Apparatus and method for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (10) designed and configured to automatically stun and / or bleed fish (11) that are transported head-first in the transport direction T and with their backs facing upwards, said apparatus comprising: a transport device (12) for transporting the fish (11) from a feed area of the fish (11) along a transport path into the area of a working position in which a stunning unit (13) and / or a bleeding unit (14) is arranged; the stunning unit (13) for stunning each individual fish (11) transported into the working position and / or the bleeding unit (14) for bleeding stunned fish (11); a trigger element (15) arranged in the area of the working position for triggering the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14); and a centring device (16) for pre-centring the fish (11) when transporting the fish (11) towards the working position and holding the fish (11) in the working position. The apparatus is characterised in that the centring device (16) comprises a single pair of centring flaps (20) which is formed by two centring flaps (17, 18) and can be controlled by means of a pneumatic unit (19), and the two centring flaps (17, 18) are arranged at a distance from one another on opposite sides of the transport path, wherein the pneumatic unit (19) of the pair of centring flaps (20) is directly operatively connected to the trigger element (15) in such a way that: a first pre-set centring pressure P1 can be actively applied to each of the centring flaps (17, 18) in order to pre-centre the fish (11) during transport to the working position; and, once the fish (11) reaches and triggers the trigger element (15), a second pre-set centring pressure P2 can be actively applied to each of the centring flaps in order to hold the fish (11) during stunning and / or bleeding of the fish (11). The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

Description

[0001] Device and method for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish

[0002] Description

[0003] The invention relates to a device designed and configured for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards, comprising a transport device for transporting the fish from a feed area of ​​the fish along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position in which a stunning unit and / or a bleeding unit is arranged, the stunning unit for stunning each individual fish transported into the working position and / or the bleeding unit for bleeding stunned fish, a triggering element arranged in the area of ​​the working position for triggering the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit and a centering device for pre-centering the fish during transport of the fish in the direction of the working position and holding the fish in the working position.

[0004] The invention further relates to a method for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards, comprising the steps of: transporting the fish from a feed area of ​​the fish along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position by means of a transport device, pre-centering the fish during transport thereof in the direction of the working position and holding the fish in the working position by means of a centering device controlled by a pneumatic unit, stunning the fish and / or bleeding stunned fish in the working position by means of a stunning unit or a bleeding unit, wherein the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit are triggered by means of a trigger element actuated by the fish.Such devices and methods are used in the fish processing industry to stun fish in the working position and then kill them, or to kill fish already stunned outside the working position by bleeding them out. For this purpose, the fish are actively or passively transported into a working position within the area of ​​the generic device. The fish can, for example, move against a generated water current into the feed area of ​​the device, from where they then slide towards the working position under gravity. The fish can also be transported to the feed area by means of transport or manually. The fish can be fed in stunned or stunned in the working position immediately before killing.Both stunning and killing by bleeding require adequate positioning and centering of the fish before, and especially in, the working position to precisely insert a firing pin of the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit onto and into the fish. A centering device is provided for centering the fish. This device pre-centers the fish during transport toward the working position along the transport path and holds it centered in the working position.

[0005] In known devices and methods, for example, a pair of centering flaps is provided in which the two centering flaps are subjected to a variable centering pressure. In other words, the centering flaps are closed, i.e. subjected to a closing pressure directed towards each other, so that the fish come into contact with the centering flaps during transport and are centered and held by them. By closing the centering flaps, the fish is pushed to the center so that the blow to stun and / or the stab to bleed can be applied in the middle of the fish's transverse direction. To close the centering flaps, centering pressure is applied to an extending side of an air cylinder of a pneumatic unit. To open the centering flaps, an opening pressure that is lower than the centering pressure is applied to a retracting side of the air cylinder.The closing pressure is varied via a proportional control valve depending on the fish size, which requires corresponding detection of the fish size. In other known solutions, the centering device comprises two pairs of flaps, one of which is designed and configured to pre-center the fish and the second pair of flaps to hold the fish. These known solutions have a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the proportional control valve is located at a very great distance of up to 10 m from the compressed air cylinder to be controlled. This means that it is not possible to adjust the closing pressure to the measured fish size quickly enough. Secondly, it is difficult to adjust the closing pressure to the respective fish size, so that average values ​​must be used.Due to external influences, such as the speed at which the fish slide between the centering flaps, the fish can exert very different forces on the centering flaps. However, since the centering flaps always operate with a pressure adjusted to the size of the fish, an average value must be set here. On the one hand, the closing pressure must not be too high, as otherwise the fish cannot push the centering flaps open with their kinetic energy, which creates the risk of them getting stuck in front of the release element. On the other hand, the closing pressure on the centering flaps must not be too low, as otherwise the fish will push the centering flaps open too far and will no longer be centered. This problem leads to insufficient centering, resulting in incorrect striking and stabbing positions on and in the fish.Furthermore, if the centring pressure on the centring flaps is too low, fish can push past the trigger element, which in turn leads to the fish slipping too far into the device and then receiving the stunning blow and / or the bleeding cut or stab on the back or in the abdomen.

