Apparatus for breaking and opening eggs

• US 5,325,768 A
• Filed: 05/03/1993
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Original Assignee: FPS Food Processing Systems BV (Thyssen Bornemisza Family)
• Inventors: van den Hazel, Brand
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US08/050,183
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 99/495-500, 99/568, 99/577-582, 426/490, 426/478-480, 426/614
• US Class Current: 99/498
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/145 Machines therefor

Abstract

An apparatus for breaking and opening eggs and for removing and catching the yolks and whites thereof. A first conveyor is adapted to travel in a first direction of travel. Supply belts supply eggs to the first conveyor. Egg carriers are operably connected to the first conveyor for carrying eggs supplied from the supply belts. Egg receiving members are operably connected to each egg carrier for receiving eggs carried by each carrier. An egg opening element is operably associated with each egg carrier for breaking and opening eggs received by the egg receiving members. A second conveyor is adapted to travel underneath and in alignment with at least a portion of travel of the first conveyor. Egg holders are operably connected to the second conveyor. Cup members are operably connected to each egg holder for catching the yolk and white of the eggs openable by the opening element. In the improvement, a plurality of egg carriers are oriented in a direction transverse to the first direction of travel of the first conveyor. A plurality of juxtapositioned egg receiving members are disposed on each egg carrier and are configured to receive an egg with the longitudinal axis thereof oriented in the first direction of travel of the first conveyor.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for breaking and opening eggs and for removing and catching the yolks and whites thereof, comprising:

(A) a first conveyor adapted to travel in a first direction of travel;

(B) a supply belt for supplying eggs to the first conveyor;

(C) spaced-apart egg carriers operably and serially connected to the first conveyor for individually carrying an egg supplied from the supply belt;

(D) an egg receiving member operably connected to each egg carrier for receiving the egg carried by said each carrier;

(E) an egg opening element operably associated with each egg carrier for breaking and opening the egg received by the egg receiving member;

(F) a second conveyor adapted to travel underneath and in alignment with at least a portion of travel of the first conveyor;

(G) egg holders operably connected to the second conveyor; and

(H) a cup member operably connected to each egg holder for catching the yolk and white of the egg openable by said opening element;

the improvement comprising;

(1) a plurality of egg carriers oriented in a direction transverse to the first direction of travel of the first conveyor;

(2) a plurality of juxtapositioned egg receiving members on each egg carrier and being configured to receive an egg with the longitudinal axis thereof oriented in the first direction of travel of the first conveyor; and

(3) a plurality of supply belts being equal in number to the number of juxtapositioned egg receiving members on an egg carrier and each belt being arranged such that eggs are exclusively supplied by each belt to a selected one of the juxtapositioned egg receiving members.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each egg holder of the second conveyor comprises a plurality of separate, juxtaposed cups for receiving the yolks and white from an opened egg which cups are located under the juxtapositioned egg receiving members of the first conveyor.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each egg carrier is pivotally connected to a holder element of the first conveyor.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the supply belts are mounted at a different height level in such a way that a transfer end of each supply belt is located at about a same distance above an associated egg receiving member of a downwardly pivoted egg carriers.