AU645556B2 - Apparatus for filleting fish - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 6 4 5 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: Int. Class 6.

Name(s) of Applicant(s): Address(es) of Applicant(s): APPLICANT'S REF.: IVAN BUBB Colquhoun Road, Lakes Entrance, Victoria, 3909, Australia.

COMPLETE-AFTER-PROVISIONAL OF PK4105 u r f Actual Inventor(s): IVAN BUBB Address for Service is: PHILLIPS, ORMONDE AND FITZPATRICK Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 367 Collins Street Melbourne, Australia, 3000 APPARATUS FOR FILLETING FISH Complete Specification for the invention entitled: The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to applicant(s): P19/3/84

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This invention relates to the processing of food and other products, in general, and is especially but not exclusively concerned with an apparatus for filleting fish. An apparatus according to the invention is applicable for filleting fish and it will be convenient to hereinafter discuss the invention in detail in relation to that exemplary application. It is to be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to that application.

Although automatic fish filleting machines are commercially available, they are relatively complicated in construction and therefore expensive to purchase and to maintain. Furthermore, these machines are unable or find o 0 it difficult to fillet low profile, wide bodied fish such S as flathead or other wide bodied fish such as latchet (also known as gurnard). This is because they are made to handle high profile, narrow bodied fish such as mackerel, morwong or mullet.

It is therefore still necessary to fa4- fillet fish such as flathead thereby limiting the amount that can be S processed at any one time. The unit costs involved in processing such fish is therefore higher than for fish processed by automatic means.

It would therefore be advantageous to provide an apparatus for filleting fish which is relatively simple in construction and which can process a wide variety of fish including low profile, wide bodied fish.

j+h1-v s in mind- the present invention providc- an apparatus f filleting fish including, a pair of oppos cutting means, conveying means fo conveying at least one fish along a process path passing ough the apparatus, the cutting means being positioned on oposite sides of the process path so that the fish can be f leted on each side as it passes therealong wherein the con ing means includes at least one engagement means for enga 'ng the fish and transport means for transporting the t least one engagement means along the process path.

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2 According to this invention there is provided an apparatus for filleting fish comprising: a process path along which fish to be filleted can be conveyed; a pair of opposed cutting means on the process path spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the direction of the process path and extending substantially parallel to the process path, each said cutting means being arranged so as to effect a cutting action in a plane extending substantially perpendicularly outwardly away from the process path so that the pair of cutting means collectively can fillet fish conveyed along the process path longitudinally along each side of the backbone; and at least one gripper element arranged to pass between said pair of opposed cutting means for po.itively engaging and gripping a said fish at substantially the same elevation as said cutting means and pulling said fish through said cutting means.

It is preferred that each gripper element is a gripper jaw having a pair of opposing jaw sections capable of moving towards each other to grip said fish.

It is preferred that the apparatus includes transport means for providing drive to pull said fish and gripper element through said cutting means to fillet said 5 fish.

It is preferred that each said cutting means comprises a circular cutting disc supported on rotatable support means and having a peripheral cutting edge.

oe 39 0-0 a *i a 39 2a- -r-ee4nce to tb i--ppara tu in ,a normal uA orionta ion, and such terms such as "horizontal" and "vertica should be construed in the light of this orientatio However, it is to be appreciated that other ori ations may be equally possible and that consequentia changes in terms such as those above may be require in the light of those other orientations for a proper and complete understanding of the invention.

Each cutting mea as may include a circular cutting disc having a peri eral cutting edge, both the cutting discs being supprted on rotatable support means in an adjacent an parallel relation with a gap being provided between e cutting discs through which the engagement o* p -The Por ePach engagement meas may includoa -grippingjaw having a pair of opposing Jja ons for gripping at least a portion of a; ish, the gripping jaw being -upperted P c transport moans-- The apparatus may also include a pair of parallel guide rails separated by a gap, the guide rails being provided on opposing sides of the process path for guiding and holding together the gripping jaws as it passes along the process path. The gap between the guide rails is preferably adjustable to control the spacing between the jaw sections.

The transport means may include a pair of conveyor chains each chain being supported on a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatable about an at least substantially vertical axis and being supported on either side of the process path, each conveyor chain travelling along a route extending parallel to and on opposing sides of the process path, each jaw section of a gripper jaw being supported on the opposing conveyor chain wherein the jaw sections are brought togther as the conveyor chains move parallel to the process path.

