Abstract: The invention relates to a portioning device for packaging of food products (3) in a portion carrier, comprising positioning device and gripping device (1), which gripping device comprises first and second articulating jaws (12a, 12b) having first and second ends that together with a belt or table (5) for a food product (3) define an opening between said jaws (12a, 12b) arranged to grip the food product laying on the belt or table (5), wherein said first and second jaws (12a, 12b) are articulately arranged in order to be movable between at least two relative positions, one holding position and one open position, wherein the portioning device also comprises a cutting device (2) arranged at said first and/or second ends of said first and second articulating jaws (12a, 12b), and wherein said cutting device (2) is arranged to use the belt/table (5) as support for cutting. The invention also relates to a method for packaging of food products by use of the portioning device.

Abstract: This invention relates to automated systems and methods for hanging live poultry for further processing. The system has an alignment conveyor, an alignment stunner, a hanging box, and a shackle. The alignment conveyor conveys poultry from an input point to the alignment stunner. The alignment stunner urges the poultry to move to a desired position on the alignment conveyor and stuns the poultry. The hanging box grasps the stunned poultry and places the poultry into the shackle for further processing. A computer and at least one sensor control operation of the system so that human intervention is minimized.

Abstract: This invention relates to automated systems and methods for hanging live poultry for further processing. The system has an alignment conveyor, an alignment stunner, a hanging box, and a shackle. The alignment conveyor conveys poultry from an input point to the alignment stunner. The alignment stunner urges the poultry to move to a desired position on the alignment conveyor and stuns the poultry. The hanging box grasps the stunned poultry and places the poultry into the shackle for further processing. A computer and at least one sensor control operation of the system so that human intervention is minimized.

Abstract: A transport apparatus for transporting articles hanging on loops or the like, in particular sausage-shaped packs, comprising a shaft which has a first axial portion on which a screw is disposed. A drive moment is applied by way of the outside periphery of the screw and the shaft is supported by way of the outside periphery of the screw.

Abstract: In a device and method for controlling the commencement of operation of at least one tool in a fish processing machine, a guide element penetrates the interior of the fish so as to perform alignment of the fish before the tool begins its application. A monitoring device associated with the guide element includes a sensor for determining the guide element/fish position. An evaluating unit connected to the sensor compares nominal and actual position values. On reaching an adjustable nominal position value, a signal for actuating the tool is triggered. Therefore, the tool comes into operation only when the monitoring device yields an actual value for the fish position which corresponds to the nominal value when the guide element has penetrated properly.

Abstract: A device for processing slaughtered animals or parts thereof, having a first station and a second station, comprises a conveyor which extends between the first station and the second station. The conveyor comprises at least one slot which is designed to carry and support the slaughtered animals, a supply device for supplying the slaughtered animals or parts thereof at the first station on the conveyor, and a discharge device for discharging the slaughtered animals or parts thereof from the conveyor at the second station. The device has at least one driven driving member which spans at least half of the width of the slot, passes through a path which is substantially parallel to the course of the slot and is designed to move the slaughtered animals or parts thereof which are in the slot along the slot.

Abstract: An apparatus for gripping the feet of sitting or standing poultry. The apparatus comprising a first conveyor where the poultry sits or stands on the first conveyor and points its head in the same or opposite direction to the direction of travel of the first conveyor. A section of the first conveyor forms a tunnel floor. A tunnel ceiling is disposed above the first conveyor. The distance between the tunnel ceiling and the first conveyor initially decreases in the direction of travel of the first conveyor. A guide extends in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel ceiling and is located between the first conveyor and the tunnel ceiling. The distance between the tunnel ceiling and the first conveyor increases in the direction of travel of the first conveyor at a location proximate to the guide. A second conveyor is located in the direction of travel of the first conveyor substantially after the guide. The breast of the poultry rests on the second conveyor.

Abstract: Apparatus for determining the position of a bivalve shellfish (10), particularly a scallop, which is to be processed to recover an edible portion. A shell shape complement (30) has at least a partially complementary shape such as a concavity or recess to fit with at least a part of the shape or profile of the shellfish (10) such as the projecting part (18) at the hinge region (11). Moving means (40) rotates the shellfish relative to the shell shape complement (30) while the shellfish is maintained in contact with the shell shape complement (30) by biasing means operative to bias the shell shape complement (30) against the circumference (15) of the shellfish as the shellfish is rotated by the moving means (40) until a fit of the shellfish (10) with the complement is achieved. A sensor (45) is located within the concavity to sense and signal the achievement of the fit.

