General Mills, Inc.

John T Lyons

Stanley C Rustad

Clifton H Morrison

Floyd Lobash

Gerald J Elander

The disclosed apparatus includes a magazine for containing a plurality of frozen blocks of fish therein, the lower surfaces of the blocks resting on a table that is vertically adjustable relative to a reciprocable blade. A pusher unit is provided for each of the plurality of blocks, the pusher units ejecting the cut slabs each time the blade is retracted after completing a cutting stroke. During the cutting stroke the blocks are securely clamped.

Apparatus and method for cutting slabs from a frozen fish block

Frozen slabs of fish are introduced one at a time to one end of a conveyor having a bed of laterally spaced plastic strips forming slots therebetween. Beneath each slot is an endless chain having a series of upwardly directed fingers thereon. The fingers are engageable with the various slabs so as to advance the slabs to a location beneath an assembly of water jet devices, each device including a pivotal arm having a nozzle at one end thereof. A barrel cam has a plurality of tracking grooves, the pivotal arms having cam followers depending downwardly therefrom into the tracking grooves of the barrel cam. As the slabs are successively advanced beneath the liquid jet devices, the jets cut the particular slab into individual portions. Advancement of the now severed portions cause the portions to be moved onto a plurality of tilt strips which prevent the cut edges from freezing together. The individual portions are then delivered onto a spreader conveyor assembly comprised of three angularly oriented sets of rollers, two of the sets flanking the first or central set and causing the individual portions to traverse a diverging path for subsequent processing.

Growing community of inventors

Mound, MN, United States of America

John T Lyons