﻿[9] 
  PATENTS 
  ISSUED 
  RELATING 
  TO 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  983 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  PATENTS. 
  

  

  No. 
  266134. 
  

  

  -(James 
  B. 
  Grady, 
  Philadelphia, 
  Pa. 
  ; 
  patented 
  October 
  17, 
  1882 
  ; 
  fish-cutter. 
  See 
  

  

  Plates 
  I, 
  II, 
  III.) 
  

  

  A 
  machine 
  for 
  removing 
  the 
  heads 
  and 
  tails 
  of 
  fish 
  as 
  a 
  preliminary 
  

   step 
  in 
  preparing 
  them 
  for 
  boxing. 
  The 
  usual 
  method 
  of 
  preparing 
  the 
  

   fish 
  by 
  hand 
  is 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  operating-table 
  

   in 
  baskets, 
  crates, 
  &c, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  laid 
  out 
  in 
  regular 
  rows. 
  

   The 
  operator 
  then 
  removes 
  the 
  heads 
  and 
  tails 
  with 
  a 
  knife, 
  after 
  which 
  

   the 
  fish 
  are 
  carried 
  to 
  the 
  flakes 
  or 
  drying 
  dishes. 
  The 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  

   heads 
  and 
  tails 
  is 
  laborious 
  work, 
  and 
  even 
  when 
  performed 
  by 
  a 
  skill- 
  

   ful 
  workman 
  not 
  always 
  well 
  done. 
  In 
  preparing 
  the 
  fish 
  for 
  boxing 
  it 
  

   is 
  necessary 
  that 
  none 
  of 
  them 
  should 
  be 
  over 
  a 
  certain 
  size, 
  the 
  boxes 
  

   being 
  all 
  of 
  a 
  standard 
  size. 
  If 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  standard, 
  

   they 
  must 
  either 
  be 
  trimmed 
  by 
  the 
  person 
  employed 
  in 
  boxing 
  or 
  be 
  

   returned 
  to 
  the 
  cutting 
  table. 
  If 
  a 
  gauge 
  is 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  cutter, 
  it 
  takes 
  

   longer 
  time 
  to 
  dress 
  and 
  prepare 
  the 
  fish. 
  The 
  object 
  here 
  is 
  to 
  provide 
  

   means 
  whereby 
  the 
  fish 
  may 
  be 
  carried 
  from 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  hoppers 
  and 
  au- 
  

   tomatically 
  delivered 
  by 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  elevators 
  and 
  endless 
  belts 
  to 
  a 
  

   series 
  of 
  pairs 
  of 
  saws 
  or 
  other 
  cutting 
  apparatus, 
  which 
  removes 
  their 
  

   heads 
  and 
  tails, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  delivered 
  into 
  a 
  receptacle. 
  The 
  

   fish 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  a 
  hopper, 
  A, 
  as 
  they 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  water. 
  This 
  hop- 
  

   per 
  has 
  an 
  opening, 
  a, 
  at 
  its 
  lower 
  end, 
  through 
  which 
  they 
  pass, 
  and 
  

   they 
  are 
  then 
  taken 
  up 
  one 
  at 
  a 
  time, 
  by 
  buckets, 
  b, 
  on 
  endless 
  apron 
  

   E, 
  moving 
  on 
  the 
  pulleys 
  b 
  x 
  b 
  2 
  . 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  apron 
  to 
  the 
  

   of 
  the 
  top 
  roll 
  b 
  1 
  , 
  where 
  they 
  drop 
  off 
  into 
  the 
  trough 
  C, 
  which 
  is 
  wider 
  

   at 
  the 
  top 
  than 
  the 
  bottom, 
  and 
  has 
  running 
  through 
  it, 
  at 
  its 
  bottom, 
  

   the 
  endless 
  belt 
  D, 
  moving 
  on 
  the 
  pulleys 
  d 
  d 
  1 
  . 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  thrown 
  

   into 
  the 
  trough 
  C 
  crosswise, 
  but 
  the 
  trough 
  being 
  V-shaped, 
  they 
  fall 
  

   on 
  the 
  carrier 
  lengthwise. 
  They 
  are 
  then 
  carried 
  by 
  the 
  belt 
  D 
  forward 
  

   toward 
  the 
  pulleys 
  d 
  1 
  , 
  under 
  which 
  are 
  placed 
  the 
  saws 
  or 
  cutters 
  1 
  1 
  1 
  

   for 
  removing 
  the 
  heads 
  and 
  tails 
  ; 
  but 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  necessary 
  that 
  all 
  the 
  fish 
  

   should 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  saws 
  with 
  their 
  heads 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  belt, 
  

   or 
  with 
  their 
  heads 
  toward 
  the 
  larger 
  saw, 
  the 
  gate 
  E 
  is 
  placed 
  over 
  the 
  

   apron 
  D. 
  This 
  gate 
  is 
  placed 
  at 
  an 
  angle 
  over 
  the 
  apron, 
  with 
  its 
  lower 
  

   edge 
  very 
  near 
  to 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  apron, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  held 
  in 
  

   place 
  by 
  the 
  arms 
  ee 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  trough 
  C. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  

   held 
  down 
  by 
  a 
  spring. 
  When 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  moving 
  on 
  the 
  belt 
  with 
  their 
  

   tails 
  forward, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  pulleys 
  d 
  1 
  , 
  the 
  tail 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  wedge 
  

   or 
  lever 
  and 
  raises 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  gate 
  E 
  and 
  allows 
  the 
  fish 
  to 
  pass 
  under 
  

   it. 
  If, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  they 
  approach 
  the 
  gate 
  heads 
  forward, 
  the 
  head 
  

   strikes 
  against 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  gate 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  slides 
  up 
  and 
  over 
  the 
  

  

  