Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses an egg conveyor assembly wherein the transfer device is adapted and arranged in such a way that the transfer device in a first stage of movement, in which the eggs are received from the first conveyor, moves in the first conveyor direction (X) with a velocity (vx) synchronised with the first conveyor, and in a second stage of movement, in which the eggs are released to the second conveyor, moves in the second conveyor direction (Y) with a velocity (vy) synchronised with the second conveyor. After the eggs have been released to the second conveyor the transfer device decelerates and returns to the initial position underneath the first conveyor to receive a new batch of eggs.

<CIT> discloses an egg conveyor assembly according to the preambles of claims <NUM> and <NUM>, in particular, the document discloses a transfer apparatus interposed between a delivery conveyor and a secondary egg conveyor for eggs. The transfer apparatus has receiving stands to receive the eggs. The receiving stands are temporarily stopped when receiving eggs from the delivery conveyor and are accelerated to move parallel with the supporting stands of the secondary conveyor. When they reach the same speed the receiving stands are swung to incline towards the supporting stands whereby the eggs are transferred from the receiving stands to the supporting stands.

<CIT> discloses a transfer apparatus for transferring eggs from an egg chain to a package. Eggs depending on an egg chain fall in a feeding mechanism. The feeding mechanism feeds the eggs to a circulating buffer conveyor. At a lower run of the buffer conveyor the eggs are dropped in a discharging device, which then places the eggs in a package positioned on a package conveyor.

A disadvantage of the known conveyor assembly is that the return stage of the transfer device costs valuable time. The time loss can be minimized by increasing the speeds at which the transfer device operates. However, high speeds and accelerations which increases noise and wear of components.

The invention has for an object to provide an egg conveyor assembly wherein the above disadvantage is overcome.

This object is achieved by a conveyor assembly according to claim <NUM> or claim <NUM>.

The invention thus provides two conveyors which extend and move in transverse, preferably perpendicular directions. The first conveyor is relatively wide and has a plurality of lanes, for example six lanes, which form transverse rows of first egg retainers, and is adapted to simultaneously drop eggs from one row in the egg transfer retainers of the transfer device. The first conveyor moves discontinuously or continuously at a relatively low speed. The second conveyor is relatively narrow and moves at a relatively high speed transversely to the first conveyor. If for example the first conveyor has six lanes, the second conveyor may have one or possibly two lanes. If for example the first conveyor has twelve lanes, the second conveyor may have for example three or four lanes. The eggs are transferred from the relatively slow wider first conveyor to the relatively fast narrower conveyor. Since the transfer device according to the invention is embodied as an endless conveyor which moves only in the same direction (Y) as the second conveyor, the return movement is eliminated. The transfer conveyor has a section which runs above a corresponding section of the second conveyor. A number of egg transfer retainers of this transfer conveyor are filled with eggs by the egg retainers of the first conveyor, wherein the number is dependent on the number of lanes of the first conveyor. Next, the transfer conveyor is accelerated until it moves simultaneously or almost simultaneously and in register with the egg retainers of the second conveyor. Next, the eggs can be dropped from egg retainers of the transfer conveyor in the egg retainers of the second conveyor. After the eggs are dropped from the transfer conveyor, the transfer conveyor can immediately be stopped such that new eggs can be received from the first conveyor. No return movement in the Y-direction is necessary, because the transfer device comprises an endless conveyor.

According to claim <NUM>, the transfer of the eggs is in the opposite direction, thus from the second conveyor to the first conveyor. The eggs are thus transferred from the relatively fast narrower second conveyor to the wider relatively slow first conveyor. Practically the second conveyor will then be at a higher height level than the first conveyor.

Possible further embodiments of the assembly according to claim <NUM> are described below and laid down in the dependent claims. The skilled person will readily contemplate that these further embodiments are also possible depending on claim <NUM> if occasionally the direction in the definition is reversed.

