Butchering – Epidermal outgrowth remover – Power driven
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-20
2003-01-21
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Butchering
Epidermal outgrowth remover
Power driven
C452S012000, C452S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508699
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mollusk cleaning devices, and more specifically, to an apparatus for mechanically rinsing and scraping bi-valve mollusks and the like wherein the mollusks are placed into a horizontally mounted perforated drum which has abrasive members and protuberances located therein against which the inserted mollusks are thrown and scraped during the axial rotation of the drum as initiated by a motor. The drum is maintained in a housing that introduces pressurized fluid into the drum and the water accumulates in a basin underneath formed by the housing in such a manner that a portion of the drum below the axle is submerged during operation thereby bathing and rinsing the mollusks rotating therein.
The present invention is designed preferably for cleaning mussels but works effectively with other bi-valve mollusks and other applications that benefit from a bathing process that includes abrasive scraping. Mussels are normally hand cleaned and require laborious wire brushing or scraping to remove barnacles and the tough tentacles by which the mussels or other bi-valves anchor onto rocks, pilings and other such objects along the shoreline,
The present invention provides a self-contained unit for simultaneously washing and scraping a multiplicity of mollusks by tumbling them in a drum with abrasive members located therein as streams of water are applied thereto thus reducing the time and labor required to prepare the product for the market or the kitchen.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other shellfish cleaning devices. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 71,434 issued to White on Nov. 26, 1867.
Another patent was issued to MacQueen on Jun. 14, 1892, as U.S. Pat. No. 477,134. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 989,072 was issued to Solomon on Apr. 11, 1911 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 2, 1963 to Wier as U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,601.
Another patent was issued to Garwin et al. on Apr. 13, 1982 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,020. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,095 was issued to Bissell, Jr. et al. on Feb. 23, 1988. Another was issued to Kent, Jr. on Oct. 24, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,255 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 10, 1990 to Tillion as U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,814.
Another patent was issued to Majure et al. on Aug. 7, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,608. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,117 was issued to Lin on Nov. 23, 1999. Another was issued to Adams et al. on Jan. 4, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,397 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 26, 1985 to Besnard as French Patent No. FR2553623.
U.S. Pat. No. 71,434
Inventor: Napoleon Bonaparte White
Issued: Nov. 26, 1867
A hollow cylinder provided with blades or their equivalents, projecting inwardly from its circumference or sides, when made to revolve and otherwise adapted for the purpose of removing the scales from fish, substantially as herein set forth.
U.S. Pat. No. 477,134
Inventor: William N. MacQueen
Issued: Jun. 14, 1892
An apparatus of the class described, a revoluble turn-table having a series of water-receiving tubs mounted at intervals thereon and removable perforated cylinders mounted in the tubs, substantially as specified.
U.S. Pat. No. 989,072
Inventor: John I. Solomon
Issued: Apr. 11, 1911
A process of extracting pearls from pearl-bearing mussels, oysters or other pearl-bearing shell-fish, which consists in impelling the pearl-bearing meat against a sub-dividing or disintegrating structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,601
Inventor: Harvey J. Wier, Sr.
Issued: Jul. 2, 1963
A device for cleaning fish adapted to be towed behind a boat; an elongated hollow cylindrical container having a perforated wall and end closures; a plurality of blade members extending angularly inwardly of the wall arranged to contact fish placed in said container to remove the scales therefrom as the container rotates in the water as it is being towed behind a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,020
Inventor: Richard L. Garwin et al.
Issued: Apr. 13, 1982
Apparatus for cleaning mussels and other shellfish which can be used floating on the surface of the water from which the shellfish were taken is disclosed. A container, typically a 5-gallon can, has a great number of holes formed in its circumferential surface. The container is supported within a basin of water, typically on a body of water by a pair of bouyant rings, so that a portion of the container lies below the surface of the water thereby allowing the water to enter and exit the container through the holes in the surface of the container. A door is provided in the container for the insertion and removal of the mussels. The interior surface of the container is interrupted, typically by a plurality of vanes or ribs formed on the interior surface of the container, so that when the container is rotated, typically by a hand crank attached to one end of the container, the mussels are drawn part way up the side of the container before tumbling back upon themselves. This mutual abrading action between the shellfish, as well as the abrading action between the container and the shellfish, causes the attached sand, seaweed, and other debris to become loosened from the mussels. The loosened debris is simultaneously washed out through the holes in the container back into the water. The basin of water, in addition to supporting the container in the preferred embodiment, provide a constant source of clean water with which to rinse the shellfish as they are being cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,095
Inventor: Norman L. Bissell, Jr. et al.
Issued: Jun. 23 1970
The specification discloses a portable fish scaling device which is simple and easily used and cleaned. The device includes a water-tight bucket, an abrasive continuous surface within the bucket, and an agitator for agitating water within the bucket. As the water is agitated, fish suspended within the water gently tumble against the abrasive surface and are thereby scaled. Preferably, the abrasive surface is an inwardly dimpled bucket liner; and the agitator is a rotatable impeller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,255
Inventor: George W. Kent Jr.
Issued: Oct. 24, 1989
A fish scaling apparatus and process is disclosed wherein a vertical stand
11
supports a pair of elongated, concentrically spaced, perforated drums
20
,
22
(FIGS.
1
-
7
). An access door
23
is provided along the length of the outer drum
20
to permit loading and unloading of a quantity of fish in the space d between the two drums. Drums
20
,
22
are provided, respectively, with a plurality of dimpled perforations
25
,
26
through the sidewall thereof with each perforation having rough edges facing toward the space between the drums (
FIG. 3
a
). A perforate water pipe
13
serves as an axle about which the drums
20
,
22
rotate and an electric motor
40
, in conjunction with a selection of pulleys, (FIGS.
1
-
2
), chain and sprocket wheels (FIG.
5
), and/or gears (FIG.
10
), supply the rotative force for the drums. Drums
20
,
22
are designed to rotate together (FIGS.
1
-
7
), separately (FIGS.
8
-
9
), or in opposite directions (FIG.
10
). Rotation of one or both drums causes the fish therebetween to engage the rough edge perforations
25
,
26
and the scraping movement thereover effects removal of the fish scales. Most of the removed scales pass through the outer drum perforations
25
and are collected on a screen grid
39
disposed over drain
29
and within a removable drip pan
28
that is releasably supported by the stand (FIG.
4
).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,814
Inventor: Diana R. Tillion
Issued: Jul. 10, 1990
A cultured mussel cleaning machine (
10
) for cleaning fragile-shelled mussels, the machine (
10
) having a first staged (
12
) and a second stage (
14
). The first stage (
12
) includes a cylindrical container (
16
) in which is mounted a series of rotating chains (
48
) and flexible, abrasive gloves (
56
) that break apart and clean mussels (
70
) as they move from a loading chute (
34
) to a drain (
72
) by the force of pressurized water (
68
). Mussels (
70
) exiting the first stage (
12
) enter the
Santoriello Frank J
Santoriello Richard
Kroll Michael I.
Olszewski Joan M.
Poon Peter M.
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