Material or article handling – Vertically swinging load support – Grab
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-16
2001-04-10
Bratlie, Steven A. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Vertically swinging load support
Grab
C294S064200, C294S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213709
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to eggs and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for handling eggs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Advances in poultry embryology have made possible the addition of various materials to the embryo or to the environment around the embryo within an avian egg for the purpose of encouraging beneficial effects in the subsequently hatched chick. Such beneficial effects include increased growth, prevention of disease, increasing the percentage hatch of multiple incubated eggs, and otherwise improving physical characteristics of hatched poultry. Additionally, certain types of vaccinations which could previously only be carried out upon either recently hatched or fully mature poultry can now be successful in the embryonated chick.
In ovo vaccination techniques can increase vaccination efficiency and can reduce stress on young chicks caused by injection. Conventional in ovo inoculating devices typically inject all eggs contained within an egg flat. An exemplary in ovo inoculating device that injects all eggs contained within an egg flat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,635 to Hebrank.
Unfortunately, it may not be desirable to administer vaccinations into every egg contained within an egg flat. For example, “clear” eggs are eggs that do not contain an embryo and, thus, may not subsequently hatch as a chick. The administration of vaccinations into clear eggs generally serves no purpose and may be considered wasteful. In addition, mold may grow in clear eggs that have been injected, thus increasing the risk of exposing other eggs and hatched chicks to undesirable contamination. Furthermore, injected clear eggs may increase the risk of contamination resulting from albumin leaking therefrom. Accordingly, it is desirable to quickly identify and remove clear eggs from an egg flat prior to the in ovo administration of vaccinations via automatic inoculating devices.
It may also be desirable to selectively remove certain eggs from an egg flat. For example, it may be desirable to remove certain types of eggs, such as all male eggs, all rotten eggs, and the like. As another example, it may be desirable to remove all live eggs in order to move them to another egg flat or injection apparatus.
A conventional device
5
for removing eggs from an egg flat is illustrated in
FIG. 1. A
plurality of suction devices
7
are configured to engage the upwardly facing portions of a respective plurality of individual eggs
14
within an egg flat
10
, and hold the eggs by suction while carrying them to a receptacle
11
. During removal of eggs, it is conventionally expected that some breakage of eggs will occur. Accordingly, it is conventionally expected that egg removal devices will become contaminated with the contents of broken eggs.
Unfortunately, conventional egg removal devices, such as that illustrated in
FIG. 1
, are complex and bulky devices that can be difficult and time consuming to clean. Maintaining conventional egg removal devices in sanitary condition, thus, can be expensive and labor intensive. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide egg removal devices that can be quickly and easily cleaned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide egg removal devices that can be quickly and easily cleaned.
It is another object of the present invention to facilitate the selective removal of eggs from an egg flat.
These and other objects of the present invention can be provided by an egg removal apparatus that includes a frame and a manifold removably secured to the frame. The frame is movable from a first location overlying an egg flat to a second location overlying an area adjacent the egg flat. When the frame is in the first location, eggs from an egg flat are picked up under vacuum via a plurality of flexible cups. When the frame is in the second position, the eggs are released from the plurality of flexible cups. The manifold includes opposite upper and lower surfaces, a plurality of internal passageways, and a plurality of plunger bores extending from the upper surface to the lower surface. Each plunger bore is in communication with one of the internal passageways.
An elongated plunger is supported for reciprocal movement in each plunger bore. Each plunger is configured to be moved from an initial first position to a second position. An internal bore extends axially within each plunger from a lower end to a port in a medial portion thereof. Accordingly, when a plunger is moved to the second position, the port in the medial portion of the plunger is in communication with a respective manifold internal passageway. An actuator is mounted to the frame above each respective plunger upper end and serves as means for moving a respective plunger from the first position to the second position. A spring serves as means for returning a plunger from the second position to the first position.
A flexible cup is secured to the lower end of each plunger and is in fluid communication with the internal bore of the respective plunger. When a plunger is moved to the second position, vacuum is provided within each flexible cup via a respective plunger internal bore. Thus, when a plunger is in the second position, a flexible cup attached thereto can engage and retain an egg via suction in seated relation therewith. To release an egg from a flexible cup, vacuum within the flexible cup is destroyed, either by moving the respective plunger to the first position or by introducing positive air pressure into the manifold internal passageways while the plunger is in the second position.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a removable manifold may be provided with first and second sets of internal passageways. Positive air pressure is maintained within the first set of internal passageways and vacuum is maintained within the second set of internal passageways. A plurality of plunger bores extend through the manifold. Each plunger bore is in communication with one of the first and second sets of internal passageways.
An elongated plunger is supported for reciprocal movement in each plunger bore. Each plunger is configured to be moved from an initial first position to a second position. An internal bore extends axially within each plunger from a lower end to a port in a medial portion thereof. When a plunger is in the first position, the second port of the plunger is in communication with a respective one of the first set of internal passageways. When the plunger is in the second position, the second port is in communication with a respective one of the second set of internal passageways.
Accordingly, when a plunger is moved to the second position, a flexible cup secured to the lower end of the plunger can retain an egg in seated relation therewith because of the vacuum provided to the flexible cup via the internal bore. To release the egg from the flexible cup, the plunger is moved to the first position so that positive air pressure is introduced into the flexible cup via the internal bore, which is now in communication with one of the internal passageways of the first set.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a manifold removably secured to a movable frame includes opposite upper and lower surfaces, a plurality of internal passageways, a plurality of nozzles extending from the lower surface, and a nozzle extending from the upper surface. Each of the nozzles extending from the lower surface is in communication with one of the internal passageways. The nozzle extending from the upper surface is also in communication with the internal passageways.
The frame is movable from a first location overlying an egg flat to a second location overlying an area adjacent the egg flat. When the frame is in the first location, eggs from an egg flat are picked up under vacuum via a plurality of flexible cups secured to each nozzle extending from the lower surface. Vacuum is provided within the internal passageways via the nozzle extending from the upper surface. When the frame is in the
Bratlie Steven A.
Embrex Inc.
Myers Bigel & Sibley & Sajovec
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