The transfer device is preferably adapted to work in cycles, wherein in each cycle a set of eggs is received from the first conveyor by a subset of the transfer retainers and is dropped from said subset of transfer retainers in a subset of second egg retainers, and wherein the subsets of second egg retainers, in which egg sets of consecutive cycles are dropped from the transfer retainers, are directly after one another, i.e. without empty second egg retainers between the subsets of second egg retainers.

The first conveyor may move discontinuously, wherein it stands still when the eggs are dropped in egg retainers of the transfer conveyor, or the first conveyor may move continuously, although at low speed, at least a speed which is lower than the speed of the second conveyor.

In a practical embodiment the second conveyor circulates said at least one lane of second egg retainers in a horizontal plane.

In a practical embodiment the first conveyor circulates said plurality of lanes of first egg retainers in a vertical plane.

In a particular practical embodiment the first conveyor comprises a revolving wheel where the first egg retainers are turned around from an upstanding orientation to an upside-down orientation, and wherein the first egg retainers comprise pockets having gripping means to retain the eggs when the first egg retainers are in the upside-down orientation. A possible embodiment of these egg retainers is described further below.

In a practical embodiment the transfer device circulates said at least one lane of egg transfer retainers in a horizontal plane. Preferably the second conveyor and transfer device have at least one section where the circulating lanes run in parallel and one above the other.

In a possible embodiment the endless element of the second conveyor is driven by an AC motor with frequency control.

In a possible embodiment the endless element of the transfer device is driven by a servo motor.

The egg transfer retainers of the transfer device may each comprise a pocket having a retaining state in which the egg can be received in the pocket from above and retained, and a releasing state in which the egg can be discharged from an underside of the pocket.

In a possible embodiment the second conveyor has one lane or two parallel lanes of second egg retainers.

In a possible embodiment the transfer device has a corresponding number of lanes of egg transfer retainers as the second egg conveyor.

In a possible embodiment the second conveyor has an oval path. Preferably the transfer device also has an oval path which is shorter than the oval path of the second conveyor.

In a possible embodiment the egg retainers of the transfer device are movable in a height direction to bring them selectively towards the egg retainers of the first conveyor to receive the eggs from the egg retainers of the first conveyor and/or selectively towards the egg retainers of the second conveyor to drop the eggs in the egg retainers of the second conveyor. The free-fall acceleration when eggs are dropped from the first conveyor egg retainers in the egg retainers of the transfer device or from the transfer device egg retainers in the second conveyor egg retainers is a limiting factor in terms of cycle time. This embodiment mitigates the effect of the free-fall acceleration by decreasing the height distance between the egg retainers of the transfer device and the egg retainers of the first conveyor, from which the eggs are dropped.

In a possible embodiment the egg retainers of the second conveyor are movable in a height direction to bring them selectively towards the egg retainers of the transfer device to receive the eggs from the egg retainers of the transfer device. The free-fall acceleration when eggs are dropped from the egg retainers of the transfer device into the egg retainers of the second conveyor is a limiting factor in terms of cycle time. This embodiment mitigates the effect of the free-fall acceleration by decreasing the height distance between the egg retainers of the transfer device and the egg retainers of the first conveyor, from which the eggs are dropped.

In another possible embodiment the egg retainers of the first conveyor are movable in a height direction to bring them selectively towards the egg retainers of the transfer device to drop the eggs in the egg retainers of the transfer device. The free-fall acceleration when eggs are dropped from the egg retainers of the first conveyor into the egg retainers of the transfer conveyor is a limiting factor in terms of cycle time. This embodiment mitigates the effect of the free-fall acceleration by decreasing the height distance between the egg retainers of the first conveyor, from which the eggs are dropped, and the egg retainers of the transfer device. Another aspect of the invention relates to egg retainers to be incorporated in egg conveyors.

