Automatic egg incubator

Claim 2

An automatic egg incubator comprising: means for enclosing a quantity of eggs including a base and a cover removably mounted thereon; rack and grid means supported in said base spaced from the bottom wall of the base, the rack and grid means defining a plurality of spaces each of which is adapted to receive a single egg, said grid means being movable in a plane generally parallel to the rack means to turn each egg about its longitudinal axis; means mounted exterior of the base for moving said grid at periodic intervals; air circulating and heating means mounted on said cover including means for directing the heated air downwardly around the periphery of the rack means and upwardly from the central portion of the rack means; and automatic air humidifying means comprising a container beneath the egg supporting rack for containing a quantity of water, adjustable water supply means mounted on the exterior of the incubator and having a tube extending downwardly into said container and humidity indicating means in said incubator.

Claim 3

In an automatic egg incubator, means for supporting and turning a plurality of eggs comprising: a rack having a series of pairs of spaced elongated elements, the elements of each pair being adapted to support a row of eggs, each pair of elements being spaced from the adjacent pair a distance greater than the distance between the elements of a pair of elements; a grid extending generally parallel to and in close proximity to the rack and having a series of spaced elongated elements crossing the rack elements, the spacing between the grid elements being such that a grid element extends closely adjacent each egg; and means for moving one of said rack and grid in a direction parallel to the elements of the other of said rack and grid.

Claim 4

In an automatic egg incubator, means for supporting and turning a plurality of eggs comprising: a rack having a series of pairs of spaced elongated elements, the elements of each pair being adapted to support a row of eggs, each pair of elements being spaced from the adjacent pair a distance greater than the distance between the elements of a pair of elements; a grid extending generally parallel to and in close proximity to the rack and having a series of spaced elongated elements crossing the rack elements, the spacing between the grid elements being such that a grid element extends closely adjacent each egg; and means for moving one of said rack and grid in a direction parallel to the elements of the other of said rack and grid.

Claim 5

The egg incubator of claim 2 wherein said rack elements are spaced sufficiently such that two elements adequately support a row of eggs, and a grid element is positioned between each egg in the row of eggs, and said grid is movable in a direction parallel to the rack elements to turn the eggs.

Claim 6

The incubator of claim 3 wherein said rack elements supporting the row of eggs are spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the shorter diameter of the eggs.

Claim 7

The incubator of claim 4 wherein said grid elements are spaced from each other a distance greater than said shorter diameter but less than the length of the eggs.

Claim 8

In an egg incubator having means for enclosIng a quantity of eggs, means for maintaining desired humidity within the incubator comprising: a container for containing a quantity of water within the incubator with the water being open to the air within the incubator to be readily evaporated; a water fountain mounted on the exterior of the incubator and having a tube extending into the container; means for adjusting the height of the lower end of the tube while keeping it in the water so as to determine the level of water in the container by balancing the pressure on the water in the fountain with the pressure on the water in the container; and humidity indicating means positioned in the incubator.

Claim 9

In an egg incubator having means for enclosIng a quantity of eggs, means for maintaining desired humidity within the incubator comprising: a container for containing a quantity of water within the incubator with the water being open to the air within the incubator to be readily evaporated; a water fountain mounted on the exterior of the incubator and having a tube extending into the container; means for adjusting the height of the lower end of the tube while keeping it in the water so as to determine the level of water in the container by balancing the pressure on the water in the fountain with the pressure on the water in the container; and humidity indicating means positioned in the incubator.

Claim 10

The incubator of claim 6 wherein said humidity indicating means includes a wet bulb thermometer having a wick extending into the water in the incubator and a dry bulb thermometer for measuring the temperature within the incubator, whereby the temperature of the web bulb thermometer may be utilized to determine the humidity of the air within the incubator.

Claim 11

The incubator of claim 6 wherein the means enclosing the eggs includes a base having a part of its bottom wall forming said water container, the bottom wall forming the container being sloped so that its lowest portion is in the area where the wick is positioned.

Claim 12

The incubator of claim 6 wherein the means enclosing the eggs includes a base supporting the eggs and a cover thereon, means on said base supporting the humidity indicating means, and said cover being translucent to permit the thermometer to be read without lifting the cover.

Claim 13

The incubator of claim 6 wherein said means for enclosing the eggs includes a base and a cover, said fountain being supported on the cover with the tube extending through an opening in the cover into the water container.

Claim 14

The incubator of claim 10 wherein said means for adjusting the height of the lower end of the tube includes an adjusting screw extending between the fountain and said cover whereby the entire fountain and tube may be raised and lowered as desired.

