Abstract:
A system for washing a stream of eggs which are uniformly distributed on m feed rows of a transport device and assume well-defined positions thereon, comprising—a feeding section, having, at least at the location of the washing of the eggs, m feed rows with the eggs on diabolos which are attached to cross axes whose ends are connected to endless chains, a washing device through which the eggs on the feed rows are passed and washed,—a dirt detection device for testing the washed eggs for residues of dirt, whereby, according to a well-determined procedure carried out by, for instance, a computer, each egg is assigned a dirt grade, while the washed eggs are passed on the feed rows along the detection device, a discharge device to which are allocated, in accordance with and following said procedure, those eggs whose dirt grade has exceeded a predetermined limit, and which discharges them as dirty eggs from the feed rows, while the other eggs proceed as clean eggs on a follow-on conveyor virtually from the discharge device, the follow-on conveyor being composed of n rows, and—a replacing device for replacing these discharged eggs into the feed section, wherein the discharge device discharges the dirty eggs immediately after the detection device and returns them along at least a single return row, parallel to and in upstream direction relative to the feed rows, and the replacing device replaces these discharged dirty eggs virtually immediately before the washing device. Such a system enables far-reaching optimization of the associated washing process.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for placing patterns of product holders, more in particular placing stacks of layers of the holders, into boxes or crates, using a supporting band, cords or strips, whereby the use of complex gripper heads is avoided. Thus, a considerably cheaper packing process is obtained.
Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for sorting products such as fruits. The apparatus comprises an endless conveyor and conveying units for conveying products behind each other in a substantially horizontal plane. Each conveying unit is formed by at least two rolling elements with the axes perpendicular to the conveying direction, a connecting element by which each rolling element is rotatably and vertically movably connected with the conveyor, and a carrier element arranged between the rolling elements, wherein at an inspection position, each product is situated on two successive rolling elements, and in a weighing position, each product is situated on the carrier element. A discharge guide comprises a leaf spring which has a rest position during conveyance and weighing, and a deflection position present only upon transition to and from a discharge position.
Abstract:
An apparatus for conveying objects such as fruits, comprises a first endless conveyor, with conveying elements such as diabolos connected thereto. A conveying position is defined between at least two conveying elements. A second endless conveyor, with product carriers connected thereto, comprises gripper hands, for transferring objects from between the conveying elements. The second conveyor is in the direct proximity of the first conveyor. The conveying elements comprise grooves in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor, and the gripper hand has fingers. A distance between the fingers corresponds to a distance between the grooves of the conveying elements such that upon transfer of the objects by the gripper hand, the fingers are positioned at least partly under the objects in groove ends of the grooves.
Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for singulating substantially round products. The apparatus includes an endless feed conveyor belt on which the products are supplied in a conveying direction T, and a singulator conveyor comprising two sections V1, V2, forming a V-channel. The sections are located in substantially two planes which, each section is at an angle to a horizontal plane, which intersect along an intersecting line parallel to the conveying direction T. At least one additional endless belt B1, B2, . . . , B(n−1) is provided on one side of the two sections V1, V2. Each additional belt is to a side of the intersecting line and parallel to the one section, and is in substantially the same plane as the one section. The speed of the additional belt is greater than the speed of the one section V1, V2 belt. Advantageously, the speed of belts situated further outwards is less, and the V-channels preferably have an angle curvature of 0° at the upstream end to, minimally, 5° at the downstream end.
Abstract:
An apparatus for transferring products, in particular eggs, comprising at at least one height, positioned under an endless sorting conveyor, at least one row of conveying units, wherein the products are discharged in a well-defined manner from the sorting conveyor into the conveying units, are received by the conveying units, and are subsequently delivered to a packaging device thereunder, while each conveying unit is provided with at least a first and a second part which can move relative to each other, in particular away from each other and back again, from a receiving position for taking up such a product to a discharge position for delivering the product downwardly therefrom, wherein the said at least one row is included in a frame, while the at least one row is removeably and interlockably arranged in the frame.
Abstract:
An apparatus comprising a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first and the second conveyor being arranged in line with each other, having the same conveying direction and, in use, having substantially the same conveying speed, while between the first and the second conveyor a pattern former is arranged which is adapted to pick up products supplied by the first conveyor and, while maintaining the forward conveying speed, to place the products on the second conveyor, the pattern former being provided with steering means to displace each product in a direction transverse to the conveying direction, and optionally reorient it, between the pickup and placement of the product.
Abstract:
An apparatus is provided for singulating products, such as apples, which, floating along in water in a channel in the transport direction, are supplied and, after singulation in the water, are thereupon fed out of the water to a transport device, for instance a roller conveyor. The apparatus includes a submerging device for submerging products supplied in the channel, a singulating channel, of a width equal to the singulating width, intended for collecting the products released after submersion, in a continuous row, and a releasing device for releasing the products after the submersion and for thereupon feeding the products to the singulating channel. With such an apparatus, a high degree of filling for the following transport device, generally functioning as a first part of a sorting device, can be obtained.
Abstract:
An apparatus for candling eggs travelling along a path for the presence of blood, comprising a lightproof drum which is drivable for rotation around a fixed shaft and wherein detection means are accommodated, the drum having a number of light transmission openings which each have a bellows, the drum in operation having a rotational speed so that the ends of the bellows remote from the drum have a speed corresponding to the speed of travel of the eggs, the drum with the bellows being positioned relative to the path of travel so that in operation, each time during a part of the path of travel of the eggs, the bellows connect to an egg to be inspected, while the detection means are positioned in the drum so that they only receive light that falls into the drum via the egg which is to be inspected and to which the bellows connects, and via the light transmission opening associated with that bellows.
Abstract:
A device for stacking egg-trays comprising a feed conveyor (2) advancing the trays one after the other, a second conveyor (3) for discharging the trays stacked on each other, a transport mechanism (15) operating between the feed and the discharge conveyor having carrying forks for transporting one tray at a time onto a support platform (30) which collects the trays and periodically oscillates through a 90.degree. arc so as to stack the subsequent trays in a staggered relationship. The platform is also capable of a vertical movement from a high position to a low positioin and vice versa for depositing a stack of trays upon the discharge conveyor.