an endlessly running driven conveyor is arranged in a notshown frame of a machine for gutting small bulk fish , which conveyor comprises three single conveyor portions 1 , 2 and 3 running parallel and synchronously to each other . the conveyor portion 2 is equipped with inner trough elements 4 connected closely to each other which are made up to troughs 6 receiving the fish by means of outer trough elements 5 carried by the conveyor portions 1 and 3 . a deflection of the central conveyor portion 2 ensues by means of a deflection wheel 7 , and that of the outer conveyor portions 1 and 3 by means of two deflection wheels 8 fixed to a common axis . the position of the deflection wheels 8 is arranged in a manner that the deflection of the conveyor portions 1 and 3 occurs upstream of that of the central conveyor portion 2 . gaps or slots 10 are left between each outer trough element 5 and the central trough element 4 of the upper runs of the respective conveyor portions , into which slots circular knives 12 of a cutting device 11 penetrate . the cutting device 11 is arranged shortly upstream of the deflection of the outer conveyor portions 1 and 3 . each inner trough element 4 is provided with a base plate 13 which is held by means of a guiding tappet 14 guided in the base of the trough element 4 by a tappet head 15 positioned at the free end of the tappet 14 . a spring 16 is positioned between the base plate 13 and the base of the trough element 4 , while another spring 17 is arranged between the trough element 4 and the tappet head 15 . a cover guide 20 which covers the inner trough elements 4 from above extends at least in the region of the deflection wheel 7 up to a transfer station 18 in the return run of the central conveyor portion 2 , the entry end 21 of the cover guide 20 being formed as a flap 22 leading over to the cover guide 20 . this flap 22 is adapted in a suitable manner to be lowered and raised in time with the the inner trough elements 4 running underneath it . a can conveyor 23 formed e . g . as a carrousel or similar revolving device is arranged underneath the return run 19 of the central conveyor portion 2 , which can conveyor conveys cans or tins in synchronised movement with the central conveyor portion 2 such that a can 24 staying in time relatively motionlessly with respect to every inner trough element 4 of the central conveyor portion 2 is associated to these trough elements 4 . a cam disc 26 running synchronously with the deflection wheel 7 is fixed to the axis 25 thereof , the periphery 27 of the cam disc 26 being formed almost in the form of a chain cog corresponding to the pitch of the inner trough elements 4 . on the one hand a roller tappet 28 activating the flap 22 is in functional relationship with this cam disc 26 and on the other an activating element 29 in the form of a two - armed lever . the latter carries a cam follower 31 pressed by the force of a spring 30 against the cam disc 26 on its one end and at the other a runnerlike shoe which can be swivelled into the path of the tappet heads 15 of the guiding tappets 14 in the region of the transfer station 18 . a gripping device 33 comprising a pair of holding or gripping elements 34 encompassing the front sides , i . e . the lateral faces of the inner trough elements 4 is provided in the region of the transfer station 18 as can be seen from fig2 . the gripping elements 34 define parts 35 which overlap the inner trough elements 4 and are formed roof - like . the gripping elements 34 are connected via an expander mechanism 36 to the activating element 29 resp . its shoe 32 . the circular knives 12 of the cutting device 11 are , according to fig2 guided moveably to each other on a common axis 37 and driven by a motor 38 . the inner trough elements 4 led separately between the deflection wheels 7 and 8 are flanked on both sides by suction heads 40 of a gutting device , which suction heads are associated to the open leading edges of the inner trough elements 4 with slot - like suction openings 41 . the suction heads 40 are formed adjustably in the longitudinal direction of the inner trough elements 4 and mirror symmetrically to the transversal centre of the same by means of a left - right threaded spindle 42 formed in a suitable manner . each of the circular knives 12 is coupled with the suction head 40 on the corresponding side by means of an entraining element 43 so that the respective distance between the suction heads 40 is transferred to the distance of the circular knives 12 . the suction heads 40 connected to a not - shown low pressure source each surround , according to fig4 a rotational body 44 which rotates about an axis 45 perpendicular to the conveying direction , which body 44 is formed as a vane roller 46 . a clamping surface 48 forming a part of a housing 47 opposes at a short distance the periphery of the vane roller 46 . the axis 45 of the vane roller 46 is arranged to extend out of the underside of the housing 47 and bears a drive wheel 49 there which is in spring wheel or stub - tooth like contact with the corresponding cogs 50 on the underside of the inner trough elements 4 . a feeding station ( shown in detail in fig5 ) is positioned on the periphery of the can conveyor 23 at which station the cans 24 are transferred from a can path 52 to the can conveyor 23 in a timed manner . this station comprises an inserter 52 which is mounted pivotally at one end of a two - armed lever 54 . a cam follower 55 is fixed to the other arm of said lever , which follower is held by means of the force of a spring 56 against a cam 57 driven synchronously in time with the troughs 6 . the lever arm carrying the cam follower 55 is provided with a free end 58 extending over the cam follower 55 , a locking mechanism comprising a catch 60 activatable by a positioning or setting element 59 being arranged in the swivel path of the free end 58 . the positioning element 59 is in fuctional relationship with a signal transmitter 61 which is installed in the region of the central conveyor portion 2 . the can path 52 can be formed by a belt conveyor 62 . two approximating switches 63 are mounted under its carrying run at a distance the same as that of the cans 24 in such a way that they can be influenced by the can bottoms . fish fed into the troughs 6 preferably in threes or fours in reciprocal resp . alternating