Abstract

A fish decapitator and eviscerator comprises a framework mounting a power driven conveyor belt including a series of flexibly connected open ended transverse containers, each container adapted to support a fish. An adjustable stop is spaced from the containers, and a power rotated brush is mounted upon the framework and rotatable in a plane at right angles to the belt. The bristles frictionally engage each fish thereunder during feeding of the belt laterally advancing the fish outwardly of its container successively to the stop. A power rotated knife rotates in a plane parallel to the stop for successively severing the fish heads during longitudinal movement of the belt. The fish move downwardly around the end of the belt and drop belly down into a transverse feed channel. A conveyor underlies the channel and advances the fish in a line to and between a pair of opposed horizontal coplanar flexible fish holding and feeding conveyors. A power rotated cutter disc in a vertical plane slits each fish lengthwise on its belly side as it advances. Each fish successively moves over an upright separator support plate having a rounded edge. Water is fed upwardly into the slit fish body to eviscerate the fish. An upright power rotated scraper disc with cutting edges is arranged forward of the support plate for further cleaning out the fish as it is fed thereover, the fish falling by gravity for accumulation within a suitable container.