Egg printing system and method

An egg printing method making use of an egg printing system comprising at least one printer having a printing head and an endless egg conveyor that is adapted to move eggs past the printer,

• the egg conveyor including at least one endless element running around a set of rotational wheels rotating around respective rotational axes and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor, said egg conveyor having an upper run and a lower run and head sections where the direction of movement of the endless element between the upper run and the lower run is reversed over one or more of said rotational wheels, wherein
• the egg conveyor furthermore includes at least one lane of egg retaining pockets coupled to the endless element, said lane of retaining pockets in use moving in the conveying direction, each of said retaining pockets having a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis of each egg retaining pocket, said egg retaining pocket having a side opening at a side thereof facing in the conveying direction and/or in the opposite direction, leaving a side surface area exposed of the egg that is received in the pocket,
• the egg retaining pockets are each coupled to the endless element by a bearing structure allowing rotation of the egg retaining pocket around a rotational axis that extends parallel to the rotational axes of said rotational wheels, allowing the egg retaining pockets to remain in an upright position in every position in the lane, and
• the printer is positioned at one of the head sections of the conveyor with a printing head facing a corresponding lane being directed to said side opening in the pocket to allow printing on said side surface area of the egg,
• wherein eggs having a rounded end and a pointed end are placed with said pointed end down in the pockets, and wherein characters or figures are printed on the side surface area of the egg.