Patent GB-790684-A (GB)
Title: Machine for handling eggs
IPC: B65B23/02
Filed: 1954-11-25
Abstract: 790,684. Coating eggs. FOOD MACHINERY & CHEMICAL CORPORATION. Nov. 25, 1954 [Dec. 28, 1953], No. 34165/54. Class 49. [Also in Groups XVII, XVIII and XXX] Eggs are conveyed along a predetermined path and are discharged therefrom at predetermined points directly into containers, the discharging points corresponding to desired combinations of quality and weight of the eggs. General description.-Operators, at each of six grading stations 151 ... 156 (Fig. 1), candle each egg and place it in an appropriate rack corresponding to the quality of the egg. At each station, an elevator extends beside the quality racks, and when an egg is transferred from the quality rack to the elevator, a record is produced on a memory device that an egg of corresponding quality has been transferred. The elevators feed weighing devices and further records of the weight of the eggs are made on the memory device. The eggs are then transferred from the weighing devices to a common conveyer 188, which passes through an oiling station 744, where, under the control of the memory device eggs of any desired quality/ weight combination may be given a coating of preserving fluid. The common conveyer then traverses eighteen packing stations 190, each collecting eggs of different quality/weight combinations, the memory device determining the release of the eggs into the appropriate con. tainers. The memory device also actuates counters which record the total of eggs passing through each grading station as well as the numbers in any desired quality/weight combination passing through each grading station. Candling lamp.-An electric lamp 195 (Figs. 17, 18), in holder 196 has an enclosing mask 200 having a lens 202 secured by member 201. Air under pressure is fed through stem 199 to pass between holder 196 and tube 197 and circulate round the lamp to cool it. Quality racks and elevator.-The operator candles each egg and places it in one of eight quality racks 160A ... 160H (Fig. 7). Each rack comprises a sloping channel 242 (Fig. 10), having depressions 254 in which eggs can rest. An inner channel 244 is pivoted at 258 and has humps 252 corresponding with the depressions 254 so that each time it is lifted, an egg is passed from one depression 254 to the succeeding depression, and in doing so tends to position itself so that it is transverse to the channel. A drive shaft 218 (Fig. 9), carries a cam 272 engaging roller 274 on spring-urged bar 276 slotted at 278 so that it oscillates longitudinally. The bar 276 has eight studs 286, one for each quality rack, which each actuate a spring- controlled lever 288 (Fig. 10), to oscillate a rod 296 up and down; rod 296 is normally in engagement with a member 300 on the inner channel 244 which is thus actuated to transfer eggs from one depression to the next depression. Alongside the lower end of the racks is sited an elevator comprising an endless chain 206 (Fig. 7), driven from shaft 218 and carrying cups 164. The chain carries a T-plate 322 (Fig. 20), having a bearing 321 in which is a rod 320 secured to the cup ; a spring 326 maintains the cups horizontal on the rising run. If the cup has an egg as it approaches a rack, the egg displaces finger 333 (Figs. 10, 15), actuating bell-crank lever 331 to withdraw rod 296 from engagement with member 300 so that the inner channel 244 does not rise to deliver an egg; the weighted arm 334 of lever 331 restores finger 333 and rod 296 to their original positions, a strip 337 (Fig. 10), limiting this movement. If the cup is empty as it approaches a rack, the synchronized actuation of the inner channel 244 delivers any egg in the bottom depression of the rack to the cup. As an egg passes from a rack to a cup it depresses arm 349 to actuate a switch 339 and record on the memory belt that an egg of quality corresponding to the rack has been deposited into that cup. Transfer of egg to weighing apparatus.-As a cup 164 (Fig. 21), reaches the top of the elevator, an ear 344 rides over a cam 345 to tilt the cup and deposit any eggs therein on to the weighing cup 346; a lug 343 is engaged by ear 319a (Fig. 20), to restore the cup 164 to an upright position. Transfer arms 396a, 396b (Fig. 24); interdigitate with the digitated weighing cup 346 and are operated synchronously with the elevator. Weighing apparatus.-The weighing cup 346 (Fig. 28), extends from a pivoted arm 354a, 354b, having extensions 350, 462, and springs 384a, 384b (only one shown), provide the counterforce so that as an egg depresses cup 346, extension 462 rises. Extension 462 carries six vertically depending rods 466 each terminating in a disc 468j ... 