Abstract: An eviscerating apparatus uses a belt conveyor for transporting preoriented shrimp through an uncurling mechanism, a cutting mechanism and a washing device for removing the digestive tract from the shrimp body parts. The curled body parts are preoriented through use of rotating rollers which are equipped with grooves that provide a ledge for flipping the shrimp onto their backs in a channel formed by the rollers. As thus oriented, the shrimp are successively fed to a trough formed by the belt of the conveyor. Shrimp are cradled on their backs in the trough and pass beneath a spring loaded shoe that straightens the curled shrimp body parts out against the belt of the conveyor.

Abstract: An apparatus and process of treating a mixture of shellfish meat particles and shell halves is revealed and wherein the mixture is treated by elutriation in an elongated, narrow upright zone. At the upper end of the zone the meat particles are removed while at the lower end of the zone the shells are withdrawn. The shells gravitate through a region of the zone and where the water is agitated by a device for admitting air to the elutriation zone and which accelerates the shell movement toward the lower end of the treatment zone. The meat particles, on the other hand, pass through yet another region and which the passage is diminished by the admission of air so as to accelerate the upward movement of the particles toward a lateral meat discharge opening from the zone. Here the meat particles are assisted in their discharge through the opening by an appropriately positioned baffle.

Abstract: A method for shucking and cleaning raw uncooked shellfish of the bivalve type including the steps of opening the bivalve by feeding the shellfish between a moving belt and a stationary plate in order to provide a shearing force. Other steps in the method include, separating the meat from the shells, eviscerating the meat, grading the meat and separating and drying the viscera.