Abstract:
A method of washing eggs in a manner which allows controlling the level of pollutants of the washing fluid. At least two sprayer units are located over a conveyor in which eggs to be washed travel in a conveying direction. The eggs are engaged by a brush at each sprayer station. At least two sprayer units located over the conveyor receive washing fluid, spray the washing fluid over the eggs and collect the washing fluid in a collector. The intake of washing fluid, the spraying of the washing fluid and the collecting of the washing fluid at each of the sprayer units is confined to that sprayer unit. Each sprayer unit except the farthest downstream sprayer unit receives washing fluid from the collector of the next downstream sprayer unit.
Abstract:
Apparatus for processing generally elongate curved products having two ends and having a longitudinal axis extending in the elongate direction, in particular vegetables or fruit, for instance cucumbers, the processing comprising in succession at least: conveying the products with an endless conveyor in a conveying direction T in a substantially horizontal plane, the products positioned with their longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction T; orienting these products with an orienting unit, and taking up the oriented products with a take-up unit for a further handling; wherein the orienting unit comprises two supporting points for each product, with at least one supporting point situated at some distance from an end of the product, wherein the orienting unit is configured for orienting during conveying, and wherein the products upon orienting rotate substantially about their longitudinal axis.
Abstract:
A conveying and orienting system for handling eggs including a main conveyor for supporting thereupon a plurality of eggs and for segregating the same into individual file lines prior to delivery to a spool bar conveyor for subsequent egg handling operations. One or more return conveyors are positioned alongside the main conveyor and communicate with the main conveyor at first and second end locations. A control mechanism independently adjusts a travel speed of at least one of the main and return conveyors, this in order to redirect, along the return conveyors for reintroduction onto upstream locations of the main conveyor, a plurality of eggs which exceed of the present handling capabilities of the individual segregating lanes and spool bar.
Abstract:
A method is provided for automatically sorting and packing batches of products, such as, for instance, eggs or fruits which are each provided with an origin code. The method includes supplying first batches of coded products to a sorting apparatus and simultaneously assigning the corresponding codes to fields of a register of a computer program. The products are subjected to criteria in at least one classification apparatus and the products are marked with classification data as obtained with the classification apparatus, while for each individual product the codes and the data are assembled with the computer program in fields of the register to form a label. The classified products are sorted and subsequently packaged to form second, sorted batches of products at packing stations of a packing apparatus. The products at the packing stations are batchwise provided with a second code, a destination code, and these second codes are assigned to the fields of the register and therein are added to the labels of each corresponding product. A computer program comprises a routine for, upon discharge of the second batches from the packing stations, collecting labels that contain at least a same destination code and a same origin code of such second batches. A system is provided for practicing this method.
Abstract:
A dosing apparatus for eggs or like substantially round or ellipsoid articles, comprising at least one endless conveyor having a conveying face above which guiding elements are disposed intended for ordering an unordered flow of articles into a number of ordered flows each having the width of one article, wherein a main surface of each of the guiding elements includes, with the conveying face part extending between the opposite guiding elements, an angle greater than 90.degree., enabling the articles to be gradually pushed upwards along the guiding elements, wherein at the inlet of the dosing apparatus, said dosing apparatus comprises one conveying channel and wherein, viewed in the conveying direction, the number of conveying channels doubles each time, so that at a discharge end of the dosing apparatus the width of the conveying channels at that location is such that, viewed in conveying direction, the articles can only travel therein in file.
Abstract:
An automatic egg shelling machine has a plurality of operative lines that are arranged to be side-by-side and driven by a common drive motor. Each of the operative lines extends in a substantially vertical plane. The operative lines receive eggs from an egg feeding station, and are moved in conveyor fashion along a closed loop. A number of hinged compact groups are distributed along each one of the lines for receiving the eggs from the egg feeding station and breaking the shells of the eggs. The compact groups collect the yolk and the albumen thereof separately.
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.
Abstract:
An egg orienting apparatus for orienting the smaller ends of eggs in a predetermined position. The eggs are supplied to the apparatus on rotating rollers of a roller conveyor. At one of the reversing wheels of the conveyor, lifting members are arranged which enable an egg to be lifted relative to one of a pair of egg carrying rollers. According to the invention, at one of the reversing wheels are arranged consisting of pushing members which can be moved faster than the conveyor. The pushing members are arranged approximately at the level of the reversing wheel. Further, lifting members are arranged which release the egg from one of a pair of rollers, so that the egg is enabled to rotate while being supported by the other carrying roller and the lifting members.
Abstract:
A method of washing eggs in a manner which allows controlling the level of pollutants of the washing fluid. At least two sprayer units are located over a conveyor in which eggs to be washed travel in a conveying direction. The eggs are engaged by a brush at each sprayer station. At least two sprayer units located over the conveyor receive washing fluid, spray the washing fluid over the eggs and collect the washing fluid in a collector. The intake of washing fluid, the spraying of the washing fluid and the collecting of the washing fluid at each of the sprayer units is confined to that sprayer unit. Each sprayer unit except the farthest downstream sprayer unit receives washing fluid from the collector of the next downstream sprayer unit.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a system and a method for, in a conveying direction T during conveyance, continuously distributing a flow or products, for instance eggs, comprising: a distributing assembly with at least two feed channels extending in a conveying direction T for each forming a single row of products, wherein at least edge elements compose the edges of these channels over a well-defined distribution length and wherein these edge elements are provided above and adjacent a conveying surface at the downstream end of a feed conveyor, and a control for monitoring and controlling the distribution of the products over the channels, wherein, based on monitoring signals and control signals, from the downstream end of the channels, only two products are transferred simultaneously to the conveyor, wherein the control, based on the monitoring signals and control signals, increases or reduces the speed of the conveyor according to a continuous adjustment.