MOLLUSC PROCESSING APPARATUS AND RELATED METHODS

• Main Authors: GARVEY, BEN, BABIN, LEE, ROSE, TRACY, CORMACK, ANDREW, NEVILLE, SEKRETTA, GLEB, PRINSEN, GERARD, MURRAY, TYNES, NATHANIEL, BRUCE, MANUGE, LOUIS-PHILIPPE, FREDERICK, STOVER, BRUCE, ALLAN, ROSE, DAVID, BURKE, TIMOTHY, ANDREW, MCLARTY, ANGUS, MACKINNON, JACOB
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 15.03.2013
• Subjects: BUTCHERING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH

Mollusc processing apparatus and related methods are disclosed. Molluscs are held in holders by one of their shells, illustratively the bottom shells, and are moved between a series of processing stations. At a shell cut station, an opening is cut into one or both of the shells of each mollusc. The next processing station includes a cutting blade to cut the adductor muscle and viscera of each mollusc away from its non-held shell, illustratively the top shell, and a shell detach mechanism to detach the non-held shell from the held shell. One or multiple air blasts are directed toward the viscera to loosen it from the held shell, and at a vacuum station the loosened viscera is pulled from the held shell. A second muscle cut station includes another cutting blade to cut the adductor muscle from the held shell.