Egg handling apparatus

Abstract

A machine for grading eggs according to their weight and delivering the eggs to a series of packing machines for packaging in cartons, or the like, which is characterized by an elongate main support frame on which there is mounted a pocketed single line traveling conveyor, a means at one end of the main frame for delivering successive rows of eggs to strain gauge weighing devices from which the eggs are transferred to the pockets of the single line conveyor for travel to a series of discharge areas spaced along the main frame where the eggs are discharged onto feeding means for packing machines which are mounted at said discharge areas. The weighing devices are electrically connected to a memory device which triggers mechanism for effecting the discharge of each egg at the proper discharge area according to the weight as determined by the weighing device to which the egg has been initially delivered. The individual eggs are discharged from the single line conveyor and delivered to the proper packing machine by special air jet transfer devices which are actuated at the proper discharge area by the memory device. In one form the memory device is an electro-mechanical mechanism and in another form it is a solid state mechanism providing complete electrical control.