[0006] Another disadvantage of the existing solution is the rebound of the fish from the trigger element. Upon impact with the trigger element, the fish partially rebound. In other words, the impact energy moves the fish against the transport direction T. This effect is further amplified by the angled alignment of the firing pins of the stunning unit and the bleeding unit, which are directed toward the fish, opposite the transport direction T. As a result, only part of the energy of the firing pins is transferred into the fish, and part of it is transferred, moving the fish backwards, opposite the transport direction T.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a simple and reliable device for precise stunning and / or bleeding, independent of fish size. Furthermore, the object is to propose a corresponding method.This object is achieved by a device mentioned at the outset in that the centering device comprises a single centering flap pair formed from two centering flaps and controllable by means of a pneumatic unit, and the two centering flaps are arranged at a distance from one another on opposite sides of the transport path, wherein the pneumatic unit of the centering flap pair is in direct operative connection with the triggering element in such a way that the centering flaps can be actively each acted upon with a first preset centering pressure P1 for pre-centering the fish during transport into the working position and actively, as soon as the fish has reached and triggered the triggering element, each acted upon with a second preset centering pressure P2 for holding the fish during stunning and / or bleeding of the fish.The device can therefore be used only to stun centered fish or only to bleed centered (and otherwise / remotely stunned) fish or to stun and bleed the fish. With the design according to the invention, a two-stage pressure setting can be provided with a single pair of centering flaps. A compromise between a pre-centering pressure and a closing pressure can be avoided by waiting for the fish with the first centering pressure P1 for pre-centering the fish, and the actual centering of the fish to hold the fish centrally in the working position takes place with the second centering pressure P2. Due to the direct operative connection between the triggering element and the centering flaps, the centering pressure P2, which is higher than the first centering pressure P1, builds up or is applied to the centering flaps as soon as the fish is in the working position and has triggered the triggering element.The centering pressures P1 and P2, which are adapted to the respective function—namely, pre-centering or holding the fish—firstly ensure that the fish, regardless of their size—reliably push open the centering flaps with the centering pressure P1 during pre-centering. This effectively prevents fish from getting stuck before reaching the trigger element due to the low pre-centering pressure, which can also be referred to as the waiting pressure. Secondly, the higher centering pressure P2, which closes the centering flaps and holds the fish in the working position, ensures optimal centering force on the fish at the moment the firing pins of the stunning unit and / or bleeding unit are triggered, thus ensuring the best possible placement of the firing pins.Because the centering device is designed and configured for pre-centering and centered holding of the fish regardless of fish size, detection means for detecting the fish size can be dispensed with - at least for centering.

[0008] An advantageous development of the device is characterized in that it comprises a control device that is connected to at least the pneumatic unit of the centering flap pair, the trigger element, and the stunning and / or bleeding unit. This ensures automatic and precise stunning and / or bleeding of the fish.

[0009] The pneumatic unit of the centering flap pair expediently comprises an air cylinder with at least one air valve that can be pressurized with at least two fixed, fish-size-independent pressures P1 and P2, with P1«P2. Optionally, instead of the or each air valve, two compressed air lines or the like permanently supplied with compressed air can be provided. In addition, the air cylinder can also be pressurized with an ambient pressure PO. The pressure P2 can, for example, be twice or more times the pressure P1. The compressed air valve is preferably assigned a valve terminal that comprises at least two 3 / 2-way valves. This ensures rapid and precise provision of the required pressures, in particular the centering pressures P1 and P2.Presetting the centering pressures P1 for pre-centering and P2 for centering and holding the fish in the working position ensures fast centering, regardless of fish size. Since the valve terminal with the 2 / 3-way valves can be located close to the pneumatic unit and thus near the pneumatic cylinder, short line lengths, for example, 1000 mm or less, are feasible, allowing the pre-centering pressure P1 or the maximum centering pressure P2 to be applied quickly and precisely to the centering flaps.

