The present invention relates to a washing apparatus for fish products.

In the fish-product processing industry there has always been the need to subject said products to a thorough washing action from the very start of the processing cycle; this need is even more pressing in the case of fish which have a particularly complex external form.

This applies to squid, octopus and cuttlefish which have a plurality of tentacles; these tentacles have an infinite number of areas which may act as a trap for dirt and debris of various kinds not only because of their intrinsic complex form, but also because they are located in the region of the mouth of the fish.

But it is not only at the start of the processing operation that a vigorous washing action is required; also during the various stages of processing there may be the need to wash the fish products in order to remove particles resulting from processing itself, such as, for example, slimy pellicles or pieces of cartilage, which must not appear in the final product which is presented to the consumer.

Within the context of the methods for processing fish products, various systems and apparatus for washing said products have been devised, such as, for example, containers which rotate in various manners and inside which the said rotating fish products are at the same time immersed in the washing water.

The washing machines proposed hitherto have certain drawbacks including the fact that they use an excessive amount of water or have an imperfect washing action.

One need only consider, for example, that in many of the machines which have been realized hitherto the mass of fish product may always be immersed in the washing water,

but is also always in contact with the debris which is separated from the product itself.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned drawbacks and provide a washing apparatus capable of providing a very vigorous washing action.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure a marked separation between the fish product during washing and the debris which is gradually detached from the said product.

In particular, the washing apparatus for fish products, in particular squid, according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: -a drum having a substantially cylindrical shape with an opening formed in the top part of the drum itself ; this opening extends substantially over the whole length of the drum which is arranged inside a retaining structure; during the washing cycle the drum is immobile with respect to the retaining structure; -one or more nozzles for supplying the washing water which are integrally connected to the inside of the drum on one of its sides parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum itself ; said connection is such that the jets of water emerging from the said supply nozzles are directed, downwards, tangentially with respect to the internal surface of the drum so as to create a circular swirling movement of the washing water and the fish products immersed therein; -a deflector which extends over the whole length of one side of the drum parallel to the longitudinal axis of the said drum; said deflector is designed to prevent the fish product from coming out of the drum during washing; the side of the drum to which the said deflector is connected is situated in a position opposite to that to which the supply nozzles are integrally connected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.

These and other characteristic features will emerge more clearly from the following

description of a preferred embodiment illustrated, purely by way of a non-limiting example, in the accompanying plates of drawings, in which: -Figure I shows a cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus along a generic axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof ; -Figure 2 shows an axonometric view of the drum; -Figure 3 shows an external axonometric view of the washing apparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION.

With reference to the Figures, 1 denotes a drum arranged inside a retaining structure 2; said drum, during washing, is always identically positioned with respect to the retaining structure 2.

The drum 1 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an opening 3 formed in the top part thereof, said opening extending substantially over the whole length of the said drum.

Two or more nozzles 4 for supplying the washing water are integrally connected onto one of the edges of the said opening 3 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum 1, said nozzles being positioned so that the jet of water emerging from them is directed tangentially with respect to the internal surface of the drum 1.

The supply nozzles 4 are connected to a pump 5 by means of a pipe 6.

A slit 7 longitudinally extending substantially over the same distance as the drum 1 is formed in the edge of the opening 3 opposite to that to which the supply nozzles 4 are connected, as can be seen from Figure 2.

A deflector 8 is integrally connected to the drum I on the bottom edge of the said slit 7; this deflector has a length which is the same as that of the opening 3 and is inclined towards the inside of the drum 1; deflector 8 and drum I are connected together by joining means 9, a weld, bolts or the like, positioned outside the drum itself.

As can be seen in Figure 2, a plurality of holes 10 is formed over the entire surface of the

deflector 8, said holes all having a flaring directed towards the inside of the drum 1.

The bottom of the drum 1 is also provided, along the whole length of the said drum, with a row of holes 11 all connected to a single pipe 12 also extending over the whole length of the drum 1 on the external surface thereof.

The pipe 12 is connected to a duct 13 positioned inside the retaining structure 2 and provided with a one-way valve 13a; said duct 13 is designed to supply compressed air from a pipe 14.

A second deflector 15 is integrally connected to the inside of the bottom part of the drum 1, being positioned so as to be slightly raised with respect to the row of holes 11.

The joining line between the second deflector 15 and the internal wall of the drum 1 is carefully formed so as not to have any roughness which could damage the fish product should the latter bang against it during washing.

The drum 1 is provided with one or more hydraulic jacks 16-illustrated in Figure 3- which are positioned outside the retaining structure 2 and are designed to tilt over the said drum once the washing cycle has been completed; said tilting action is the only movement which the drum 1 is allowed to make and is performed about one or more pivots 17 which are integrally joined to the retaining structure 2. The drum 1 is connected to the pivots 17 by means of arms 18.

