Abstract: The present invention allows oval fish processing machinery designed to process pollock or salmon, such as the Baader 182, to be adapted to process flat fish such as sole to produce kirimi. One embodiment of the invention includes a generally rectangular fish holder that replaces the current fish holders on a fish processing machine. The fish holders include brackets having arms which extend over a portion of the fins and body of the flat fish to hold it in place on the fish holder. Two rotating blades cut through the flat fish held within the holder to remove the head and tail of the flat fish. Once the head and tail of the flat fish are removed, a water jet fish cleaning apparatus removes the blood spot and any internal organs remaining in the center portion of the flat fish to produce kirimi. The water jet fish cleaning apparatus includes a water jet nozzle that has one or more water passages. The passages direct a stream of water into the internal cavity in the center portion of fish.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: A machine for filleting flat fish. The machine includes two pairs of filleting knives that remove the majority of the fillets from the bones of the fish. The partially filleted flat fish then passes through a second set of knives that cooperate in order to cut the fillets away from the backbone of the flat fish. The flat fish is positively pushed and/or pulled through both sets of knives by a series of drive belts and drive gears that engage and push or pull the flat fish through the filleting machine. At least one of the second set of blades moves in and out with respect to the backbone of the flat fish in response to the thickness of the backbone. The resulting flat fish fillets are fed onto a conveyor that may transport the fillets to additional processing equipment.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing fish (24), especially sole, is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame having a longitudinal axis along the direction of movement of the fish as they are processed. The fish are placed onto a conveyor (200) that includes blocks (204) for centering the fish and advancing them parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame and into jaws (202). The jaws open as the fish passes through and measure each fish as well as help center the fish. The length measurement taken by the jaws is sent to a logic controller that determines the approximate dimensions of the fish. The controller uses this information to activate cutters at the proper times. The cutters include dorsal and anal fin cutters (212, 210), a tail cutter (214), and a head and organ cutter (216). The fish is carried into the cutters by spiked belts (222, 224, 230, 232, 234). The belts also transport the fish through an exit chute (362) into more processing equipment or simply into an exit bin.

Abstract: The present invention allows fish processing machinery designed to process pollock or salmon, such as the Baader 182, to be adapted to process flat fish, such as sole. One embodiment of the present invention includes a generally rectangular fish holder that replaces the current fish holders on a fish processing machine. The fish holders include two arms which extend over a portion of the fins and body of a flat fish and hold it in place in the fish holder. The arms include two recesses that have slanted rear walls that center the flat fish as it is placed within the fish holder. Two slots extend across the width of the fish holder to allow a rotating blade to extend beneath the upper surface of the fish holder so as to ensure that the blades cut cleanly through the thickness of the fish. The present invention allows fish processing machinery to hold and center a flat fish so that the head and tail may be cut off to produce various products, such as kirimi.