Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
  • B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
  • B07B1/12—Apparatus having only parallel elements
  • B07B1/14—Roller screens
  • B07B1/145—Roller screens the material to be screened moving along the axis of the parallel elements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
  • A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
  • A22C25/00—Processing fish ; Curing of fish; Stunning of fish by electric current; Investigating fish by optical means
  • A22C25/04—Sorting fish; Separating ice from fish packed in ice
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A22—BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
  • A22C—PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
  • A22C29/00—Processing shellfish or bivalves, e.g. oysters, lobsters; Devices therefor, e.g. claw locks, claw crushers, grading devices; Processing lines
  • A22C29/005—Grading or classifying shellfish or bivalves
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
  • B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
  • B07B1/12—Apparatus having only parallel elements
  • B07B1/14—Roller screens
  • B07B1/15—Roller screens using corrugated, grooved or ribbed rollers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
  • B07B1/00—Sieving, screening, sifting, or sorting solid materials using networks, gratings, grids, or the like
  • B07B1/46—Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens
  • B07B1/4609—Constructional details of screens in general; Cleaning or heating of screens constructional details of screening surfaces or meshes
  • B07B1/4636—Regulation of screen apertures
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
  • B07B13/00—Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices
  • B07B13/04—Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices according to size
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
  • B07B—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL
  • B07B13/00—Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices
  • B07B13/08—Grading or sorting solid materials by dry methods, not otherwise provided for; Sorting articles otherwise than by indirectly controlled devices according to weight

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a fish sorting arrangement.
• Machines developed for automatic sorting of fish are known, often referred to as fish grading machines or sorting machines. They differ in mode of operation.
• One type uses a set of rollers that are supported in rotating bearings, so that slim fishes will fall down in the space between two adjacent rollers while the bigger fishes will not. By orienting the rollers with an inclination, the larger fishes will move past the rollers, in a direction parallel to the rollers.
• This apparatus has ha plurality of rollers that are arranged parallel to each other. Their mutual distance, i.e. the space between each roller, can be adjusted. In this manner, the machine can be adapted to the desired size of the fish that shall be sorted out.
• JPS5317200A Another similar machine is disclosed in JPS5317200A, wherein the rollers can be aligned with a fan shaped configuration. In this manner, small fishes will fall through the rollers close to the input side of the machine, while larger fishes will fall through the rollers closer to the exit side.
• one single sorting machine can sort the fishes into more than one output size. E.g. the fishes can be sorted into small, medium, large and extra large sizes.
• Such a configuration is also disclosed in JPH0226486U.
• Publication ES2239899 describes a machine for sorting products, such as mussels, oysters, cockles, fruits of rounded shapes, eggs, olives, etc.
• the machine has a plurality of rotating bars. Between the rotating bars, there are arranged calibrating bars having varying diameters. The varying diameters result in varying distance between the rotating bars and the interposed calibrating bars, thereby making the machine able to sort products according to different size ranges.
• the rotating bars have helical fins so that the products advance along them when the bars are rotated.
• An object of the present invention may thus be to provide a fish sorting arrangement that is configured to performing sorting of fishes based on the fish shape. I.e. a sorting machine that is not limited to sort the fishes based on the thickness of the fish.
• Another object of the present invention may be to provide a fish sorting arrangement that is configured to remove water from the fish as one process step before a succeeding process step.
• the present invention may further meet other objects.
• a fish sorting arrangement comprising a first exit and a second exit.
• the arrangement further comprises a fish sorting surface configured to guide fish of a first size range and/or a first shape towards the first exit, and to guide fish of a second size range, being smaller than the first size range, and/or fish of a second shape, being different than the first shape, towards the second exit.
• the fish sorting surface comprises a plurality of rotating rollers arranged next to each other in substantially one plane.
• the rotating rollers comprise a helix structure.
• the helix structure comprises an outermost face that extends in a helical pattern along the axial direction of the rotating roller, and an innermost face that extends in a helical pattern along the axial direction of the rotating roller.
• the outermost face comprises a flat surface.
• flat surface is herein meant a surface that is sufficiently flat so that it will not harm a fish that is supported by the surface. Hence, it shall be understood that the flat surface may have some curvature. In some embodiments of the invention, however, the outermost face may be substantially flat or nearly perfectly, or perfectly flat.