In an alternative preferred arrangement, the or each engagement means may include at least one pair of opposing support arms, each support arm supporting one of the jaw sections, wherein each support arm is hingedly supported 39 so that the jaw sections can be brought together or 3 separated for respectively clo.ing or opening the gripper jaw formed by the pair of jaw sections. At least one of the support arms may include resilient means for urging the support arms together to close the gripper jaws, and displacement means for separating the support arms to open the gripper jaw. The displacement means may include a lateral arm extending at least substantially laterally from the support arm and having an abutment means for engaging a cooperating camming means to open the gripper jaw. The abutment means may include a guide roller supported at or adjacent the free end of the lateral arm and the camming means may include a guide bar having a e9 guide surface upon which the guide roller can engage. The 0 apparatus may further include a stabilizer bar upon which the guide roller can ride to ensure that the gripper jaw remains closed during travel along the process path.

The transport means may alternatively include a drive disc which is being rotatably driven about a rotational axis at least substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the cutting discs, the or each engagement means being supported on the periphery of said drive disc.

Alternatively the transport means may include a single conveyor chain which moves in an at least substantially vertical plane, the conveyor chain being located below and aligned with the process path, the or 9.9.

each engagement means being mounted on the conveyor chain.

o In another alternative preferred arrangement the transport means may include an actuating ram, the or each engagement means being supported on the actuating ram which pushes and pulls the or each engagement means along the process path.

It will be convenient to further describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate possible embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention are possible, and consequently the particularity of the accompanying drawings is not to be understood as superseding the 39 generality of the preceding description of the invention.

4 In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an example embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the example apparatus of Fig. 1 along line II-II; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the example apparatus of Fig. 1 along line III-Ill; Fig. 4a and 4b are respectively a detail perspective view of an example rest and gripping jaw according to the present invention; Fig. 5 is a side view of a second example embodiment .0 of an apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 6 is a cross-section view of the example apparatus of Fig. 5 along line VI-VI; Fig. 7 is a side view of a third example embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention; and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the example apparatus of Fig. 7 along line VIII-VIII.

Figures 1 to 4b shows one embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention which includes adjacent cutting means for filleting a fish body 2 moving along a *000 process path 3 of the apparatus. Each cutting means may include a cutting disc 4 having a peripheral cutting edge 5. The cutting disc 4 may be circular and may be supported at its centre on a shaft 6. Two cutting discs 4 can be supported in adjacent and parallel relation on the 000* shaft 6. The diameter of each of the cutting discs 4 are o preferably identical. The shaft 6 is rotatable to allow the cutting discs 4 to be rotated which enables the cutting edge 5 to cut and slice the fish body 2.

The gap 7 separating the adjacent cutting discs 4 can be adjusted. This can for example be achieved by supporting, on the shaft 6 between the two cutting discs 4, spacers 8 of different widths. The cutting discs 4 and spacers 8 can be supported on the end of the shaft 6 and retained thereon by a releasable fastening means. For example, the shaft 6 may have a male thread on that end for engagement with a co-operating lock nut. It is to be 39 appreciated that other cutting means could alternatively 5 be utilised. For example each cutting means could be in the form of a bandsaw.

The cutting discs 4 may be positioned so that they extend at least substantially parallel to the process path 3. Therefore, the fish body 2 being conveyed along the process path 3 will engage the peripheral cutting edge of each cutting disc 4. The fish body 2 may be so positioned to enable the two sides of the fish body 2 to be filleted with the backbone of the fish body 2 passing between the two adjacent cutting discs 4.

The conveying means of the apparatus may include engagement means for engaging the fish body 2 and transport means for transporting the engagement means along the process path 3. The engagement means may include gripping jaws 10 for gripping the fish body 2, for 0 00 0 example at the tail end. The transport means may include :00 a plurality of conveyor chains 11, each conveyor chain 11 being supported on at least two sprocket wheels 12. The sprocket wheels 12 may rotate about an at least 20 substantially vertical axis of rotation so that the ee° Ssprocket wheels 12 and associated conveyor chains 11 are 0500 supported in an at least substantially horizontal plane.

Means may also be provided to maintain each conveyor chain *050 11 in tension.

Two conveyor chains 11 may be supported by their associated sprocket wheels 12 adjacent to the other chain 0000 11 on opposing sides of the piocess path 3. A portion of 00 .i the route of travel of each conveyor chain 11 may extend in an at least substantially straight line between two sprocket wheels 12, the straight portion of the route of travel of each conveyor chain 11 being located adjacent the straight portion of the route of travel of the other chain 11 with both extending parallel to the process path 3. As shown in Fig. i, the associated sprocket wheels of each chain 11 can be positioned immediately adjacent to the associated sprocket wheels of the other chain 11.