Eggs may be oriented point up or point down in an egg retainer. In some circumstances it is necessary to receive or catch the eggs point up, to subsequently grip the egg and to turn around the egg retainer, such that the egg is held point down. A problem with catching eggs point up in an egg retainer formed as a gripper is that the lower end of the egg is weaker than the point of the egg. Furthermore a conventional egg gripper is less and less flexible towards the pivot point thereof. Therefor catching falling eggs point up in a conventional egg gripper has a considerable risk of forming cracks in the eggs.

Moreover, eggs may vary considerably in size. However, large eggs should be gripped sufficiently and small eggs should not be held too loosely in order to be able to turn around the egg retainer. In order to eventually place the egg in the package with the point downwards, it is necessary to maintain the orientation of the egg. Because the centre of gravity of an egg is above the widest section, the position of is not stable and the egg is inclined to tumble. In addition, small eggs can be as long as large eggs are wide, so that small eggs can lose their orientation during falling before the mentioned conventional gripper closes.

These problems are solved by an egg retainer for an egg conveyor, wherein said egg retainer comprises a pocket to receive an egg from above, and comprises moveable gripping members which are arranged in the pocket and are movable between an open position in which an egg can be received or released from the pocket and a closed position in which the gripping members engage over an egg in the pocket to retain the egg in the pocket. In this egg retainer according to the invention the catch function and the gripping function are performed by different parts of the egg container: The pocket catches or receives the egg from above; the gripping members grip the egg and retain it.

A preferred embodiment of the egg retainer furthermore comprises a rigid carrier which is connectable to an endless conveyor, wherein the pocket is arranged in the carrier, and wherein the pocket is flexible to cushion eggs falling from above in the egg retainer. In this embodiment the pocket is thus specially adapted to minimize the risk of cracking the eggs.

In a possible embodiment of the egg retainer the movable gripping members are pivotably connected to the carrier. The gripping members are thus pivotally connected to a rigid part, i.e. the carrier.

In a possible embodiment the pocket converges from an upper side thereof towards a lower side thereof so as to form a tapering egg receiving space. This facilitates the catching of the egg and maintaining the egg in the point-up orientation when it is caught.

In a possible embodiment the pocket is formed of flexible elements, in particular flexible finger-like elements, which extend from an upper side towards a lower side of the egg retainer, an wherein the flexible elements converge from the upper side towards the lower side so as to form said tapering egg receiving space. Preferably the flexible finger-like elements each have a tip at a lower end, said tips of the flexible finger-like elements being free, i.e. not connected to each other or another part, such that the flexible finger-like elements can be elastically spread apart to a predetermined extent if an egg is pressed in the pocket so as to increase the egg receiving space.

In a possible further embodiment the flexible elements have an upper end, wherein the upper ends of the flexible elements are interconnected by an annular body. The annular body and the flexible finger-like elements may be formed as a monolithic body which constitutes the pocket.

Because the finger-like elements are only connected to each other at an upper side, the finger like elements will flex apart under the influence of the weight of the egg received in the pocket. Thereby the pocket thus adapts to the size of the egg and the egg will maintain its proper orientation. Since a smaller egg will have a smaller weight than a larger egg, the amount of flexing of the finger-like elements will be less than with a larger egg. The smaller egg will thus sink less deep into the pocket. As a result the point of the egg will be located within a predetermined height level range in which the gripping members are able to sufficiently grip the eggs from above.

In a further embodiment the carrier comprises stop members, which are located near the tips of the finger-like elements. The stop members are arranged and configured to limit the extent of spreading apart of the finger-like elements. The stop members thus warrant that the eggs cannot escape through the underside of the pocket.

In a possible embodiment of the egg retainer the pocket has openings, and wherein the gripping members can extend or move through said openings to engage over an egg in the pocket.

Each of the openings may be formed by a spacing between two of the finger-like elements. The pocket may be made of a plastic material, for example a Polyamide (PA), by injection moulding.

In a possible embodiment the gripping elements are configured as pivotable jaws which have parallel pivot axes. Each of the jaws may have two gripping fingers.

Each jaw may have an associated biasing member to bias the jaw to the open or closed position. The jaws may be brought to a closed position by an actuation element.