Claim 15

The incubator of claim 6 including rack means spaced upwardly from the bottom wall of the enclosing means such that the water container is positioned beneath the rack means.

Claim 16

An egg incubator comprising: means for enclosing a plurality of eggs including a movable structure for providing convenient access to the eggs; air circulating means supported on said movable structure and located on the inner side of the structure; air heating means supported by said structure and positioned radially outwardly from the air circulating means; and a generally imperforate member spaced from and supported by said structure to define a space with the structure within which the air circulating means and heating means are positioned, said member having a central opening defining an air inlet to the air circulating means, and said member being spaced from the periphery of said structure to define with the structure a peripheral air outlet so that the air from the central portion of the interior of the enclosing means is drawn through said member opening to the air circulating means, passed the air heating means, and outwardly towards the periphery of the movable structure and towards the periphery of the egg enclosing means.

Claim 17

An egg incubator comprising: means for enclosing a plurality of eggs including a movable structure for providing convenient access to the eggs; air circulating means supported on said movable structure and located on the inner side of the structure; air heating means supported by said structure and positioned radially outwardly from the air circulating means; and a generally imperforate member spaced from and supported by said structure to define a space with the structure within which the air circulating means and heating means are positioned, said member having a central opening defining an air inlet to the air circulating means, and said member being spaced from the periphery of said structure to define with the structure a peripheral air outlet so that the air from the central portion of the interior of the enclosing means is drawn through said member opening to the air circulating means, passed the air heating means, and outwardly towards the periphery of the movable structure and towards the periphery of the egg enclosing means.

Claim 18

An egg incubator comprising: a base with a bottom wall and upstanding side walls; means within the base for supporting a plurality of eggs spaced from the bottom wall; a cover having a peripheral portion which cooperates with the side walls to enclose the base, said cover having a central portion which extends upwardly from the peripheral portion thereby creating a space below the central portion but above the peripheral portion; a generally imperforate plate suspended from the cover in the approximate plane of the cover peripheral portion, a series of elongated rigid fasteners supporting the plate from the cover so that the cover forms the bottom wall of the space, said plate being slightly spaced peripherally from the peripheral portion of the cover to define with the cover a peripheral air outlet from the cover space to the base, said plate having a central opening forming an air inlet from the base to the cover space; a fan supported between the cover and the plate above the central opening in the plate to draw air from the central portion of the base and force it outwardly and then downwardly through said peripheral air outlet into the base adjacent the base side walls; and heating means supported between the cover and the plate radially outwardly from the fan.

Claim 19

An egg incubator comprising: a base with a bottom wall and upstanding side walls; means within the base for supporting a plurality of eggs spaced from the bottom wall; a cover having a peripheral portion which cooperates with the side walls to enclose the base, said cover having a central portion which extends upwardly from the peripheral portion thereby creating a space below the central portion but above the peripheral portion; a generally imperforate plate suspended from the cover in the approximate plane of the cover peripheral portion, a series of elongated rigid fasteners supporting the plate from the cover so that the cover forms the bottom wall of the space, said plate being slightly spaced peripherally from the peripheral portion of the cover to define with the cover a peripheral air outlet from the cover space to the base, said plate having a central opening forming an air inlet from the base to the cover space; a fan supported between the cover and the plate above the central opening in the plate to draw air from the central portion of the base and force it outwardly and then downwardly through said peripheral air outlet into the base adjacent the base side walls; and heating means supported between the cover and the plate radially outwardly from the fan.

Claim 20

The incubator of claim 14 wherein the height of the cover is less than the height of said side walls and the peripheral portion of the cover and the side walls of the base are adapted to permit the cover to be inverted on the base for storage or shipment.

Claim 21

The incubator of claim 15 wherein said fan is supported by a first group of said fasteners and said heating means is supported by a second group of said fasteners.

Claim 22

The incubator of claim 14 including means in said cover defining an air exhaust to the exterior of the incubator, and means in the cover defining a fresh air intake.

Claim 23

The incubator of claim 17 wherein said exhaust means comprises one or more holes located generally above the fan and said fresh air intake means comprises one or more holes in the cover spaced outwardly from the fan, the cover being formed such that the air output from the fan moves across the fresh air intake such that fresh air is drawn in through the intake openings by venturi action.

Claim 24

The incubator of claim 18 wherein the portion of the cover directly above the fan is raised above the surrounding cover portion.

Claim 25

The incubator of claim 13 including air intake means on said movable structure for introducing exterior air into the enclosure; and means on said movable structure for exhausting air to the exterior of the enclosure.