DEVICE AND METHOD TO REMOVE REJECTED EGGS IN HATCHERIES

Abstract

Disclosed is a device for the automatic removal of rejected eggs from an incubation tray, whereby the device includes a suction power above the egg to suck up the egg, and the device further includes a blowing power against the bottom of the egg to blow away the egg, whereby the blowing power blows an air flow or overpressure against the bottom of the egg. Also disclosed is a method for the automatic removal of one or more rejected eggs from an incubation tray.

Claims

1-33. (canceled)

34. Device (1) for the automatic removal of rejected eggs (2) from an incubation tray (3) whereby the device comprises a suction power (6) above the egg (2) to suck up the egg (2), whereby the device (1) further comprises a blowing power or air outlet (8) against the bottom of the egg (2) to blow away the egg (2), whereby the blowing power blows an air flow or overpressure against the bottom of the egg, wherein the suction power is provided by a suction tube (6) that is connected to a vacuum means, whereby the suction tube (6) extracts the egg (2) or the remains of the egg into the tube (6) and the blowing power (8) blows the egg from the incubation tray into the suction tube (6).

35. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device further comprises a push system (9) to push loose a rejected egg (2) from below out of the incubation tray (3), whereby the egg (2) is lifted from the incubation tray and is pushed further into the suction tube (6).

36. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device (1) comprises a vacuum system (6) as suction power and a compressed air system (8) as blowing power.

37. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the blowing power, when pushing up the egg, can be switched on or off.

38. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the blowing power is provided by an air outlet or nozzle (8) that blows an air flow or overpressure against the bottom of the egg (2).

39. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the suction tube and/or the air outlet is vertically movable.

40. The device (1) according to claim 39, wherein the air outlet (8) is provided with a push system (9) with a vertical movement to push loose a rejected egg (2) that is stuck from the incubation tray (3).

41. The device (1) according to claim 39, wherein the suction tube (6) is provided with a vertically movable tube (7) which is moved down such that the egg (2) is partially or completely in the suction tube (6).

42. The device (1) according to claim 39, wherein the vertical movement of the suction tube (6) and the vertical movement of the air outlet (8) can be set independently from each other.

43. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device comprises one suction tube (6) and air outlet (8), or more individual suction tubes (6) and air outlets (8) lined up behind each other in the transport direction.

44. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein suction tubes (6)/air outlets (8) can be positioned above and under the egg (2) by means of a lateral movement in comparison to the transport movement.

45. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the number and the position of the suction tubes (6) above and the number and the position of the air outlets (8) under the eggs (2) correspond with the number of rows and the position of the eggs (2) in the incubation tray (3).

46. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the suction power is provided at the same time as the blowing power.

47. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the suction power is provided continuously.

48. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the suction tubes (6) act as a shielding for any egg material flying around.

49. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device is provided with means to clean the insides of the suction tube (6).

50. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device (1) comprises a transport system (4) for the transport of the incubation trays (3).

51. The device (1) according to claim 50, wherein the transport system (4) moves the incubation tray (3) in two directions, back and forth, or stops it moving.

52. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the rejected eggs are removed during transport of the incubation tray.

53. The device (1) according to claim 34, wherein the device (1) is provided with a first station for the removal of rejected eggs (2), and a post-monitoring second station for monitoring whether the rejected egg (2) has effectively been removed.

54. A method for the automatic removal of one or more rejected eggs (2) from an incubation tray (3), comprising one or more suction tubes (6) connected to a vacuum means and one or more air outlets or nozzles (8) for the removal of an egg (2), and a transport system (4) for the transport of the incubation tray, the method comprising the following steps: a) Positioning the egg(s) (2) under a suction tube (6) and above an air outlet (8), b) sucking up the egg(s) (2) into the suction tube (6), c) blowing the rejected egg(s) (2) from the incubation tray into the suction tube (6) by means of the air outlet (8), d) extracting the egg(s) (2) or the remains of the egg through the suction tube (6).

55. The method according to claim 54, whereby steps b) and c) are performed at the same time.

56. The method according to claim 54, whereby the positioning in step a) is performed by laterally moving a suction tube (6) and an air outlet (8) above and under an egg to be removed.