The invention will be further described in the following description with reference to drawing, in which:.

In <FIG> a part of a practical embodiment of an egg conveyor assembly <NUM> according to the invention is shown. It is noted that some components are not drawn, and that other components are drawn in a simplified manner for the sake of clarity and visibility.

The conveyor assembly <NUM> in general is intended to be part of an egg grader assembly. An egg grader assembly is used in the egg processing industry to sort eggs in different grades based on size, weight, color, possible cracks and dirt on the egg shell, etc. Based on the grading the eggs are individually fed to a selected packaging lane or to a discharge path.

In the egg conveyor assembly <NUM> eggs are supplied by a multiple lane path <NUM> to an egg orientation device <NUM> having multiple lanes. The egg orientation device <NUM> is adapted to put eggs point up or point down in egg retainers of an egg conveyor. The principle and working of the specific egg orientation device <NUM> shown herein is described in <CIT>. The egg orientation device feeds the eggs to the egg conveyor assembly <NUM> of the present invention.

The egg conveyor assembly <NUM> comprises a first conveyor <NUM> and a second conveyor <NUM> arranged on a lower height level than the first conveyor <NUM>. The first conveyor <NUM> comprises an endless element <NUM>, embodied in this case as a chain, or possibly two chains, one on either lateral side of the conveyor. In this specific embodiment shown in <FIG> the first conveyor <NUM> has six lanes <NUM> of first egg retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element <NUM> and extending in a first conveyor direction X. The egg retainers <NUM> are arranged in rows on transversal bars <NUM> which are connected with the endless element <NUM>. On the transversal bars <NUM> the pitch between the egg retainers <NUM> of one row can be varied. As can be best seen in <FIG> the pitch is larger as the eggs are received from the egg orientation device <NUM> on the upper run of the first conveyor <NUM>, and is decreased when the egg retainers <NUM> are rotating around a revolving wheel <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM>.

The first conveyor <NUM> can be driven by a drive motor (not shown) which acts on a spindle <NUM> which is connected with the revolving wheel <NUM>.

The egg retainers <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> comprise pockets having gripping means to retain the eggs when the first egg retainers are in the upside-down orientation. The egg retainers <NUM> thus receive the eggs from above in the upper run of the first conveyor <NUM> and then hold the egg with the gripping means such that the eggs do not fall out when the egg retainer <NUM> turned around at the revolving wheel <NUM> from an upstanding orientation, at the end of the upper run of the first conveyor <NUM>, to an upside-down orientation, at the start of the lower run of the first conveyor <NUM>. Ultimately the eggs are thus suspended in the first conveyor <NUM>. Since the eggs are initially dropped with the point up by the egg orientation device <NUM>, the eggs will ultimately be suspended point down in the egg conveyor <NUM>.

The egg retainers <NUM> will be described in detail further below with reference to <FIG>.

The second egg conveyor <NUM> is embodied as a so called "egg chain", which extends in a conveyor direction Y perpendicular to the conveyor direction X. The second conveyor <NUM> comprises an endless element <NUM> and in this example two lanes <NUM> of second egg retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element <NUM>. The second conveyor <NUM> circulates the lanes <NUM> of second egg retainers <NUM> in a horizontal plane. The endless element <NUM> runs around sprockets having a vertical rotational axis. The second conveyor <NUM> may have for example an oval path, but may also have another shaped path. One of the sprockets may be driven by a drive motor <NUM> via an outgoing shaft <NUM> of the motor <NUM>. The drive motor <NUM> may in practise be an AC motor with frequency control. The drive motor <NUM> is adapted to drive the second conveyor <NUM> to run continuously at a constant speed v<NUM>. In other words, the drive motor <NUM> is controllable by control means.

A transfer device <NUM> is arranged between the first conveyor <NUM> and the second conveyor <NUM>. The transfer device <NUM> is adapted to transfer eggs from the first conveyor <NUM> to the second conveyor <NUM>.

