Patent ID: 7743906

Claim:
An egg conveying and orienting system comprising: a main conveyor supporting a plurality of eggs and directing the eggs to individual lanes prior to delivery to a spool bar conveyor for at least one subsequent egg handling operation; a pair of return conveyors positioned along first and second sides of said main conveyor and communicating with said main conveyor at a first location proximate said lanes and a second upstream location; first and second pairs of angled directional guides positioned between said main conveyor and said return conveyors and first and second linear ends of said conveyors corresponding to said communicating first location and second upstream location, such that an overflow volume of eggs at the individual lanes being redirected to either of said laterally positioned return conveyors, and subsequently re-introduced onto said main conveyor; and a variable control mechanism independently adjusting a travel speed of at least one of said main and return conveyors and in order to redirect, along said return conveyor for reintroduction at said upstream location of said main conveyor, a plurality of eggs which exceeds of the present handling capabilities of said individual segregating lanes and spool bar.