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Patent Searching and Data


Title:
PEELING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PEELING SHRIMPS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2014/104888
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a peeling device and method for peeling objects. The peeling device according to the invention comprises: a frame provided with a rotation axis; and a holder for the object for peeling connected to the frame, wherein the holder rotates around the rotation axis during use such that the objects are peeled. The objects are preferably shrimps.

Inventors:
HIJLKEMA BERNARDUS LUDGERUS LUBERTUS (NL)
VAN DER WIEL HENRICUS HUBERTUS (NL)
Application Number:
PCT/NL2013/050955
Publication Date:
July 03, 2014
Filing Date:
December 24, 2013
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
GPM SEAFOOD B V (NL)
International Classes:
A22C29/02
Foreign References:
US4616382A1986-10-14
US20100233948A12010-09-16
US4769871A1988-09-13
US5366405A1994-11-22
US3465383A1969-09-09
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
LUBBERDINK, Pim (GK Den Haag, NL)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Peeling device for peeling objects, comprising:

- a frame provided with a rotation axis; and

- a holder for the object for peeling connected to the frame,

wherein the holder rotates around the rotation axis during use such that the objects are peeled.

2. Peeling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder comprises a clamping device for clamping the object.

3. Peeling device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the clamping device comprises adjusting means for adjusting a clamping force on the object.

4. Peeling device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the adjusting means comprise a control for controlling, during peeling, the clamping force and/or rotation speed with which the holder rotates around the rotation axis.

5. Peeling device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, further comprising a singulator.

6. Peeling device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, further comprising an orienting apparatus for orienting the objects.

7. Peeling device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the orienting apparatus is provided with blowing means for changing the orientation of the objects.

8. Peeling device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, further comprising a centrifuge buffer. 9. Peeling device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the objects are shrimps.

10. Method for peeling objects such as shrimps, comprising of providing a peeling device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims.

11. Peeling device and method for peeling particularly shrimps, as described in the foregoing description and/or shown in the accompanying figures.

Description:
Peeling device and method for peeling shrimps

The present invention relates to a shrimp peeling device for peeling shrimps.

An average of around 30,000 tons of Crangon shrimp arc caught each year in the Waddcn

Sea and other parts of the North Sea. These shrimps are for the most part transported to Morocco and there manually peeled in so-called peeling centres. This requires transport of the shrimps over a relatively large distance to such peeling centres. The peeled shrimps then have to be transported back again. This is relatively expensive. It also has an environmental impact. A further problem is that the hygienic conditions are difficult to control during the peeling of the shrimps in the peeling centres.

The present invention has for its object to reduce or wholly obviate the existing problems. The invention provides for this purpose a peeling device for peeling shrimps, the device comprising:

- a frame provided with a rotation axis; and

- a holder for the object for peeling connected to the frame,

wherein the holder rotates around the rotation axis during use such that the objects are peeled.

Objects can be peeled fully automatically with the peeling device according to the invention. The objects are preferably shrimps. It is also possible to perform the peeling at a desired location, for instance close to the port, distribution centres or even on board a ship. It is also possible to peel types of shrimp other than Crangon shrimp, as well as peeling other crustaceans and/or shellfish. With the peeling device according to the invention the shrimp are peeled under controlled hygienic conditions. In addition, the transport of the objects is minimized, which contributes toward a cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly processing.

In an advantageous preferred embodiment according to the invention the holder comprises a clamping device for clamping the object.

Providing the clamping device achieves that the objects, such as shrimps, can preferably be held individually during the peeling process.

In an advantageous preferred embodiment according to the invention the clamping device comprises adjusting means for adjusting a clamping force on the object.

Providing the adjusting means makes it possible to adjust a clamping force. The clamping can hereby be adjusted to the requir ement depending on the object and the status of the peeling process.

The adjusting means preferably comprise a control for controlling, during peeling, the clamping force and/or rotation speed with which the holder rotates around the rotation axis.

In an advantageous preferred embodiment according to the invention the peeling device comprises a singulator. By providing a singulator objects supplied in a tray are singulated or individualized for further processing in the peeling device, and particularly in the centrifuge.

In a favourable preferred embodiment according to the invention the peeling device comprises an orienting apparatus for orienting the objects.