[0010] Advantageously, a pressure zone separation is arranged between the valve terminal and the compressed air valve. Optionally, an OR valve is also arranged between the two 3 / 2-way valves on the one hand and the compressed air valve of the compressed air cylinder on the other, such that either the first centering pressure P1 or the second centering pressure P2 is applied to an extending side of the compressed air cylinder. The centering pressure P1 or P2 extends a piston of the pressure cylinder, moving the centering flaps to their preset positions. The fixed centering pressures P1 and P2 each serve to close the centering flaps with different pressures. The different centering pressures P1 and P2 are switched to the OR valve via the two 3 / 2-way valves. The respective control device then controls the respective actuation.Of course, the ambient pressure PO can also be present on the extending side of the pneumatic cylinder.

[0011] Advantageously, an opening pressure P3 can be applied on an incoming side of the pneumatic cylinder, with P3 <P1. Mit dem Anlegen des Öffnungsdrucks P3 auf der einfahrenden Seite wird der Druckluftzylinder quasi wieder zurückgesetzt und die Zentrierklappen geben den Fisch frei. Mit dieser Ausführungsform sind insgesamt drei Zustände für den Druckluftzylinder erreichbar, nämlich das Schließen der Zentrierklappen mit Zentrierdruck P1 , das Schließen der Zentrierklappen mit Zentrierdruck P2 oder das Öffnen der Zentrierklappen mit Öffnungsdruck P3. Zwischen diesen Zuständen kann schnell und präzise hin und her geschaltet werden.

[0012] A particularly preferred embodiment is characterized in that the fixed centering pressure P1 is approximately 2 to 3 bar, preferably approximately 2.5 bar, the fixed centering pressure P2 is approximately 5 to 8 bar, preferably approximately 6 bar, and the opening pressure P3 is approximately 0.3 to 1 bar, preferably approximately 0.5 bar. With these pressure levels, all fish, regardless of their size, can be reliably and precisely pre-centered and kept centered to achieve optimal stunning and bleeding results. The pressure levels and pressure ranges are, of course, variable and are then permanently set to the respective set level for operation.

[0013] Advantageously, both centering flaps are synchronized by the shared pneumatic unit with a first pre-centering pressure as the first centering pressure P1 to pick up and pre-center the fish at a distance from each other during transport towards the working position. After the working position has been reached and the triggering element has been triggered, they are synchronized with a second closing pressure as the second centering pressure P2 to hold the fish during stunning and / or bleeding. The synchronous actuation of the centering flaps ensures that the fish are subjected to the corresponding centering pressure P1 or P2 simultaneously and evenly from both sides. This ensures central centering for optimal impact points for the striking pins of the stunning unit and / or bleeding unit. The fish slide between the centering flaps during transport towards the working position.The fish pushes the two centering flaps outwards synchronously against the centering pressure P1, whereby the centering flaps always rest on both sides of the fish, regardless of the fish size, and apply the corresponding centering pressure P1 for pre-centering or P2 for centered holding.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the centering flaps are each mounted on a pivot arm, with the two pivot arms connected to a piston of the pneumatic unit's compressed air cylinder at a common pivot point. This provides a simple and stable solution for synchronously moving the centering flaps.

[0015] A particularly preferred development is characterized in that the two centering flaps are designed and arranged at a distance from one another in every position and converge towards one another in the transport direction T of the fish, wherein the centering flaps each have at least one projection acting as a barb on their mutually facing inner surfaces. Due to the tapered arrangement and design of the centering flaps in the transport direction T, the fish can be securely received between the centering flaps and then guided in a targeted manner towards the triggering element. The or each barb, which can be designed in almost any way, prevents the fish sliding into the working position from rebounding after touching the triggering element. Furthermore, the barbs prevent the fish from being moved by the striking pins counter to the transport direction T.This ensures that the fish remain reliably and centered in the optimal working position, so that the firing pins hit the fish optimally.

[0016] Advantageously, each centering flap comprises at least two retaining lugs acting as barbs against the transport direction T. This design ensures that the fish are held centered in the working position particularly reliably. The retaining lugs can be placed, screwed, or otherwise formed and fastened onto the inner surfaces of the centering flaps. Particularly preferably, the retaining lugs are formed from the centering flaps themselves by making incisions in the centering flaps and then folding out the cut-out retaining lugs. The number of retaining lugs, their size, shape, and position can of course vary. Particularly preferably, the pressure difference between the first centering pressure P1 and the opening pressure P3, with P1>P3, is so large that at least one barb of each centering flap can be held in contact with the fish. This effectively prevents the fish from moving backwards against the transport direction T.By holding the fish reliably and stably in the working position, the entire kinetic energy of the stunning unit's firing pin can be precisely applied to the fish, ensuring optimal stunning results. Furthermore, holding the fish stably in the working position reduces or even eliminates the risk of the bleeding opening created by the bleeding unit's firing pin tearing open.