468o (Fig. 30), the discs being located at different levels and each co-operating with a finger 470 having a projection 482, all fingers being pivoted at 474 on a frame 458 pivoted at 460. Thus, an egg causes at least one of the discs 468 to ascend to the same level as the associated projection 482. Shafts 484a, 484b, attached to frame 458 are operated synchronously with the elevator to rock frame 458 so that the projections 482 are brought for-, ward, one at least making contact with a disc 468 and being held thereby against further forward movement; a switch bank 444j... 444o (Fig. 29), is mounted on a frame 450 (Fig. 28), bolted to frame 458, so that one at least of the switches is actuated by that finger 470 whose projection 482 is in register with a disc 468. The actuated switch energizes a solenoid. which records on the memory belt the weight of the egg. Temperature compensation is provided by anchoring the springs 384a, 384b to bimetallic strips 390. Damping is provided by a member 496 (Fig. 24), moving between the poles of a magnet 498. To avoid more than one of the solenoids being actuated at once, the switches 444 are connected in series (Fig. 5A) so that each opens the circuit of the solenoid corresponding to the switch corresponding to the immediately lower weight; thus if switches 444m and 444n are both actuated, only solenoid 445m is energized to record on the memory belt. Further, switch 491 is actuated in synchronism with the rocking of frame 458 to be closed for a short time only when the bank of switches 444 is closest to the discs 468. To compensate for the lowering of the projections 482 as they pivot, the discs 468 are also lowered; to this end, a spring 520 (Fig. 28), moves forward with the switch-bank and presses a plate 517 (Fig. 32), into frictional engagement with the extension 462 against the action of spring 518; a spring 512 then engages a rod 514 to depress plate 517 against the action of spring 515, and the frictional engagement of plate 517 and extension 462 depresses extension 462 carrying the discs 468. The discs and extensions are dished as shown in Fig. 36 to prevent engagement of a disc that is just out of alignment with an extension, as it is lowered. Egg marking.-Above the weighing cup is a printing wheel 541 (Fig. 21), which bears lightly on each egg and imprints thereon a symbol (indicative of the candler) in invisible ink. Transfer of egg from weighing cup to distributing conveyer.-Transfer arms 396a, 396b (Fig. 24), not only assist the transfer of an egg from the elevator to the weighing cup, but also remove an egg from the weighing cup over a platform 550 (Fig. 40), into a waiting cup 552. The cups 552<1>, 552<11> )Fig. 42A), rotate about axis 564 and deposit each egg into a cup on the distributing conveyer 186. Each of the cups 552 is mounted on an arm 562 loosely pivoted at 564; linkage 604, 594 connects 562 to a rotating member 566, and a cam-follower 596 on link 594 co-operates with a stationary cam 588. As a consequence, as member 566 rotates the cup 552 moves but slowly past the egg-receiving position, so that there is an appropriate interval for egg-reception. Fingers 590 are rigidly supported from member 566 and thus overtake the cup 552 after it has received an egg, as shown in Figs. 42A ... 42F, so retaining the egg until it is gently released at its lowest position into a cup 668 on the distributing conveyer 186. An arcuate finger 609 (Fig. 41), may. assist the retention of the egg in the cup 552. The member 566 is fixed to a sprocket 568 driven by the distributing conveyer 185 and which drives the elevator through a clutch so that elevator and weighing mechanism can be disconnected without stopping the conveyer. Distributing conveyer.-The distributing conveyer (Figs. 4A, 4B), comprises two endless chains trained over sprockets 651, 654, 656, 657, 663, 665, 666 and driven by a motor 659 driving shaft of sprockets 657; the chains support buckets 186 (Fig. 47), which receive the eggs and can be opened to allow the eggs to drop by the actuation of one of the solenoids 681 ... 686 (Fig. 78), to interpose a member 687 into the path of the segment 675 (Fig. 47), so that the segment rotates as the conveyer moves to rotate segment 674. Oiling of eggs.-A pump 706 (Fig. 48), driven by a motor 707 forces oil from a tank 708 through a filter 710 to a heater 711 controlled by a manually variable thermostat 712 and thence to a valve 713 controlled by a solenoid 713a selectively energized by contacts 1392 in the memory device; the valve 713 passes oil to a nozzle 717 (Fig. 48A), so that oil is directed on to the egg on the distributing conveyer between the weighing and packing stations. This oil is driven down the sides of the eggs by air jets from nozzles 727, 728, 729, 730, 731, 732, 733 (Figs. 50 ... 56), sited along the conveyer (Fig. 48), and fed through a manifold from a compressor 741 driven by motor 742. A shield 744 may be used to contain oil droplets and a tray 745 catches oil drips. Fans 746a, 746b clear the air and recovered air-borne oil is returned to the tank over pipe 749. A bypass over a relief valve 715 and pipe 711 allows the pump 706 to operate continuously even when valve 713 is shut. Packing stations.-Each packing station comprises a store 191 (Fig. 59), of cartons f