By providing an orienting apparatus the preferably singulated objects arc carried in an aligned and preferably specific manner into the holder.

The orienting apparatus is preferably provided with blowing means for changing the orientation of the objects.

In an advantageous preferred embodiment according to the invention the peeling device comprises a centrifuge buffer. Providing a centrifuge buffer enables controlled placing of an object in the holder. A batch-wise peeling is possible using the buffer. The effectiveness is hereby further increased.

The invention also further relates to a method for peeling shrimps, comprising of supplying shrimps and peeling the shrimps using a device as described and shown in the present application.

Said methods provide the same effects and advantages as described for the device.

The invention comprises all combinations of aspects and measures for peeling particularly shrimps as described in the foregoing description and/or shown in and elucidated with the accompanying figures.

Further advantages, features and details of the invention are elucidated on the basis of preferred embodiments thereof, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

- Figures 1 and 2 show a view of the supply and singulation of the shrimps in combination with the peeling device;

- Figure 3 shows a detail view of the singulation of figures 1 and 2;

- Figures 4-7 show views of a shrimp being taken up with the device according to the invention;

- Figures 8-16 show further views of the peeling device according to the invention.

The peeling device is further elucidated on the basis of a number of process steps. This begins with the supplying of the shrimps, wherein the shrimps are also singulated and oriented. The peeling centrifuge according to the invention is then further discussed.

Since the shrimps are supplied in bulk, once the shrimps have been sorted to size and the shrimps deviating too greatly have been separated out to allow the most disturbance-free possible operation (figure 1, station a), these shrimps will preferably undergo a number of operations before the actual peeling process takes place.

The first operation relates to the controlled depositing of the shrimps into an elongate, funnel-like buffer (figure 1, station b). The brown circles represent a certain quantity of shrimps; the smaller circles slightly smaller numbers. There then follows the controlled transport of a measured quantity of shrimps out of this buffer into transport channels of a conveyor belt provision (figure 1 , station c) to a vibrating plate for first orientation of the shrimps. These as equal as possible quantities of shrimps are simultaneously deposited here in the most uniform possible distribution over the full width of the platform.

Incorporating transverse partitions placed at equal mutual distance in the transport channels at the same time provides the shrimps on the tray with the necessary space to move in transverse direction to enable free orientation.

The subsequent operation preferably relates to orienting the shrimps with the back facing forward in the direction of the pattern of movement. This is realized by mounting the vibrating plate on one or more vibrating tables in the form of for instance vibrating magnets. The orienting effect intended with the vibrating plate can be enhanced by having, in combination therewith, the most uniformly controlled possible airflow (figure 1 , station e and figure 3) flow along the full width of the vibrating plate over the shrimps in the direction opposite to the movement of these shrimps. This airflow has the aerodynamic effect on the droplet form of the shrimps that the backs of the shrimps will be positioned still better in the direction of the airflow.

The following operation is the individualizing/singulating of the shrimps so that these shrimps can be introduced one at a time into the clamping means required for the peeling process. This individualizing of the shrimps is achieved in that these shrimps drop with their back first into one of the holes of one or more rows of holes of for instance 16 mm (one row in the figures) positioned at the end of the vibrating plate (see figure 3). These holes are arranged a short distance from each other, wherein the holes of the different rows are optionally offset half a centre-to-centre distance relative to each other.

The step following individualizing is that the shrimps passing over the rows of holes without dropping into one of the holes will fall at the end of the vibrating plate into a conveyor belt arranged at this position (figure 1 , station f) and be guided via a discharge system to the funnel-like buffer.

The following process is the successive placing of the shrimps so that these shrimps are guided into a trough-like transport channel provided with vibrating magnets (figure 1 , station g) (see figure 3). This is achieved in that the majority of the shrimps, owing to their positioning on the vibrating plate with their back in the direction of the pattern of holes, drop with their back first into the holes and only one individual shrimp can fall here through each individual hole at a time.