[0017] Advantageously, the transport device is designed and configured as a fish guide that slopes downwards towards the working position. The fish can be manually inserted into the area where the fish guide is inserted at the top in the desired orientation. With a fish guide, the fish slide automatically into the working position. Instead of the chute-like fish guide, other passive (non-driven) or active (driven) conveying devices can be used. Instead of manually feeding the fish, this can also be done automatically using suitable conveying devices. Using salmon as an example, the fish guide can be preceded by an initially upward-directed transport channel in which the live fish move upwards of their own accord against a generated water current and, at the transition from the upward-directed transport channel to the feed area of ​​the fish guide, i.e. at the apex, slide into the fish guide by gravity.

[0018] An advantageous further development is characterized in that the triggering element for controlling the centering flaps on the one hand and for triggering the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit on the other hand is arranged at the end of the fish guide, wherein the control device is designed and configured to only trigger the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit when the second centering pressure P2, namely the closing pressure, has been built up to its maximum. This ensures a particularly precise and reliable execution of the stunning and / or bleeding, so that the quality of the processed fish increases and the post-processing of the fish can be reduced and their downgrade avoided. Particularly preferably, the triggering element is designed and configured as a trigger plate which extends transversely to the transport direction T essentially over the entire width of the transport device.Compared to existing solutions, the trigger plate or any other release element is significantly wider, allowing the fish to safely and reliably hit the release element with their mouths. The risk of fish sliding past the release element or pushing past it sideways is thus reliably eliminated.

[0019] The object is also achieved by a method with the steps mentioned at the outset in that the centering of the fish is also triggered by means of the triggering element actuated by the fish, in such a way that the fish are pre-centered with a first preset centering pressure P1 during transport towards the working position and are held in the working position with a second preset centering pressure P2 after reaching and triggered by actuation of the triggering element.By centering with two preset different centering pressures P1 and P2, of which the centering pressure P1 for pre-centering is small enough so that any fish of any size can push the centering flaps apart, and which is large enough that the centering flaps reliably fit any fish of any size, and the centering pressure P2 for holding the fish centered in the working position is significantly higher than P1, fish size-independent centering is optimized.

[0020] Preferably, both the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit and the centering device are controlled at least with respect to the second preset centering pressure P2 by means of a control device based on a signal emitted by the trigger element. A signal is understood to be any information indicating that the fish has reached and actuated the trigger element, namely that the fish is resting against the trigger element with its forward-moving mouth. This information is forwarded to the control device, which then first applies the second preset centering pressure P2 to the centering flaps via the pneumatic unit before the firing pins of the stunning unit and / or bleeding unit contact the fish.

[0021] An advantageous further training is characterized by the fact that the

[0022] The stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit can be triggered with a delay by first building up the second preset centering pressure P2, namely the closing pressure, to its maximum after the fish has reached the trigger element before the stunning unit and / or the bleeding unit is triggered. This pushes the fish into the center or holds it in the center before and while the striking pins for stunning and / or bleeding hit the fish.

[0023] It is advisable to open the centering flaps of the centering device after stunning and / or bleeding with a constant opening pressure P3. This relieves the pressure on the centering flaps and pushes or pulls them apart, allowing the fish to be released and easily removed.

[0024] Preferably, after the fish has been discharged, the centering flaps of the centering device are re-pressurized with the first preset centering pressure P1 while waiting for the next fish. This allows for tight timing of the stunning and / or bleeding process. Immediately after a stunned and / or bled fish has been released, the device is ready for the next fish.

[0025] Particularly preferred is to secure the fish in the working position by barbs located on the inner surfaces of the centering flaps of the centering device. The barbs prevent the fish from rebounding after hitting the trigger element and prevent it from moving against the transport direction T caused by the striking pins of the stunning unit and / or bleeding unit striking the fish at an angle. This keeps the fish in an optimal working position throughout the entire process, i.e., stunning and / or bleeding.

[0026] The method is particularly preferably carried out with a device according to one or more of claims 1 to 15.

[0027] Further advantages resulting from the process steps have already been described in connection with the device, which is why reference is made to the relevant passages to avoid repetition.

[0028] Further useful and / or advantageous features and developments of the device and method are set forth in the dependent claims and the description. A particularly preferred embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows:

[0029] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for stunning and killing by bleeding the fish,

[0030] Fig. 2 the device according to Figure 1 with an explicitly shown centering device,

[0031] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the centering device in plan view,

[0032] Fig. 4 is a view of the device according to Figure 1 in the transport direction T,

[0033] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a valve arrangement of the pneumatic unit for the centering device,

[0034] Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of a centering flap, and

[0035] Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of a slaughter arrangement with several slaughter modules, each comprising the device according to the invention.

