Shellfish positioning and opening apparatus

A shellfish positioning and opening apparatus having at least one processing lane whereby the apparatus includes the following stations of an in-feed and singulation station followed by a reorientation assembly station utilizing a vision system and a holding and opening assembly station. The said processing stations are operatively connected in that order together to receive shellfish having meat therein to position said shellfish according to their shape and orientation to enable shellfish to be halved so that one shellfish half has the shellfish meat thereon. A method is also included having the steps of -singulating the shellfish; applying vision system to determine and compare orientation of shellfish, reorienting each shellfish so that the shellfish is pointing in the right direction, abutting said shellfish to the vertical alignment device to cause said shellfish to be substantially vertical and loading shellfish onto lifting assembly to lift said shellfish to allow the holding and opening assembly to hold it against the hinge breaker, apply a vacuum to create a gape whereby the knife assembly slidably operates to cut the meat from one shellfish half.