Arranging guide profiles (h) on the underside of the holes ensures that the shrimps ar e guided with their backs in the conect orientation into the transport channels placed thereunder and also come into contact with the least possible force with the shrimp or shrimps possibly already present at this position. The profile of the transport channel in combination with the positioning of the outflow of the guide profiles is embodied such that accumulation of shrimps is hereby prevented as far as possible. In the case shrimps nevertheless come to lie head-first in a transport channel, it is preferably possible to arrange provisions in the transport channels which separate these wrongly oriented shrimps out of the transport channels. This can be achieved by means of scanning in combination with blowing, suctioning or flipping these shrimps out of the transport channel. This separation can also be realized as shown in figures 4-8. Per transport channel all the individual shrimps displacing through the transport channel successively strike individually here against a ring positioned in this transport channel (see figure 4, ring I). Because the back part of the shrimp cannot fit into this ring, as shown in figure 4, the thus positioned shrimps will remain lying in the transport channel when the ring moves upward, see figure 5, and continue on their way in the transport channel. The head of a wrongly positioned shrimp will however fit into the ring in this position, see figure 6. Because a clamping provision (j) will clamp the head of this shrimp before the ring is moved upward, as a result of the upward movement of the ring this shrimp will be lifted by this ring out of the relevant transport channel (see figure 7), and then be unloaded into a discharge channel arranged for the purpose or in other manner, and can be guided back again to buffer b. For the purpose of performing this operation means are arranged which temporarily hold parts of the shrimps present in the transport channels in a desired position during the above described operation by for instance pressing on or restraining them. The same applies to those parts of the shrimps present in the transport channels which are situated at the end of the transport channels for the purpose of enabling the tail parts of the shrimps to be placed into the clamping means of the centrifuge buffers.

To enable performing of the peeling process it must be possible to place the shrimps with the tail parts into the clamping means of the centrifuge buffers from the transport channels. The tail part of each shrimp has to be positioned for this purpose as close to a right angle as possible relative to the head of this shrimp. In order to achieve this the outer end of each transport channel is provided with a fork-like clamping device (k), see figures 8-16, which during clamping centres the tail part of the shrimp manoeuvred into this position and fixes the body of this shrimp in this position (see herefor the sections a and b of figures 9 and 10). The airflows (1 in figures 10/12) flowing out of the air outflow openings arranged in the fork parts can then move the tail part in the direction of this right-angled position. A wire or rod device (m) positioned in transverse direction then ensures that the tail parts of all shrimps situated simultaneously in this position of the transport channels are carried into a position as close as possible to a right angle relative to the head parts, whereby the associated clamping means of the centrifuge buffers (n) can enclose and subsequently clamp these tail parts. As soon as this clamping has taken place, the air outflow will be ended substantially simultaneously, the wire or rod devices will be moved into the zero position and the fork-like clamping devices will be opened, after which all these shrimps are lifted out of the transport channels by the above stated clamping means. In order to enable peeling of shrimps all shrimps have to be introduced during the peeling procedures to be performed into this centrifuge device using a uniform clamping device.

During peeling of a shrimp the shell, the shell parts, skeleton or carapace of the shrimp is separated from the pith, the meat of the shrimp. The fully automatic peeling of shrimps, referred to as the peeling procedure, according to the methods described in this application takes place on the basis of utilizing the centrifugal forces produced by a centrifuge device.

There are two types of device with which this fully automatic peeling of the shrimps can be performed. The first type consists of a centrifuge device with which the peeling procedure is performed directly after filling with the shrimps.

The second type consists of a peeling station constructed from a frame with drive and control in combination with a certain number of centrifuge buffers (o, shown in figures 1 and 2). A centrifuge buffer can be described as a cylindrical frame in which an x-number of extendable sets of two clamping strips are accommodated in longitudinal direction. In order to be filled with shrimps a centrifuge buffer is positioned in this embodiment transversely above a certain number of adjacently placed transport channels such that, of the shrimps present in the transport channels, the tail parts brought into the right-angled position are enclosed by extending one set of clamping strips as shown in figure 9, and are clamped in these clamping strips, see figures 12 and 13. As soon as the shrimps can be freely lifted vertically out of the transport channels (position in figure 14), this set of clamping strips is retracted into the centrifuge buffer, after which the following set of clamping strips can be positioned in this filling position by rotating the centrifuge buffer, and this filling procedure can be repeated until all clamping strips have been filled with shrimps.

The relevant centrifuge buffer is then set in the wait position, after which an empty centrifuge buffer can take its place in order to be filled.