In the practical embodiment shown in <FIG> the transfer device <NUM> includes a transfer conveyor which is embodied as an egg chain, similar to the second conveyor <NUM>, but then shorter. It may for example also define an oval path. The transfer conveyor comprises and endless element <NUM> and in this case two lanes of egg transfer retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element <NUM> and extending in the second conveying direction Y.

The egg transfer retainers <NUM> are adapted to receive the eggs from above from the first conveyor <NUM>. The first conveyor <NUM> simultaneously drops eggs from one row in the egg transfer retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. The egg transfer retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM> each comprise an operable pocket having a retaining state in which the egg can be received in the pocket from above and retained, and a releasing state, or open state, in which the egg can be discharged from an underside of the pocket.

The transfer conveyor <NUM> circulates the lanes of the egg transfer retainers <NUM> in a horizontal plane. The endless element <NUM> runs around sprockets having a vertical rotational axis. One of the sprockets may be driven by a drive motor <NUM> via an outgoing shaft <NUM> of the motor <NUM>. The drive motor <NUM> may be a servomotor, which can be controlled by a control system which controls the speed of the transfer conveyor. The second conveyor <NUM> and transfer device <NUM>, which are arranged in parallel horizontal planes are arranged such that they have at least one section where the circulating lanes of the second conveyor <NUM> and the transfer conveyor run in parallel and one above the other. In this section the egg transfer device <NUM> releases the eggs in the second egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>.

The operation of the egg conveyor assembly <NUM> will be further elucidated with reference to the schematic <FIG>, in which the relevant components will be indicated with the same reference numerals as in the foregoing.

In <FIG> is shown an initial state wherein eggs <NUM> (in this schematic drawing depicted as a circles) are located on a lower run of the first conveyor <NUM> and are suspended in the first egg retainers <NUM>. At this moment the first conveyor is standing still. The eggs <NUM> are located above a subset <NUM> of the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>, which subset <NUM> is indicated by a dashed box. The transfer device <NUM> is standing still and the speed vt of the transfer device is thus <NUM>/s.

Next the eggs <NUM> are released by the first egg retainers <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM>, which is illustrated in <FIG>. The eggs <NUM> drop towards the transfer conveyor <NUM>. The speed vt of the transfer device <NUM> is still <NUM>/s.

In <FIG> the moment is illustrated at which the eggs <NUM> are received in the subset <NUM> of transfer retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. At this moment the speed of the transfer device <NUM> is still <NUM>/s. In the meantime the second conveyor <NUM> is moving continuously at a speed v<NUM>. In a practical embodiment this speed may be between <NUM>,<NUM> and <NUM>/s, which will be used as an example here. The situation shown in <FIG> is <NUM> after the start of the cycle.

In <FIG> is indicated a subset <NUM> of second egg retainers <NUM> by a dashed box, in which the eggs held in the subset <NUM> of the transfer device will be dropped. As can be seen in <FIG> the retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> and the retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are not yet in register. After the eggs <NUM> are received in the subset <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>, the transfer device <NUM> is accelerated by the drive motor <NUM> and the associated control system to a speed that corresponds to the speed of the second conveyor <NUM>. The situation wherein he retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are in register with the retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> and the transfer device <NUM> has reached the speed of the second conveyor (vt = v<NUM>), is illustrated in <FIG>, which is after <NUM>.

Next, the eggs <NUM> can be dropped from the retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM> in the retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM> while the subsets <NUM> and <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM> and the transfer device <NUM> move simultaneously, as is illustrated in <FIG>. The situation of <FIG> is <NUM> after the start of the cycle.