The sprocket wheels 12 and the cutting disc shaft 6 may for example be driven by a V-belt and pulley drive 39 system 13 including an electric motor 14 and !earing 15 to 6 drive at leasL one of the sprocket wheels 12. Gearing 16 as partially shown in Fig. 2 may also be provided to connect two adjacent sprocket wheels 12 to ensure that the two conveyor chains 11 move in unison. It is to be appreciated that the present invention is not restricted by the particular arrangement or components used in the drive systems and that alternative drive systems are also envisaged.

The gripping jaw 10 may include two opposing jaw sections 17 with each jaw section 13 being supported on one of the chains 11ii. Each jaw section 17 can for example E be secured to one of the links 18 of the conveyor chain 11. The jaw section 17 may for example consist of a tongue extending at least substantially vertically in 0000 S normal use and may have an inner gripping face 19 which is roughened or supports a plurality of elongate teeth which 00 co-operates with the gripping face 19 of the opposing jaw section 17. The outer face 20 of each jaw section 17 may be smooth for reasons that will be subsequently detailed.

Each conveyor chain 11 moves about their sprocket wheels 12 in an opposite direction of travel to that of the adjacent chiain 11ii. The chains 11 on opposite sides of the process path 3 therefore move parallel to and in the same direction along that path. The chain 11 is positioned on the sprocket wheels 12 so that the jaw section 17 supported on one chain 11 meets up with the 0000 opposing jaw section 17 on the other chain 11 as the jaw sections 17 move towards and onto the process path 3. The °e jaw sections 17 remain together in a "gripping" or "closed" position along the process path 3 and separate at the end of that path. More than one set of gripper jaws can be provided on the conveyor chains 11. An elongate chain rest 21 may be provided under the sections of the chain 11 moving along the process path 3 as shown in Fig.

2 to support them therealong. Guide means may also be provided along the process path 3 to hold together the jaw sections 17 as they move along the process path 3. The guide means may include guide rails 22 extending on either 39 side of and parallel to the process path 3 with the jaw 7 sections 17 being guided in the elongate gap 23 provided between the guide rails 22. Each guide rail 22 may provide a bearing surface 24 and the smooth face 20 of each jaw section 17 may be in sliding engagement with the adjacent bearing surface 24 as it passes along the process path 3. Nylon strips may for example be secured to the guide rails 22 to provide a smooth bearing surface 24 for the jaw sections 17. These strips can be replaced when they are worn.

The guide rails 22 may be supported so that the width of the gap 23 between the guide rails 22 is S. adjustable to thereby vary the spacing between the jaw sections 17. This enables fish of different size and/or 0*00 type to be gripped by the gripping jaws The guide rails 22 may guide the gripping jaws 10 so that they pass between the two cutting discs 4. The 00 cutting discs 4 may be supported above the guide rails 22 to avoid contact with the rails 22. The gripper jaws may be positioned so that there is a clearance between the 20 opposing face 20 of each jaw section 17 and the cutting S discs as the gripper jaws 10 passes therebetween.

0.00 Alternatively, the cutting discs 4 may be supported at a lower level so that they intersect the level of the guide 0000 rails 22. To avoid interference with the cutting discs 4, a break may be provided in the guide rails 22 to allow clearance for the cutting discs 4. In this arrangement 0 the jaw sections 17 may be guided by the cutting discs 4 themselves along this portion of the process path 3.

At least one rest 25 may be provided on at least one of the chains 11 behind the jaw section 17 relative to the direction of travel of that chain 11. The or each rest supports the fish body 2 as it moves along the process path 3 and prevents the filleted backbone of the fish body 2 falling into the gap 23 between the guide rails 22. The or each rest 25 may be secured to a chain link 18 and may be in the form of a tab extending vertically in normal use having a laterally extending foot 26 at the free end thereof providing a rest surface for the fish body 2.