Once a centrifuge buffer has been placed in the vertical position from the wait position in the peeling station, this centrifuge buffer is fixed to the frame, and all provisions for perfect operation of the peeling procedure, such as the operating members, energy lines and detection provisions, are thereby simultaneously coupled and connected. Operations performed during the peeling procedure in the peeling centrifuge will be energized and activated here as far as possible by external actions. It will thus be possible to perform an uncoupling action, for instance for adjusting the position of all clamping strips in one operation by pressing aside a ring mounted on the peeling centrifuge by means of three bearings mounted displaceably on the fixed world. In addition to two pneumatic universal joints positioned in the central axis of the centrifuge, one on the underside and one on the upper side, for the supply of compressed air for operational activities, electric slide contacts can be utilized for energy supply, data traffic and so on. In addition, optical data traffic, for instance via infrared, and possibly also wireless communication means will be utilized for perfect control and monitoring of the peeling procedure. As soon as these operations have taken place, the peeling procedure can be started by switching on the drive and allowing the rotation speed of the peeling centrifuge to increase.

In respect of the flexibility of the shrimp in relation to straightening it is noted that all properly cooked shrimps substantially always have the same form. The tail part presses here with the tail fans against the abdominal part, whereby an elongate (droplet-shaped) hole is present between the tail part and the abdominal part into which a pointed pin, the so-called straightening pin, can be inserted without the shrimp thereby being damaged. When the body of the shrimp is sufficiently clamped, it is found possible to straighten the shrimp (the tail part can be rotated relative to the body) using very little force. This fact makes it possible to move a resilient rod of for instance around 0.5 mm, which during the insertion of the straightening pin is enclosed in a groove in this straightening pin, out of this straightening pin in the straightening position of the straightening pin via an external control, and to thereby rotate the tail part relative to the body. It is hereby possible to position the tail fans in the opened tail fan clamp and then have them clamped fixedly thereby. This tail fan clamp is likewise operated externally and in the clamping position has sufficient clamping force for guaranteed securing of the tail fans, and thereby the tail part, during centrifuging.

In respect of the articulation and structure of the shrimp in relation to the peeling it is noted that the head is attached very flexibly to the abdominal part carapace via several point connections, while the links of this carapace, while being slightly stronger, are nevertheless connected

"delicately" to each other and to the tail part carapace. Tension tests (wherein the head of the straightened shrimp were clamped between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and the tail part between the thumb and forefinger of the left-hand and a pulling force was exerted on the shrimp) have shown that in most cases the connection between the carapace of the abdominal part and that of the tail part forms the weakest link. In a small percentage of the tests the connection between the head and the abdominal part carapace was broken.

In contrast to the head and the abdominal part carapace, the tail part carapace of the shrimp is extremely strong and robust. A relatively great pressure force can therefore be exerted on the tail part carapace without it breaking or tearing, and the flesh present therein is hardly damaged, while the flesh can however in this way be clamped and secured in the tail part carapace. When the tail fans are clamped a sufficiently great pulling force (in the direction of the head) can also be exerted on the tail part for the peeling process without the connection between the tail part carapace and these tail fans being broken.

In respect of the centrifugal peeling it is noted that the use of centrifugal force has a number of highly attractive aspects for the development of an optimum shrimp peeling process.

Firstly, the force "engages" at the centre of gravity of a mass or a collection of masses without pressure force having to be exerted on these masses in order to obtain sufficient friction for the necessary engagement, or without grip on or at these masses engagement having to be obtained in other manner. This has the result that aspects such as shape, dimensioning, nature, the degree of moistness etc. of the carapace or the flesh of the shrimp are in principle no longer of importance. Even a shrimp with a "softened" head can be properly peeled via utilization of this force.

Secondly, if the distance between the axis of a centrifuge and a mass remains constant, the centrifugal force exerted on this mass is directly proportional to the rotation speed of the centrifuge. The desired centrifugal force can hereby be obtained in very precise manner, and there is moreover a direct relation between the increasing or decreasing rotation speed of the centrifuge and the increase or decrease in the centrifugal force on this mass. The gradualness with which such an increasing or decreasing centrifugal force can be generated is of extremely great importance in "pulling apart" a connection, a link. This is because no more force is ever exerted than is necessary to have the desired action take place, and no excessive exertion of force therefore takes place during peeling of a shrimp when the shrimp is arranged in the correct straightened position.

