Ultrasound quality inspection of avian eggs

A method for sorting out sub-grade avian eggs from premium grade avian eggs comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of the eggs;
• positioning each egg in the path of a non-contacting, non-frequency sweeping source of ultrasonic waves and in relative proximity to a non-contacting detector of a signal obtained from the egg under the influence of the ultrasonic waves;
• wherein said signal contains a spectrum of influences in the shells that are product of the source ultrasonic waves such that said spectrum can be graphed according to the different time at which a select influence propagated from the source to the detector;
• and
• determining the eggs as premium grade or sub-grade based upon spectrum analysis;
• wherein the select influence which is sought after for detection and analysis comprises detected-signal strength such that said spectrum is transformable into a profile of detected signal strength versus time from source to detector, wherein said spectrum is analyzed for a positive indication of premium grade comprising at least two sufficiently strong peaks of detected-signal strength in the profile thereof, which said at least two peaks are furthermore analyzed for ability in contrast to inability to remain sufficiently steady all while during the analysis thereof.

Apparatus for determining premium grade avian eggs from sub-grade avian eggs comprising:

• a source of ultrasonic waves from which is required only a single nominal operating frequency and an opposed ultrasonic detector in the path thereof spaced sufficiently to admit therebetween an egg without contact from either, wherein one sample analysis of the egg obtains a sustained spectrum of signals detectable by the detector in response to blocking the path of a sustained transmission of the ultrasonic waves from the source;
• wherein said spectrum of said one sample can be plotted according to the different time-of-flight at which a select signal propagated from the source to the detector;
• and
• a processor for determining the eggs as premium grade or not based upon spectrum analysis;
• wherein the processor includes services of an analyzer that plots the spectrum of said one sample into a profile comprising, as along one axis, detected strengths of the various select signals versus, as along another axis, time-of-flight from source to detector for each, wherein said spectrum is analyzed for a positive indication of premium grade comprising at least one sufficiently strong peak of detected-signal strength in a chosen bandwidth of times-of-flight, which at least one peak is furthermore analyzed for ability in contrast to inability to remain sufficiently steady over several succeeding sample analyses thereof.