Patent ID: 8084712

Claim:
Apparatus for laser marking individual objects with indicia at a marking station, said apparatus comprising: at least one processor configured to control laser marking of individual objects; and at least first and second laser marking units controlled at least in part by the at least one processor, the first and second laser marking units positioned adjacent at least one path along which the objects are conveyed, the first and second laser marking units configured to direct at least one laser beam onto the objects to mark the same with indicia as the objects pass through the marking station, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to control the plurality of laser marking units to mark the eggs in such a manner that for each said object, a corresponding predetermined time window exists during which the object can be marked; each of said first and second laser marking units is configured to mark alternate following objects as the objects pass through the marking station; and a first predetermined time window for marking a first object overlaps with a second predetermined time window for marking a second object so that the first and second objects are simultaneously marked in at least a common portion of the first and second predetermined time windows.