Thirdly, the forces required to take the shrimp apart are relatively small. At the moment that the flesh releases, there is limited kinetic energy present in this flesh. During tests in a normal spin drier the flesh was only slightly damaged at about 2500 revolutions, while when the drum is lined internally with a 2 cm thick foam rubber mat hardly any damage occurs. The best solution therefore appears to me to be to arrange collection of the flesh, which is guaranteed to be separated from the rest, the shell parts, in a type of vibrating gutter construction arranged around the centrifuge. The same applies for the discharge of the shell part. The centrifugal force ensures that all components of the shrimp comes to lie in a very "elegant" manner in such a collecting device.

In order to have the flesh flipped out of the tail carapace (to which the carapace of the abdominal part is still or no longer connected) a number of aspects appear to be essential at that moment.

A first aspect relates to the fact that the shrimp is position as straight as possible because the centrifugal force engages on the centre of gravity of the flesh and in such a position the flesh appears to encounter the least possible resistance from the carapace. This particularly the case when during the first action of the centrifuge peeling process only the head of the shrimp is removed.

A second aspect relates to the fact that no or substantially no (pressure) force is exerted on the tail part carapace and the abdominal part carapace possibly still connected thereto.

A third aspect relates to the fact that the legs of the shrimp have sufficient freedom of movement to be able to move (forward and backwar d) unimpeded.

It may be the case that the most ideal position for the centrifugal peeling will be a (slightly) over-straightened position. This may have something to do with the release of the flesh from the "attachment" to the "legs" of the shrimp. It is likely that, when the abdominal part carapace is still connected to that of the tail part, the legs must therefore possibly have sufficient space for movement so as to be able to move freely in order to give the flesh the possibility of being able to leave the car apace via the peeling method described here.

These findings have resulted in the clamping block being configured such that, in addition to fixedly clamping the tail fans, the tail part can be clamped symmetrically via two (or more) (sliding) parts, whereby the flesh is secured in this tail part. The head and the abdominal part have to be enclosed such that there is substantially no undesired and excessive application of force, but however such that it is guaranteed that the shrimp is manoeuvred into the correct straightened position and is also held in this straightened position during centrifuging.

When the clamping blocks are then placed in the centrifuge such that the tail fans point in the direction of the axis of the centrifuge, it is then possible in a centrifuge rotating at a sufficient rotation speed to exert on the shrimps a centrifugal force which is sufficient to successively perform (per clamping block) the following actions.

First action (1 st ): In the majority of cases separating the head with the abdominal part carapace attached thereto (or in a minority of cases the head alone) from the rest of the shrimp and having it flipped out. During this action all loose parts of the shrimp or other types of contamination still present are also removed.

Second action (2 nd ): having the flesh of the shrimp flipped out of the tail carapace (or from the tail carapace to which the abdominal part carapace is still connected) by releasing the clamping of the tail part.

Third action (3 rd ): Releasing the clamping of the tail fans and thereby having the tail part carapace (or tail part carapace to which the abdominal part carapace is still connected) with tail fans and what further still remains of the shrimp flipped out of the clamping block.

The expectation is that following these actions the clamping blocks present at that moment in the centrifuge will be (substantially) clean. If this is not sufficiently the case, it is then possible to envisage the centrifuge being embodied with a device with which all clamping blocks are sprayed or blown clean.

The collecting and discharge device of this centrifuge can consist of two (or more) strictly separated drum-like vibrating gutters, one vibrating gutter of which is intended solely for the purpose of collecting the flesh. This avoids (as far as possible) the flesh being mixed with other remnants of the shrimps. The flesh thus comes into direct contact only with this vibrating gutter during the whole peeling process, whereby the occurrence of (bacterial) contamination of the flesh is prevented as far as possible during the peeling process.

As found from the tests, considerably less centrifugal force is necessary to perform action 1 than that found necessary for action 2, while for action 3 this force is again less than is the case for action 1. This has the result that actions 1-3 can take place in this sequence falling within the centrifuging procedure. The centrifuge is started and the rotation speed increases. Action 1 will take place at a given moment within this segment.

