Egg weighing apparatus

Claim 3

An apparatus as described in claim 1 including a pivot arm for mounting said ramp and means for resiliently urging said pivot arm upwardly and wherein said means for moving said ramp downwardly in timed relationship with the movement of the delivery conveyor and the sweeper includes a cam mounted for rotation with the movement of the delivery conveyor and positioned so as to force the pivot arm downwardly when the sweeper arms are out of contact with an egg on the weighing cradle.

Claim 4

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said ramp is grooved in the direction of egg travel to receive the enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg.

Claim 5

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said weighing cradle has a first ridge along its upper surface on the egg receiving side and a second ridge along its upper surface on the egg discharge side, said ridges defining a groove therebetween that extends transversely of the direction of egg travel, said first ridge having a groove extending in the direction of egg travel to receive the enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg.

Claim 6

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said track includes two spaced apart support members that converge in a direction extending away from the weighing cradle so as to elevate an egg as it is swept along the track by the sweeper.

Claim 7

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said pusher arms of said sweeper are mounted upon a rotary member so as to extend radially therefrom at equiangularly spaced positions.

Claim 8

An apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said scale means are supported independently of the support of the delivery conveyor, ramp and track.

Claim 9

An apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said scale means includes a weight-sensitive electric transducer, and electrical means operatively connected with said transducer for sensing the weight of the weighing cradle when no egg is positioned thereon and for sensing the weight of the weighing cradle when an egg is subsequently positioned thereon and for electrically subtracting the first sensed weight from the second in order to determine the weight of said egg.

Claim 10

An apparatus as described in claim 6 wherein each of said sweeper pusher arms is contoured adjacent its outermost end so as to provide a spacing between the leading edge of the arm and trailing edge of the arm sufficient for maintaining a spaced relationship between the egg being guided on the weighing cradle and the egg being pushed off the weighing cradle.

Claim 11

An apparatus as described in claim 8 including electrical means operatively associated with said scale means for sensing the weight of the weighing cradle when no egg is positioned thereon and for sensing the weight of the weighing cradle when an egg is subsequently positioned thereon and for electrically subtracting the first sensed weight from the second in order to determine the weight of said egg.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for weighing eggs as they are transferred from the discharge end of a delivery conveyor to an egg receiving pocket; said apparatus having a ramp positioned adjacent the discharge end of the delivery conveyor for guiding eggs rolling downwardly thereon; a weighing cradle positioned adjacent the lowermost end of the ramp for receiving eggs from the ramp; scale means supporting said weighing cradle; and wherein the improvement comprises means for moving said ramp downwardly in timed relationship with the movement of the delivery conveyor so that when an egg is positioned on said weighing cradle, any support of the egg by the ramp is removed before a scale reading is taken.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for weighing eggs as they are transferred from the discharge end of a delivery conveyor to an egg receiving pocket; said apparatus having a ramp positioned adjacent the discharge end of the delivery conveyor for guiding eggs rolling downwardly thereon; a weighing cradle positioned adjacent the lowermost end of the ramp for receiving eggs from the ramp; scale means supporting said weighing cradle; and wherein the improvement comprises means for moving said ramp downwardly in timed relationship with the movement of the delivery conveyor so that when an egg is positioned on said weighing cradle, any support of the egg by the ramp is removed before a scale reading is taken.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for weighing eggs as they are transferred from the discharge end of a delivery conveyor to an egg receiving pocket; said apparatus having a ramp positioned adjacent the discharge end of the delivery conveyor for guiding eggs rolling downwardly thereon; a weighing cradle positioned adjacent the lowermost end of the ramp for receiving eggs from the ramp; scale means supporting said weighing cradle; and a rotary sweeper positioned above said ramp and weighing cradle for limiting the rate of roll of eggs down the ramp and for pushing eggs from the weighing cradle into said egg receiving pocket, said sweeper being movable in timed relationship with the movement of said delivery conveyor; wherein said improvement comprises said ramp having a surface configuration for supporting each egg on opposite sides of an enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg so that the egg can roll transversely about its major longitudinal axis, said sweeper contacting the egg along its enlarged central circumferential portion at a location spaced transversely from the first two contact points to control the rolling of the egg, and said weighing cradle having a pair of laterally spaced and aligned ridges arranged to support opposite sides of the enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg and having a third laterally extending ridge which contacts the egg along its enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg at a location spaced circumferentially on the egg from the pair of ridges so as to provide a three point support for the egg while it is being weighed.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for weighing eggs as they are transferred from the discharge end of a delivery conveyor to an egg receiving pocket; said apparatus having a ramp positioned adjacent the discharge end of the delivery conveyor for guiding eggs rolling downwardly thereon; a weighing cradle positioned adjacent the lowermost end of the ramp for receiving eggs from the ramp; scale means supporting said weighing cradle; and a rotary sweeper positioned above said ramp and weighing cradle for limiting the rate of roll of eggs down the ramp and for pushing eggs from the weighing cradle into said egg receiving pocket, said sweeper being movable in timed relationship with the movement of said delivery conveyor; wherein said improvement comprises said ramp having a surface configuration for supporting each egg on opposite sides of an enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg so that the egg can roll transversely about its major longitudinal axis, said sweeper contacting the egg along its enlarged central circumferential portion at a location spaced transversely from the first two contact points to control the rolling of the egg, and said weighing cradle having a pair of laterally spaced and aligned ridges arranged to support opposite sides of the enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg and having a third laterally extending ridge which contacts the egg along its enlarged central circumferential portion of the egg at a location spaced circumferentially on the egg from the pair of ridges so as to provide a three point support for the egg while it is being weighed.