• the said outermost face is defined as a surface recognizable between two edges.
• edges may be edges defined at the interface between radially extending faces and the outermost face.
• the area of the outermost face may constitute at least 15 %, preferably at least 25 %, or even more preferred at least 40 % of the radially facing surface of the rotating rollers.
• the innermost face may have an end portion where the radius of the innermost face is larger than the radius of the innermost face at a location at a distance from the end portion.
• a fish may become caught between adjacent rotating rollers, or between a rotating roller and other means, such as a roller bar. Such a fish may be caught in the space between two adjacent parts of the outermost face, i.e. in the position of the innermost face. Such a fish may be too small to remain on top of the outermost faces, thus falling onto the innermost face. The fish may, however, be too large to fall completely through the fish sorting arrangement.
• a fish will be transported forwards in the arrangement, towards the end of the rotating rollers. The end portion having a larger radius will, at the end portion of the rotating roller, lift the caught fish out from such a captured position. This will prevent such a fish from being squeezed.
• the transition between the radius of the innermost face at the location of the end portion and radius of the innermost face at a mid-portion of the rotating roller is smooth.
• the operator may, in embodiments that also involve the roller motors, use their rotation for moving fish located on the fish sorting surface. In some applications, it may be possible to move fish along the fish sorting surface even without providing an inclination to the fish sorting surface.
• rotating rollers are arranged next to each other, there may in some embodiments be arranged other elements in-between them.
• roller bars may be arranged in-between the rotating rollers.
• the rotating rollers are arranged next to each other, without being arranged directly adjacent each other.
• the one or more roller motors may be connected directly to each separate rotating roller.
• the roller motors may for instance be connected with the rotating rollers at a distance, with a mechanical rotating link between the motors and the rotating rollers.
• the fish sorting surface can further comprise roller bars between the rotating rollers, wherein the roller bars have another configuration than the rotating rollers.
• Roller bars as discussed herein, may in some embodiments be free to rotate about their longitudinal axes, however without being motorized. In some embodiments though, both the rotating rollers and the roller bars can be motorized.
• the rotating rollers may have the shape of cylindrical, straight bars with a circular cross section.
• the rotating rollers can comprise a center rod and the helix structure can be arranged radially outside the center rod.
• the material of the helix structure can be softer than the material of the center rod.
• the helix structure can have a transition face between the outermost face and the innermost face.
• an edge interface between the outermost face and the transition face can have a rounded shape.
• a plurality of rotating rollers can be arranged directly next to each other and two adjacent rotating rollers can rotate in opposite rotational directions.
• the outermost faces of the helix structure of two adjacent rotating rollers can advantageously be rotationally aligned with each other.
• the outermost faces of the helix structure will move along in a forward direction while remaining aligned with each other.
• an aperture created by two facing innermost faces will also move axially forwards.
• the two rotating rollers may be mechanically interconnected to each other, such as with a toothed wheel, a belt, or the like. In this way, they will rotate with the same angular velocity and consequently remain rotationally aligned.
• the fish sorting apparatus according to the invention may constitute a part of a fish debusing process line.
• the mutual distance between rotating rollers and/or between rotating rollers and roller bars can in some embodiments be adjustable.
• the fish sorting arrangement according to the invention may further comprise one or more roller motors connected to the rotating rollers.
• the one or more roller motors can be configured to rotate the rotating rollers about their respective longitudinal axes.
• the rotating rollers can be purposely made to rotate.
• fish can be moved along the fish sorting surface, in particular if the fish sorting surface is installed with an inclination with respect to the horizontal.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fish sorting arrangement according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a top view of the fish sorting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 , shown in a
• FIG. 3 is a side view of the fish sorting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 4 is a side view of the fish sorting arrangement shown in Fig. 1 , however
• Fig. 5 is a side view of the fish sorting arrangement shown in Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section side view showing a portion of the fish sorting arrangement
• Fig. 7 is an enlarged top view showing an edge portion of the fish sorting
• Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing a corner portion of the fish sorting arrangement in a contracted state
• Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing another corner portion in a
• Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a rotating roller having a helix structure
• Fig. 11 is a side view of the rotating roller shown in Fig. 10;
• Fig. 12 is a cross section view through the rotating roller shown in Fig. 11 ;
• Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section view through a portion of the rotating roller
• Fig. 14 is a portion of a fish sorting surface having rotating rollers and roller bars;
• Fig. 15 is a top cross section view through a fish sorting surface having rotating
• rollers arranged adjacent each other without intermediate roller bars
• Fig. 16 is a top view of a fish sorting surface according to the fish sorting surface shown in Fig. 15;
• Fig. 17 is a schematic illustration of a process line where the fish sorting
• Fig. 18a to Fig. 18c depict schematic views of various profiles of the external faces of the rotating rollers.
• FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a fish sorting arrangement 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
• the fish sorting arrangement 1 comprises two parallel support beams 3, which are attached to each other by two orthogonally arranged and parallel connection beams 5. Together, the support beams 3 and connection beams 5 form a rectangular shape.
• each rotating roller 10 is supported in its respective opposite end in a roller support 11.
• the roller supports 11 are attached to a sliding guide 13 that abuts an upper face of the support beam 3.
• the rotating rollers 10 form part of a fish sorting surface 30. During use, the fish that shall be sorted will be positioned on the fish sorting surface 30.
• each support beam 3 there is arranged an end flange 15. Between each opposite end flange 15 there extend two guide rods 17, in parallel with the support beam 3. As will be discussed in detail further below, the sliding guides 13 have two sliding guide bores 43, through which the two guide rods 17 extend. In this manner the sliding guides 13 can slide along the longitudinal extension of the support beam 3.
• the fish sorting arrangement 1 further comprises a plurality of roller bars 20.
• One roller bar 20 is arranged between each of the rotating rollers 10.
• each of the roller bars 20 is supported in a roller support 11 , which connects to a sliding guide 13.
• the roller bars 20 are also configured to slide along the longitudinal direction of the support beam 3.
• the rotating rollers 10 and the roller bars 20 together form the fish sorting surface 30.
• FIG. 2 and Fig. 3 depict the fish sorting arrangement 1 in a top view and side view respectively.
• the rotating rollers 10 and roller bars 20 are arranged in a contracted state. In the contracted state, the rotating rollers 10 and the roller bars 20 have been moved towards each other.
• Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 depict the fish sorting arrangement 1 with a top view and a side view, in an expanded state.
• the slit 19 between the rotating rollers 10 and the roller bars 20 is significantly larger in the expanded state than in the contracted state, as shown in Fig. 2.
• An adjustment motor 21 is arranged at one of the end flanges 15.
• the adjustment motor can advantageously be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor.
• the adjustment motor 21 drives an adjustment shaft 23, which is arranged between the two guide rods 17.
• the adjustment shaft 23 is rotatably supported in the two opposite end flanges 15.
• the adjustment shaft 23 is at one end connected to the adjustment motor 21 , while its other opposite end is connected to a toothed synchronization wheel 25.
• the toothed synchronization wheel 25 is arranged at an outer face of the end flange 15, so that there is room for a toothed transmission belt 27 on it.
• a manually operated wheel or handle can be arranged for rotation of the adjustment shaft 23.
• a tension pulley 33 is arranged to maintain an appropriate tension in the toothed transmission belt 27.
• the adjustment shaft 23 and the auxiliary adjustment shaft 31 are driven with a respective motor, such as the adjustment motor 21 shown in Fig. 1. These two motors, of which one is arranged to each of the adjustment shafts 23, 31 , will then be synchronized, such that they operate
• These two motors can typically also be hydraulic motors or electric motors.
• the adjustment shaft 23 and the auxiliary adjustment shaft 31 are not synchronized, so that one may expand one side of the fish sorting surface more or less than the other side.
• Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section side view through a portion of the adjustment shaft 23 and three sliding guides 13 and roller supports 11.
• the adjustment shaft 23 can advantageously have a polygonal cross section, for instance as a bar with a square cross section.
• a plurality of leading screws 35 are arranged on the adjustment shaft 23.
• the leading screws 35 have a through bore 37 with a polygonal cross section that fits with the cross section of the adjustment shaft 23. Thus, when the adjustment shaft 23 is rotated, the leading screws 35 will rotate along with the adjustment shaft.
• each respective end portion of the leading screws 35 there is a right- threaded portion 39a and a left-threaded portion 39b.
• the right- and left-threaded portions 39a, 39b each engages an engagement element 41 of a sliding guide bore 43 extending through adjacent sliding guides 13. That is, one leading screw 35 engages two adjacent / neighboring sliding guides 13.
• leading screws 35 are free to slide axially on the adjustment shaft 23.
• a bellows 47 is arranged between each adjacent sliding guide 13, and surrounding the leading screws 35.
• the bellows 47 are at each of their respective ends fixed to a sliding guide, and are configured to expand or collapse according to the mutual movements of the adjacent sliding guides 13.
• Fig. 7 is a top view showing the ends of rotating rollers 10 and roller bars 20. For clarity, the bellows 47 are omitted in this view.
• Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a corner portion of the fish sorting arrangement 1. In Fig. 8 one can appreciate the square cross section of the adjustment shaft 23.
• the rotating rollers 10 are rotated with a roller motor 45.
• the roller motor 45 is advantageously a hydraulic motor. Shown in Fig. 8 is a hydraulic input 45a and a hydraulic output 45b.
• the hydraulic output 45b of one roller motor 45 can be connected to the hydraulic input 45a of an adjacent roller motor 45 with a flexible hose (not shown). In this manner, all roller motors 45 can be operated with one single hydraulic line (not shown).
• the roller bars 20 can be fixed in a non-rotating manner. In other embodiments, the roller bars 20 may be free to rotate, but without a roller motor.
• the rotating rollers 10 may be arranged directly adjacent each other, i.e. without any roller bars in-between.
• a slit 19 may be present.
• the fish sorting surface 30 can be made up of rotating rollers 10 only.
• Fig. 9 depicts another corner portion of the fish sorting arrangement 1 , at the position of the auxiliary adjustment shaft 31.
• the rotating rollers 10 of the fish sorting surface 30 have a helix configuration.
• a perspective view of a rotating roller 10 is shown in Fig. 10.
• the rotating roller 10 has a support member 101.
• One of the support members 101 are configured to receive rotational force from a roller motor 45, for the provision of a rotational movement of the rotating roller 10.
• the other support member 101 can be rotationally supported in a roller support 11.
• FIG. 11 depicts the rotating roller 10 with a side view.
• the center rod 103 is preferably relatively rigid and can be made of a metal or another solid material, such as a rigid plastic.
• the center rod 103 provides the structural integrity of the rotating roller 10, when supported between two opposite roller supports 11.
• the helix structure 105 of the rotating roller 10 is provided with a helix material on the outside of the center rod 103.
• the material of the helix structure 105 can comprise a material that is significantly softer than the material of the center rod 103.
• Such a material can for instance be polyurethane.
• Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section side view of a portion of the rotating roller 10.
• the helix structure 105 comprises no sharp outwardly facing edges.
• the helix structure 105 is provided by means of rounded edges.
• the helix structure 105 comprises an outermost face 107, which has the largest radius of the helix structure 105, and an innermost face 109, which has the smallest radius of the helix structure 105.
• the transition between the outermost face 107 and the innermost face 109 is provided with a transition face 111.
• the edge interface 112 between the transition face 111 and the outermost face 107 is rounded, so that a fish contacting this portion of the rotating roller 10 will not be harmed.
• the edge interfaces 112 define the width of the outermost face 107.
• the outermost face 107 extends along a helical pattern about the center axis of the rotating roller 19, between the parallel edge interfaces 112.
• the innermost face 109 is arranged between the lower end edges of the transition faces 111.
• the innermost face 109 has a larger radius than at a location further away from the end portion 109a, such as for instance at the mid portion of the rotating roller 10.
• the increased radius of the end portion 109a appears perhaps best from Fig. 7, Fig. 10 and Fig. 13.
• the fish sorting arrangement 1 may be without the roller bars 20. In some of such embodiments, there may be substantially no slit 19 between the rotating rollers 10. That is, in such embodiments, the rotating rollers may be arranged substantially abutting each other. In such embodiments, the only aperture through which a fish may fall, is in the aperture that is provided by the helix configuration, i.e. by the recess in the rotating rollers 10 provided by the helix recess.
• the helix structure 105 will, with its outermost faces 107 and its lowermost faces 109, create apertures between the rotating rollers 10 and roller bars 20, alternatively between adjacent rotating rollers 10 if the roller bars 20 are not used, so that short fishes may fall through the apertures.
• Such an aperture 113 is indicated in Fig. 14, which is an enlarged top view of a fish sorting surface 30, showing a part of two rotating rollers 10 and one roller bar 20. While no fish will be able to fall into the slit 19, which is relatively small, a relatively short fish will be able to fall through the aperture 113. As is evident from Fig. 13, the aperture 113 is much wider than the slit 19. A longer fish, however, will not fall into the aperture 113, since it will bridge the length of the aperture 113 in the axial direction (i.e. the longitudinal direction of the rotating rollers 10).
• fish will take an orientation in parallel with the axial direction of the rotating rollers 10.
• the direction of rotation of the rotating rollers 10 can advantageously be in such a direction that the fish will be moved forward due to the helix structure 105.
• a fish resting on fish sorting surface 30, i.e. the outmost face 107 of the rotating rollers 10 will be moved forwards by rotating the rotating rollers 10 in such direction that the outermost face 10 will move forwards and not backwards.
• Fig. 15 depicts a cross section top view through a portion of a fish sorting surface 30 made up of rotating rollers 10, and without the roller bars 20. From Fig. 15 it is clearly appreciated how the apertures 113 are significantly wider than the slits 19, even when the rotating rollers 10 are in a contracted state.
• FIG. 16 depicts a fish sorting surface 30 corresponding to the one shown in Fig. 15.
• pairs of adjacent rotating rollers 10, provided with the helix structure 105 can advantageously be rotationally aligned, as shown.
• the axial position of the outermost faces 107 of two adjacent rotating rollers 10 are then aligned.
• the apertures 113 are provided between aligned lowermost faces 109, thereby providing relatively wide apertures 113.
• the fish shorting arrangement 1 disclosed herein will be applicable within many areas where fish shall be sorted.
• One such application is within the salmonoid farming industry, where it has become common to use smaller fish to remove lice from the farmed fish.
• Such smaller fish which typically can be lumpfish (cyclopterus lumpus), are typically not only smaller than the salmonids, but can also have a significantly different shape. While the salmonids are fairly long and slim, the smaller fish can typically be short and thick.
• FIG. 17 schematically depicts a process line 200 for debusing salmonoid fish.
• a fish sorting arrangement 1 according to the invention is schematically illustrated at the left-hand side. Fishes of different size and / or different shape enters the fish sorting arrangement 1 from the left-hand side, as illustrated with the large and small arrow. Exiting at a first exit 1 a on the right-hand side of the fish sorting arrangement 1 are fish of a first size and/or a first shape, namely the salmonoid fish that has sufficient size (and/or corresponding shape). This is illustrated with the larger exit arrow. Exiting at a second exit 1 b, out of the fish sorting arrangement 1 in a downwards direction are fish of a smaller second size and/or a second shape. This is illustrated with the smaller exit arrow.
• the fish exiting at the position of the larger exit arrow are salmonoid fish that shall be conveyed through a debusing assembly.
• a debusing assembly may advantageously comprise a first debusing machine 201 where the salmonoid fishes are flushed with water, and a second debusing machine 202 where they are brushed, to remove the lice from the fish.
• Fig. 18a, Fig. 18b, and Fig. 18c depict schematic views of various profiles of the external faces of the rotating rollers 10.
• the transition face 111 which extends between the outermost face 107 and the innermost face 109, extends in a radial direction. I.e. the transition face 111 faces in an axial direction.
• the outermost face 107 extends between two edge interfaces 112.
• the edge interfaces 112 define the interface between the transition face 111 and the outermost face 109.
• the transition face 111 is inclined.
• the transition face 111 is inclined, and the outermost face 107 has a curved shape. Still, the edge interfaces 112 are recognizable at the location where the transition face 111 and the outermost face 107 meet.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Processing Of Meat And Fish (AREA)
• Combined Means For Separation Of Solids (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=68770981

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

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• 2019
  • 2019-01-25 EP EP19815376.9A patent/EP3801006A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2019-01-25 WO PCT/NO2019/050020 patent/WO2019235937A1/en not_active Ceased

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