Apparatus and method for trimming the surface of meat as well as apparatus for processing meat having an apparatus for surface trimming

Apparatus for trimming the surface of meat, in particular fish fillets, comprising a knife head for trimming products to be processed, a transport element for the continuous conveying of products to be processed in a transport direction T into a region of the knife head, an element for recognizing a position of the products, and a control system for moving the knife head depending on data and information determined by the element for recognizing the position of the products, characterized in that the knife head comprises a rotating circular blade and a cutting counter-surface located above the cutting edge of the circular blade, the cutting counter-surface having a detection element associated therewith for recognizing a contour of the products, and wherein the knife head is constructed to be movable in at least three axes A, B and D for automatic execution of free trimming cuts following individual surface contours of the products whereby a surface of the product is trimmed, and wherein

• the knife head is arranged via a flange element on a lever element that is pivotably movable up and down about the axis B which is a horizontally extending axis,
• the lever element is arranged on a rocker which for its part is rotatable horizontally about the axis A which is a vertical axis, and
• the knife head is constructed to be tiltable from side to side about the axis D transverse to the transport direction T.