Egg collector
First Claim
1. In an automated egg production system, including at least one row of cages adapted to confine egg-laying hens, an endless elongated cage conveyor belt disposed relative to the cages to receive eggs laid by the hens and to convey the eggs toward one end of the cage row, and collector means at said end of the cage row for transferring the eggs from the cage conveyor belt to another conveyor, the improvement wherein said collector means comprises:
- a frame at said one end of the cage row;
means on said frame for guiding and moving said cage conveyor belt in a substantially horizontal path through a lateral offloading station in said frame;
wiper means adapted to engage eggs on said moving conveyor belt and displace said eggs laterally from the conveyor belt;
an egg transfer ramp assembly mounted closely adjacent said cage conveyor belt at said offloading station for receiving eggs displaced laterally therefrom by said wiper means, said ramp assembly including a plurality of elongated spaced parallel tines having downwardly sloping end portions;
an endless intermediate belt conveyor having a plurality of egg receiving cups secured in spaced relation longitudinally therealong;
means mounting said intermediate conveyor for movement through a horizontal path laterally subjacent said cage conveyor belt and underneath said transfer ramp and thence downwardly to a lower egg discharge station;
each of said egg cups of the intermediate conveyor comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting fingers disposed in an arcuate concave arrangement facing opposite the direction of travel of said intermediate conveyor;
said cup fingers and said tines of the transfer ramp being relatively spaced and disposed for interdigitating movement of the said cup fingers between and relative to said tines, whereby the eggs received on the transfer ramp are deposited individually and successively in the cups of said intermediate conveyor;
and means at said lower discharge station of the intermediate conveyor operable to change the direction of movement of said intermediate belt conveyor to cause the egg cups successively to be tilted downwardly at an angle sufficient to discharge the eggs therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An egg collector for use in conjunction with a multi-tier poultry cage system to collect eggs from cage belts at various levels and to transfer the eggs to a common cross-belt conveyor. The collector comprises a series of intermediate conveyors each including an endless belt having a series of individual egg-receiving cups disposed in longitudinally spaced relation along the belt. Transfer means located alongside each belt gathers the eggs from each cage conveyor belt and delivers them individually to successive egg-receiving cups of each intermediate conveyor. The eggs are conveyed downwardly by the intermediate conveyors to a location adjacent the cross belt where means is provided to control unloading of the eggs from the cups.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In an automated egg production system, including at least one row of cages adapted to confine egg-laying hens, an endless elongated cage conveyor belt disposed relative to the cages to receive eggs laid by the hens and to convey the eggs toward one end of the cage row, and collector means at said end of the cage row for transferring the eggs from the cage conveyor belt to another conveyor, the improvement wherein said collector means comprises:
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a frame at said one end of the cage row; means on said frame for guiding and moving said cage conveyor belt in a substantially horizontal path through a lateral offloading station in said frame; wiper means adapted to engage eggs on said moving conveyor belt and displace said eggs laterally from the conveyor belt; an egg transfer ramp assembly mounted closely adjacent said cage conveyor belt at said offloading station for receiving eggs displaced laterally therefrom by said wiper means, said ramp assembly including a plurality of elongated spaced parallel tines having downwardly sloping end portions; an endless intermediate belt conveyor having a plurality of egg receiving cups secured in spaced relation longitudinally therealong; means mounting said intermediate conveyor for movement through a horizontal path laterally subjacent said cage conveyor belt and underneath said transfer ramp and thence downwardly to a lower egg discharge station; each of said egg cups of the intermediate conveyor comprising a plurality of outwardly projecting fingers disposed in an arcuate concave arrangement facing opposite the direction of travel of said intermediate conveyor; said cup fingers and said tines of the transfer ramp being relatively spaced and disposed for interdigitating movement of the said cup fingers between and relative to said tines, whereby the eggs received on the transfer ramp are deposited individually and successively in the cups of said intermediate conveyor; and means at said lower discharge station of the intermediate conveyor operable to change the direction of movement of said intermediate belt conveyor to cause the egg cups successively to be tilted downwardly at an angle sufficient to discharge the eggs therefrom.
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2. Apparatus for offloading eggs from a conveyor belt, comprising:
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an intermediate conveyor belt assembly; means mounting said intermediate belt assembly for longitudinal movement in a run alongside said conveyor belt at a closely adjacent lower level; said intermediate belt assembly including; a web of belting, a series of cups carried at spaced intervals on the topside of said belting, each cup having a series of separated fingers outstanding from the belting and arranged to form an egg receiving cavity; a transfer ramp assembly overlying said intermediate belt run for depositing eggs in said cups as said cups advance; said transfer ramp assembly comprising an array of elongated tines arranged to provide a trough sloping downwardly from a location adjacent the level of said egg conveyor belt and toward the level of said intermediate belt assembly, said tines terminating adjacent the topside of said intermediate conveyor belting and being arranged relative to said cup fingers to interdigitate therewith as the cups advance to deposit eggs in the cups; and means for displacing eggs one by one from said egg conveyor belt and onto said transfer ramp assembly. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for transferring eggs from at least two egg collection conveyor belts arranged at vertically-spaced and horizontally-offset levels to a common unloading station below the lowermost one of said levels, said apparatus comprising:
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a frame; channel means in said frame at said levels for supporting and guiding said belts for linear motion relative to said frame; means providing a lateral gate in each of said channel means to afford lateral offloading of eggs from the conveyor belts; wiper means disposed in each of said channel means adjacent said gate for resiliently engaging eggs on the belt as it advances forwardly and displacing the eggs laterally through the gate; means providing a transfer ramp extending alongside and below each gate, said transfer ramp including a series of elongated tines disposed in spaced relation and shaped to provide an elongated concave trough having portions sloping downwardly away from the level of said conveyor belt; an intermediate conveyor belt assembly mounted in said frame for movement in a linear run parallel to said conveyor belt and underneath each transfer ramp, said intermediate conveyor including;
a web of belting, and a series of rearwardly-concave cups carried at spaced intervals by said belting, each of said cups having a series of separated fingers adapted to interdigitate with said transfer ramp tines as said intermediate belt advances beneath said transfer ramp;a pair of rollers engaging the underside of each intermediate conveyor belt at spaced locations upstream and downstream of said transfer ramp to support said intermediate belt underneath said transfer ramp; tilting means engaging the underside of each intermediate belt assembly adjacent said unloading station to tilt the cups successively for offloading the eggs carried in the cups; chute means mounted by said frame to at least partially underlie the path of movement of said cups around said tilting means and to interdigitate with said cup fingers to receive eggs offloaded therefrom by the aforesaid tilting action; rotary brush means mounted in said frame adjacent said chute and tilting means and having bristles for engaging said cups as they advance around said tilting means to cooperate therewith and with said chute means to positively control offloading of eggs from said cups; and drive means mounted in said frame for rotating said brush means and advancing said egg conveyor belt and said intermediate belt assembly in the same directions. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification