Apparatus and method for fixing and transporting crabs during slaughter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11497220-B2
Application number	US-202117189360-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2021
Priority date	Mar 4, 2020
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for fixing and transporting crabs during slaughter has a rotationally driven conveying element guided about deflection and/or drive elements to form an upper and lower run, and at least one holding apparatus for fixing the crabs. Each holding apparatus is attached to the conveying element for transporting the fixed crabs in a transport plane along a transport path in a transport direction from a loading station to at least one processing station. Each holding apparatus has a supporting plate for receiving a crab and at least two holding means arranged transversely to the transport direction at a distance from each other. The holding means are pivotable relative to the supporting plate about an axis A H , lying substantially in or parallel to the transport plane and directed transversely to the transport direction, from a receiving position into a clamping position and back. A corresponding method is also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, designed and configured for fixing and transporting crabs during the slaughter thereof, comprising:
a rotationally driven conveying element, which is guided about deflection and/or drive elements to form an upper run and a lower run; and
at least one holding apparatus for fixing the crabs during slaughter
wherein each holding apparatus is attached to the conveying element for transporting the fixed crabs in a transport plane E and along a transport path in a transport direction T from a loading station to at least one processing station and each holding apparatus comprises a supporting plate for receiving a crab to be slaughtered as well as at least two holding means arranged transversely to the transport direction T at a distance from each other, which, for fixing the crab in the region of legs on both sides of a dorsal shell of the crab, are designed to be pivotable relative to the supporting plate about an axis A H , lying substantially in or parallel to the transport plane E and directed transversely to the transport direction T, from a receiving position into a clamping position and back, characterised in that, in addition to the pivoting movement about the axis A H , both holding means are designed to be movable towards and away from each other transversely to the transport direction T to vary their distance.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, with regard to their respective pivot position about the axis A H , both holding means are positively controlled, at least in sections, along the transport path by at least one roller associated with the holding means and a corresponding cam track.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both holding means are designed to be pivotable about an axis A V which is directed substantially vertically to the transport plane E in the clamping position, from a closing position into a loading position and back.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein both holding means are held in the closing position by a spring element and are designed to be deflectable into the loading position about the substantially vertically directed axes A V against the spring force of the spring elements.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein means for holding the holding means in the closing position are arranged along the conveying element, in the region of the or each processing station.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein both the supporting plate and both holding means are mounted on a pivot device, wherein the pivot device is designed to be pivotable relative to the conveying element about an axis A H1 , lying substantially in or parallel to the transport plane E and directed transversely to the transport direction T, from a receiving position into a clamping position and back.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pivot device is associated with at least one roller which is guided at least in sections along a cam track along the transport path, in such a manner that the pivot device is pivotable about the axis A H1 from the clamping position into the receiving position and back in the region of the loading station against the spring force of spring elements which are tensioned between the pivot device and the fastening unit, in such a manner that the pivot device is basically held in the clamping position against an abutment.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the supporting plate is mounted on the pivot device so as to be pivotable about an axis A H2 , which is directed parallel to the axis A H1 , in such a manner that the supporting plate is designed to be pivotable relative to the pivot device and relative to the holding means.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the holding means are each mounted on a carrier element so as to be pivotable about the axis A V , wherein the carrier elements are firmly connected to the pivot device and are pivotable therewith about the axis A H1 .

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a minimum distance in the clamping position between the holding means on the one hand and the supporting plate on the other hand is limited vertically to the transport plane E by an abutment.

11. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pivot device comprises two pivot arms, each of which is mounted separately on the fastening unit so as to be pivotable about the axis A H1 , wherein the supporting plate is mounted on both pivot arms so as to be pivotable about the axis A H2 and arranged on each pivot arm is said holding means which on the one hand is mounted on a carrier element, which is fastened to the pivot arm, so as to be pivotable about the axis A V and on the other hand is pivotable with the pivot arm about the axis A H1 .

12. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein each pivot arm is held in the clamping position via a spring element, which is arranged with one end on the pivot arm and with the opposing end on the fastening unit, and each pivot arm has a roller which is guided along a separate cam track for positive control of the pivot arms at least in sections and thus at least also of the holding means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein two cam tracks are provided which extend in transport direction T at least in a region of the loading station and are designed and configured in such a manner that each pivot arm in the loading station is pivoted from the clamping position into the receiving position against the spring force of the spring element, and which cam tracks extend into the region of the or each processing station and are designed and configured in such a manner that the pivot arms are forcibly held in the clamping position to support the spring force in the region of the processing stations.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both holding means have a contour on their inner sides facing each other which is adapted at least in sections to the body shape of the crabs.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holding means are plate-shaped fixing elements, the inner edges of which, facing each other and spaced apart, are at least partially concave.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the position of the holding means relative to each other is designed to be adjustable in the transport plane E or parallel thereto in the closing position.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein both holding means are designed in each case to be bevelled on an entry-side end of the crabs into the holding apparatus in such a manner that the two spaced-apart holding means together form a guidance aid which converges in the transport direction T when the crabs are introduced into the holding apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting plate is adapted regarding its shape to the natural position of the crabs to be fixed, in such a manner that, starting from a supporting surface which, for supporting a ventral bone plate of the crab, lying substantially in the transport plane E or parallel thereto, the supporting plate is designed to slope downwards, at least in sections, towards the sides with lateral supporting surfaces for supporting legs of the crab and/or towards the front for inserting the crab between the supporting plate and the holding means contrary to the transport direction T.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each holding apparatus is connected to the conveying element by a fastening unit, wherein the fastening unit is connected firmly and immovably rel

Assignees

• Nordischer Maschinenbau
• Baader North America Corp

Inventors

• Smith Clinton R
• Santoro Tyler

Classifications

• A22C29/023 Primary

  Conveying, feeding or aligning shellfish · CPC title

• B65G17/06 Primary

  having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms · CPC title

• B65G17/32

  Individual load-carriers · CPC title

• A22C29/025 Primary

  Mechanically opening and shelling crabs, lobsters or other hard-shelled crustaceans · CPC title

• A22B7/003 Primary

  Positioning, orienting or supporting carcasses as they are being conveyed (influencing the position of articles during transit by conveyors B65G47/22; during feeding B65G47/14) · CPC title