Article transfer apparatus

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING EGGS COMPRISING A TRAVELING CONVEYOR MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT FROM A RECEIVING AREA WHERE THE EGGS ARE FED THERETO TO A DISCHARGE AREA WHERE THEY ARE DEPOSITED FOR ADVANCE THEREFROM SINGLY OR IN SUCCESSIVE ROWS, SAID CONVEYOR HAVING SPACED POCKET FORMING ASSEMBLIES CARRIED THEREON WHICH POCKET ASSEMBLIES INCLUDE A SPOOL MEMBER FIXED ON THE CONVEYOR AND AN ARM MEMBER WHICH IS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AND COOPERATES WITH THE FIXED SPOOL MEMBER IN ONE POSITION THEREOF TO PROVIDE A POCKET FOR SUPPORTING AN EGG THEREIN, TRACK FORMING MEMBERS EXTENDING ALONG THE PATH OF SAID CONVEYOR FOR ENGAGING SAID ARM MEMBER TO HOLD SAID ARM MEMBER IN EGG SUPPORTING POSITION IN THE EGG RECEIVING AREA AND NORMALLY BETWEEN SAID EGG RECEIVING AREA AND SAID EGG DISCHARGE AREA, MEANS DISPOSED ALONG SAID CONVEYOR BETWEEN THE EGG RECEIVING AREA AND THE EGG DISCHARGE AREA FOR SENSING AN EGG WHICH IS UNDESIRABLE DUE TO BLOOD SPOTS, OR THE LIKE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID SENSING MEANS FOR MOVING A PORTION OF SAID TRACK FORMING MEMBER TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION SO AS TO PERMIT THE ARM MEMBER OF THE POCKET ASSEMBLY TO PIVOT TO A POSITION TO DUMP THE EGG FROM THE POCKET.