Apparatus for measuring and positioning of fish at head cutting

Abstract

The size of a fish is measured and its position is adjusted in a fish processing machine, in which head cutting is carried out in such a way that the best output possible is obtained without loss of valuable parts. The fish is advanced sidewise in a fish box by a conveyor and before the deheader of the machine is partly introduced into a head box, after which the thickness of the fish is measured by sensing the head of the fish at that portion, which is located behind the eyes and has a substantially constant thickness, and the fish is then displaced in its longitudinal direction to the correct cutting position in dependence of the measured thickness.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for measuring fish and positioning them in an optimum position for deheading, said apparatus comprising a first conveyor having a path of movement and having a plurality of fish boxes carried thereby, each of said fish boxes being adapted to advance a fish carried thereby sideways with the fish head located on a particular side thereof, a second conveyor having a path of movement extending adjacent and substantially parallel to part of the path of movement of said first conveyor and having a plurality of head boxes carried thereby,   sensing means for determining the thickness of a fish carried by a fish box in the region of the fish located immediately behind the eyes of the fish,   means for locating said sensing means in an interspace between the respective paths of movement of said fish boxes and said head boxes,   means for moving each of said plurality of head boxes of said second conveyor in synchronism with and in the same direction as and directly opposite to an individual fish box of said first conveyor along a portion of the path of movement of said second conveyor,   means for displacing each of said head boxes toward and away from an individual fish box in the longitudinal direction of a fish resting in said fish box,   a first control means fixedly mounted with respect to the paths of movement of said conveyors for actuating second control means in response to said sensing means,   a plurality of second control means for controlling said head box displacing means to optimum locations, a second control means connected to each of said head boxes and movable therewith in the path of movement of said second conveyor and for controlling said head box displacing means to move its connected head box longitudinally to an optimum location dependent upon the measured thickness of the fish in its connected head box, and   means for locking each head box at said optimum position.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprise a plurality of sensing devices, one device associated with each of said head boxes. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprises a pair of movable arms, one located on each side of said head boxes, wherein said first control means comprises a stationary curve extending laterally of and substantially parallel to a portion of the path of movement of said second conveyor, and   wherein each of said second control means comprises a means operatively connected to said movable arms and operatively connected to a head box, and for engaging said stationary curve.   
     
     
       4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said movable arms comprise a pair of seizing arms adapted to move synchronously towards each other to seize a fish, transport it to its optimum deheading position, and hold it during deheading. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the paths of movement of said fish boxes and said head boxes are substantially semi-circular in the region where they extend substantially parallel to each other. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises a fixed arm and a movable arm, and wherein said first control means comprises a guide roller operatively connected to said movable arm of said sensing means by a lever system, and   wherein each of said second control means comprise a cam follower adapted to cooperate with said guide roller and operatively connected to said head box displacing means.   
     
     
       7. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensing means consists of a single sensing device comprising a fixed arm and a movable arm.