39 The cutting discs 4 may rotate in a direction 8 whereby they act "downwardly" towards the gripping jaws as the fish 2 moves along the process path 3 towards the upstream end of the cutting discs 4. During filleting of the fish body 2, the separated sides of the fish body 2 fall to either side of the cutting discs 4 while the remainder of the fish body 2, passes between the cutting discs 4. Only the backbone and tail of the fish 2 remains, the head being generally removed beforehand. The backbone may tend to "ride up" the cutting discs 4 as it passes between the "downstream end" of the discs which is travelling away from the gripping jaws 10. To restrict e this upward movement, a peeler 27 may be provided. The peeler 27 may be in the form of an elongate finger 28 000 supporter between the cutting discs 4 at the downstream 0000 *o 0 end thereof. The backbone will engage the peeler 27 if it rides up the cutting discs 4 thereby preventing further 00 upward movement of the backbone.

A support bench 29 may be provided at the upstream end of the process path 3 to support the fish body 2 to be 20 filleted. The fish body 2 with the head removed may be oo= supported on the support bench 29 with the tail end 0000 aligned and pointing in the direction of the process path 3. The tail may be positioned so that it can be gripped 0000 by the gripping jawF 10 as the two opposing jaw sections 17 come together at the start of the process path 3. The fish body 2 may then be pulled along the process path 3 by 00s0 the gripping jaws 000 The support bench 29 may terminate adjacent the 0 00 cutting discs 4 to allow the fillets cut from the fish body 2 to fall down into a catching container positioned thereunder. To facilitate the free falling of the fillets, the periphery 30 of the support bench 29 adjacent each of the cutting discs 4 is angled away from the discs.

Another example embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention is shown in Figures 5 and 6, wherein features corresponding to those of the initially described embodiment are designated with the same reference numeral. In this embodiment, the cutting means 39 is also provided by a pair of at least substantially 9 par, I.lel cutting discs 4 supported on a rotatable shaft 6. The fish body 2 is similarly supported on a support bench 29 and gripped by gripping jaws 10 which pulls the fish body 2 through the apparatus.

The transport means may however be provided by a drive disc 40 which may be rotatably supported about its centre, the axis of rotation of the drive disc 40 being at least substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting discs 4. The drive disc 40 may be supported below the support bench 29 and the cutting discs 4 and aligned with the process path 3. At least one engagement means 41 may be supported at or adjacent the periphery of the drive disc 40. Each engagement means 41 may include a pair of opposing support arms 42. Each pair of support S arms 42 may be supported in adjacent parallel relation and on opposing sides of the drive disc 40. Each support arm 42 may be hingedly supported on a hinge 44 secured to the drive disc Furthermore, each radial arm 42 may support one of 20 the jaw sections 17 of the gripping jaws 10. Figure 6 shows the gripper jaw 10 in the gripping position wherein each jaw section 17 extends at least substantially radially from the drive disc 40 and co-operates with the jaw section 17 supported on the adjacent support arm 42.

A lateral arm 43 may extend at least substantially laterally from each support arm 42 and may move together with its associated support arm 42 hingedly about the hinge 44. Resilient means may be provided to resiliently urge each support arm 42 and the supported jaw sections '17 to the gripping position as shown in Figure 6 wherein the jaw sections 17 are held in close or abutting relation.

For clarity reasons, Figure 6 shows the gripper jaw while it is not holding a fish body 2. The resilient means may be provided by springs 45 extending between the drive disc 40 and each of the lateral arms 43.

Displacement means may be provided to displace each support arm 42 away from that first position about its hinge 44 to thereby separate the jaw sections 17. The 39 displacement means may include abutment means supported on 10 the lateral arms 43 and co-operating camming means. The abutment means may include a guide roller 46 supported at the free end of each lateral arm 43. The camming means may include a guide bar 47 having a guido surface 48 upon which the guide roller 46 can engage and oll thereon. A guide bar 47 can be supported on either side of the drive disc 40. It is also envisaged that only one support arm 42 be displaceable with the other support arm 42 being rigidly supported.

The or each gripper jaw 10 can travel in a circular path as the drive disc 40 is rotated. The jaw sections 17 0 of the gripper jaw 10 may be held together about most of Sthe path of travel by the spring loaded support arms 42.

The gripper jaws 10 will however need to open as they 0099 approach the support bench 29 to enable them to grip a eee fish body 2 supported on the bench 29. Each of the guide

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bars 47 may therefore be supported beneath the support bench 29, to engage the guide rollers 46 of the support arms 41 as they approach the bench 29. The guide surface 48 of the guide bar 47 is positioned so that the lateral "see: arm 43 must be displaced downwardly to enable the guide roller 46 to move along the guide surface 48. This *Q0 results in each support arm 42 being displaced about its @555 sees hinge 42 away from the drive disc 40 so that the jaw sections 17 are separated.

