An egg processing system is provided. Such a system includes a reference platform defining a plurality of reference openings therethrough. Each reference opening is adapted to receive an avian egg therein from an underside of the reference platform. A plurality of egg holders are provided for supporting eggs, each egg holder being configured to lift an egg toward a respective reference opening. A plurality of egg orienting accommodations extends from the underside of the reference platform. Each egg orienting accommodation is associated with a respective reference opening such that as an egg moves toward the reference platform it interacts with the egg orienting accommodation to orient the egg. An associated system, device and method are also provided.

This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving and transporting a stream of eggs, comprising, a conveyor for transporting eggs in a transport direction T, a releasing device connected with the conveyor, for releasing predetermined eggs away from the conveyor, separately, downwardly out of the stream, a guide for receiving and taking over such an egg from the releasing device and guiding it to an egg processing apparatus, and two driven star wheels placed substantially close to each other, with shafts perpendicular to T, and with opposite directions of rotation of the shafts, while upon rotation their blades along a part of the rotation path are placed over each other and transport the eggs substantially cupwise downwardly. In a suitable manner, with this apparatus, for example intact but dirty eggs can be released from a sorting stream and be received for further handling or processing.

This invention relates to an apparatus for receiving and transporting a stream of eggs, comprising, a conveyor for transporting eggs in a transport direction T, a releasing device connected with the conveyor, for releasing predetermined eggs away from the conveyor, separately, downwardly out of the stream, a guide for receiving and taking over such an egg from the releasing device and guiding it to an egg processing apparatus, and two driven star wheels placed substantially close to each other, with shafts perpendicular to T, and with opposite directions of rotation of the shafts, while upon rotation their blades along a part of the rotation path are placed over each other and transport the eggs substantially cupwise downwardly. In a suitable manner, with this apparatus, for example intact but dirty eggs can be released from a sorting stream and be received for further handling or processing.

Methods and apparatus for processing eggs based upon a characteristic such as gender are provided. Material is extracted from each of a plurality of live eggs, the extracted material is assayed to identify eggs having the characteristic, and then eggs identified as having the characteristic are processed accordingly.

Methods and apparatus for processing eggs based upon a characteristic such as gender are provided. Material is extracted from each of a plurality of live eggs, the extracted material is assayed to identify eggs having the characteristic, and then eggs identified as having the characteristic are processed accordingly.

The invention relates to a so-called stabilization method, consisting of completing the filling of traveling egg trays (8). In each of the successive trays, eggs taken from an available egg reservoir (16) are deposited in empty locations. This reservoir is made up of egg receiving cells that are movable along rows of cells in series. Depending on a filling state of the tray being treated identifying the distribution of the empty locations relative to the full locations, the reservoir is automatically configured in a configuration of egg-bearing cells complementary to said filling state of the tray in progress, so as to next transfer eggs between the reservoir and the tray in progress by correspondence between empty locations and full locations in the tray and the presence or absence of an egg-bearing cell in the reservoir.

The invention relates to a so-called stabilization method, consisting of completing the filling of traveling egg trays (8). In each of the successive trays, eggs taken from an available egg reservoir (16) are deposited in empty locations. This reservoir is made up of egg receiving cells that are movable along rows of cells in series. Depending on a filling state of the tray being treated identifying the distribution of the empty locations relative to the full locations, the reservoir is automatically configured in a configuration of egg-bearing cells complementary to said filling state of the tray in progress, so as to next transfer eggs between the reservoir and the tray in progress by correspondence between empty locations and full locations in the tray and the presence or absence of an egg-bearing cell in the reservoir.

An egg processing system is provided. Such a system includes a reference platform defining a plurality of reference openings therethrough. Each reference opening is adapted to receive an avian egg therein from an underside of the reference platform. A plurality of egg holders are provided for supporting eggs, each egg holder being configured to lift an egg toward a respective reference opening. A plurality of egg orienting accommodations extends from the underside of the reference platform. Each egg orienting accommodation is associated with a respective reference opening such that as an egg moves toward the reference platform it interacts with the egg orienting accommodation to orient the egg. An associated system, device and method are also provided.

The present invention is an egg filling apparatus for filling an egg tray with eggs, which improves a processing speed while simplifying a configuration thereof, and includes: an individual egg cup collection unit in which egg filled cups on which eggs are placed one by one are collected; a filling location information acquisition unit that acquires information on a location where the egg is to be placed in the egg tray; an egg transfer mechanism that transfers the egg from the egg filled cup in the individual egg cup collection unit to the egg tray based on filling location information acquired by the filling location information acquisition unit; and an individual egg cup removing mechanism that removes an empty cup from the individual egg cup collection unit.

The present invention is an egg filling apparatus for filling an egg tray with eggs, which improves a processing speed while simplifying a configuration thereof, and includes: an individual egg cup collection unit in which egg filled cups on which eggs are placed one by one are collected; a filling location information acquisition unit that acquires information on a location where the egg is to be placed in the egg tray; an egg transfer mechanism that transfers the egg from the egg filled cup in the individual egg cup collection unit to the egg tray based on filling location information acquired by the filling location information acquisition unit; and an individual egg cup removing mechanism that removes an empty cup from the individual egg cup collection unit.