Patent ID: 8636017

Claim:
A method of washing eggs by exposing all surfaces of the eggs to a washing liquid from a plurality of sprayer units which include a first downstream sprayer unit and a second upstream sprayer unit, in a manner which allows controlling the level of pollutants of the washing liquid supplied to each sprayer unit, comprising the steps of: conveying the eggs to be washed along a roller conveyor in a conveying direction from upstream to downstream, while turning the eggs so that all surfaces of the eggs are exposed to the washing liquid at each sprayer unit, engaging the eggs with a brush at each sprayer unit, and controlling the level of pollutants in the washing liquid at the sprayer units by confining the intake, spraying and collection of washing liquid at each sprayer unit to that sprayer unit, with the washing liquid delivered to the second sprayer unit being received from the washing liquid collected at the first sprayer unit, by the following steps: supplying washing liquid into the first sprayer unit, causing the washing liquid therein to wash the eggs passing beneath the first sprayer unit and then collecting in a first collector all of and only the washing liquid sprayed from the first sprayer unit, delivering the washing liquid from the first conveyor into the inlet of the second sprayer unit, causing the washing liquid therein to wash the eggs passing beneath the second sprayer unit and then collecting in a second collector all of and only the washing liquid sprayed from the second sprayer unit.