[0036] A device illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 is used for stunning and / or bleeding previously centered fish of the salmon species. The device can also be used in a similar manner for stunning and / or bleeding previously stunned fish of other species.

[0037] Figures 1 to 6 show a device 10 which is designed and configured for the automatic stunning and bleeding of fish 11 transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards. This device 10 comprises a transport device 12 for transporting the fish 11 from a feed area for the fish 11 along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position in which a stunning unit 13 and a bleeding unit 14 are arranged. The stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are each designed and configured to stun or bleed each individual fish 11 transported into the working position. A trigger element 15 for triggering the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 is arranged in the area of ​​the working position.Furthermore, the device 10 comprises a centering device 16 for pre-centering the fish 11 during transport of the fish 11 towards the working position and holding the fish 11 in the working position.

[0038] This device 10 is characterized according to the invention in that the centering device 16 comprises a single centering flap pair 20 formed from two centering flaps 17, 18 and controllable by means of a pneumatic unit 19. The two centering flaps 17, 18 are arranged at a distance from one another on opposite sides of the transport path. The pneumatic unit 19 of the centering flap pair 20 is in direct operative connection with the trigger element 15, such that the centering flaps 17, 18 can each be actively subjected to a first preset centering pressure P1 for pre-centering the fish 11 during transport into the working position and, as soon as the fish 11 has reached and triggered the trigger element 15, can each be actively subjected to a second preset centering pressure P2 for holding the fish 11 during stunning and bleeding of the fish 11.

[0039] Thus, the centering flaps 17, 18 of the single centering flap pair 20 are controlled, at least with respect to the centering pressure P2, for keeping the fish 11 centered during stunning and bleeding in direct connection with the reaching and triggering of the triggering element 15.

[0040] The features and developments described below represent preferred embodiments, considered individually or in combination with one another. It is expressly pointed out that features which are summarized in the claims and / or the description and / or the figures or described in a common embodiment can also functionally independently develop the device 10 described above.

[0041] In Figure 1, the transport device 12 is shown as a slide-like fish guide 21, which is inclined downwards towards the working position and into which the fish 11 slides towards the working position. The fish guide 21 itself is designed to be at least partially movable. In the illustrated embodiment, the fish guide 21 is designed to be movable as a whole. For this purpose, a pneumatic cylinder 44, for example, is assigned to the fish guide 21. In the working position, the initially still living fish 11 (in the event that the device 10 is only used for bleeding, stunned fish 11 slide into the working position) rest with the underside of their heads on the fish guide 21. The firing pins of the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are in a retracted, waiting position.As the fish 11 slide under gravity alone in the transport direction T toward the working position, the fish 11 pass the centering flaps 17, 18 waiting for the fish 11 with the preset centering pressure P1. The pre-centered fish 11 slide, with the centering flaps 17, 18 resting against the fish, further toward the working position until their mouths hit the trigger element 15 and are brought to a standstill. At the end of the fish guide 21, the trigger element 15 is arranged to control the centering flaps 17, 18 on the one hand and to trigger the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 on the other. When the trigger element 15 is reached and triggered, the second preset centering pressure P2 is applied to the pneumatic unit 19 of the centering device 16, whereby the fish 11 is centered and held in place.Only when the second centering pressure P2 has been built up and is applied to the centering flaps 17, 18, which hold the fish 11 centrally between them, does stunning and bleeding take place. For this purpose, first the firing pin of the stunning unit 13 and then the bleeding unit 14 are moved successively from the retracted waiting position into an extended stunning or cutting position and back. To control the centering flaps 17, 18 as well as the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14, the device 10 comprises a control device 40, which is connected to the

[0042] The pneumatic unit 19 of the centering flap pair 20, the triggering element 15, the stunning unit 13, and the bleeding unit 14 are connected. The control device 40 is designed and configured to trigger the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 only when the second centering pressure P2, namely the closing pressure, has been built up to its maximum. The connection between the control device 40, on the one hand, and the stunning unit 13, the bleeding unit 14, the triggering element 15, and the pneumatic unit 22, on the other hand, can be established via lines 41 or wirelessly, e.g., via a radio connection.

