Image Number 3 for United States Patent #5149296.
A method and a machine for processing belly flaps from a front part of a fish which has been parted into a rear part and a front part. According to applicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 716,738, it is known to move by spiked chain at each side, the front part of a fish with the belly foremost and the head farthest back, along a fixed straight track to a fixed U-shaped beam, which is a belly scraper. The belly of the front part is threaded upon the belly scraper which scrapes the inside of the belly cavity so that the entrails are loosened from the front part and moved into and along the belly scraper. The leading end part of the belly scraper has a knife edge and an elevation in the floor, and cuts the pectoral nose from the gills and the tongue so that the tongue moves into the belly scraper, which pierces downward and out from the head through the pectoral nose. The jaw bones move on top of the belly scraper along its upper edge, and the belly flaps move to the sides. At the sides of the belly flaps are horizontal slides which extend in the direction of movement to elevate the gill lids and cheeks, away from the belly flaps. Knives under the slides, and above the belly scraper cut into and between the belly flaps and the head to free the belly flaps. The belly scraper leading edge knife cuts the pectoral nose from the head. The freed belly flaps fall into a tub and the head moves forward, along the belly scraper to its end, and carries the entrails with it to drop in a tub at the end of the apparatus.
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