Automated fish scaling apparatus

An automated fish scaling apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

• a housing, said housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a first wall, a second wall, a third wall and a fourth wall, said first and second walls being opposing walls, said third and fourth walls being opposing walls, said housing having a distal portion, a central portion and a proximal portion, said central portion of said top wall being open, said housing having a top peripheral edge, said housing having a generally rectangular shape, a length of said first and second opposing walls being shorter than a length of said third and fourth opposing walls;
• a first pulley, said first pulley being rotatably mounted in said housing, said first pulley being mounted between said third and fourth walls, said first pulley being located generally adjacent to said top peripheral edge and a juncture of said distal and central portions of said housing;
• a second pulley, said second pulley being rotatably mounted in said housing, said second pulley extending between said third and fourth walls, said second pulley being located generally adjacent to said top peripheral edge and a juncture of said central and proximal portions of said housing;
• a first continuous belt for rotating on said pulleys, said belt extending between and wrapping about said first and second pulleys, said belt having a width substantially equal to a width of said opening in said top wall of said housing;
• a first motor for rotating said first pulley, said first motor being mounted in said distal portion of said housing, said first motor being operationally coupled to said first pulley, said motor being an electric motor;
• a first switch for actuating said first motor, said first switch being electrically coupled to said first motor, said first switch being mounted on said third wall, said first switch being located generally adjacent to said motor;
• a power cord for supplying power to said motor, said power cord being electrically coupled to motor, said power cord extending through said first wall of said housing;
• a chopping block for cutting a fish, said chopping block being mounted on said top wall, said chopping block being generally located on said distal portion of said housing;
• a slot in said top wall for allowing scales to fall into said housing, said slot being located generally adjacent to a juncture of said central and proximal portions;
• a tray for catching scales from a fish, said tray being slidably mounted in said second wall of said housing, said tray being located generally adjacent to said bottom wall of said housing, said tray having a handle thereon;
• a first blade for scaling the fish, said first blade being located generally adjacent to said slot, said first blade being located between said slot and said second wall, said first blade being orientated generally perpendicular to said third and fourth walls;
• four bores, said bores being in said top wall of said housing, each of said bores being located in said proximal portion of said housing, each of said bores being located generally adjacent to said top peripheral edge of said housing, a first of said bores being generally located in a corner created by said second and fourth walls, a second of said bores being generally located in a corner created by said second and third walls, a third of said bores being located generally adjacent to said third wall and between said slot and said second pulley, a fourth of said bores being located generally adjacent to said fourth wall and between said slot and said second pulley;
• four tubes, each of said tubes being fixedly coupled to and extending upwardly away from one of said bores, each of said tubes being hollow and having a pair of open ends;
• four springs, each of said springs having a first end being fixedly mounted within one of said bores;
• a pair of mountings, each of said mountings having a base and two legs, each of said mountings having a generally inverted U-shape, each of said bases of said mounting having a bore therein, said legs of one of said mountings being inserted in said first and fourth bores, said legs of one of said mounting being inserted in said second and third bores, said bores in said mounting being oriented such that said bores are generally coaxial when said mountings are placed in said bores;
• a platform for guiding fish along said first belt, said platform having a distal portion, a central portion and a proximal portion, said platform having a bottom surface and a top surface, said platform having a generally rectangular shape;
• a bar for securing said platform to said mounting, said bar being fixedly secured to said proximal portion of said platform, said bar extending between and being rotatably coupled to each of said bores in said mountings, said platform may be moved between and open and closed position with respect to said housing;
• a chopping blade for cutting the fish, said chopping blade being fixedly mounted to said bottom surface of said platform, said chopping blade being located on said distal portion of said platform such that when said platform is in said closed position said chopping blade is brought against said chopping block;
• a second blade for scaling the fish, said scaling blade being fixedly mounted to said bottom surface of said platform, said second blade being located such that when said platform is in said closed position said second blade located generally above said first blade, said second blade being oriented generally parallel with said first blade when said platform being in said closed position;
• a third pulley, said third pulley being rotatably mounted on said bottom surface of said platform, said third pulley being generally located between said central and distal portion of said platform;
• a fourth pulley, said fourth pulley being rotatably mounted on said bottom surface of said platform, said fourth pulley being generally located between said central and proximal portion of said platform;
• a second belt for connecting said third and fourth pulleys, said second belt extending between and being wrapped about said third and fourth pulleys;
• a second motor for rotating said fourth pulley, said second motor being mounted on said top surface of said platform, said second motor being generally located in said proximal portion of said platform, said second motor being operationally coupled to said fourth pulley, said second motor being an electric motor, said second motor being electrically coupled to said power cord;
• and
• a second switch for actuating said second motor, said second switch being electrically coupled to said second motor, said first switch being mounted on said second motor.