Patent ID: 8657098

Claim:
An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor, comprising: an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs while the one or more of the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor so that each of the eggs in the package assumes a consistent, particular orientation within that package; a laser source; and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of the one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in the package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation, wherein: the one or more optical steering elements are further configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on the surface of the one or more of the eggs while the package is stationary with respect to the one or more optical steering elements.