Method and Apparatus for Grading and Further Processing Eggs

This invention relates to a method of weight grading and further processing eggs.

Up until now, after being collected at the production station, eggs have been stored in unsorted condition, subsequently transported to a packing station and there unpacked, graded as to weight, and subsequently packed in the desired retail package.

In carrying out this method, use can be made, for example, of an apparatus as described in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998.

One disadvantage of this method is that when the eggs are stored in unsorted condition after being collected at the production unit, one does not know the quantities of eggs per class, which, however, is an urgent requirement for smooth handling, in particular in the case of bulk orders.

It is an object of the present invention to remedy this disadvantage.

For this purpose the eggs are, on the poultry farm, supplied from a supply belt via an accumulation belt to a device for simultaneously weighing a plurality of eggs, whereafter the eggs are transferred from said device to a conveyor for transporting weighed eggs to a plurality of buffer means, e.g. belts disposed in a refrigerated space, each of said buffer means being designed to receive eggs of a given weight class, and from which the eggs may be discharged in unpacked condition on demand. By virtue of this arrangement, the number of eggs per class that is available in unpacked condition is known at any moment. When ordered, the eggs can immediately be packed in the desired retail package by means of a single packing machine. This last is different from the apparatus described in the above U.S. patent, in which, after being graded, the eggs are packed in a given retail package through a separate packing machine for each class.

The method of the present invention has the additional advantage of making weekend work for a large group of people unnecessary, as in essence only one operator or supervisor is required.

The invention further relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method, which apparatus comprises an egg supplying belt, an accumulation belt, a device for simultaneously weighing a plurality of eggs supplied by said egg supplying belt, a conveyor, and a plurality of buffer belts disposed in a refrigerated space, the delivery ends of which buffer belts can be connected to a device for discharging unpacked eggs.

In one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention, said conveyor is an elevator equipped with holders, and by means of which the eggs can be supplied to buffer belts arranged one above the other and designed as tunnel conveyors.

Between the elevator and each tunnel conveyor an accumulator may be arranged, equipped with means for operating the tunnel conveyor. It is thus ensured that the tunnel conveyors are filled with a serried quantity of eggs.

In a further elaboration of the invention, each tunnel conveyor is movable in both longitudinal directions, and a discharge device can be connected to it both at its supply end and at its delivery end, so that the tunnel conveyor concerned can transport eggs alternatively to its supply end or its delivery end, depending on its degree of filling.

The discharge device referred to above may consist of an elevator common to all buffer belts and positioned at at least one of the ends of the buffer conveyors.

One embodiment of the apparatus for weight-grading and further processing eggs according to the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2 on a larger scale.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a egg grader comprises an egg supplying belt 1, by means of which eggs can be supplied from the laying house direct to the grader. The egg supplying belt delivers the eggs to an accumulation belt 2 or an accumulation plate, as described in our U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998. From the accumulation belt, the eggs are supplied via gate walls 3, which make a vibratory movement in order to prevent the randomly arranged eggs from becoming jammed (see our U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,494) to a roller conveyor 4, and thence to a weighing unit 5 as described in our U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,147.

As shown in the drawings, a thrust plate 6 is provided above the accumulation belt, which is equipped with a switch for operating the supply belt 1. This makes it possible to stop the supply belt in the event of an unduly large supply to the accumulation belt (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998).

From weighing unit 5, the eggs are supplied via an elevator 7 to an accumulation belt 8 destined for the weight class concerned, and next to a subsequent tunnel conveyor 9. Disposed above each accumulation belt 8 is a thrust plate 10 similar to thrust plate 6. The function of thrust plate 10, however, is to start the tunnel conveyor 9 when accumulation belt 8 is full, and stopping the tunnel conveyor again after a certain period of time. It is thus achieved that the eggs fill the tunnel conveyor in serried formation.

Elevators 11 and 12 are disposed at the delivery end and at the supply end of tunnel conveyor 9, respectively, by means of which elevators the eggs can be transferred from the tunnel conveyor concerned to a discharge device, i.e. discharge belt 13 or 14 for further processing, i.e. packing the eggs on call.

When the tunnel conveyor is full the eggs will be discharged in the direction indicated by a fully drawn arrow, i.e. via elevator 11 and discharge belt 13, and when it is filled in part only, they will be discharged in the direction indicated by a dotted arrow via elevator 12 and discharge belt 14. In order to move the eggs towards elevator 12, a vertically adjustable slide 15 is arranged above the belt.

There will now follow a description, with reference to FIG. 3, of the transportation of the eggs from the weighing unit 5 to accumulation belts 8.

Weighing unit 5 is provided in known manner (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,147) with a plurality of balance egg carriers, disposed in side-by-side relationship and in this case each consisting of two or more side-by-side channel-shaped fingers 16. After an egg has been weighed, this is lifted off fingers 16 by means of a vertically movable lifter 17 and rolls into a holder 18 of elevator 7, which may be of the kind as described in Dutch Pat. No. 128,724, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,698. Holders 18 consist of brackets 20 suspended from an endless chain 19, shown diagrammatically, and carrying channel-shaped fingers 21.

After the egg has been weighed, the weight information, i.e. the class to which the egg belongs is passed to a shift register which provides for operation, at the correct moment, of a rotary-stroke magnet 22 disposed in juxtaposition to the accumulation belt concerned (a device having a similar action is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,998). Magnet 22 is provided with a flap or fingers 23, movable in the manner indicated in FIG. 3, for nudging an egg out of its holder as chain 19 moves downwardly. The egg will then roll via a transfer plate 24 onto the accumulation belt 8 concerned and thence to the corresponding tunnel conveyor 9. Conveyor 9 may, for example, comprise a flat belt or a roller or bar conveyor.

As stated before, the apparatus according to the invention has a large number of advantages. It is sufficient to have one packing line (machine). Weekend work for a whole team of attendants or operators can be dispensed with. When large orders are placed, it can immediately be checked whether the required number of eggs (of the class concerned) is present at one or more farms. If so, only these eggs need to be collected instead of first collecting all of the eggs and subsequently sorting, as has hitherto been the conventional method.

It will be clear that a large number of changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.