Abstract:
An egg transfer system for providing automated inspection and tracking of eggs prior to entering an egg breaker, as well as broken egg contents following breaking, and in which the transfer system includes a series of processing and inspection component interfacing with a central processor for grading and segregating the eggs into one of a number of classes including removal eggs. Removal gates are provided at intermediate locations of the egg transfer system, prior to the egg breakers, and are associated with removal of varying classes of eggs. The central processor interfaces with the various stations in order to assemble a dedicated data packet of egg related data which is assigned to a progressing location on the egg conveyor upon which a specified egg is located, and which can further include the central processor assigning the data packet to a location subsequent to the breakers holding specified shell egg contents. At least one, and typically two, manual removal locations are additionally provided, such as associated with the intermediate egg detection and removal station as well as the post-breaker station.
Abstract:
A system for sorting and packaging products, chosen from the group consisting of eggs and fruit (10), the system comprising: —a sorting machine with at least one single sorting track (1) with carriers; —at least one sensor for determining at least one characteristic of each product (10); —the control being adapted to classify a said product in accordance with the at least one characteristic; —a plurality of packaging conveyors (2) for supplying and discharging packaging units, such as boxes, crates or trays, crossing the sorting track and extending above the sorting track; —wherein adjacent each packaging conveyor a transferring device (3) is provided at the level of or higher than the packaging conveyor, arranged for taking over a said product from a carrier and for placing the product from above into a packaging unit (20) on the corresponding packaging conveyor.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a gripping device (2) for placing boxes (1), in particular egg boxes, in an outer packaging, wherein the gripping device comprises a amobile frame (3); grippers (4) placed on both sides of the frame in such a way that in use the grippers are situated on both sides of the box, whereby the grippers can be moved between a box supporting position and an unloading position, wherein each gripper is formed by a mainly pen-shaped body with a hook-shaped end (6), whereby at least the hook-shaped end (6) can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the gripper, and wherein the grippers on the one side of the box are attached staggeringly in relation to the grippers on the other side of the box.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an endless conveyor following a convex contour for use in cooperation with a discharge/feed conveyor. The endless conveyor comprises a number of article holders, such as grippers, for receiving therein discrete articles, such as fruit or eggs. The endless conveyor includes a first conveyor part, which moves continuously in operation, and a second conveyor part, which moves intermittently in operation. The first conveyor part, at a first conveyor part end thereof, is bounded by a return wheel having a stationary rotary shaft. The return wheel is also rotatably drivable for driving the endless conveyor. The first conveyor is positioned to move substantially tangential to the direction of movement of the discharge conveyor, which is also continuously movable, such that the difference in speed between the discharge/feed conveyor and the first conveyor part is substantially zero.
Abstract:
An apparatus for receiving or transferring, vertically transporting and delivering articles such as eggs. The apparatus provides a feed conveyor (2) for presenting successive articles (5) in oriented position and an endless, continuously movable and substantially vertically arranged carrier conveyor (9) for receiving the articles successively presented by the feed conveyor. The carrier conveyor (9) is equipped for retaining and supporting the articles (5) during the vertical transport by way of a fixed guideway (11), extending in the direction of transport, over which the article (5) can move in sliding fashion and which supports the article on one side, as well as a support member (10) pivotally mounted on the carrier conveyor (9), which member supports the article (5) on the opposite side and keeps it pressed against the guideway (11).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for transferring discrete articles at a receiving and packing station from a randomly supplied conveyor having articles with a plurality of characteristics to a take away conveyor having articles with only certain selected characteristics out of the plurality of characteristics. At each receiving and packing station, the articles having the selected characteristics are transferred from the supply conveyor to a collecting device to form therein a completed row of a certain number of articles. An endless transfer conveyor has a plurality of rows of article holders, each of which, at one point in its travel, is positioned to receive a completed row of articles from the collecting device. The collecting device will deliver a complete row of articles only into an empty row of holders in the transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor then transfers a completed row of articles to containers on a take away conveyor. A receiving mechanism may be interposed between the transfer conveyor and the containers to receive and lower articles to the containers.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for transferring discrete articles such as eggs or fruit from a conveyor having at least one row of article holders to a receiver having a resilient upwardly facing portion which then carries the articles generally horizontally to a receiving station. The upwardly facing portion has a resilient structure including for example brush bristles or an air bellows.
Abstract:
An egg transfer system for providing automated inspection and tracking of eggs prior to entering an egg breaker, as well as broken egg contents following breaking, and in which the transfer system includes a series of processing and inspection component interfacing with a central processor for grading and segregating the eggs into one of a number of classes including removal eggs. Removal gates are provided at intermediate locations of the egg transfer system, prior to the egg breakers, and are associated with removal of varying classes of eggs. The central processor interfaces with the various stations in order to assemble a dedicated data packet of egg related data which is assigned to a progressing location on the egg conveyor upon which a specified egg is located, and which can further include the central processor assigning the data packet to a location subsequent to the breakers holding specified shell egg contents. At least one, and typically two, manual removal locations are additionally provided, such as associated with the intermediate egg detection and removal station as well as the post-breaker station.
Abstract:
A support mechanism for preventing outward deflection of a cracker shaft in an egg breaker assembly, about which are supported in orbiting fashion a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows of egg breakers. A disk shaped portion is mounted in slaved rotatable fashion about an intermediate location of the cracker shaft and exhibits a plurality of exteriorly facing and circumferentially offset inwardly recessed scalloped surfaces. An outer fixed and guiding cam is secured to an aligning intermediate location of the breaker and exhibits an inner arcuate extending and guiding/support surface in outwardly spaced and aligning fashion relative to the scalloped locations of the rotating disk. A perimeter support is disposed upon an aligning location of each cracker shaft and which is captured between selected scalloped locations and the inner guide supporting surface corresponding to at least one of egg receipt, breaking and depositing of yolk and albumen contents to synchronized delivery cups and albumen trays associated with the breakers.
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.