Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mechanically recovering flesh from fish, in which by introducing incisions, the dorsal bones and the ventrally directed bones are cut free from the laterally located fillets without separating the pin bones from the spine and the separating gaps formed by the incisions are then expanded, thereby moving the lateral fillets away from the spine of the fish in the lateral direction transverse to the dorsal bones, wherein the fillets are peeled away from the pin bones extending laterally out from the spine or the flank bones, and a corresponding apparatus for mechanically recovering the flesh of fish.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mechanically recovering flesh from fish, in which by introducing incisions, the dorsal bones and the ventrally directed bones are cut free from the laterally located fillets without separating the pin bones from the spine and the separating gaps formed by the incisions are then expanded, thereby moving the lateral fillets away from the spine of the fish in the lateral direction transverse to the dorsal bones, wherein the fillets are peeled away from the pin bones extending laterally out from the spine or the flank bones, and a corresponding apparatus for mechanically recovering the flesh of fish.

Abstract: A catfish fillet machine for filleting fish, such as a catfish, with ribs extending through the belly flesh up to the skin. The catfish fillet machine includes a pair of scraping tools for dividing the flesh of each fish half into at least two independent segments up to the skin. Advantageously, the belly flesh is stripped from the ribs on both sides, thereby resulting in a minimum wastage of fillet flesh. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the catfish fillet machine includes a pelvic fin and bone cutter/remover. A mechanism advantageously stretches the nuggets (belly flaps) of the fish tightly against the scraper knives and cutting support of the scraper tools. A fish saddle which engages and moves the fish along the conveyance path has top rail removably fastened to a base and made of a polymer material softer than the cutting blades.

Abstract: In a fileting process for fish of the Siluridae species, for instance, catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), the bone plate present in the area of the dorsal fin of these species for supporting the dorsal spike is first undercut from the dorsal area without cutting through its connection to the bone structure, in order to obtain largely trim-free filets. This takes place by means of a cutting tool that makes incisions under the bone plate up to the ventral bones, so that, in the subsequent cutting free of the filet meat from the ventral bones, the outer parts of the bone plate accumulate separately from the filet meat.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for removing a surface layer from fish fillets. To permit the apparatus to operate with high precision and optimal yield for a large variety of fish species it comprises an entrainer roller which serves as a conveying surface and a pressing shoe having a pressing surface spaced from the outer surface of the entrainer roller by a gap. The pressing shoe comprises a guide for an endless belt knife. Pressing means in the form of a plurality of driven pressing rollers are arranged in an area directly above the cutting edge of the knife to act on the knife as the fish fillets are processed. The pressing rollers are mounted to rotate with two degrees of freedom thus permiting them to exert pressure with maximum surface possible and reliably flatten the fish prior to its arrival at the belt knife.

Abstract: An apparatus forming part of a filletting machine for removing meat from the skeleton of fish in the region of the ribs is described, through which the fish are conveyed with their tails leading and guided by guides which penetrate into cuts already performed for cutting free the belly and back spokes. The removal of meat from the ribs is performed by means of a tool, which comprises a scraping knife arranged on each side of the belly-cut guides and exending in a plane which forms an angle of between 10.degree. and 50.degree. with the guidance plane defined by the belly-cut and back-cut guides.

Abstract: In a skinning apparatus comprising a skinning roller, a presser face opposing and at a slight distance from said roller's circumferential surface, and a skinning knife associated with said presser face, the circumferential surface of the skinning roller includes a plurality of grooves extending essentially parallel to the axis of rotation and defining a roller surface which is limited to the ridge faces of the tooth webs separating two neighboring grooves, the grooves being designed generally flat and with relatively large pitch and having a cross-section, whose depth amounts to a maximum of 0.5 mm in the region of the leading flanks of the tooth webs and exceeds this in the region of the trailing flanks.

Abstract: A method for removing wings from poultry bodies and an apparatus for performing the method are described, in which a poultry body held on a conveyor is supplied to a separating mechanism. The latter comprises either two successive separating tools or only a single one. In the first case, the first tool of the two comprises a pair of circular knives arranged symmetrically to the path of the conveyor and which can be moved from the back of the poultry body into the bend between the latter and the humerus of the wing and cuts through the skin and ligaments, as well as the large wing tendons in the region of the body joint.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for filleting fish rumps/bodies, particulrly fish with a short abdominal cavity. This apparatus is characterized by the arrangement of a vertical guideway formed from belly and back guides, along which are provided belly and back filleting knives axially displaceable against spring tension. The belly filleting knives are positioned upstream of the back filleting knives when seen in the fish passage direction, the back filleting knives intruding between the belly guides under spring tension. If desired, the apparatus can be provided with a known rib scraping device. When this is used, an auxiliary conveyor aiding the advance of the fish is provided between the belly guides.

Abstract: An apparatus for skinning fish includes a pressure pad carrying an oscillating knife blade and defining a presser surface which faces the circumferential surface of a skinning roller, the pressure pad being mounted to yield against spring force. The oscillating knife blade is guided in a pocket formed in the pressure pad. This arrangement makes it possible to skin fish fillets without any splitting of the tail portion.