When the eggs have been received in the retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>, the transfer device <NUM> can be decelerated to a standstill, thus vt = <NUM>/s. In the meantime new eggs <NUM> are suspending from the first conveyor <NUM>, ready to be dropped in the retainers of the transfer device as can be seen in <FIG>. This is <NUM> after the start of the cycle. The cycle now recommences. As can be seen in <FIG> a new subset <NUM> of transfer retainers <NUM> is ready to receive the eggs <NUM> from the first conveyor <NUM>. The new subset <NUM> has an overlap of here egg retainers <NUM> with the previous subset <NUM> as is indicated in <FIG>. As is also visible in <FIG> is that the new subset <NUM> of second egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM> is directly after the previous subset <NUM> without empty retainers <NUM> between the two subsets <NUM> and <NUM>.

It is noted that the first conveyor <NUM> can have a low constant speed, but is also possible to rotate the revolving wheel intermittently.

Furthermore it is noted that the speeds and times mentioned in the above are only an example, but indicate the order of magnitude of speeds and cycle times feasible in practice.

In <FIG> is shown a different conveyor assembly as is shown in the previous figures. This assembly <NUM> comprises a first conveyor <NUM> and a second conveyor <NUM>, wherein the second conveyor <NUM> is situated on a higher level than the first conveyor <NUM>.

The first conveyor <NUM> may comprise an endless element, embodied for example as a chain, or possibly two chains, one on either lateral side of the conveyor. In this specific embodiment the first conveyor <NUM> has six lanes of first egg retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element and extending in a first conveyor direction X which is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. In the Figure only a transverse row of first egg retainers <NUM> is shown. The first conveyor <NUM> can be driven by a drive motor (not shown).

The second egg conveyor <NUM> is embodied as a so called "egg chain", which extends in a conveyor direction Y perpendicular to the conveyor direction X. The second conveyor <NUM> comprises an endless element at least one lane of second egg retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element. The second conveyor <NUM> circulates the at least one lane of second egg retainers <NUM> in a horizontal plane. The endless element runs around sprockets having a vertical rotational axis. The second conveyor <NUM> may have for example an oval path, but may also have another shaped path. One of the sprockets may be driven by a drive motor. The drive motor may in practise be an AC motor with frequency control. The drive motor is adapted to drive the second conveyor <NUM> to run continuously at a constant speed vy.

A transfer device <NUM> is arranged between the first conveyor <NUM> and the second conveyor <NUM>. The transfer device <NUM> is adapted to transfer eggs from the second conveyor <NUM> to the first conveyor <NUM>.

In the practical embodiment shown in <FIG> the transfer device <NUM> includes a transfer conveyor which is embodied as an egg chain, similar to the second conveyor <NUM>, but shorter. It may for example also define an oval path. The transfer conveyor comprises and endless element and includes at least one lane of egg transfer retainers <NUM> connected to the endless element and extending in the second conveying direction Y. The number of lanes of the transfer conveyor <NUM> is the same as the number of lanes of the second conveyor <NUM>.

In <FIG> is shown an initial state wherein eggs <NUM> are located in egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>. In the figure the egg retainers <NUM> to the left are depicted empty, but these are in practise filled with eggs. The second conveyor <NUM> is moving at a speed vy. The eggs <NUM> are located above a subset <NUM> of the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>, which subset <NUM> is indicated by a dashed box. The transfer device <NUM> moves with the same speed vy as the second conveyor <NUM>. The egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> thus remain underneath the egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>.

Next the eggs <NUM> are released by the second egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>. The eggs <NUM> drop towards the transfer conveyor <NUM>. In <FIG> the moment is illustrated at which the eggs <NUM> are received in the subset <NUM> of transfer retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. At this moment the speed of the transfer device <NUM> is still the same as the speed vy of the second conveyor <NUM>.

In <FIG> is indicated a subset <NUM> of first egg retainers <NUM> by a dashed box, in which the eggs held in the subset <NUM> of the transfer device will be dropped. As can be seen in <FIG> the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> and the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are not yet in register. After the eggs <NUM> are received in the subset <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>, the speed of the transfer device <NUM> is reduced by the associated drive motor and the associated control system to zero. The situation wherein the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are in register with the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> and the transfer device <NUM> has reached the speed of <NUM>/s, is illustrated in <FIG>.

