Shell egg culling system
First Claim
1. An egg culling apparatus for culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having unclean shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a washer, comprising:
- (a) conveying means for conveying the shell eggs from the washer, said conveying means including a conveyor having multiple sites, each adapted to hold one of the shell eggs;
said sites arranged in a side-by-side relationship in adjacent rows;
said conveying means rotating each of the shell eggs about a generally horizontal, transverse axis;
(b) detecting means for automatically detecting the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means;
(c) culling means for automatically and separately culling the shell eggs detected as having broken shells and the shell eggs detected as having unclean shells from the shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; and
(d) controlling means for interconnecting said detecting means and said culling means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved shell egg culling system includes a conveying system having sites for conveying shell eggs, an illuminator together with a video camera in conjunction with a computer having a first algorithm and a second algorithm for determining which of the sites contain shell eggs having broken shells and which contain shell eggs having soiled shells, a plurality of bridges in side-by-side relationship which are controlled by the computer to remove shell eggs having broken shells from the conveying system for discarding, and a platform having a plurality of downwardly directed, suction-activated lifters which are controlled by the computer to remove shell eggs having soiled shells from the conveying system for recycling through a washer.
39 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An egg culling apparatus for culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having unclean shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a washer, comprising:
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(a) conveying means for conveying the shell eggs from the washer, said conveying means including a conveyor having multiple sites, each adapted to hold one of the shell eggs;
said sites arranged in a side-by-side relationship in adjacent rows;
said conveying means rotating each of the shell eggs about a generally horizontal, transverse axis;(b) detecting means for automatically detecting the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; (c) culling means for automatically and separately culling the shell eggs detected as having broken shells and the shell eggs detected as having unclean shells from the shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; and (d) controlling means for interconnecting said detecting means and said culling means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An egg culling apparatus for culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having unclean shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a washer, comprising:
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(a) conveying means for conveying the shell eggs from the washer; (b) detecting means for automatically detecting the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; (c) culling means for automatically and separately culling the shell eggs detected as having broken shells and the shell eggs detected as having unclean shells from the shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means, said culling means including; (1) first removing means for removing the shell eggs having broken shells and including a plurality of pivotally mounted bridges in a generally side-by-side relationship, one for each of said sites in one of said rows; and (2) second removing means for removing the shell eggs having unclean shells; and (d) controlling means for interconnecting said detecting means and said culling means, each of said bridges of said first removing means being separately controlled by said controlling means. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An egg culling apparatus for culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having unclean shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a washer, comprising:
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(a) conveying means for conveying the shell eggs from the washer; (b) detecting means for automatically detecting the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; (c) culling means for automatically and separately culling the shell eggs detected as having broken shells and the shell eggs detected as having unclean shells from the shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means said culling means including; (1) first removing means for removing the shell eggs having broken shells; and (2) second removing means for removing the shell eggs having unclean shells and including; (i) a platform spaced generally above a portion of said conveying means;
said platform adapted to oscillate generally transversely relative to said conveying means; and(ii) a plurality of lifters arranged in a matrix, one for each of said sites in a predetermined number of said rows;
said lifters suspended from said platform; and(d) controlling means for interconnecting said detecting means and said culling means, each of said lifters being separately controlled by said controlling means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A shell egg culling apparatus for culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having soiled shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a shell egg washer, comprising:
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(a) a culling conveyor having a plurality of adjacently spaced rows, each comprising a plurality of sites in side-by-side relationship with each of said sites adapted to transport one of the shell eggs;
said culling conveyor adapted to rotate each of the shell eggs contained in said sites about a respective, generally horizontal, transverse axis;
said culling conveyor having a first conveyor portion and a second conveyor portion;
said culling conveyor configured such that said first conveyor portion and said second conveyor portion are generally spaced apart such that a gap is formed between said first conveyor portion and said second conveyor portion;
said first conveyor portion and said second conveyor portion are generally aligned such that said sites contained in said first conveyor portion are respectively aligned with said sites contained in said second conveyor portion;(b) a conveyor site tracker adapted to cooperate with said conveyor such that the locations of said rows of sites of said first conveyor portion and said second conveyor portion are tracked; (c) a video scanner including; (1) an illuminator adapted to repeatedly illuminate the shell eggs contained in a plurality of said rows of said sites with optical radiation as the shell eggs are conveyed by said first conveyor portion; and (2) an optical receiver adapted to receive portions of said optical radiation reflected by respective ones of said shell eggs so repeatedly illuminated;
said reflected radiation coordinated with each of said sites containing respective ones of the shell eggs;
said receiver adapted to convert reflected radiation into electronic data;(d) a computer adapted to receive said electronic data from said optical receiver;
said computer, in cooperation with said conveyor site tracker, adapted to coordinate said electronic data with respective ones of said sites containing the shell eggs providing said reflected radiation generating respective said electronic data;
said computer containing a first algorithm corresponding to electronic data generated by reflected optical radiation received from a broken shell egg and a second algorithm corresponding to electronic data generated by reflected optical radiation received from a soiled shell egg;
said computer adapted to identify respective sites containing broken shell eggs and soiled shell eggs by comparing electronic data generated from optical radiation received from the respective shell eggs being conveyed by said first conveyor portion with said first algorithm and said second algorithm;(e) a broken shell egg sorter having a plurality of bridges, one for each of said sites in one of said rows of sites;
said bridges spaced in side-by-side relationship and aligned with respective said sites;
each of said bridges having a first configuration adapted to generally span said gap between said first conveyor portion and said second conveyor portion such that certain ones of the shell eggs are selectively allowed to pass from said first conveyor portion to said second conveyor portion and a second configuration adapted to selectively sort out shell eggs contained in said sites which have been identified by said computer as containing broken shell eggs;
said bridges connected to said computer such that said first configuration and said second configuration of each of said bridges is separately selectable by said computer;(f) an auger for receiving shell eggs from said broken shell egg sorter; (g) a soiled shell egg sorter having; (1) a platform spaced generally above said second conveyor portion;
said platform having a plurality of lifters arranged in a matrix, with one of said lifters corresponding to each of said sites in a predetermined number of said rows of sites in said second conveyor portion;
said lifters extending downwardly from said platform;
said platform having a first configuration adapted to allow the shell eggs to continue unhindered along said second conveyor portion and a second configuration adapted to selectively sort out shell eggs contained in said sites which have been identified by said computer as containing soiled shell eggs;
said lifters separately connected to a partial vacuum source controlled by said computer such that said soiled shell eggs are vertically removable from said second conveyor portion as said platform is in said second configuration; and(2) a track adapted to suspend said platform above said second conveyor portion, to selectively raise and lower said platform from and to said first configuration and said second configuration, and to transversely displace said platform from above said second conveyor portion to one side of said second conveyor portion; and (h) a return conveyor for receiving the soiled shell eggs from said soiled shell egg sorter;
said return conveyor adapted to return the soiled shell eggs to the washer.
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15. A method of culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having unclean shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells after the shell eggs have been processed through a washer, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an apparatus having conveying means, detecting means, culling means, and controlling means for interconnecting said detecting means and said culling means; (b) positioning the shell eggs in side-by-side relationship in adjacent rows on said conveying means; (c) conveying the shell eggs from the washer by the conveying means while maintaining said side-by-side relationship in said adjacent rows; (d) rotating each of the shell eggs about a generally horizontal transverse axis during said conveying; (e) automatically detecting the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means; and (f) automatically and separately culling the shell eggs having broken shells and the shell eggs having unclean shells from the shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells with said controlling means as the shell eggs are conveyed by said conveying means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification