Abstract: A golf ball washing apparatus and method includes a bin and a conveyor which takes rows of golf balls from the bin and conveys them up an inclined ramp. A plurality of reciprocating brush heads clean the balls and a fluid spray head sprays cleaning fluid onto the balls as they advance up the ramp. Golf balls which exit the top of the ramp reach a gate where they are alternatively recirculated through the washing apparatus or directed out to a storage bin. The entire wash operation is clearly visible to an operator so that he can readily determine when the balls have been cleaned sufficiently to warrant opening the gate.

Abstract: A mechanism for separating the yolk and albumen contents of eggs comprises a frame mounting a yolk cup assembly for receiving the yolk and albumen contents of a cracked egg and an albumen pan positioned below the yolk cup assembly for receiving the albumen egg contents therefrom. The yolk cup assembly includes a funnel ring with a downwardly-converging, tapered side wall and upper and lower openings. A retaining bowl is mounted on the funnel ring side wall and forms a receptacle therewith. The retaining bowl is partly spaced from the yolk cup assembly side wall to provide an opening therebetween through which albumen can flow into the albumen pan.

Abstract: A device for recovering albumen from an egg processing machine includes a vacuum system with a motor-driven pump and a container system with a primary container connected to the pump. A pickup system includes eggshell and yolk cup pickup assemblies for recovering albumen drippings or stringers from the eggshells and the yolk cups of the egg breaking and separating units. The pickup assemblies are connected to the primary container, in which a partial vacuum is drawn to retain the recovered albumen. The pump motor is on an electric timer which periodically interrupts the vacuum pump operation to allow accumulated albumen to drain from the primary container.

Abstract: An apparatus for collecting albumen drippings or stringers from conveyor-mounted egg breaking and separating units. The apparatus includes a collection container with an exhaust opening connected to a vacuum pump, an albumen discharge opening and an albumen and air intake opening. A vacuum pickup head includes an opening positioned in the travel path of the egg breaking and separating units. The albumen drippings or stringers are drawn through the pickup head inlet opening and into the collection container. An exhaust valve assembly in the collection container closes the exhaust opening when the albumen reaches a predetermined full level, which releases the partial vacuum for discharging the albumen contents.

Abstract: The machine comprises a series of egg cracking and contents separating heads carried on bracket plates which are connected to form a continuously traveling chain conveyor advancing in a horizontal path along which there are means for actuating the cracking and separating mechanisms on each head, with the cracking mechanisms being activated at a transfer station so as to receive a group of eggs from a feed conveyor and while advancing to crack and open the shell portions at a dumping area where each egg contents is dropped into the associated, swingably mounted separating mechanism, comprising a yolk cup and an albumen collecting pan, which is disposed beneath the cracking mechanism and which is advanced to a discharge area where the assembly is tilted so as to discharge the yolk and the albumen into separate receptacles, there being means enabling an operator to inspect and manually discharge a whole egg contents into a collecting receptacle or a spoiled egg into another collecting receptacle when the egg yol

Abstract: An apparatus for use in machines for cracking shell eggs and separating the yolks from the albumen which comprises a separating assembly having a top bowl-forming member for receiving the egg contents which is mounted above a bottom pan or tray for collecting the albumen, which bowl member is constructed to provide an open top portion into which the egg contents is adapted to be dumped and a bottom portion in which the yolk settles while the albumen is separated by draining into the bottom collecting pan through a specially formed slot in the upstanding wall of the bowl.