# US 9,434,556 B2 · Egg chain gripper actuating device and egg transfer device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,556 B2 - Document ID: US9434556B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/708,008 - Filed: 2015-05-08 - Published: 2015-08-27 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-08 - Assignees: Sanovo Technology Netherlands B.V. - Applicants: Sanovo Technology Netherlands B.V. - Inventors: Dirk Willem Wikkerink; Jan Willem Pennings; Peter Anton Van Asselt; Jan Hordijk - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434556B2 ## CPC - B65G 49/05: for fragile or damageable materials or articles - B65B 23/06: Arranging, feeding, or orientating the eggs to be packed; Removing eggs from trays or cartons - B65G 17/20: comprising load-carriers suspended from overhead traction chains - B65G 37/00: Combinations of mechanical conveyors of the same kind, or of different kinds, of interest apart from their application in particular machines or use in particular manufacturing processes (series of co-operating belt conveyor units B65G15/22; series of co-operating chain conveyor units B65G17/26; sequence control of combined conveyors B65G43/10) - B65G 47/841: {Devices having endless travelling belts or chains equipped with article-engaging elements} - B65G 2201/0208: Eggs - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) ## Abstract An egg chain gripper actuating device for use with an egg transfer device. The device has an egg conveyor with parallel egg chains movable in a transport direction, each chain supporting egg grippers, which can be individually actuated. The device further comprises an egg receiving unit with a receiving area for receiving eggs released by the egg grippers, and one group of one or more actuators for each egg chain for selectively actuating passing egg grippers. Multiple support frames are provided, each supporting one or more groups of actuators. At least one frame is adjustable parallel to the transport direction and relative to another frame, such that the position of the actuators of the one or more groups supported by the frame can be adjusted relative to the position of the one of more actuators of the one or more groups supported by the other frame. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An egg chain gripper actuating device for use with an egg transfer device comprising: an egg conveyor with two 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 a 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; wherein the egg chain gripper actuating device comprises: 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 multiple support frames, each supporting one or more groups of actuators, of which at least one frame is adjustable parallel to the transport direction and relative to another frame, such that the position of the actuators of the one or more groups supported by the frame can be adjusted relative to the position of the one or more actuators of the one or more groups supported by the other frame. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An actuating device according to claim 1, wherein at least one frame supports two or more groups of actuators for locating along two or more egg chains respectively, which chains are located at a similar vertical distance above the receiving area such that they drop their eggs along parabolic trajectories of similar shape and length. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An actuating device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one drive for adjusting the position of one or more support frames, and a control device to control the at least one drive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) Egg transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the control device is designed for receiving egg chain conveyor transport speed information and to use this information to control the at least one drive to adjust the position of the one or more movable frames linked to the drive in dependence of the transport speed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of a first set of one or more adjustable support frames for supporting one or more groups of actuators adjacent one or more egg chains located at a first vertical distance above a receiving area, is linked to the adjustment of at least one second set of one or more adjustable support frames for supporting one or more groups of actuators adjacent one or more egg chains located at a second vertical distance above a receiving area, which second vertical distance differs from the first vertical distance, such that when the position of the first set of frames is adjusted to compensate for a change in speed of the egg chains, the position of the second set of frames is correctly adjusted also. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An actuating device according to claim 5, wherein the at least two sets of adjustable support frames are mechanically linked, such that one drive can be used to move each set over a different distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An actuating device according to claim 5, wherein the at least two sets of adjustable support frames are each linked to a drive via a separate transmission, which transmissions are designed such that the one drive can be used to move each set over a different distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) An actuating device according to claim 5, wherein the at least two sets of adjustable support frames are each provided with a drive, and the control device is designed to control the drives such that each set can be moved over a different distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) An actuating device according to claim 1, wherein each frame is provided with multiple locations for fastening actuators, such that the location of the one or more actuators in the frame can be adapted to allow usage of the actuating device with egg transfer devices that require a different configuration of actuators in the frame. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An egg transfer device comprising: an egg conveyor with two 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 a 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; and the actuating device according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving area is defined by a pair of counter rotating brush wheels, each rotatable about an axle parallel to the transport direction of the egg chains and both located below the egg chains. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving area is defined by the at least one brush wheel rotatable about an axle parallel to the transport direction of the egg chains and a curved guide surface adjacent said brush wheel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according claim 10, wherein the egg chain conveyor drive is a variable speed drive for driving the egg chains at an adjustable transport speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according to claim 10, wherein the receiving area is in the transport direction divided into multiple adjacent receiving areas, and wherein each egg chain is provided with an actuator linked to each receiving area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An egg transfer device according to claim 14, further comprising divider brushes which are provided above and between the receiving areas to prevent eggs from skidding over the brush wheel into the adjacent receiving area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according to claim 10, wherein one support frame is provided for supporting a group or groups of actuators of each set of egg chains located at the same vertical distance from the receiving area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) An egg transfer device according to claim 10, further comprising braking brushes which are provided above the receiving area to reduce the falling speed of the eggs prior to falling into the brush wheels. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) Method for adapting the position of actuators for actuating egg grippers supported by egg chains which chains are located at different heights above a receiving area, using an actuating device according to claim 3 to compensate for a change in the transport speed of the egg chains, which compensation depends on the vertical distance between the egg chain, more in particular the grippers supported by that egg chain, and the receiving area, the method comprising the steps: providing egg chain conveyor transport speed information to the egg chain gripper actuating device; control the at least one drive to adjust the position of the at least one adjustable support frame in dependence of the transport speed; and adjust the position of the at least one adjustable support frame parallel to the transport direction and relative to another support frame.