Egg processing system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for transferring eggs continuously conveyed by a first conveyor means to a receiving station of an egg grading apparatus at which the eggs are packaged according to their physical characteristics, comprising,means, disposed adjacent to said first conveyor means at said receiving station, for releasing eggs having the same physical characteristics from said first conveyor means in a predetermined sequence at said receiving station, said releasing means being movable with respect to said receiving station, andmeans, coupled to said releasing means, for varying the position of said releasing means with respect to said receiving station according to the speed of said first conveyor means.
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Reexaminations
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for transferring eggs continuously conveyed in spaced-apart, aligned relationship by a conveyor to a receiving station at which eggs are packaged according to their individual physical characteristics. A frame on which solenoid-actuated plungers are mounted is disposed adjacent the conveyor at the receiving station for releasing eggs having the same physical characteristics from the conveyor in a predetermined sequence at the receiving station. The frame is movable with respect to the receiving station according to the speed of the conveyor.
60 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An apparatus for transferring eggs continuously conveyed by a first conveyor means to a receiving station of an egg grading apparatus at which the eggs are packaged according to their physical characteristics, comprising,
means, disposed adjacent to said first conveyor means at said receiving station, for releasing eggs having the same physical characteristics from said first conveyor means in a predetermined sequence at said receiving station, said releasing means being movable with respect to said receiving station, and means, coupled to said releasing means, for varying the position of said releasing means with respect to said receiving station according to the speed of said first conveyor means.
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14. An apparatus for delivering eggs to a receiving station of an egg grading apparatus at which the eggs are packaged according to their individual physical characteristics, comprising:
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first conveyor means including a plurality of releasable egg-engaging means for conveying and delivering a plurality of eggs to said receiving station in spaced-apart, aligned relationship, frame means movably mounted adjacent to said first conveyor means at said receiving station, means, disposed on said frame means, for actuating said releasable egg-engaging means when said egg-engaging means are conveyed to said receiving station so as to release eggs having the same physical characteristics from said egg-engaging means in a predetermined sequence at said receiving station, and means, coupled to said frame means, for varying the position of said frame means with respect to said receiving station according to the speed of said first conveyor means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of transferring eggs delivered to a receiving station of an egg grading apparatus at which the eggs are packaged according to their individual physical characteristics from first conveyor means to the receiving station, comprising the steps of,
continuously conveying said eggs in spaced-apart, aligned relationship to said receiving station on said first conveyor means, releasing eggs having the same physical characteristics from said first conveyor means in a predetermined sequence at said receiving station, and varying the position with respect to said receiving station at which said eggs are released according to the speed at which said eggs are conveyed to said receiving station by said first conveyor means.
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29. A method of transferring eggs from a variable speed conveying means to a receiving station which comprises the steps of
continuously conveying the eggs to the vicinity of the receiving station, providing a plurality of egg receiving means at the receiving station disposed below the conveying means, releasing the eggs at a point prior to the egg receiving means dependent upon the speed of the conveying means, the position with respect to said receiving means at which said eggs are released being varied according to the speed at which said eggs are conveyed on said conveying means, and retrieving the released eggs in the receiving means and routing the eggs for packaging.
Specification