Water jet fish cleaning apparatus for kirimi processor

Abstract

The present invention allows oval fish processing machinery designed to process pollock or salmon, such as the Baader 182, to be adapted to process flat fish such as sole to produce kirimi. One embodiment of the invention includes a generally rectangular fish holder that replaces the current fish holders on a fish processing machine. The fish holders include brackets having arms which extend over a portion of the fins and body of the flat fish to hold it in place on the fish holder. Two rotating blades cut through the flat fish held within the holder to remove the head and tail of the flat fish. Once the head and tail of the flat fish are removed, a water jet fish cleaning apparatus removes the blood spot and any internal organs remaining in the center portion of the flat fish to produce kirimi. The water jet fish cleaning apparatus includes a water jet nozzle that has one or more water passages. The passages direct a stream of water into the internal cavity in the center portion of fish. The stream of water from the water jet nozzle contacts and removes the blood spot of the fish. One of the passages directs a stream of water into the cavity approximately normal to the processing path. Another passage directs a stream of water partially forward along the processing path. In one embodiment, the water jet nozzle rotates to follow the center portion as it moves along the processing path.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.