[0043] The pneumatic unit 19 of the centering flap pair 20 comprises a pneumatic cylinder 22 with at least one pneumatic valve 23, which can be pressurized with two fixed, fish-size-independent pressures P1 and P2, with P1«P2. A valve island 24 comprising two 3 / 2-way valves 25, 26 is assigned to the pneumatic valve 23. A valve arrangement of the pneumatic unit 19 for the centering device 16 can be seen in Figure 5. A pressure zone separation 27 is arranged between the valve island 24 and the pneumatic valve 23. An additional OR valve 28 is arranged between the two 3 / 2-way valves 25, 26 on the one hand and the compressed air valve 23 of the compressed air cylinder 22 on the other, such that either the first centering pressure P1 or the second centering pressure P2 is applied to an extending side 30 of the compressed air cylinder 22. In addition to the centering pressures P1 and P2, an ambient pressure PO can also be applied to the extending side 30 of the compressed air cylinder 22.This ambient pressure PO releases the centering flaps 17, 18 to clear the way for a following fish 11. On an incoming side 29 of the pneumatic cylinder 22, an opening pressure P3 can be applied, with P3 <P1.

[0044] The fixed centering pressure P1 is approximately 2 to 3 bar, preferably approximately 2.5 bar. Thus, the centering pressure P1 is small enough that each fish 11, regardless of its size, can push open the centering flaps 17, 18, and large enough that the centering flaps 17, 18 rest tightly against the fish 11 on both sides for pre-centering. The fixed centering pressure P2 is approximately 5 to 8 bar, preferably approximately 6 bar. Thus, the pre-set centering pressure P2 is capable of keeping the fish 11 reliably and centered when the firing pins of the stunning unit 13 strike the fish 11 and the bleeding unit 14 strike the fish 11. The opening pressure P3 is approximately 0.3 to 1 bar, preferably approximately 0.5 bar, and is capable of moving the centering flaps 17, 18 back to their starting position.

[0045] The two centering flaps 17, 18 are held at a distance from one another by means of the common pneumatic unit 19, synchronously with a first pre-centering pressure as the first centering pressure P1 for picking up and pre-centering the fish 11 during transport towards the working position, and after reaching the working position and triggering the triggering element 15, synchronously with a second closing pressure as the second centering pressure P2 for holding the fish 11 during stunning and / or bleeding. For this purpose, the centering flaps 17, 18 are each arranged on a pivot arm 31, 32, wherein the two pivot arms 31, 32 are connected at a common pivot point 33 to a piston 34 of the compressed air cylinder 22 of the pneumatic unit 19. Each pivot arm 31, 32 comprises an articulated rod 35, 36, which are coupled to one another at the common pivot point 33.Extending from each articulated rod 35, 36 is a guide rod 37, 38, at the ends of which the centering flaps 17, 18 are arranged. The two centering flaps 17, 18 are spaced apart from each other in every position and are designed and arranged to converge in the fish transport direction T. In other words, the centering flaps 17, 18 form a funnel-shaped guide for the fish 11 in the transport direction T.

[0046] On their mutually facing inner surfaces, the centering flaps 17, 18 each have at least one projection acting as a barb 39. Each centering flap 17, 18 preferably comprises two retaining tabs acting as barbs 39, counteracting the transport direction T. The barbs 39 prevent the fish 11 from moving or being moved counteracting the transport direction T. The retaining tabs are formed from the centering flaps 17, 18 themselves and are integrally formed therewith. For this purpose, incisions are formed in the centering flaps 17, 18 on three sides of the retaining tabs. These are then folded open around the non-incised side, facing inwards, and protrude beyond the otherwise flat inner surfaces of the centering flaps 17, 18. The pressure difference between the first centering pressure P1 and the opening pressure P3 with P1>P3 is so large that at least one barb 39 of each centering flap 17, 18 can be maintained in contact with the fish 11.

[0047] The trigger element 15 comprises a trigger plate 42, which extends transversely to the transport direction T essentially across the entire width of the transport device 12. The trigger plate 42 is operatively connected to a pneumatic unit 43, via which the signals for building up and applying the second centering pressure P2 to the compressed air cylinder 22 of the centering device 16 and for the delayed triggering of the firing pins of the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are transmitted to the control device 40.

[0048] The device 10 forms a single slaughter module 45. Several of these slaughter modules 45, preferably five such slaughter modules 45, form a slaughter system 46. In this slaughter system 46, the individual slaughter modules 45 are detachably arranged in a common frame 47. Starting from a water tank 48, the fish 11 reach a feed area 49, from which the fish 11 slide toward and into the working position solely by gravity.

