초록 ▼

An egg collector for use in conjunction with a multi-tier poultry cage system to collect eggs from cage belts at various levels and to transfer the eggs to a common cross-belt conveyor. The collector comprises a series of intermediate conveyors each including an endless belt having a series of indiv

An egg collector for use in conjunction with a multi-tier poultry cage system to collect eggs from cage belts at various levels and to transfer the eggs to a common cross-belt conveyor. The collector comprises a series of intermediate conveyors each including an endless belt having a series of individual egg-receiving cups disposed in longitudinally spaced relation along the belt. Transfer means located alongside each belt gathers the eggs from each cage conveyor belt and delivers them individually to successive egg-receiving cups of each intermediate conveyor. The eggs are conveyed downwardly by the intermediate conveyors to a location adjacent the cross belt where means is provided to control unloading of the eggs from the cups.

대표청구항 ▼

Apparatus for offloading eggs from a conveyor belt, comprising: an intermediate conveyor belt assembly; means mounting said intermediate belt assembly for longitudinal movement in a run alongside said conveyor belt at a closely adjacent lower level; said intermediate belt assembly including: a web o

Apparatus for offloading eggs from a conveyor belt, comprising: an intermediate conveyor belt assembly; means mounting said intermediate belt assembly for longitudinal movement in a run alongside said conveyor belt at a closely adjacent lower level; said intermediate belt assembly including: a web of belting, a series of cups carried at spaced intervals on the topside of said belting, each cup having a series of separated fingers outstanding from the belting and arranged to form an egg receiving cavity; a transfer ramp assembly overlying said intermediate belt run for depositing eggs in said cups as said cups advance; said transfer ramp assembly comprising an array of elongated tines arranged to provide a trough sloping downwardly from a location adjacent the level of said egg conveyor belt and toward the level of said intermediate belt assembly, said tines terminating adjacent the topside of said intermediate conveyor belting and being arranged relative to said cup fingers to interdigitate therewith as the cups advance to deposit eggs in the cups; and means for displacing eggs one by one from said egg conveyor belt and onto said transfer ramp assembly.