Abstract

A conveying and orienting system for handling eggs including a main conveyor for supporting thereupon a plurality of eggs and for segregating the same into individual file lines prior to delivery to a spool bar conveyor for subsequent egg handling operations. One or more return conveyors are positioned alongside the main conveyor and communicate with the main conveyor at first and second end locations. A control mechanism independently adjusts a travel speed of at least one of the main and return conveyors, this in order to redirect, along the return conveyors for reintroduction onto upstream locations of the main conveyor, a plurality of eggs which exceed of the present handling capabilities of the individual segregating lanes and spool bar.

IPC Classes  ?

• B65G 47/24 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
• B65G 47/12 - Devices for feeding articles or materials to conveyors for feeding articles from disorderly-arranged article piles or from loose assemblages of articles
• B65G 47/26 - Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors arranging the articles, e.g. varying spacing between individual articles