GB1241779A - Egg handling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1,241,779. Endless conveyers. SEYMOUR FOODS Inc. 5 June, 1969, No. 28579/69. Heading B8A. Eggs to be orientated are delivered in random disposition by an endless belt 21 to the first of a series of slats 26, 27, 28, 29 each of which has a number of shaped pockets (41), Fig. 6 (not shown), to receive the eggs. The slats, which provide a downwardly inclined path away from the belt 21, are each mounted on a driven shaft 31, 32, 33, 34 such that as alternate slats are pivoted about their downstream end the eggs proceed in step-wise motion down the slats and become aligned with their long axis extending transverse of the direction of motion. The eggs are then advanced beneath sensing devices 80 to a stationary slat 30 of a width sufficient to receive two transverse rows of eggs, positioned over the receiving end of an intermittently driven endless conveyer 11. The leading row of said two rows of eggs is held against a cross-bar 52, a plurality of which are mounted on the endless conveyer 11 at longitudinal intervals of less than the largest diameter of an egg, such that where a full row is detected by the sensors 80 drive to the conveyer 11 is initiated whereupon the eggs in the said leading row are delivered to the conveyer and are each suspended at two points on their periphery, said points lying substantially in the plane of the short axis of the egg. The eggs are then advanced, upon subsequent motion of the conveyer, beneath a number of rotating discs 53 arranged in pairs corresponding to the longitudinal lanes of eggs. The discs of each pair are resiliently spaced apart by a spring 56, the arrangement being such that the discs of each pair engage the egg on both sides of the plane containing the short axis and rotate the eggs about an axis parallel to the direction of conveyance to align the eggs with their pointed ends lowermost. On subsequent movement of the conveyer each row of eggs is condensed by means of converging guide bars (60), (61), (61<SP>1</SP>), Fig. 1 (not shown), for delivery to a packaging machine, not shown.