Packing equipment

Claim 1

EQUIPMENT FOR PACKAGING EGGS COMPRISING A PACKING CONVEYOR HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ROWS OF EGG HOLDING CAVITIES THEREON EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE CONVEYOR WITH THE NUMBER OF CAVITIES IN EACH OF SAID ROWS BEING THE SAME, EGG MOVING MEANS FOR DIRECTING EGGS TO THE PACKING CONVEYOR AND INCLUDING A NUMBER OF CHANNELS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF CAVITIES IN EACH TRANSVERSE ROW OF CAVITIES ON THE PACKING CONVEYOR, AN EGG CONTROL DEVICE LOCATED BETWEEN THE EGG MOVING MEANS AND THE PACKING CONVEYOR AND INCLUDING AN EGG RETARDING MEMBER POSITIONED IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OF SAID CHANNELS, SENSING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH EGG RETARDING MEMBER AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF AN EGG IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE EGG RETARDING MEMBER, MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID SENSING MEANS AND CONNECTED TO THE EGG CONTROL DEVICE FOR MOVING SAID EGG RETARDING MEMBERS TO PERMIT A ROW OF EGGS TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE CHANNELS OF THE EGG MOVING MEANS TO A ROW OF CAVITIES IN THE PACKING CONVEYOR, AND MEANS FOR ADVANCING THE PACKING CONVEYOR TO PRESENT ANOTHER ROW OF CAVITIES TO THE EGG MOVING MEANS AFTER THE DEPOSIT OF A ROW OF EGGS IN ONE OF SAID ROWS OF CAVITIES ON THE PACKING CONVEYOR.