Egg orientation means

An egg orientation means, for receiving eggs adapted to orient the pointed ends of the eggs as desired, which comprises:

• (a) an egg conveyor means for transporting eggs longitudinally therealong, with the major axis thereof extending laterally and horizontally with respect to said egg conveyor means, said conveyor means including a plurality of laterally extending egg support means adapted to move longitudinally with said egg conveyor means, each said egg support means being selectively rotatable along the laterally extending axis thereof, said egg support means defining at least one egg receiving recess therebetween including an open bottom area therein defined by said laterally extending egg support means being arranged in at least one longitudinally extending row;
• (b) a plurality of divider means extending longitudinally along and above said egg conveyor means between said longitudinally extending rows of egg receiving recesses to facilitate retaining of eggs therein;
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• (c) an egg inverter means extending laterally under said egg conveyor means and adapted to selectively extend upwardly through said open bottom area into said egg receiving recesses to contact and invert an egg along the major axis thereof to orient the point thereof to extend in the direction opposite to its direction prior to inversion and with the major axis thereof remaining in a lateral and horizontal orientation with respect to said egg conveyor means, said egg inverter means including:
• (1) an abutment means movably positioned to extend upward into said egg receiving recess through said open bottom area thereof into contact with the bottom of the shell of an egg located therein, said abutment means being movable laterally with respect thereto to exert a force upon the shell of the eggs to urge the eggs, upon contact with the pointed end thereof with the adjacent divider means, to invert along the major axis thereof with the pointed end in the opposite orientation than previously;
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• (2) a friction surface along the portion of said abutment means which directly contacts the shell of the egg to be inverted, said friction surface having a pre-defined coefficient of friction to control the magnitude of force being exerted upon the shell of the egg to be inverted.