A Self-acting Egg-turning Machine for Incubators.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 24th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Self-acting Egg-turning Machine for Incubators.
JOSEPH GOOD 24 Teb Street Deptford, Sunderland, Plater, and ROBERT SHAW,
22 Edwin Street Pallion, Sunderland, Machine Rivetter do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This machine will have rollers (which shall take the place of what is now the
zinc bottom of the incubator drawer); the number of rollers to be according to
the size of the incubator. These rollers shall be fitted, according to the accom-
panying sketch; and shall be worked by a specially constructed lever clock
movement, which shall be attached to the rollers (as shown on sketch); thus
entirely doing away with the present system of turning the eggs by hand. The
special construction, of this lever movement, shall be, in it being, so constructed, so
as to turn the eggs, on the rollers, twice, in, twenty-four hours. This movement
to be fitted, with eight day springs.
As shown on, Sheet No. 3. G frame. A, lever, escapement. B, connection,
wheel, which works in spindle wheel, D. Spindle D to work, in G for strength.
Sheet, No. 4, shows, sketch of box, for, roller connections, in parts. A, box
front, hinged to front of B, bottom. C, lid, hinged, to drawer front. D, ends to
be, screwed on drawer front. E, wood bar, to hold sides in position. F. section,
for drawer front. G, catches, to hold, front, in position.
Sheet, No. 2, shows inside of connection box, D, with roller connection wheels B³,
shown and held, in true position by frame, E, C, movement, A, drawer front,
F, roller with wheel, B, attached.
Sheet, No. 1, A, shows incubator fitted with rollers B, C zine, D, box, for move-
ment, and, roller connections.
J. GOOD.
R. SHAW.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Self-acting Egg-turning Machine for Incubators.
We, JOSEPH GOOD, of 24 Teb Street, Deptford, Sunderland, in the County of
Durham, Plater, and ROBERT SHAW, of 22 Edwin Street, Pallion, Sunderland,
also in the County of Durham, Machine Riveter, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a device for automatically turning the eggs in an
5 incubator. This cannot be done by hand, especially in large incubators, without
causing a chill to the eggs as the drawer or lid of the incubator must be kept open
during the operation, furthermore, the frequent opening and closing of the drawer
or lid tends to jar the eggs, or jerk them.
Now the object of this invention is to overcome these and other objections to
the turning of the eggs by hand.
According to this invention we arrange a number of parallel rollers in the base
of each drawer. These rollers are placed at such distances apart that eggs placed
between any two of them are supported above the perforated zinc or other bottom
of the drawer. The rollers are suitably geared together and are connected with a
train of clockwork or other suitable motor by means of which they are slowly
Q37

page_text: rotated. It will be readily understood that the rotary motion of the rollers is
conveyed to the eggs by the frictional contact of the one with the other.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, we will now proceed to.describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying sheet of drawings in which similar reference-letters are employed to
indicate the same parts in both figures.
Figure 1 is a plan of one drawer, and
Figure 2 is a vertical section at the line a, y, Figure 1.
Over the bottom of the incubator drawer A is mounted in suitable bearings a
number of rollers B arranged to lie parallel to each other.
The perforated zinc or other bottom C may be formed of a number of strips
fixed one between each two adjacent rollers B, or the whole bottom C may consist
of one sheet. This sheet may have a flat and even surface and lie wholly below
the rollers B, or it may be corrugated to embrace the lower portion of cach roller.
The spindle of the rollers B are mounted in suitable bearings in the ends of the
drawer A, those at the forward end being extended so as to protrude through the
front of the drawer. A train of gear wheels D and pinions E are mounted in
suitable frame work attached to the front (outside) of the drawer A. The gear
wheels D are formed at the end of hollow sleeves G which are passed one over
each of the extended ends of the rollers B and secured thereto by means of set
screws H or other suitable means to cause the parts to rotate together. It will be
seen that by reason of the intervention of the pinions E all the gear wheels D will
rotate together in the same direction on rotary motion being given to one of them.
Any one of the said gear wheels is made to engage with a train of clockwork J
or other suitable motor also attached to the front (outside) of the drawer A.
The clockwork J and train of wheels and pinions D, E, are enclosed in a suitable
casing K attached to the front of the drawer A, so that the working parts may be
protected from dust and dirt.
It will be readily understood that the movement of the clockwork or other
motor communicates, through the gearing D, E, a rotary movement to the
rollers B. Such rotary movement is obviously communicated, by frictional contact,
to the eggs which rest upon the rollers B as herein before described.
The rollers B may be corrugated or otherwise roughened to afford a better grip
of the eggs. They may also be perforated to allow of the admission of more air
to the drawer. The spindle of one of the rollers B is made longer than those of
any of the other of the rollers and is provided with a square end. Should the
clockwork or other motor J become unworkable through accident, or any other
cause, a key may be fitted on to the square end of this spindle and the rollers
turned by hand without the necessity of opening the drawer and so causing the
eggs to chill by exposure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
(1) The employment of a number of rollers as supports for the eggs in the
drawer of an incubator, such rollers being rotated by suitable means to turn the
eggs by frictional contact, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set
forth and described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) The extension beyond the train of gearing of the spindle of one of the egg-
supporting rollers, so that the same may be turned by hand, by means of a suitable
key in the event of the clockwork or other motor breaking down, substantially as
and for the purpose herein before set forth and described.
(3) The construction of the egg-supporting rollers with a number of perforations
so as to admit more air to the incubator substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before set forth and described.
(4) The general arrangement and construction of a self-acting egg-turning

page_text: machine for incubators substantially as and for the purpose herein before set forth
and described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this 24th day of March 1899
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.