Abstract: Apparatus for eviscerating fresh scallops immediately after they have been shucked from the shell, which apparatus cleanly strips membrane, roe and entrails from the edible adductor muscle without causing damage to the latter. No ageing, chemical or heat pretreatment is required. The apparatus includes a feed hopper which meters product flow single file onto one end of a set of two horizontal, counterrotating pinch rollers. A horizontal open bottom trough directs and contains the scallops on the top surfaces of the rollers. The rollers are critically sized and knurl textured and supported in rolling contact so as to nip and downwardly strip off soft entrails and membrane but support the firm cylindrical meat (muscle tissue). Water sprays and high speed cylindrical rotary brushes clean the rollers from below. The rollers have left and right hand helical grooves which advance the product along the rollers from the hopper to a discharge end while being processed.

Abstract: A pneumatic conveying system including an air separator chamber having an exhaust fan connected thereto to produce a partial vacuum in such chamber is described. An inlet duct is connected to the chamber through which material is conveyed by air flow into the chamber. The chamber includes an exit section within which material separated by gravity/momentum forces collect, such exit section having an air lock valve therein as described below. This valve is arranged such that in the closed position of the valve, the pyramid-like configuration is inverted with the apex of the pyramid being directed downwardly. The air lock valve includes a plurality of flexible panels and a support structure operatively connected thereto. Such panel are movable between an open position for passage of material through the valve and a closed position. The panels together define an open-sleeve-like structure in the open condition of the valve.