An egg-examining device, comprising a sampling device, by which a liquid sample to be taken can be taken from an egg of a rack loaded with eggs, a feeding device for feeding the rack loaded with eggs to the sampling device, and a control unit, by which the feeding device and the sampling device can be controlled. The feeding device feeds the rack to the sampling device at an oblique angle of between 20 and 80 to a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity. A lifting-out device is provided, by which the egg can be lifted out of the rack and by which the egg can be put into a sampling position, in which the liquid amount to be taken can be taken from the egg by the sampling device.

An object pick-up, transfer and placement apparatus which does not employ a source of negative pressure. A flexible bellows defines a collapsible interior chamber and a top through-bore in communication with atmospheric or greater pressure via a valve. The bellows collapses when contacting object, and the valve is closed, preventing air from entering the interior chamber. When the apparatus is used to lift the object, the bellows expands, causing reduced pressure in the interior chamber, securing the object to the apparatus. To release the object, the valve is opened, allowing entry of air to the interior chamber, and release of the object. This invention prevents contamination on egg shell surfaces to become air-born and cross-contaminate the entire egg pack, equipment surfaces, floors and other facility surfaces which in turn creates a hazardous working environment.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring objects comprising: an object take-off roller (10) comprising, on the periphery thereof, members (11) for individually gripping said objects, a device for rotating said object take-off roller (10)said individual gripping members being arranged in at least one ring, said apparatus comprising, for each ring, a linear actuator (13), placed in the interior volume defined by said roller, for moving an individual gripping member (11) appearing opposite this linear actuator (13) between a rest position and a gripping position in which this individual gripping member (11) extends radially, projecting from this take-off roller (10) to grip an object, the gripping position being obtained by one free mobile end of said linear actuator (13) bearing against said individual gripping member (11), said take-off roller (10) being configured to move an individual gripping member (11) in its rest position one by one in front of each linear actuator (13) as it rotates. According to the inventionthe free end of said linear actuator (13) being mobile between a folded position and a deployed position in which this free end is in contact with an individual gripping member (11), this linear actuator (13) is rotationally mobile between at least an engaged position and a disengaged position such that, with the free end of said linear actuator (13) being in its deployed position or in an intermediate position between its deployed position and its folded position, said linear actuator (13) is freely moved from its engaged position to its disengaged position when it comes into contact with another individual gripping member (11), in its rest position, carried by said rotating take-off roller (10), said disengaged position corresponding to a position in which said actuator is spaced apart from said individual gripping members, said assembly comprising a return member (15) to return said actuator from its disengaged position to its engaged position when the free end of said actuator is in its folded position or in an intermediate position not able to interact with an individual gripping member (11) in its rest position.

A conveyor/elevator for raising ovate objects includes a lower support with a contact surface having a minimum radius equal or greater than the radius of the ovate object to be moved. A side support with opposed concave surfaces which have a minimum radius equal or greater than the ovate object, wherein each surface has at least one support point for the ovate object. The concave surfaces have a last possible support point, in the direction towards the outside of the conveyor/elevator, at the intersection of a line parallel with the line of centre of gravity of the ovate object, with a distance relative to the line of a centre of gravity of the ovate object between the minimum of 2 mm and the maximum equal to the radius of the ovate object and a line perpendicular to the line of centre of gravity of the ovate object.

Egg processing system including a transport structure (1) configured for supporting eggs (E) along a transport direction T, wherein the transport structure includes at least two neighboring sections (1a, 1b, 1c) separated by at least one slit (2), one of the at least two sections (1b) being part of an egg weighing device (5), wherein the system includes cleaning means (1a, 1c) for cleaning said slit (2). The invention also provides an innovative method for processing eggs.

The present invention relates to an endless conveyor for transporting products, for example packaging units, along a transport path in a transport direction T, wherein the conveyor comprises: freely rotating supporting rollers (2) which extend substantially perpendicular to the transport direction, which are connected at both ends to conveyor elements (3), and which form an endless transport surface, and flights (4), connected to the conveyor at well-defined positions, which with a control are movable to and away from a carrying position above the transport surface, wherein, after such carrying position has been taken up, a product present on the transport surface is carried along in the transport direction T, wherein the flights comprise strip-shaped thresholds (41) which, from a rest position below at least the transport surface, can be moved up between the rollers to the carrying position. Suitable to carry and buffer along products over an incline and thus transport them.

A transporting element for accommodating and for transporting spherical, cylindrical or egg-shaped articles, in particular foodstuffs, in particular eggs, along a conveying route, has a plurality of mounts arranged one beside the other along the longitudinal extent. The transporting element is designed in the form of a channel-like body with an accommodating space curved in the form of part of a circle, as seen in cross section, and encloses an angle of at least 180. The mounts are designed in the form of slot-form apertures in that region of the channel-like body that is curved in the form of part of a circle. The apertures extending parallel to one another, and transversely to the longitudinal extent of the channel-like body, as far as longitudinal crosspieces on either side, these forming a respective longitudinal periphery.

An egg conveyor assembly is provided herein. The egg conveyor assembly includes a first conveyor extending in a first conveyor direction on a first height level, a second conveyor extending in a second conveyor direction perpendicular to the first height level. A transfer device adapted to transfer eggs from the first to the second conveyor includes an array of egg retainers. The egg retainers include pockets having a receiving opening at an upper end thereof to receive the eggs from above from the first conveyor, and are adapted to release the eggs at a lower end to drop the eggs in egg retainers of the second conveyor. The transfer device is movable in the first conveyor direction and in the second conveyor direction in a plane on a height level between the first height level and second height level.

An endless egg conveyor is provided. The conveyor includes an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction. The conveyor has an upper run and a lower run and head sections where the direction of movement of the endless element is reversed. The conveyor also includes an egg retaining pocket coupled to the endless element, moving in the conveying direction. The retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg aligned with the central axis. The retaining pocket is coupled to the endless element by a bearing structure allowing rotation of the retaining pocket around a rotational axis extending parallel to the rotational axes of the rotational wheels, allowing the retaining pockets to remain in an upright position in every position in the lane. Adjacent retaining pockets of different lanes define a pocket row, wherein, the conveyor includes carrying elements that carry the pockets of one row. The bearing structure of each pocket row includes a support arm on either lateral side of the conveyor. The support arm is positioned upright with respect to the circulating endless element and connected thereto. The bearing structure of the pocket row includes a spindle connected to the carrying element, which pivotally connects the carrying element to the support arms.

A belt drive that has a transmission element that transmits a drive force to a drive element, which then sets a belt roller into rotational motion. The transmission element is a shaft and the drive element is an angular gear which has an input that is connected to the transmission element and an output that transmits the rotational motion from the gear to the belt roller. The belt drive is particularly suited for use in a belt system that is used in multi-tier poultry facilities. This belt system according to the invention includes a common drive motor that provides the drive force and a plurality of belt drives, one belt drive for each tier. One or more drive shafts transmit the drive force from the drive motor to each of the belt drives.