Abstract: A shrimp conveying and positioning apparatus (10) includes a track (13) oriented along an inclined path in one direction. The track is reciprocated along an inclined path in a direction opposite to the inclined orientation of the track. The apparatus also includes a contact plate (26) wherein the shrimp ride upon the contact plate to position the shrimp from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically positioning fish with respect to their plane of symmetry and for the periodic transfer of the fish to a fish processing machine is proposed. The apparatus comprises a supply conveyor in the form of a trough conveyor and a feed conveyor arranged below and essentially perpendicular to the supply conveyor for feeding the fish into the processing machine. The feed conveyor includes a support conveyor equipped with support elements onto which each fish is placed with the support elements protruding into the belly cavity. This is achieved by a holding element which is arranged between the supply conveyor and the feed conveyor and is controlled by a signal to open and release the temporarily held fish. The generation of the signal is varied according to a measurement value representing the size of the fish being positioned so that each fish is released to land exactly positioned with its belly cavity on a support element irrespective of its size.

Abstract: A fish processing machine has a deheading station and a finishing station at which the throat tissue of the deheaded fish is removed. These stations are located on a reciprocating carriage in conjunction with a main body conveyor, a head positioning conveyor and a hold-down conveyor which are continuously advancing and positioning the fish being processed. The head positioning conveyor has head and tail sprockets and has head positioning pins which are in engagement with the heads of conveyed fish behind the deheading station. These pins are swing-mounted so that they will remain in upright position as they are withdrawn from the fish heads while passing over the front quadrant of the head sprocket before the fish heads reach the deheading station.

Abstract: The head of a fish is severed from the fish body in a two-stage operation, in the first stage the root of the fish head beneath the gill covers being cut partway through and in the second stage the severance of the fish head from the fish body being completed. The first stage cutting operation is effected by cooperating disk cutters converging toward the fish head at an acute angle, means for sensing the thickness of a fish, and means for adjusting the spacing of the disk cutters in accordance with the thickness of the fish sensed. The fish are transported unidirectionally, and the spacing of the cutting disks is adjusted while the cutters are being reciprocated in the same direction of the travel as the fish is transported, and the disk cutters are then reciprocated in the direction opposite the direction of transport of the fish to effect the first stage cutting operation.

Abstract: A fish fillet trimming device having a swing arm mounted rotary blade which rides on the surface of a moving conveyor table. The fish fillets are passed between the cutting blade and the conveyor surface for trimming blemished portions of the fillets. The method permits an inspector using an endless belt candling table to detect blemishes in the fillets and orient the fillets on the belt surface so as to pass beneath the trimming knife without removal of the fillets from the processing travel path.

Abstract: A feed device for a shrimp peeling machine in which a shrimp is delivered in a feed conveyor means to a shrimp clamp assembly located on a rotatable transport wheel and the feed conveyor is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the clamp assembly. Means also are provided for synchronizing the drop off of a shrimp from the conveying means to a clamp assembly. The shrimp peeling machine also includes a hold-down wheel for assisting the clamping of shrimp in a clamp assembly, a dual brush deveining assembly and a shrimp meat removal device.

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.

Abstract: There is described a fish processing apparatus, which comprises a first processing section, inside which the fish are conveyed in a direction transverse to their longitudinal axes and a second processing section, adjoining the first section at an angle to it, inside which the fish are conveyed lengthways. At the end portion of the first processing section there is installed an auxiliary device for the transfer of fish to the second processing section, with a cover located above the path of the fish which is formed to be resiliently displaceable in the intake region and non-yielding in the region the outlet portion. Thereby, a transfer combining correct alignment and exact timing is achieved as a prerequisite for precise processing with an increased yield at a high throughput.

Abstract: An installation for processing flatfish, in particular for severing the head, and, if necessary, the tail thereof, comprises a feeding device (1), means for aligning the fish and means for conveying the same in rest position on one of their sides through the operative area of processing tools. The installation can be characterized in that the conveying means (13) is provided with entrainers (14) which engage the fish at its flank remote of that lying on the support surface (16), and are controlled to turn about an axis which is perpendicular to said support surface (16). Each fish is taken over by the entrainer (14) with attention being paid to a detected measured value with respect to its size such that the point of engagement of the entrainer is uniform independent of the size.

Abstract: An automatically functioning turn-over apparatus for fish fillets, which may be arranged subsequent to a fish filleting machine, has a guiding channel for the fillets arranged at an inclination to slope in the conveying direction of the fillets. In its end portion the guiding channel has a run-off edge arranged obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the channel, while below the latter a correspondingly inclined collecting chute having a semi-circular or oval-arch-shaped cross-section is arranged such that the run-off edge faces a side-wall of the collecting surface forming a guiding face, which is arranged at a distance to the run-off edge so as to allow the passage of the fillets.