57. The method according to claim 54, whereby the positioning in step a) is performed by positioning the tray with the egg(s) to be removed under the suction tube(s) or above the air outlet(s).

58. The method according to claim 54, whereby the steps are repeated until all rejected eggs are removed from the incubation tray.

59. The method according to claim 54, whereby the eggs are removed during transport.

60. The method according to claim 54, whereby multiple eggs are removed at the same time.

61. The method according to claim 54, whereby the incubation tray (3) on the transport system (4) has a constant speed or is not moving during the removal of the egg.

62. The method according to claim 54, whereby in step b) the suction tube (7) is moved down such that the egg (2) is partially or completely in the suction tube (6).

63. The method according to claim 54, whereby in step c) the air outlet (8) or a push system is moved upwards, such that the egg (2) is lifted from the incubation tray and is pushed further into the suction tube (6).

64. The method according to claim 63, whereby the air outlet (8), when pushing up the egg(s), can be switched on or off.

65. The method according to claim 54, further comprising determining by means of a monitoring medium whether the rejected egg (2) has effectively been removed.

66. The method according to claim 54, whereby the incubation tray (3) is stopped and the transport direction is reversed if the egg (2) has not been removed.

67. The method according to claim 54 for the removal of eggs that are stuck, whereby in step b) moving the suction tube (7) down such that the egg (2) is partially or completely in the suction tube (6), and in step c) moving the air outlet (8) or a push system upwards such that the egg (2) is lifted from the incubation tray and is pushed further into the suction tube (6).

68. The method according to claim 67, whereby step b) and c) are performed at the same time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0106] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, a preferred embodiment of a device and method according to the invention is described hereinafter, by way of an example without any limiting nature, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0107] FIG. 1 shows an incubation tray 3 according to the invention;

[0108] FIG. 2 shows a transport system 4 according to the invention;

[0109] FIG. 3 shows a valve 5 according to the invention;

[0110] FIG. 4 shows the vertical suction tube 6 above the egg in retracted (4a) and extended 7 (4b) condition;

[0111] FIG. 5 shows the nozzles 8 from the bottom of the incubation tray 3;

[0112] FIG. 6 shows nozzles 8,9 with a push system with vertical movement according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

[0113] FIG. 7 shows a set-up of a device 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0114] During approximately the first 18 days, the eggs are usually in incubation trays, as shown in FIG. 1, where an incubation tray 3 is presented with 1014 eggs 2. Various embodiments of these incubation trays are known in the market.

[0115] After the hatching process the incubation tray 3 is transported on a transport system 4. The status per egg is only known after the monitoring station. The rejected eggs/exploders can now be removed.

[0116] FIG. 2 shows a transport system 4 for the transport of one or more incubation trays 3. The incubation tray is transported by means of a narrow belt or chain on the outside (this is not shown in the figure). The position of the incubation tray on the belt is known because the transport system is provided with an encoder (this is not shown on the figure either). The encoder communicates with a controller unit such that the position of the incubation tray is known. The condition is that a certain level of friction is necessary between the transport medium and the incubation tray such that the incubation tray does not shift on the transport medium.

[0117] Obviously, it is possible to transport the incubation tray in another way. The example above is only a possible embodiment.

[0118] The machine that removes the eggs consists of two parts. The first is a vacuum system and the second is a compressed air system.

[0119] Immediately above every egg 2, or provided in several rows, a tube 6 is positioned (this is not shown in the figure) with a sealable valve 5, as shown in FIG. 3. This tube is connected with a vessel which is kept at a particular vacuum level by means of, for example, a vacuum pump or a side channel fan.

[0120] FIG. 4 shows the vertical suction tube 6 above the egg 2 in retracted (FIG. 4A) and extended (FIG. 4B) condition.

[0121] The egg to be removed 2 is positioned under the valve 5 by means of the transport system 4. At a certain moment, the valve 5 is opened such that the egg 2 is sucked up by the suction tube 6. At the same time a certain air flow or overpressure blows against the bottom of the egg 2 from below. FIG. 5 shows the nozzles 8 below the egg 2.

[0122] The blowing power 8 and the suction power 6 work together to retrieve the egg 2 that needs to be removed from between the other eggs.

