Machine for cleaning shrimp

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR CLEANING SHRIMP, THE COMBINATION OF A HOLDER MOVABLE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH EXTENDING THROUGH A SHELL REMOVING ZONE, SAID HOLDER INCLUDING MEANS FOR GRIPPING A SHRIMP ALONG THE MAIN PORTION OF THE SHRIMP SHELL TO CARRY THE SHRIMP ALONG SAID PATH, MEANS FOR OPENING LONGITUDINALLY THE MAIN PORTION OF THE SHELL OF A SHRIMP CARRIED BY SAID HOLDER, A FLESH BODY DISPLACING ASSEMBLY, OPERATING MEANS SYNCHRONIZED WITH MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLDER AND COACTING WITH SAID DISPLACING ASSEMBLY FOR MOVING SAID DISPLACING ASSEMBLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FLESH BODY OF A SHRIMP CARRIED INTO SAID SHELL REMOVING ZONE BY SAID HOLDER; SAID OPERATING MEANS BEING COORDINATED WITH SAID HOLDER TO EFFECT IN SAID ZONE MOVEMENT OF SAID DISPLACING MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID HOLDER WHICH RELATIVE MOVEMENT HAS WITH RESPECT TO THE POSITION OF A SHRIMP CARRIED BY THE HOLDER A LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION DIRECTED FROM THE HEAD END TOWARD THE TAIL END OF SAID SHRIMP POSITION, TO RELEASE THE FLESH BODY AND TAIL OF THE SHRIMP FROM THE MAIN SHELL PORTION CARRIED BY THE HOLDER; A FLESH BODY SLITTING KNIFE CARRIED BY SAID DISPLACING ASSEMBLY, AND KNIFE ACTUATING MEANS SYNCHRONIZED WITH SAID OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID DISPLACING MEANS AND COACTING WITH SAID KNIFE TO EFFECT SLITTING OF THE FLESH BODY OF A SHRIMP BY SAID KNIFE IMMEDIATELY SUBSEQUENT TO RELEASE