US 11,925,186 B2
Fish head cutting machine
Trevor T. Wastell, Gladstone, MI (US); and Andrew Lambert, Wells, MI (US)
Filed by Pisces Fish Machinery, Inc., Wells, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/837,282.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/210,418, filed on Jun. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0394985 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A22C 25/00 (2006.01); A22C 25/14 (2006.01)
CPC A22C 25/142 (2013.01) [A22C 25/145 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fish head cutting machine for decapitating a fish, comprising:
a) a fish support for supporting a fish in an infeed loading zone with its body belly side down and its backbone in a substantially horizontal orientation;
b) a guide mechanism positioned adjacent said fish support to hold the fish via a fish anatomical body part so that only the body of the fish is supported by said fish support;
c) a drive mechanism transporting the fish in a downward direction and at an acute angle to vertical from said infeed loading zone downstream to a head cutting zone while said fish is supported on said fish support and held by said guide mechanism;
d) a head pusher located between said infeed loading zone and said head cutting zone that engages the head of the fish and tips the head of the fish upwardly and rearwardly as said fish moves downstream to said head cutting zone; and
e) head cutting blades located downstream of the head pusher in the head cutting zone that cut the head of the fish from the body of the fish.