Abstract: A method for severing the heads from fish makes a better yield of fish flesh supplied for human consumption possible. In this method the supracleithra forming the connection between the head skeleton and the shoulder girdle arcs are split off after the gill cavity has been opened ventrally by cutting through the isthmus and finally the head is pulled from the rump in a position where it is jack-knifed towards the nape of the neck.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for gaining skin-freebelly flaps of fish and an apparatus for performing such method. In a fish filleting machine which processes the fish being conveyed tail first and comprises a belly and back filleting tool, a rib severing tool designed as a scraping tool, and a severing tool for releasing meat bands on either side of the spinal column in the tail region, a cutting device is arranged between the two first-mentioned tools, and a further severing device is arranged directly behind the rib severing tool. By actuating the latter at the instance of arrival of the belly cavity end, a cutting element thereof, comprising a knife blade, penetrates the fillet meat up to the inside of the skin and, during further advancing of the fish, splits the skin off the meat portions covering the ribs and the lateral vertebral appendages of the skeleton, i.e. off the belly flaps, so that these are obtained skinless after having passed the rib severing tool.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for gaining boneless fish fillets. In a fish filleting machine which processes the fish being conveyed tail first and comprises a belly and back filleting toot, and a severing tool for releasing meat bands on either side of the spinal column in the tail region, a pinbone tool is arranged between the two first-mentioned tools, this pinbone tool comprising circular knives between which a graving knife is arranged for severing the meat strip containing the pinbones immediately after this strip has been cut free.

Abstract: The invention aims at improving an apparatus for dividing fillets into portions, such as, for example, tails, loins and possibly center pieces by effecting the necessary dividing cuts while simultaneously and automatically safe-guarding an adaptation to the particular fillet dimensions or other optically striking features. To this end, a cutting mechanism arranged above a fillet supplying conveying surface and constituted by at least one cutting member is suggested, whose circular knife has a flattened portion, which, when facing the conveying surface, offers a passage position of the circular knife and by a well defined rotation makes it possible to bring the knife into the cutting position. The cutting members are controlled by computing the dimensions and/or optically striking features of a fillet image obtained by means of a video camera and supplied to a computer.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for removing a surface layer, particularly of fish fillets. On the basis of an apparatus with a skinning roller, a presser shoe facing the circumferential surface thereof while leaving a gap thereto and a skinning or paring knife, it is proposed to mount the latter on a separate knife holder in a deflectable manner against the tension of a spring and to limit the deflection path thereof by an adjustable stop. It is also proposed that the presser shoe is fitted displaceably against the tension of a spring until it engages on a further adjustable stop. Thus, on the one hand the skinning knife can be raised to a layer thickness determined by the stop and the presser shoe on the other hand is able to adapt to the resulting layer thickness while maintaining a positive conveying effect.

Abstract: The invention concerns a decapitating apparatus for fish in which the fish to be processed is conveyed by entrainers essentially transverse to its axis and by fixing its longitudinal position by a holding element engaging the eye-hole and accompanying the fish. For adjusting the holding element a guide bar is arranged for engaging the holding element in a guiding manner in the region of a severing device performing a wedge-shaped decapitating cut and for displacing the holding element resiliently out of its path of movement.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for skinning fish having a skinning roller with which a fixed knife cooperates whose lower surface directed towards the skinning roller is constructed as a presser surface which together with the skinning roller defines a narrow gap. The peripheral surface of the skinning roller is provided with first grooves extending longitudinally which are interrupted by two arrays of second grooves situated approximately in the middle of the two halves of the skinning roller and extending around its periphery. The second grooves have a greater spacing than that of the first grooves.

Abstract: In a fish filleting machine with one pair each of circular belly filleting knives, back filleting knives and severing knives as well as belly and back guides arranged on the one hand between the former and on the other hand between the latter, the fish is saddled up tail forward on a push saddle. A scraper tool is disposed beside the belly guides downstream of the belly filleting knives and upstream of the plane of the severing knives, both halves of which scraper tool consist of a respective wedge-shaped scraper knife, the cutting edges of which are associated with a bulge-shaped backing support. The scraper tool is controllable in its height position. In that case, the scraper tool assumes a lowered, i.e. basic setting while the tail part of the fish is guided past. On arrival of the abdominal cavity end, it is driven into a raised setting so that the scraper knife after penetration of the uncut flesh band disposed laterally beside the backbone severs the fillets above the vertebral projections and ribs.

Abstract: An apparatus for skinning fish fillets comprises a rotatable skinning roller, conveyor means for advancing the fillets to the skinning roller, and a skinning knife provided with a cutting edge at a fixed distance from and a presser face equi-spaced from the periphery of the skinning roller. The periphery of the skinning roller is provided with lands for transporting the fillet and supporting it at the skin side thereof and grooves comparatively narrow with respect to the lands and separating the latter.

Abstract: This invention is concerned with the gaining of high quality fish meat from parts which remain on the skeleton of the fish after it has been filleted. The method according to the invention consists in that those parts of the skeleton including the dorsal and the belly extensions of the vertebras are separated by cutting from that part of the vertebral column disposed in the zone of the abdominal cavity and the blood bag. The first parts, including the high quality meat, are then subjected to a removing process in which the high quality meat is separated from the bones, while the latter part, which is not suitable as human nutrition, is waste and is further processed in any customary manner.