[0049] The invention also relates to a method for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish 11 transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards. The fish 11 are guided manually or automatically to a feed area and transported from this feed area by means of a transport device 12 along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position. During this transport towards the working position, the fish 11 are first pre-centered by means of a centering device 16 controlled by a pneumatic unit 19 and then held centered in the working position by the centering unit 16. In this working position, the centered and held fish 11 are then stunned and removed, or they are stunned and bled and then removed, or fish stunned outside the working position are bled and removed.The stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 serve this purpose. The stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are triggered by a trigger element 15 actuated and thus triggered by the fish 11. In other words, the respective firing pins move from their waiting position to the stunning or bleeding position when the fish 11 contacts the trigger element 15 with its mouth, with the bleeding occurring at a time offset after the stunning.

[0050] This method is characterized according to the invention in that the centering of the fish 11 is also triggered by means of the triggering element 15 actuated by the fish 11, such that the fish 11 are pre-centered with a first preset centering pressure P1 during transport in the direction of the working position and, after reaching and triggered by the actuation of the triggering element 15, are held in the working position with a second preset centering pressure P2.

[0051] This sequence of steps is preferably achieved and carried out by controlling both the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14, as well as the centering device 16, at least with respect to the second preset centering pressure P2, by means of a control device 40 based on a signal emitted by the trigger element 15. The fish 11 to be processed slides along the transport path between the waiting centering flaps 17, 18, which are subjected to the preset centering pressure P1 and are spaced apart from one another. The fish 11 pushes the centering flaps 17, 18 apart against the centering pressure P1 and thus slides further into the working position in a pre-centered manner. When the trigger element 15 is reached and contacted, the second centering pressure P2, which is considerably greater than P1, is applied to the centering flaps 17, 18, so that they hold the fish 11 firmly centered in the working position.The stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are triggered with a delay in that, after reaching the fish 11 at the triggering element 15, the second preset centering pressure P2, namely the closing pressure, is first built up to its maximum before the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 are triggered.

[0052] After the centered fish 11 has been stunned and then bled, the centering flaps 17, 18 of the centering device 16 are opened with a constant opening pressure P3 after stunning and bleeding. Opening can occur via the opening pressure P3 or by only the ambient pressure PO being applied to the centering flaps 17, 18. As soon as the centering flaps 17, 18 are relieved, i.e. no longer exert any pressure on the fish 11, the fish can be discharged, for example by pivoting or tilting the fish guide 21, so that there is space for a subsequent fish 11. After the fish 11 has been discharged, the centering flaps 17, 18 are again subjected to the first preset centering pressure P1 while waiting for the next fish 11.

[0053] In the working position, the fish 11 is held in its centered position by the centering flaps 17, 18 when the firing pins of the stunning unit 13 and the bleeding unit 14 strike the fish. Since the firing pins do not strike the fish 11 perpendicularly, but rather at an angle with a component opposite to the transport direction T, the fish 11 are fixed in the working position by barbs 39 located on the inner surfaces of the centering flaps 17, 18 of the centering device 16. The barbs 39 prevent the fish 11 from moving opposite to the transport direction T.

[0054] The method is particularly preferably carried out with a device 10 according to one or more of claims 1 to 15.

Claims

1. Device (10) designed and configured for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish (11) transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards, comprising a transport device (12) for transporting the fish (11) from a feed area of ​​the fish (11) along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position in which a stunning unit (13) and / or a bleeding unit (14) is arranged, the stunning unit (13) for stunning each individual fish (11) transported into the working position and / or the bleeding unit (14) for bleeding stunned fish (11), a trigger element (15) arranged in the area of ​​the working position for triggering the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) and a centering device (16) for pre-centering the fish (11) during the transport of the fish (11) in the direction of the working position and holding the fish (11) in the Working position, characterized by,that the centering device (16) comprises a single centering flap pair (20) formed from two centering flaps (17, 18) and controllable by means of a pneumatic unit (19), and the two centering flaps (17, 18) are arranged at a distance from one another on opposite sides of the transport path, wherein the pneumatic unit (19) of the centering flap pair (20) is in direct operative connection with the triggering element (15) in such a way that the centering flaps (17, 18) can be actively each subjected to a first preset centering pressure P1 for pre-centering the fish (11) during transport into the working position and actively, as soon as the fish (11) has reached and triggered the triggering element (15), each subjected to a second preset centering pressure P2 for holding the fish (11) during stunning and / or bleeding of the fish (11).

2. Device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a control device (40) which is connected at least to the pneumatic unit (19) of the centering flap pair (20), the triggering element (15) and the stunning and / or bleeding unit (13, 14).

3. Device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pneumatic unit (19) of the centering flap pair (20) comprises a compressed air cylinder (22) with at least one compressed air valve (23) which can be acted upon by two fixed, fish-size-independent pressures P1 and P2, with P1«P2, is associated with a valve island (24) which comprises at least two 3 / 2-way valves (25, 26).