A slot 49 may be provided in the bench 29 to allow o clearance for the opened gripping jaws 10 to extend above the surface of the bench 29. The guide surface 48 also terminates below the bench 29 while the gripper jaws still are extending above the surface of the bench 29.

Because each spring 45 urges each support arm 42 back to the gripping position, the gripping jaw 10 can close and grip a fish body 2 supported on the bench 29. The gripper jaws 10 can then pull the fish body 2 in the direction of travel of the drive disc 40. The cutting discs 4 may therefore be positioned in front of the support bench 29 and the gripper jaws 10 may pull the fish body 2 through them to fillet the fish body 2 in the same manner as the 39 first described embodiment.

11 A pair of guide rails 22 may be provided after the termination of the guide bars 47 to guide the closed gripper jaws 10 between the cutting discs 4. The guide rails 22 may engage the gripping jaws 10 and/or the support arms 42. The gap 23 between the guide rails 22 can be varied as in the previously described embodiment.

To enable the guide rails 22 to guide the gripper jaws about a major portion of the travel path, each guide rail 22 may be curved to substantially follow the peripheral shape of the drive disc 40. Because the springs 45 are the primary means for holding the jaw sections 17 Stogether, there is relatively less friction between the S guide rails 22 and the gripping jaws 10 and/or the support 9e** arms 42 than in the previous embodiment.

eas After filleting, the fillets 1 fall into a fish catcher 50 provided below the cutting discs 40. However, *9 because the gripping jaws 10 remain closed until they approach the support bench 29, the fish backbone 51 continues to travel with the gripping jaws 10. As the gripping jaws 10 open again under the support bench 29, the backbone 51 fall into a waste container 52 provided beneath the support bench 29. To prevent the backbone 51 being caught in the gap between the support arms 41 and drive discs 40 as the gripper jaws 10 open, a deflection bar 53 may be provided extending about a portion of the periphery of the drive disc 40 below the support bench 29. The deflection bar 53 prevents the backbone 51 falling into the above noted gap and ensures that the backbone freely falls into the waste container 52.

In another example embodiment of the present invention as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the transport means includes a single chain 54 which may be supported between at least two sprocket wheels 55. Each sprocket wheel may be rotatably supported with its axis of rotation being at least substantially horizontal so that the sprocket wheels 55 and chain 54 are supported in an at least substantially vertical plane. At least a portion of the route of travel of the chain 54 may be aligned with and 39 extend parallel to and adjacent to a staight and 12 horizontal process path 3. The cutting means may be the same as the parallel cutting discs 4 of previous embodiments with a support bench 29 supported adjacent the cutting discs 4. One of the sprocket wheels 55 may be located beneath the support bench 29 and cutting discs 4.

The chain 54 may support at least one engagement means 41 similar to those described in the previous embodiment. As shown in Figure 8, each engagement means 41 includes a pair of opposing support arms 42 with a lateral arm 43 extending laterally therefrom. Each support arm 42 supports a jaw section 17 and the lateral S.o arm 43 supports guide rollers 46 in a similar arrangement o* as in the previous embodiment. The gripper jaw 10 is shown while it is not holding a fish body 2 for clarity 4O*S reasons in Figure 8 Each pair of co-operating support oo ~arms 42 are hingedly supported on a hinge block 56 supported on the chain 54. The hinge block 56 may be secured to a link of the chain 54. A spring 45 may also be supported between the two lateral arms 43 for urging 20 the gripping jaws 10 into the gripping position. In a *epee: 4 similar arrangement to the previous embodiment, a guide .me, 1 bar 47 may be provided adjacent the sprocket wheel 54 beneath the support bench 29 for engaging the guide rollers 46 to thereby open the gripping jaws 10. As the gripping jaws 10 close after the guide rollers 46 lose contact with the guide bars 47, each guide roller 46 may 6e94 S. subsequently engage a stabilizer bar 57. The guide rollers 46 may ride on the stabilizer bars 57, which extend parallel to the process path 3, to ensure that the gripping jaws 10 remain closed along that path 3 as the fish body 2 is filleted by the cutting discs 4. The fillets 1 fall into a fillet container 50 under the cutting discs 4. Another of the sprocket wheels 55 may be provided at or adjacent the end of the process path 3 and a second guide bar 47 may be provided adjacent that sprocket wheel 55 to open the gripping jaws to release the remaining fish backbone 51 into a waste container 52.

