Abstract:
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing mass copies of text and/or images on a novel medium, namely eggs, by using the eggshell of the egg as an advertising or message-bearing medium. Mass quantities of eggs are imprinted with a promotional image prior to distributing said eggs to consumers. The promotional image can be, for example, a corporate logo, a national flags, a charitable insignias, a messages or a trademark and can be multi-colored. A matrix of eggs are preferably imprinted by a like matrix of printing tampons. The eggs are preferably lifted and oriented by a like matrix of vacuum heads.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/384,492 filed May 31, 2002. 
     This invention relates to a method and apparatus for distributing mass copies of text and/or images on a novel medium; namely, eggs. This invention further related to using the eggshell of the egg as an advertising or message-bearing medium. This invention further relates to a method and apparatus for imprinting images on eggs prior to sale and/or distribution to the consumer. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Eggs are an ever-present, universally accepted staple that is found in virtually every household. The ability to mass-produce messages and/or images on the shells of the eggs represents a unique and heretofore unexploited opportunity to communicate with countless numbers of people. As will become apparent, the communicated information can be, for example, the name and/or logo of the egg producer, or of the store from which the eggs are purchased, or of a third party paying to advertise on the eggshell. In addition, the name and/or flag of the country which is the source of the egg can be imprinted on the egg for political, economic or charitable identification. Naturally, limitless other texts and/or images can be printed, including but not limited to cartoon characters, images of famous people, recreated works of art and other such indicia, instructions, warnings, and communications pertaining to the egg or to matters other than the egg. Of course, combinations of more than one of the foregoing can be printed on different portions of the eggs. Regardless of the format, the eggshell becomes a novel medium for mass communication. All of the foregoing types of graphic and informational images and texts are hereinafter referred to as “promotional images” regardless of whether the motive for imprinting the eggs is political, commercial, informational, instructional, charitable, promotional, etc. 
     In accordance with the invention, eggs are preferably positioned on moving conveyor are and manipulated to position the desired region or regions of the eggshell for imprinting contact by an image-bearing tampon. Multi-color images can be produced by sequentially contacting the eggs with a plurality of tampons. Numerous other printing methods may also be employed, as hereinafter described, without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     These and other features of the invention will become apparent in the following description of the preferred embodiment of which the drawings form a part. 
    
    
     IN THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view in schematic of a preferred machine for carrying out the process of mass producing such imprinted eggs in accordance with the invention; and 
     FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred tampon used by the machine in FIG. 1 in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a machine  10  is illustrated, into which eggs  12  are transported via a conveyor  14 . As will be described, the machine is preferably configured to print a full color logo or image on an egg at a preferred rate of approximately 21,000 eggs per hour, making the egg shell a novel mass-producible advertisement-bearing medium. 
     The machine  10  is positioned to process the eggs as they exit from the classifier (not shown) at an egg-packing facility. The classifier is a known device that separates eggs by size into one of several standard sizes: e.g., large, extra large, jumbo. Accordingly, eggs entering the machine  10  have generally equivalent diameters and curvatures. 
     The eggs  12  typically exit from the classifier in a series of 5×6 matrices. Each of the 30 compartments forming the 5×6 matrix is of a shape and structure similar to those of the commonly-encountered egg carton, holding the contained egg in a generally vertical orientation: i.e., with its longitudinal axis generally vertical. 
     As each row of 6 eggs enters the machine  10 , the conveyor stops momentarily to permit each of the six eggs to be manually or automatically lifted and manipulated into position for contact by a respective tampon  20 . The preferred automatic manipulation utilizes a vacuum manifold  11  having 6 vacuum heads to lift and manipulate the eggs. Each vacuum head has a plurality of orifices through which a partial vacuum is drawn so as to secure the egg against the head. Preferably, each head accommodates the top contour of the egg, so as to encircle the egg about an upper region. The orifices are evenly distributed about the circumference of the egg along said upper region so that the egg is gently secured to the head with substantially evenly distributed pressure, enabling the egg to be spatially manipulated without cracking the shell. 
     The six eggs in the row are then preferably—simultaneously pivoted into a generally horizontal position—i.e., with their respective longitudinal axes being generally horizontal—and gently lowered into a resting position on a supporting substrate  18 . A tampon device  20  then descends against the side of the egg to transfer an ink image onto the upward-facing side of the eggshell. Preferably, six tampon devices simultaneously transfer a respective image to a respective one of the six eggs. The promotional images may be text, a logo, or any other artistic or graphic representation. The images may be single color or multicolor, requiring a single tampon or a sequence of tampons to contact each egg. Further, the six images may be the same or different from each other. 
