Egg Marking Device Patents (Class 119/50.7)
  • Patent number: 8871287
    Abstract: A method for arranging eggs in a container. Eggs placed in receptacles of the container come to a resting orientation, by virtue of eh contouring of the receptacle, such that a long axis of the first egg is tilted toward a rear portion of the container at nearly uniform angles slightly offset from a vertical axis, and parallel side-to-side. Using features of the container, movement of eggs from their resting orientation, as well as twisting (spinning) about their long axes is resisted during marking, shipping or handling. The orienting of eggs in the receptacles or compartments thereof may be aided by use of an egg orienter. Tilting of the eggs may be facilitated by using receptacles or compartments which are asymmetrically contoured with respect to the vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: TEN Media, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Richard Blackburn, Marco Armand Hegyi
  • Patent number: 8657098
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing packages of eggs on a conveyor is disclosed which comprises an egg orienter configured and arranged with respect to the conveyor so as to adjust a position of one or more of the eggs in each of the packages so that each of the eggs in a given package assumes a particular orientation within that package. In some embodiments, the egg orienter may be located between an egg loading section and a package closing section of an egg packer. In addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a laser source and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct laser energy from the laser source so as to laser mark information on a surface of one or more of the eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on the conveyor and in said particular orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: TEN Media, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Allan Irwin Brown, Marco Armand Hegyi, Greg Anderson
  • Patent number: 8499718
    Abstract: A method for laser marking eggs is disclosed which comprises laser marking information onto one or more eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on a conveyor of a packing station. Additionally, an apparatus for laser marking eggs on a conveyor of a packing station is disclosed which comprises a laser source and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct energy from the laser source so as to mark information onto one or more eggs in packages of eggs disposed on the conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: TEN Media, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Allan Irwin Brown, Marco Armand Hegyi, Greg Anderson
  • Patent number: 8455030
    Abstract: A method for processing a package of eggs is disclosed which comprises adjusting a position of one or more of the eggs, after the eggs have been placed in the package, so that each of the eggs assumes a particular orientation within the package. In some embodiments, the method may also comprise marking information on a surface of one or more of the eggs after the position of the one or more of the eggs has been adjusted. Additionally, in some embodiments, the position of the one or more eggs may be adjusted using an egg orienter positioned above a conveyor of an egg packing station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: TEN Media, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Allan Irwin Brown, Marco Armand Hegyi, Greg Anderson
  • Patent number: 8364247
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods for determining the sex of birds' eggs. It can be used for an early determination of the sex, in particular in poultry farming, and in this respect also with non-incubated eggs. In the method in accordance with the invention, electromagnetic radiation is emitted onto the blastodisk of an egg by a radiation source and, after a switching off of the radiation source, the decay behavior of the autofluorescence intensity excited by the electromagnetic radiation is detected by a detector at the irradiated region of the blastodisk with time resolution and spectral resolution for at least one wavelength of the autofluorescence. The fractal dimension DF is calculated using the determined measured intensity values and the value of the fractal dimension DF is compared with a species-specific and sex-specific limit value, wherein, when the limit value is exceeded, the respective egg is classified as female and, when it is not reached, the egg is classified as male.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angwandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Joerg Opitz, Bjoern Fischer, Petra Morgenstern, Juergen Schreiber, Carola Gerich
  • Publication number: 20130017296
    Abstract: A method for marking an egg shell wherein a laser beam is directed onto the egg shell so as to discolor an outer layer of the egg shell without etching substantially into layers of the egg shell underneath the outer layer. The laser delivers a spot with a power density below about 2000 watts/sq. in. and a depth of an etching of the egg caused by the laser marking process does not exceed about 25 microns. InkJet printing may be added to the laser marking process or used instead of laser marking. Eggs may be marked in-carton, on a packer conveyor or on an apparatus fed by a packer conveyor, with eggs uniformly oriented in the package prior to (and after) printing. Marking is done in-carton, on-conveyor whether the marking is by laser, by ink, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: TEN Media, LLC
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Allan Irwin Brown, Marco Armand Hegyi
  • Publication number: 20110174223
    Abstract: A method for laser marking eggs is disclosed which comprises laser marking information onto one or more eggs while the eggs are in a package disposed on a conveyor of a packing station. Additionally, an apparatus for laser marking eggs on a conveyor of a packing station is disclosed which comprises a laser source and one or more optical steering elements configured and arranged to direct energy from the laser source so as to mark information onto one or more eggs in packages of eggs disposed on the conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Inventors: Mitchell Barry Chait, Allan Irwin Brown, Marco Armand Hegyi, Greg Anderson