position are first guided to the cutting device 11 which separates the fish rumps positioned in the inner trough elements 4 by cutting off the heads and tails . while the latter are guided to the waste by immediate deflection of the outer conveyor portions 1 and 3 carrying the outer trough elements 5 the rump pieces are led to the gutting device . the gutting process occurs during the passing - by of the beheaded ends of the rump pieces by the influence of low pressure with which the belly cavity of each fish is charged by the beheading surfaces lying against the suction openings 41 of the suction heads 40 . the parts of the innards which are secured in the belly cavity by ligaments are caught by pincer - like gripping by means of the vane roller 46 positioned in the housing 47 of each suction head 40 and safely extracted due to the rotation of the vane roller 46 and due to the advancing movement of the rump pieces 64 . the weight of fish portions ready for canning thus achieved can be influenced during operation of the machine by rotation of the left - right - thread spindle 42 . this effects that the distance between the suction heads 40 is changed mutually with that of the circular knives , and therefore the length of the rump pieces can be changed . for energy - saving and noise - reduction reasons the suction opening 41 of each suction head 40 can be provided with a cover plate which is arranged to be raised . the rump pieces 64 are , in the further course of the central conveyor portion 2 , conveyed into the region of the deflection wheel 7 . in that process they run under the flap 22 which is rhythmically raised and lowered in time with the inner trough elements 4 and effcts that the filling mass , i . e . the rump pieces filling the respective trough element , is equalised to a uniform level by displacement of the base plate 13 under the force of the spring 16 , the filling mass being held at this level by the subsequent cover guide 20 . when the filling mass reaches the transfer station 18 it is held back against gravity first of all by means of the holding resp . gripping device 33 resp . its parts 35 encompassing the inner trough elements 4 and by means of the spring 16 which may be biassed . this continues until the activating element 29 is activated by means of the cam disc 26 and affects the tappet head 15 of the guiding tappet 15 with its shoe 32 to press it down . due to the coupling of the activating element 29 with the holding device 33 via the expanding mechanism 36 the gripping elements 34 are expanded increasingly and thereby the filling mass is released . in this process the lowering speed of the activating element 29 is so synchronised that the base plate 5 remains in safe contact with the filling mass . the cover guide 20 can be replaced by a hugger belt covering the opening of the inner trough elements 4 , a stress of the rump pieces 64 by sliding friction thus being avoidable . in this way , maintaining the packing pattern in the inner trough elements 4 , the rump pieces 64 reach the cans 24 which are held ready in the transfer station 18 synchronously to the rhythm of movement of the trough elements 4 . in this process the provision of the cans occurs with the help of the can conveyor 23 which is fed with cans 24 from the can path 54 . this feeding of the can conveyor 23 with cans 24 is accomplished by means of a mechanism positioned in the feeding station 51 , the activation of this mechanism being monitored by the signal transmitter 61 which effects that a can 24 is pushed into the path of the can conveyor 23 . if the signal transmitter 61 registers an empty trough the activating signal for the positioning or settling element 59 does not occur so that the inserter 53 is held firmly by means of the catch 60 in the withdrawn position effected by the cam 57 . when a trough element 4 filled with fish passes the signal transmitter 61 the positioning element 59 receives an activating signal in the same moment as the raised part of the cam 57 is opposite the cam follower 55 so that the free end 58 of the lever 54 is released by withdrawal of the catch 60 . this means that the cam follower 55 can follow the cam 57 by the force of the spring 56 and the inserter 53 can insert a can 24 . the can path 52 can , at least shortly upstream of the transfer station 51 , be provided with a belt conveyor 62 carrying cans 24 , the cans reaching the conveyor under the influence of gravity . therein each can standing ready to be inserted can be gripped by not shown lateral leaf springs and thus the impact pressure of the following cans intercepted . in the insertion process the leaf springs are displaced by the can to be inserted and spring back behind this into the path of the next can so that this can be held . the signal transmitter can be formed as a feeler working without contact , e . g . as light - optical feeler or also activatable mechanically . the monitoring of the position of the cans 24 in the can path 52 can occur via two approximating switches 63 which are at the same distance apart as the pitch of the cans , can be influenced by the can bottoms and connected in series . the change in signal if a can is in the wrong position can be used to activate an ejector for this can . both approximating switches 63 can also be so connected that the change in signal effected by lacking can supply can be used by both approximating switches as a sign of this lack .
the invention concerns a device for processing fish and introducing the same into cans . it is characterized in that the fish are placed in alternating alignment in threes or fours in troughs of a conveyor which comprises one middle trough element flanked by two outer ones and whose support surface comprises a base plate raisable and lowerable by the force of a spring . the fish brought onto the base plate are guided to a cutting device which cuts out the rump pieces of the fish and which is adjustable with regard to the desired fish length . subsequently they are gutted by the use of low pressure . the transfer of the fish into the cans held ready in time with the troughs occurs in the lower run of the conveyor , maintaining the packing pattern predetermined by the introduction into cans by lifting the base plate . in that process the can supply is monitored such that each can is only confronted with a full trough .