and along opposite sides pivotally connected to and supported upon the upper ends of said support arms, respectively;
• a horizontally disposed reciprocal feed plate overlying said framework spaced below said table and along its opposite sides pivotally connected to the lower ends of said support arms, respectively;
• an elongated fish receiver having an upright side walls with an open top and bottom centrally mounted upon and secured to said table longitudinally thereof, said side walls terminating in a throated converging fish outlet adjacent one end of said table;
• an elongated fish delivery channel mounted upon and secured to said feed plate along its length underlying said receiver and projecting outwardly of the end of said feed plate opposite from said receiver outlet;
• a tubular feed chute of arcuate shape supported upon said table at one end communicating with said receiver outlet, with its other end loosely projected into and communicating with said delivery channel;
• power means on said framework connected to and horizontally reciprocating said feed plate;
• and gill engaging means mounted upon said table within said receiver and mounted within and along said delivery channel for supporting and intermittently feeding the fish head first in one direction longitudinally of said receiver through said outlet and into said chute and intermittently feeding the fish head first in the opposite direction from said chute and longitudinally of and along said delivery channel and outwardly of one end thereof.