The rotation speed necessary for the purpose of performing action 2 is reached. All shrimps have at that moment been subjected to action 1. The clamping of the tail part of all clamping blocks disposed in the centrifuge is released, the rotation speed then continues to increase, wherein during this segment, which ends at a maximum rotation speed to be set, the flesh will have been driven out of all shrimps.

This centrifuge is at that moment decelerated, wherein at a determined moment during this deceleration all tail clamps are opened and action 3 takes place until the centrifuge comes to a stop. At that moment all tail part carapaces and other unwanted parts still present have been flung out of the clamping blocks.

It has further been found that in an advantageous preferred embodiment the device is provided with a centrifuge which is equipped such that the operations necessary for the transition from action 1 to action 2 and from action 2 to action 3 can be carried out.

It is otherwise noted that within this approach a reverse sequence of the actions (3/1) is in principle also possible according to the invention.

The technique of individualizing, positioning and orienting the shrimps as specified above can also be utilized for the subsequent peeling of shrimps according to a second embodiment of the peeling device, the so-called clamping disc shrimp peeling technique.

In order to describe the peeling procedures to be performed using this technique, the successive operations to be performed for this purpose are further elucidated relative to a single shrimp. Figure 17 provides an overall view of these operations and the given numbering indicates the position of the successive individual operations described.

In order to be able to perform this peeling process each shrimp from the transport channel of the feed unit is inserted with the tail tip into one of the tail tip clamps (10) of a vertically positioned clamping disc 11 and clamped fixedly. In order to have this clamping take place such that only the tip of the tail will be clamped while positioned as completely and perfectly as possible in the associated tail tip clamp, the following straightening and insertion procedure will be performed.

The shrimp is clamped laterally with clamping means (1) at the end position of the transport channel and thereby centred, see figure 18. Arranged in straightening pin (2) are air outflow openings through which flowing airflows move the tail part of the shr imp (8) sufficiently upward and whereby the straightening pin can be pushed under the tail part, see figure 19. Air outflow openings can also be arranged in clamping means (1) or directly thereabove through which flowing airflows will move the tail part sufficiently upward and whereby the straightening pin situated above one of the clamping means can be pushed under this tail part. By moving the straightening pin forward in the line of the transport channel the tail part is straightened in horizontal direction, see figure 20. A pin clamp (3) situated above the transport channel and provided with at least four pins is displaced downward, whereby the four pins (4) are carried into recesses in the clamping means (figure 21) such that two pins are located on each side of the shrimp. These pairs can be moved toward each other, whereby the body of the shrimp is clamped fixedly by this pin clamp. The so-called tail fork (7) is also situated on the pin clamp. Simultaneously with the downward movement of the pin clamp the tail part of the shrimp (8) is held by this tail fork, brought into horizontal position and centred by the triangular form of the tail fork, see figure 21, followed by the retraction of the straightening pin and the displacement of this straightening pin to its zero position, see figure 22.

As soon as clamping means (1) are then displaced outward and the tail bone is rotated or pushed aside, see figure 22, the shrimp then clamped by the pin clamp is then free to be displaced forward to the tail tip detection position, see figure 23. This positioning detection can be performed using the line detection means (9) arranged at that location. This action is of essential importance for performing the subsequent peeling process as perfectly as possible in order to thereby enable positioning of the tail tip exactly in the position of figure 23 and thereby eliminate the adverse positioning effects resulting from the length differences in the shrimps, and then displacement over a fixed distance applicable for every shrimp, the displacement from figure 23 to figure 24, for the purpose of inserting the tail tip in the associated tail clamp.

As soon as the relevant tail tip clamp (10) of clamping disc (11) is in position and has come sufficiently to a stop, the tail tip can be placed in this tail tip clamp, see figure 24, immediately following which the tail tip is clamped by the tail tip clamp, see figure 25, immediately following which the clamping by the pin clamp is released, see figure 26, and immediately following which the pin clamp can move first to the rear, see figure 27 and subsequently to its zero position, whereby the shrimp is situated in free space except for the clamped tail tip, see figures 27/28.

