Egg chain gripper actuating device and egg transfer device

Egg transfer device comprising:

• multiple parallel egg chains provided with grippers for engaging eggs and for carrying the eggs along the lower run of the egg chains at a transport speed in a transport direction;
• a transfer buffer for receiving multiple rows of eggs from a supply conveyor, which transfer buffer is located below the egg chains and comprises movable egg supports for supporting eggs while moving them at a supply speed in a supply direction;
• and
• a transfer unit for lifting multiple rows of eggs from the transfer buffer into a transfer location above the transfer buffer and directly below the egg chains for feeding the eggs into the grippers, and which transfer unit is supported by a driven support for moving the transfer unit along an endless transfer trajectory extending in a vertical plane parallel to the supply direction such that the transfer unit can be moved from a start location, via a lift up location for engaging the eggs, into the transfer location and back down into the start location, and wherein the driven support is designed such that in the lift up location the transfer unit moves in the supply direction, preferably with the supply speed, as well as in the upward direction through the transfer buffer for picking up the eggs during transport by the transfer buffer in the supply direction, and the direction of movement of the transfer unit in the transfer location is inverted from an essentially upward direction into an essentially downward direction such that an egg is transferred in to an essentially vertical direction into a gripper.

Egg transfer device for receiving eggs from an egg chain and feeding those eggs to a supply conveyor which moves the eggs in a supply direction with a supply speed away from the egg transfer device, which egg transfer device comprises:

• multiple parallel egg chains provided with grippers for engaging eggs and for carrying the eggs along the lower run of the egg chains at a transport speed in a transport direction;
• a transfer unit for receiving multiple rows of eggs from the egg chains in a transfer location directly below the egg chains and lowering them into the transfer buffer below the egg chains for feeding the eggs to a the supply conveyor for moving the eggs in a conveyor direction away from the buffer, which transfer unit is supported by a driven support for moving the transfer unit along an endless transfer trajectory extending in a vertical plane parallel to the supply direction such that the transfer unit can be moved from the transfer location, via a let down location for releasing the eggs, into an end location and back up into the transfer location, and wherein the driven support is designed such that in the let down location the transfer unit moves in the supply direction, preferably with the supply speed, as well as in the downward direction through the transfer buffer for setting down the eggs on the transfer buffer which transfer buffer transports them into the supply direction and to the supply conveyor, and wherein the direction of movement of the transfer unit in the transfer location is inverted from an essentially upward direction into an essentially downward direction such that an egg is received in an essentially vertical direction from a gripper.

Egg transfer device comprising:

• an egg conveyor with one or more parallel egg chains movable in a transport direction, each egg chain supporting a plurality of egg grippers each adapted to support an egg, which grippers can individually be actuated from a closed position, for supporting an egg, into an open position, for releasing an egg, the egg conveyor further comprising an egg chain conveyor drive for driving the egg chains at a transport speed;
• an egg receiving unit with an receiving area for receiving eggs released by the egg grippers which receiving area is defined by at least one brush wheel rotatable about an axle parallel to the transport direction of the egg chains and which is located below the egg conveyor such that the vertical distance between one egg chain and the receiving area is larger than the vertical distance between another egg chain and the receiving area;
• one group of one or more actuators for each egg chain, which actuators are designed for selectively actuating passing egg grippers into an open position to release an egg such that the released egg follows a parabolic trajectory from a release spot at which it is released by the gripper to a contact spot at which it contacts the receiving area;
• and
• braking brushes which are provided above the receiving area such that the bristles of the brushes extend in a horizontal or slightly downward direction and at an angle with the transport direction, preferably perpendicular to the transport direction, to reduce the falling speed of the eggs prior to falling into the receiving area.