4. Device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that between the valve island (24) and the compressed air valve (23) a pressure zone separation (27) is arranged.

5. Device (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that between the two 3 / 2-way valves (25, 26) on the one hand and the compressed air valve (23) of the compressed air cylinder (22) on the other hand, an OR valve (28) is arranged such that the first centering pressure P1 or the second centering pressure P2 is applied selectively to an extending side (30) of the compressed air cylinder (22).

6. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that an opening pressure P3 can be applied to a retracting side (29) of the pneumatic cylinder (22), with P3 <P1.

7. Device (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the fixed centering pressure P1 is approximately 2 to 3 bar, preferably approximately 2.5 bar, the fixed centering pressure P2 is approximately 5 to 8 bar, preferably approximately 6 bar, and the opening pressure P3 is approximately 0.3 to 1 bar, preferably approximately 0.5 bar.

8. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that both centering flaps (17, 18) can be held by means of the common pneumatic unit (19) synchronously with a first pre-centering pressure as the first centering pressure P1 for receiving and pre-centering the fish (11) during transport in the direction of the working position at a distance from one another and, after reaching the working position and triggering the triggering element (15), synchronously with a second closing pressure as the second centering pressure P2 for holding the fish (11) during stunning and / or bleeding.

9. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the centering flaps (17, 18) are each arranged on a Swivel arm (31, 32) are arranged, wherein the two swivel arms (31, 32) are connected at a common pivot point (33) to a piston (34) of the compressed air cylinder (22) of the pneumatic unit (19).

10. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the two centering flaps (17, 18) are designed and arranged spaced from one another in every position and converging towards one another in the transport direction T of the fish (11), the centering flaps (17, 18) each having at least one projection acting as a barb (39) on their mutually facing inner surfaces.

11. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that each centering flap (17, 18) comprises at least two holding lugs acting against the transport direction T as barbs (39).

12. Device (10) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the pressure difference between the first centering pressure P1 and the opening pressure P3 with P1 >P3 is so large that at least one barb (39) of each centering flap (17, 18) can be maintained in contact with the fish (11).

13. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the transport device (12) is designed and arranged as a fish guide (21) inclined downwards in the direction of the working position.

14. Device (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that the triggering element (15) for controlling the centering flaps (17, 18) on the one hand and for triggering the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) on the other hand is arranged at the end of the fish guide (21), wherein the control device (40) is designed and configured to trigger the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) only when the second centering pressure P2, namely the closing pressure, has been built up to its maximum.

15. Device (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the trigger element (15) is designed as a trigger plate (42) is designed and arranged to extend transversely to the transport direction T substantially over the entire width of the transport device (12).

16. A method for automatically stunning and / or bleeding fish (11) transported head first in the transport direction T and back upwards, comprising the steps: Transporting the fish from a fish feed area (11) along a transport path into the area of ​​a working position by means of a transport device (12), pre-centring the fish (11) during transport thereof towards the working position and holding the fish (11) in the working position by means of a centring device (16) controlled by a pneumatic unit (19), Stunning the fish (11) and / or bleeding stunned fish (11) in the working position by means of a stunning unit (13) or a bleeding unit (14), - wherein the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) are triggered by means of a triggering element (15) actuated by the fish (11), characterized in that the centering of the fish (11) is also triggered by means of the triggering element (15) actuated by the fish, such that the fish (11) are pre-centered with a first preset centering pressure P1 during transport in the direction of the working position and, after reaching and triggered by the actuation of the triggering element (15), are held in the working position with a second preset centering pressure P2.

17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that both the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) and the centering device (16) are controlled at least with respect to the second preset centering pressure P2 by means of a control device (40) on the basis of a signal emitted by the triggering element (15).

18. Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) are triggered with a delay in that, after reaching the fish (11), the second preset centring pressure P2, namely the Closing pressure is built up to maximum before the stunning unit (13) and / or the bleeding unit (14) is triggered.

19. Method according to one or more of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that centering flaps (17, 18) of the centering device (16) are opened with a constant opening pressure P3 after stunning and / or bleeding.

20. Method according to one or more of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that centering flaps (17, 18) of the centering device (16) are again subjected to the first preset centering pressure P1 after the fish (11) has been discharged, while waiting for the next fish (11).

21. Method according to one or more of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that the fish (11) are fixed in the working position by barbs (39) located on inner surfaces of centering flaps (17, 18) of the centering device (16).

22. Method according to one or more of claims 16 to 21, characterized in that it is carried out with a device (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 15.

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