Fish processing system and method

摘要

Methods and systems for processing fish are provided which enable removal of the head or other portion of a fish in a particularly reliable and efficient manner. The systems include a conveyor drive motor which provides continuous movement of a conveyor device for transporting fish along a transport path and which simultaneously provides intermittent movement of a blade across the transport path to sequentially sever a portion of each fish. An intermittent drive mechanism is coupled to the conveyor drive motor and coupled to the blade to convert continuous movement produced by the conveyor drive motor to intermittent movement of the blade between a standby position and a cutting position. Related methods for severing a portion of each fish in a series of transported fish are also provided.

主权项

1. A fish processing system, comprising:
a structural frame; a conveyor device coupled to the structural frame to convey fish received on the conveyor device across a cutting location; a conveyor drive motor coupled to the structural frame and having a drive shaft coupled to the conveyor device to cause the conveyor device to move via continuous rotation of the drive shaft; a blade movably coupled to the structural frame to move across a transport path of the fish conveyed by the conveyor device; and an intermittent drive mechanism coupled to the drive shaft of the conveyor drive motor and drivingly coupled to the blade to convert continuous rotation of the drive shaft to intermittent movement of the blade between a standby position and a cutting position to sequentially sever a portion from each of a series of the fish conveyed across the cutting location during a fish processing operation.