Next, the eggs <NUM> can be dropped from the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM> in the egg retainers <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> while the subsets <NUM> and <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> and the transfer device <NUM> are both standing still, at least in the Y-direction. This situation is shown in <FIG>. The first conveyor <NUM> may stand still in the X-direction, or it may move at a low speed in the X-direction. Thus, the speed of the first conveyor <NUM> is controllable by control means. The eggs <NUM> are dropped from the transfer device <NUM> into the subset <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> when the subset <NUM> is in register with the subset <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM> both in the X-direction and the Y-direction.

When the eggs have been received in the egg retainers <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM>, the transfer device <NUM> can be accelerated to a speed vy corresponding to the speed vy of the second conveyor <NUM>. In the meantime new eggs <NUM> are supplied by the second conveyor <NUM>, ready to be dropped in the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. The eggs <NUM> in the subset <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> are moved in the X-direction and empty egg retainers <NUM> are moved in place, whereby the state of <FIG> is reached and a new cycle can start.

In <FIG> is schematically shown a conveyor assembly <NUM>, which is similar to the assembly <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used in <FIG> for the same parts as in the <FIG>. For a description of the components and configuration of the conveyor assembly, reference is made to the above description referring to <FIG>.

In this conveyor assembly <NUM> the difference with the conveyor assembly <NUM> is that the transfer conveyor <NUM> and the second conveyor <NUM> are able to move a respective subset <NUM> and <NUM> of the egg retainers <NUM>, <NUM> upwardly to bring them closer to the egg retainers of the first conveyor <NUM> and the transfer conveyor <NUM>. respectively. Thereby the effect of the free-fall acceleration can be reduced and the cycle times can be reduced.

In <FIG> is shown how the subset <NUM> of egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM> is in register with the egg retainers <NUM> of the first conveyor <NUM> holding eggs <NUM>. The conveyor of the transfer device <NUM> is standing still in this state. The subset <NUM> of egg retainers <NUM> is lifted and brought closer to the suspending eggs <NUM>. In <FIG> is illustrated the situation in which the eggs <NUM> are dropped and fall into the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. The falling height and thus the falling time is reduced by bringing the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> upwardly. Next the transfer device <NUM> is accelerated to a speed vy corresponding to the speed of the second conveyor <NUM>. The egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are brought down again to the normal height level, as is visible in <FIG>. A subset <NUM> of egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM> is moved upwardly and brought closer to the underside of the egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. Thereby the falling height and thus the falling time is reduced. This state is shown in <FIG>. In <FIG> is shown the state in which the eggs <NUM> are received in the egg retainers <NUM> of the second conveyor <NUM>.

In <FIG> is shown the state in which the egg retainers <NUM> of the subset <NUM> are moved downwardly again to the normal height level. In the meantime the transfer device <NUM> is decelerated to standstill. The first conveyor <NUM> has a new set of eggs <NUM> ready and in register with a new subset of egg retainers <NUM> of the transfer device <NUM>. The state of <FIG> thus corresponds to the state in <FIG> and a new cycle begins.

In <FIG> is schematically shown how the egg retainers <NUM> or <NUM> can be brought upwardly (<FIG>) or downwardly (<FIG>) with respect to a central position (<FIG>). The egg retainers <NUM> may be connected to a chain <NUM> by means of a parallelogram construction <NUM>.

In <FIG> an egg retainer <NUM> is shown separately which can be applied in an endless conveyor, for example the first conveyor <NUM> as described in the above. The egg retainer <NUM> comprises a carrier <NUM>. The carrier <NUM> is a rigid part which is connectable on a front end and a rear end with the same carriers so as to form a lane of egg retainers as is best visible in <FIG> and <FIG>.