In another non-illustrated embodiment of the present 39 invention, the transport means may be provided by an 13 actuating ram which may be pneumatically or hydraulically powered. Engagement means similar to the pivotable support arm 42 and lateral arm 43 arrangement as shown in Figure 8 may be supported on the actuating end of the ram with the engagement means being pushed and pulled along the process path by the ram. Means similar to the guide bar 47 and/or stabilizer bar 57 may be used to ensure that the gripper jaws 10 of the engagement means are in the closed gripping position when passing between the cutting discs 4 and are open when the gripper jaws 10 are away from the cutting discs 4. This allows the gripper jaws S• to grasp a fish body 2 and to subsequently release the filleted body 2.

"e Because the fish 2 to be filleted can be pulled by its tail through the apparatus it enables both wide bodied ae fish such as flathead and narrow bodied fish such as so mackerel to be processed by the apparatus. Narrow bodied fish may be held upright on the support bench 29 by a pair of parallel plates extending at least substantially vertically from the surface of the bench 29. No aee S additional conveying means such as conveyor belts and so a. on are required to convey the fish along the process path. The apparatus of the present invention, while being *e relatively simple in construction, can therefore be used for a wide variety of fish.

Various alterations, modifications and/or additions o may be introduced into the construction and arrangement of the apparatus previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention defined in the claims appended hereto.

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Claims (16)

1. An apparatus for filleting fish comprising: a process path along which fish to be filleted can be conveyed; a pair of opposed cutting means on the process path spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the direction of the process path and extending substantially parallel to the process path, each said cutting means being arranged so as to effect a cutting action in a plane extending substantially perpendicularly outwardly away from the process path so that the pair of cutting means collectively can fillet fish conveyed along the process path longitudinally along each side of the backbone; and at least one gripper element arranged to pass between said pair of opposed cutting means for positively engaging and gripping a said fish at substantially the same elevation as said cutting means and pulling said fish through said cutting means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said gripper element is a gripper jaw having a pair of opposing jaw sections capable of moving towards each other to grip said fish.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, including transport means for providing drive to pull said fish and gripper element through said cutting means to fillet said fish. .o 0 0 *Se**s '9

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each said cutting means comprises a circular cutting disc supported on rotatable support means and having a peripheral cutting edge.

An apparatus according to claim 4, including a pair of parallel guide rails located on opposing sides of the process path for guiding and holding together each gripper jaw as it passes along the process path.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the spacing between the guide rails is adjustable to control the spacing between the jaw sections.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the transport means includes a pair of :o,47 ,.VF 15 conveyor chains, each chain being supported on a plurality of sprocket wheels rotatable about an at least substantially vertical axis and being supported on either side of the process path, each conveyor chain travelling along a route extending parallel to and on opposing sides of the process path, each jaw section of each gripper jaw being supported on the opposing conveyor chains wherein the jaw sections are brought together as the conveyor chains move parallel to the process path.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein each gripper jaw includes a support arm supporting each jaw section, wherein each support arm is hingedly supported so that the jaw sections can be brought together or separated for respectively closing or opening the gripper jaw formed by the pair of jaw sections.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the support arms includes resilient means for urging the support arms together to close the gripper jaws, and displacement means for separating the support arms to open the gripper jaw.

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the displacement means includes a lateral arm extending at least substantially laterally from the support arm and having an abutment means for engaging a cooperating camming means to open the gripper jaw.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the ee ~abutment means includes a guide roller supported at or adjacent the free end of the lateral arm and the camming means includes a guide bar having a guide surface upon 0 ~30 which the guide roller can engage.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, further including a stabilizer bar upon which the guide roller can ride to ensure that the gripper jaw remains closed during travel along the process path. 35

13. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the transport means includes a drive disc which is being rotatably driven about a rotational axis at least substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the cutting discs, the or each engagement means being 16 supported on the periphery of said drive disc.

14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12 wherein the transport means includes a single conveyor chain which moves in an at least substantially vertical plane, the conveyor chain being located below and aligned with the process path, the or each engagement means being mounted on the conveyor chain.

An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the transport means includes an actuating ram, the or each engagement means being supported on the actuating ram which pushes and pulls the or each engagement means along the process path.

16. An apparatus for filleting fish substantially as herein described with respect to any one of the embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings. DATED: 11 November 1993 PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK Attorneys for: IVAN BUBB 6 0 i: 39 17