GB2160653A

GB2160653A - Transport and checking apparatus for shrimps

Info

Publication number: GB2160653A
Application number: GB08515002A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans-Joachim Schmidt
Original assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud Baader GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1984-06-23
Filing date: 1985-06-13
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: NL8501792A; NO159571C; DE3423236C1; DK241085D0; GB8515002D0; NO852517L; GB2160653B; NO159571B; DK241085A

Abstract

At the end of an oscillating feed channel 2, a checking device 8 for recognising foreign bodies, damaged shrimps or shrimps disposed in an incorrect position, comprises cyclically lowerable feeler (9) with a pivotable feeler plate (10). If the feeler plate contacts a foreign body or incorrectly positioned shrimp it is pivoted and, by means of a sensor (12), triggers a signal to activate an air nozzle ejector (6) for the removal of the object concerned. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Transport and checking apparatus for shrimps The present invention relates to transport and checking apparatus for shrimps, especiaily scalded shrimps to be charged into a shelling machine for the removal of the external skeleton.

A device for the shelling of shrimps is described in International patent application Wo 84/02061. In the case of the sensitivity of the processing tools, which is natural due to their smallness and necessary delicacy, it is critically important that foreign matter, such as mussels, stones and so forth, are kept away from these tools. In addition, the need for economy and for high quality of the final product in respect of both visual and bacteriological criteria requires steps to ensure that damaged shrimps or gragments thereof do not reach the region of the tools, since such material can lead to clogging of the device, which makes a manual action necessary.In the known device, a checking station is provided for the monitoring of the alignment of the shrimps and comprises light barriers disposed in a certain arrangement relative to each other to monitor shrimps conveyed in a feed channel. In that case, the light barriers are interrupted only when the checked shrimp is disposed in predetermined position.

According to the present invention there is provided transport and checking apparatus for shrimps, the apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying shrimps in succession, removal means arranged in the region of a downstream end of the conveying means for cyclic removal of shrimps therefrom, checking means arranged in said region for checking each shrimp to identify shrimps or foreign bodies to be ejected before such cyclic removal, and an ejector for ejecting such identified shrimps or foreign bodies, the checking means comprising a feeler element cyclically movable in synchronism with the removal means to contact each shrimp and sensing means responsive to the feeler element action.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises an oscillatorily driven feed channel for the conveying of shrimps brought forward in alignment, cycling equipment disposed in the end region of the feed channel, checking equipment disposed in this region and ejector equipment. The checking equipment comprises a feeler which is drivable into the conveying region of the feed channel and provided with a feeler plate, which comes into contact with the conveyed stock, and with at least one sensor which is influenced by the feeler plate.

Preferabiy, the feeler plate comprises a rocker which is pivotable about an axis extending longitudinally of the feed channel. In that case, the feeler plate can be arranged in such a manner that deflection thereof takes palce only in the case of wrongly positioned conveyed stock, so that the sensor, which can be a proximity switch, delivers a switching signal for activation of the ejector equipment to eject the shrimp recognised as being disposed in wrong position.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of apparatus embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-section of checking equipment of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing a shrimp disposed in the correct position; and Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a shrimp disposed in an incorrect position.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 part of shrimp shelling equipment comprising a frame in which is arranged a feed channel 1 divided into a feeding part 2 and a waiting portion 3, the feeding part 2 alone being subject to an oscillatory movement to effect conveying. The waiting part 3, which has a shape similar to and adjoins the feeding part 2, is provided at its base with a gap 4 through which a cycling device 5 engages. The device is moved by a suitable drive to seize the shrimps cyclically and guide them out of the waiting part. The waiting part is also provided with a lateral passage (not shown) opposite which stands an air nozzle 7 serving as an ejector 6. Disposed above the waiting part 3 is a checking device 8, which is driven in suitable manner to move perpendicularly to the channel 1 in the rhythm of the device 5.In that case, a lowering movement takes place when the device 5 is at rest before the start of a new advancing movement.

The device 8 consists of a feeler 9 which, at its side facing the channel 1, has a feeler plate 10. This is constructed as a shoe and fastened in the feeler 9 pendulatingly about an axis 11 extending in the longitudinal direction of the channel 1. Arranged above the axis 11 is a sensor 12, preferably an inductive proximity switch, the active zone 1 3 of which is disposed in the pivot path of a switch lug 14 on the feeler plate 1 0. The lug has a passage which stands opposite the active zone 1 3 of the sensor 1 2 when the plate 10 is in rest setting held by springs (not shown).

In operation, after passage through suitable equipment for singling and alignment the shrimps reach the feed part 2, shown in Fig.

1, of the channel 1, in which they are advanced by reason of the micro-throw effect resulting from the oscillatory movement of the part 2. The shrimps are thereby individually passed to the waiting part 3, where the first such shrimp is held in the active region of the checking device 8 by means of an abutment (not shown for reasons of greater clarity). At this instant, the feeler 9 of the device 8 lowers onto the shrimp until the feeler plate 10 comes into contact therewith. If the shrimp to be checked is disposed in the position illustrated in Fig. 2 and required for the further processing, then the feeler plate 10 retains its setting relative to the feeler 9 so that the sensor 1 2 remains uninfluenced.On the following release of the checked shrimp by the feeler 9, the abutment is driven out and the shrimp is fed, for further processing, by means of the device 5 moved in correspondence with the directional arrows 1 5. If a foreign body, a shrimp fragment or a shrimp in an incorrect position, such as shown in Fig.

3, gets under the device 8, then the feeler plate 10 is deflected by reason of the eccentric support on setting down onto the shrimp or foreign body. This has the consequence that the lug 14 of the feeler plate 10 is pivoted into the active zone 1 3 of the sensor 1 2 and thereby triggers a switching signal which, evaluated with a time delay, effects loading of the air nozzle 7 of the ejector 6 with air. In that case, the delay is so dimensioned that the air current comes into effect when the return stroke of the feeler 9 takes place. By means of the air current, the object thus recognised as faulty is removed from the conveying path.

Claims

1. Transport and checking apparatus for shrimps, the apparatus comprising conveying means for conveying shrimps in succession, removal means arranged in the region of a downstream end of the conveying means for cyclic removal of shrimps therefrom, checking means arranged in said region for checking each shrimp to identify shrimps or foreign bodies to be ejected before such cyclic removal, and an ejector for ejecting such identified shrimps or foreign bodies, the checking means comprising a feeler element cyclically movable in synchronism with the removal means to contact each shrimp and sensing means responsive to the feeler element action.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, the conveying means comprising an oscillatory feed channel.

3. Apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the feeler element comprises a plate mounted to be pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to a given conveying direction of the conveying means.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the feeler element is so movable into contact with each shrimp as to be pivoted out of a rest setting by any contacted shrimp in a position other than a predetermined position.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the sensing means comprising switching means actuable to cause a signal to be delivered on deflection of the feeler element when moved into contact with a shrimp or foreign body.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the ejector is actuable in response to delivery of the signal.

7. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.