This second embodiment of the peeling device is constructed from a certain number of clamping discs of for instance 300 mm placed vertically adjacent to each other. During operation the whole system makes a stepwise rotation of for instance eight equal steps via in this embodiment a standard angular displacement of 45°. In the present case eight separately controllable tail tip clamps (10) and eight separately controllable tail part clamps (15) are arranged in identical manner in each disc and via external actions are operated via for instance partially conical rods (12) which are positioned by the whole system of clamping discs at right angles to the clamping discs and are reciprocally movable.

Just before the opening of each tail tip clamp the tail part clamps (15) positioned at right angles to the tail tip clamps are accommodated in the clamping discs. Such a tail part clamp has the main function of clamping the tail part of the relevant shrimp during shearing of the head shell part from the flesh of the shrimp in position 5, whereby the flesh of this shrimp is simultaneously clamped. This clamp can also function to support the tail part during the rotation movements.

As seen from position 1 of the clamping disc in which the shrimp is inserted from the straightening position of the input unit into the tail tip clamp, in this embodiment the following peeling actions required for the peeling procedure take place successively per position:

Position 1, (fig. 24/28): clamping the tail tip of the shrimp, optionally combined with partial clamping of the tail clamp in order to support the tail part, and removing the pin clamp (3) and tail fork (7);

Position 2, (fig. 29): no action;

Position 3, (fig. 30): no action;

Position 4, (fig. 31/33): kneading the part of the shrimp protruding outside the clamps, wherein support plate (14) is placed behind the shrimp.

This kneading, as takes place in this exemplary embodiment with two rollers moving toward each other during this action, can be combined with other actions such as for instance vibration, but can also be performed with additional means with which kneading actions can also be performed at right angles to the pattern of movement utilized here. These kneading actions are intended to break or to weaken the internal connections between the flesh and the head shell part of the shrimp.

After removal of support plate (14) the internal shearing plate (16), see figure 32, is displaced to the position of figure 33 and fixed. Clamping of the tail clamp (15) takes place simultaneously with or during the following rotation movement, see figures 33/34.

Position 5, (fig 35/38): determining via position detection means (17), in the form applied in this embodiment of an electronic registration of the angular displacement of the sensor pin of 17, see figures 34/35, and controlling with the data obtained thereby the positioning of the actuator (19), and thereby carrying and fixing the external shearing plate (18) horizontally into the correct position, see figure 36, followed by vertical positioning of the external shearing plate, see figure 37.

Shearing plates 16 and 18 are both provided with a half-notch of for instance 8 mm, whereby, after enclosing the head shell part of the shrimp therein as shown in figures 36 and 37, followed in this exemplary embodiment by a flesh-removing action during the subsequent rotation movement by temporary coupling in the form of for instance a magnetic coupling of the internal shearing plate (16) to the external shearing plate (18), see figures 37/38. The first stage of shearing the head shell part of the shr imp off the flesh of the shrimp takes place here during the action of figure 36 to figure 37, whereby the structural connection between the head shell part and the meat, the flesh, has wholly or partially taken place. The complete shearing off of the head shell part can then take place by continuing this vertical movement of the combination of shearing plates, or takes place as shown in this embodiment by halting the shearing plates in combination with pulling of the flesh out of the head shell part during the first part of the continued rotation step. As soon as the shearing action has taken place, the coupling of the shearing plates is broken, the external shearing means return to their zero position and the head shell part is collected in a collecting device (20) arranged at that location, see figure 39.

Position 6, (fig. 40/44): clamping the flesh (21) protruding out of the tail part, figures 40/42, in combination with opening the tail clamp, sec figures 41/42, and subsequently pulling the flesh out of the tail part, see fig. 42/43, and in this exemplary embodiment the flesh, after being released from the flesh clamp (22), is collected in a collecting device (23) positioned at that location, see figure 44; use of other versions of clamping means is likewise possible.

Position 7, (fig. 45): no action.

Position 8, (fig. 46): activating a strong air blast (24) from the direction of the position of the tail tip clamp together with immediate, substantially simultaneous opening of the tail tip clamp (15) has the result that the tail part shell (25) is blown out of the clamping disc into the collecting device (26) positioned at that location.

The present invention is by no means limited to the above described embodiments thereof. The rights sought are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.