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US 6,406,366 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for removing pin bones
AssigneeUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks
InventorLawrence V. Kozycki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for removing a pin bone or pin bones from a fillet of fish. The apparatus of the present invention uses a rotating stack of individual disks that are engaged by a shaft, oscillate axially and are timed to alternately tilt in a rapid fashion so as to effect the action of multiple pairs of tweezers. The pin bone is disposed between a pair of tweezer or two adjacent rotating disks and pulled out of the fillet by the rotating disks. The rotating stack of individual disks operates at different speeds in an operation circle to enhance the operational efficiency.
Claims39
A pin bone removal apparatus, comprising:
- a. a frame having a first end and an opposed second end defining an axis therebetween;
- b. a plurality of disks, each disk having a center, a periphery circumscribing the center to form an opening, a diameter, a first side, and an opposed second side;
- c. a shaft positioned between the first end and the second end of the frame and rotatable about the axis of the frame, the shaft having a circumference of a size to be complementarily received by and disposed through the opening in each disk to form a stack of the disks having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the frame;
- d. a first movable arm;
- and
- e. a second movable arm positioned apart from the first movable arm to define a space therebetween for receiving the stack of the disks therein, wherein the first and second movable arms are movable synchronously along the axis of the frame to cause the stack of the disks to move along with the first and second movable arms.
3 more elements
A pin bone removal apparatus, comprising:
- a. a frame having a first end and an opposed second end defining an axis therebetween;
- b. a plurality of disks, each disk having a center, a periphery circumscribing the center to form an opening, a diameter, a first side, and an opposed second side;
- c. a shaft positioned between the first end and the second end of the frame and rotatable around the axis of the frame, the shaft having a circumference of a size to be complementarily received by and disposed through the opening in each disk to form a stack of the disks having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the frame;
- d. at least one endless belt for transferring a fillet, wherein the endless belt has a top surface and an lower surface opposite the top surface;
- e. a floating feed roller positioned above the top surface of the endless belt;
- f. a nose roller positioned beneath the top surface of the endless belt, thereby defining a space between the floating feed roller and the nose roller to allow the fillet to pass therethrough to be positioned over the stack of the disks;
- g. a first movable arm;
- and
- h. a second movable arm apart from the first movable arm thereby to define a space therebetween for receiving the stack of the disks therein, wherein the first and second movable arms are movable synchronously along the axis of the frame and the movements of the first and second movable arms along the axis of the frame cause the stack of the disk to move along with them.
6 more elements
An apparatus for removing a pin bone from a fillet, comprising:
- a. a stack of a plurality of disks, each disk having a center and a periphery that circumscribes the center to form an opening, the stack of the disks having a longitudinal axis extending through the centers of the disks;
- b. means for positioning the fillet over the stack of a plurality of disks at a first position;
- and
- c. means for moving the stack of the disks in a first direction longitudinally at a first speed and the fillet relative to each other so that the pin bone is disposed intermediate the periphery of two adjacent disks in the stack and removed thereby as the pin bone engages a portion of the periphery of each of the two adjacent disks, and moving the stack of the disks at a second speed in a second direction opposite the first direction substantially back toward the first position, wherein the second speed and the first speed are different.
1 more element
A method of removing a pin bone from a fillet, comprising:
- a. positioning the fillet over a stack of a plurality of disks at a first position, each disk having a center and a periphery that circumscribes the center, the stack of the disks having a longitudinal axis extending through the centers of the disks;
- b. moving the stack of the disks in a first direction longitudinally at a first speed and the fillet relative to each other so that the pin bone is disposed intermediate the periphery of two adjacent disks in the stack and removed thereby as the pin bone engages a portion of the periphery of each of the two adjacent disks;
- and
- c. returning the stack of the disks to the first position.
1 more element
A pin bone removal apparatus, comprising:
- a. a frame having a first end and an opposed second end defining an axis therebetween;
- b. a plurality of disks, each disk having a center, a periphery circumscribing the center to form an opening, a diameter, a first side, and an opposed second side;
- c. a shaft positioned between the first end and the second end of the frame and rotatable about the axis of the frame, the shaft having a circumference of a size to be complementarily received by and disposed through the opening in each disk to form a stack of the disks having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the frame;
- d. a first movable arm;
- e. a second movable arm positioned apart from the first movable arm thereby to define a space therebetween for receiving the stack of the disks therein;
- f. a first motor for moving the first and second movable arms;
- and
- g. a second motor for rotating the stack of the disks above the axis of the frame, wherein the first and second movable arms move synchronously along the axis of the frame to cause the stack of the disks to move along with the first and second movable arms.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.