     The tampon obtains the image from a cliche. As is known in the printing industry, a cliche is a steel or nylon plate into which the image to be transferred has been photoengraved or otherwise etched. The cliche is then inked and cleaned with a blade, leaving the ink in the etched areas only. The tampon, itself, is a flexible silicon pad that is pressed against the cliche so as to pick up the image from the cliche for transfer to the surface being imprinted. It should be recognized, of course, that the foregoing description is illustrative only, and that other materials can be used to construct the cliche and the tampon. 
     The conveyor is synchronized with the printing operation. After each row of eggs is imprinted, the conveyor advances so that the next row of eggs is positioned for further processing. For example, each egg may be imprinted by a respective second tampon to yield a two-color imprint. The eggs may then be advanced to a third printing station for contact by a respective third tampon to yield a three-color imprint, etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the eggs may alternatively be imprinted by multiple tampons at a single printing station without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
     As each row of imprinted eggs advances, it eventually reaches a position within the machine wherein the eggs in the row must be manipulated once again in order to print another area of the shell or to off-load the eggs into cartons for shipment. In either case, the eggs must either be manually manipulated or manipulated by a second vacuum head. A second vacuum head is preferably identical in structure to the first, and each head engages the side of a respective egg about the region that would be the upper region if the egg was vertically oriented. The row of eggs are accordingly pivoted into a vertical orientation by the vacuum heads and placed on the supporting substrate  22  of a second conveyor  24 . It should be appreciated that the first and second substrates  18 ,  22  may be the same if the supporting egg-surfaces thereof are configured to support both horizontally and vertically oriented eggs, in which case the conveyors  14 ,  24  may also be a single conveyor. 
     As the eggs advance, they can be printed on the other side by conveying them to another vacuum head for appropriate manipulation and stamping by a tampon. Naturally, this manipulation and stamping can be carried out by vacuum head  11  and tampon  20  prior to advancing the matrix of eggs to the next row, so long as the ink of the first image has had time to dry before placing it in contact with a support surface for the second printing operation. 
     After the final printing operation, the rows of eggs are manipulated into a vertical position, either manually or by the vacuum heads, and placed in egg cartons for manual or automated off-loading. 
     In the preferred embodiment, a tampon holder holds multiple tampons, with each tampon being sized and positioned to contact a respective egg of the row being printed. It is preferable to utilize a tampon holder holding a matrix of tampons for simultaneously imprinting a like matrix of eggs, but separate tampons or tampons capable of imprinting more than one egg at a time can be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     The tampon itself is configured to soften the stamping impact on the egg. As illustrated in FIG. 2, each preferred tampon  20  comprises a generally cylindrical body  26  formed around a longitudinal axis  27  on an aluminum substrate  28 . The body  26  preferably comprises 30% silicon rubber, 65% silicon oil and 5% catalyst. The body  26  preferably has a longitudinally-extending hollow central region  24  which is vented to the exterior of the body via aperture  30  in the substrate  28  to form a shock-absorbing air cell to enhance the softening of stamping impact on the eggshell. The body  26  is sufficiently pliant to conform to the contour of the eggshell for accurate reproduction of the image being printed, while sufficiently hard to accurately transfer the inked image efficiently. 
     The ink used for the imprinting process is a non-toxic variety of the type used to mark food products in the past. Once the ink&#39;s viscosity and color is selected, it is poured into the machine&#39;s ink container. 
     While the foregoing description includes detail that will enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be recognized that the description is illustrative in nature and that many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of these teachings. For example, the eggs may be fed into the machine singly, in rows or in matrix sizes other than 5×6. The eggs may be manipulated and/or printed singly, or as a matrix. 
     Moreover, it should be recognized that the invention claimed herein is the use of eggs as a mass-distributable medium for promotional and informational purposes given its virtually universal acceptance and presence in homes throughout the world. This invention is not limited to the specific manner of imprinting eggs disclosed in the preferred embodiment, but includes imprinting by any other means as well, whether by laser printing, labels affixed to the eggshells or any other means utilizing eggs as the medium. The term “imprinting” as used herein shall be taken to include all printing methods whether printing is directly onto the eggshell or indirectly as on a label or other substrate affixed to the eggshell. 
     It is accordingly intended that the invention herein be defined solely by the claims to be appended to the completed patent application, and that the claims be interpreted as broadly as permitted in light of the prior art.