[0123] In a practical embodiment the incubation tray has a particular constant speed and the timing of the opening of the valve 5 (when the valve opens or when the suction begins and the duration) and the timing of the blowing (when the blowing begins and the duration) can be set completely independently from each other.

[0124] Obviously, it is not necessary that the incubation tray has a particular speed. The system also works when it is at a standstill, but the disadvantage is that it has a negative effect on the capacity of the machine line.

[0125] Hatcheries are forced to keep the personnel costs as low as possible, which means the capacity of the machine line is very important. In the present invention it is possible to remove the eggs during the transport from the incubation tray, such that the capacity of the line remains high.

[0126] If the required capacity of the machine line does not allow the transport to be reversed in the event of stuck eggs and in this way position the egg which was wrongly not removed under the suction tube again, it is also possible to move the incubation tray to a supplementary machine part.

[0127] In this supplementary machine part, the stuck exploders are still removed in the manner described above with the movable suction tube and the movable nozzle. Obviously, this increases the investment costs, but it also raises the capacity of the machine line.

[0128] FIG. 7 shows a set-up of a device 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. This comprises a transport system 4 to move the incubation trays 3. Above the conveyor of the transport system 4, a subdevice with valves 5 and associated suction tubes 6, which may or may not be vertically movable, is provided. Under the transport system 4 a subdevice is provided with nozzles 8, which may or may not be vertically movable. During the removal of rejected eggs 2, the incubation tray 3 is under and/or above said subdevices.

[0129] The operation of the installation 1 is as follows.

[0130] In a first station the rejected eggs 2, these are usually exploders, are removed in the manner described above. Subsequently, there is a post-monitoring in a second station for the removal of, for example, stuck rejected eggs that were not effectively removed in the first step. Both stations have a suction tube above the egg and a nozzle under the egg.

[0131] When the incubation tray passes, a monitoring medium determines whether the egg that should have been removed, is effectively gone. If the egg is not gone, the incubation tray is stopped and the transport direction reverses. The incubation tray is transported back until the egg is under the suction tube and above the nozzle again. The incubation tray is subsequently stopped.

[0132] A vertically movable tube 7 is also incorporated in the suction tube 6. This tube 7 is sent down by means of for example a cylinder, such that the egg 2 is partially or entirely in the tube.

[0133] The nozzle 8, 9 below the incubation tray 3 can also move vertically upward, as shown in FIG. 6. In a specific embodiment this nozzle 8, 9 is sent up by means of a pneumatic cylinder.

[0134] The stroke/push movement of this vertical movement is such that the egg can be lifted from the bottom.

[0135] The nozzle 8, 9 has, in a certain preferred embodiment, more or less the shape of a shell or cup such that the shell of the egg is supported.

[0136] The cylinder makes sure that the egg 2 is pressed loose from the incubation tray 3 and that the tube 6, 7 is pressed in.

[0137] Should the exploder explode because of this, the tube 6, 7 acts as a shielding for the material flying around. The vacuum in the suction tube 6 makes sure that the egg or the remains of the egg are extracted.

[0138] In this way the exploder is always removed and the surroundings are not soiled. The blowing system, when pushing up the egg, can be switched on or off if necessary.

[0139] In a practical embodiment it is possible to position the valves in two rows behind each other, above the eggs.

[0140] If, for example, an incubation tray is applied whereby 10 eggs are lying next to each other, row 1 may consist of 5 valves next to each other and row 2 also of 5 valves next to each other. In this case the valves in the first row take egg 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and the valves in row 2 egg 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. This is mainly done because the valves can be broader than the space between the eggs. Obviously, many configurations and embodiments are possible.

[0141] A possible embodiment is that in the first station the suction tube 6 and the nozzle 8 cannot move. In the second station the movable suction tube 6, 7 and movable nozzle 8, 9 are present.

[0142] In practice only a small percentage of the exploders is stuck. That is why it is also possible to only apply 1 or a number of valves, which by means of a lateral movement can be positioned above the egg that needs to be pushed out. This lateral movement can then take place with an electrical or pneumatic drive or in an alternative way.

[0143] The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described as an example and shown in the drawings, but a device and method according to the invention as defined by the claims can be realised in all kinds of variants without departing from the scope of the invention.