A pocket <NUM> is arranged in the carrier <NUM>. The pocket <NUM> is flexible and comprises a plurality of finger-like elements <NUM>. In the example shown in the figures the pocket <NUM> has six finger-like elements <NUM>. The finger-like elements <NUM> extend from an upper side <NUM> towards a lower side <NUM> of the egg retainer and converge towards each other from the upper side <NUM> towards the lower side <NUM> so as to form a tapering egg receiving space <NUM>, cf. The finger-like elements <NUM> are flexible and are adapted to give in when pressure is applied on them by an egg received in the pocket <NUM>.

The flexible finger-like elements <NUM> each have a tip 423A at a lower end. The tips 423A of the flexible finger-like elements <NUM> are not connected to each other or another part, such that the flexible finger-like elements <NUM> can be elastically deformed and spread apart to a predetermined extent if an egg <NUM> is pressed in the pocket <NUM> so as to increase the egg receiving space <NUM>. The flexible finger-like elements <NUM> have upper ends which are interconnected by an annular body <NUM>. The annular body <NUM> and the finger-like elements <NUM> are preferably made in one-piece.

The pocket <NUM> has openings <NUM> formed by a spacing between two of the finger-like elements <NUM>. The egg retainer <NUM> includes gripping members <NUM> which extend and can move through said openings <NUM> to engage over an egg in the pocket as is shown in <FIG> and illustrated in <FIG>. The movable gripping members <NUM> are pivotably connected to the carrier <NUM>. The gripping members <NUM> are configured as pivotable jaws which have parallel pivot axes at pivots <NUM>. Each of the jaws has two gripping fingers <NUM>. Each jaw may have an associated biasing member to bias the jaw to the open or closed position. The biasing member may be a spring, for example a spiral spring <NUM> which has a longitudinal axis which is coaxial with the pivot axis of the jaw, and which spring <NUM> has one end 434A that engages the jaw and another end 434B that engages the carrier <NUM>. The springs <NUM> are shown in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
Egg conveyor assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
- a first conveyor (<NUM>) comprising an endless element (<NUM>) and a plurality of lanes (<NUM>) of first egg retainers (<NUM>) connected to the endless element (<NUM>) and extending in a first conveyor direction (X),
- a second conveyor (<NUM>) arranged on a lower height level than the first conveyor (<NUM>) and comprising an endless element (<NUM>) and at least one lane (<NUM>) of second egg retainers (<NUM>) connected to the endless element (<NUM>) and extending in a second conveyor direction (Y) transverse to the first conveyor direction (X),
- a transfer device (<NUM>) arranged on a height level between the first conveyor (<NUM>) and the second conveyor (<NUM>) and adapted to transfer eggs from the first conveyor (<NUM>) to the second conveyor (<NUM>) and comprising egg transfer retainers (<NUM>) adapted to receive the eggs from above from the first conveyor (<NUM>), and adapted to release the eggs in the second egg retainers (<NUM>) of the second conveyor (<NUM>),
wherein the transfer device (<NUM>) includes a transfer conveyor comprising an endless element (<NUM>) and at least one lane of said egg transfer retainers (<NUM>) connected to the endless element (<NUM>) and extending in the second conveyor direction (Y),
wherein, in use, the second conveyor (<NUM>) circulates said at least one lane (<NUM>) of second egg retainers (<NUM>) continuously, and the transfer conveyor circulates said at least one lane of egg transfer retainers (<NUM>) discontinuously, in such a way that the lane of egg transfer retainers (<NUM>) of the transfer device (<NUM>) is approximately standing still when receiving eggs from the first conveyor (<NUM>), and such that the lane of egg transfer retainers (<NUM>) of the transfer device (<NUM>) is moving approximately synchronously with the lane (<NUM>) of second egg retainers (<NUM>) of the second conveyor (<NUM>) when dropping the eggs in the second egg retainers (<NUM>) of the second conveyor (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the second conveyor (<NUM>) and the transfer device (<NUM>) are arranged such that they have at least one section where circulating lanes (<NUM>) of the second conveyor (<NUM>) and the transfer conveyor run in parallel and one above the other, in which section the transfer device (<NUM>) releases the eggs in the second egg retainers (<NUM>) of the second conveyor (<NUM>).