In order to allow the said tilting movement of the drum 1 about the pivots 18, the pipe 6 is connected to the supply nozzles by means of a union 19.

Said union consists of two conical elements, a male element and female element, which have a corresponding conicity and are provided with suitable sealing elements and which can be fitted together.

The union 19 is positioned inside the retaining structure 2.

A second union 20, which operates in the same manner as the union 19, is also positioned

inside the retaining structure 2 and is arranged between the duct 13 and pipe 14 conveying the compressed air from a plant supplying said compressed air, not shown.

A plurality of openings 21 is formed on the side of the drum 1 to which the deflector 8 is connected, substantially in the region of the curved wall section of the said drum.

Said plurality of openings extends longitudinally over the whole length of the drum I and is provided with means for closing the said openings during the washing operation, not shown.

A pipe 22 for recirculating the washing water connects one side of the retaining structure 2 to a pipe 23 entering into the pump 5.

A valve 24, which can be actuated upon operation by an operator, is located upstream of the point where the recirculation pipe 22 engages with the entry pipe 23.

A discharge compartment 25 for removing the washing water and the debris contained in it is positioned underneath the retaining structure 2; a ducting, not shown, may be connected to said discharge compartment.

The operating principle of the washing apparatus according to the present invention is now described in connection with the reference numbers shown in the Figures.

Once the mass of fish product to be washed has been poured inside the drum 1, the pump 5 is started up.

The jet of water, under pressure, travels along the pipe 6 and emerges inside the drum I via the supply nozzles 4; since the latter are positioned so as to be tangential to the internal surface of the said drum, the same effect will occur for the water jets.

It will therefore be these pressurised water jets, and only these jets, which impart a rotating movement to the mass of fish product inside the drum 1; in fact, the latter is unable to perform any movement to be transmitted to the mass of product being washed.

At the same time as the rotating movement thus imparted to the product to be washed, a

jet of compressed air emerges from the row of holes 1 1: this jet of air, which is deviated by the second deflector 15, is introduced into the mass of washing water tangentially with respect to the rotating movement thereof, helping provide the said water with a greater swirling effect and providing it with a greater capacity to mix up the mass of fish product being washed.

During the rotating movement of said mass, when the latter is located in the top part of the drum 1 in the region of the opening 3 thereof, a part of the fish product could emerge from the drum itself ; this possible drawback is counteracted by the presence of the deflector 8 which, owing to its inclination, forces the entire mass of the fish product being washed to remain inside the said drum 1.

Although the said fish product is obliged to remain rotating inside said drum, the situation is different with regard to the water and the impurities in it which are able to flow out from the drum, by draining through the plurality of holes 10 present in the deflector 8, and which, passing through the said slit 7, may enter into the cavity existing between the drum 1 and the retaining structure 2.

In this way the advantage is obtained that the water which continues to mix up in a rotating manner the mass of fish product is always clean water.

Since the joint between drum 1 and deflector 8 is obtained using means positioned on the external surface of the said drum and since all the holes 10 have a flaring which is directed towards the inside of the said drum 1, the surface against which the mass of squid being washed slides is completely devoid of projecting or sharp parts: this therefore ensures delicate processing of each individual fish which will remain intact even after a prolonged washing cycle.

The water containing the debris, after passing through the holes 10 and after being freed of the debris which is deposited by means of gravity onto the bottom of the retaining

structure 2, is conveyed back to the pump 5 by means of the recirculation pipe 22; in this way a significant reduction in the water consumption is obtained and this is obtained by actuating the valve 24. Said actuation, in fact, causes exclusion of the connection between the entry pipe 23 and the pump 5 which will convey to the supply nozzles 4 the water coming from the said recirculation pipe 22.

At the end of washing, once both operation of the pump 5 and supplying of the compressed air from the row of holes 11 has been interrupted, operation of the hydraulic jacks 16 is performed, said jacks causing tilting over of the drum 1 outside the retaining structure 2 by means of rotation of the said drum about the pivots 17: in this way it is possible to pour the mass of fish product which has just been washed directly inside containers provided for this purpose.

The pipe 6 supplying the washing water and the pipe 14 supplying the compressed air do not interfere with tilting of the drum 1 owing to the unions 19 and 20, respectively.

As soon as tilting of the drum 1 starts, the operator will ensure that the openings 21 are open so as to allow emptying of the water which is still present inside the said drum since it has not passed out via the plurality of holes 10; said emptying through the openings 21 facilitates the operation of tilting over of the drum 1 and allows smaller-size hydraulic jacks 16 to be used.

The final product of washing is a mass washed with an action sufficiently vigorous to eliminate any type of impurity and, at the same time, capable of processing in a delicate manner each individual fish.