Abstract: An endless egg conveyor is provided. The conveyor includes an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction. The conveyor has an upper run and a lower run and head sections where the direction of movement of the endless element is reversed. The conveyor also includes an egg retaining pocket coupled to the endless element, moving in the conveying direction. The retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg aligned with the central axis. The retaining pocket is coupled to the endless element by a bearing structure allowing rotation of the retaining pocket around a rotational axis extending parallel to the rotational axes of the rotational wheels, allowing the retaining pockets to remain in an upright position in every position in the lane.

Abstract: An egg printing system comprises a printer (30, 31, 32) and an endless egg conveyor (1) that is adapted to move the eggs (50) past the printer. The conveyor including an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor. The egg conveyor includes a lane of egg retaining pockets (10) coupled to the endless element, said lane of retaining pockets in use moving in the conveying direction. Each retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis of the pocket. The pocket has a side opening at a side thereof facing in the conveying direction and/or in the opposite direction, leaving a side surface area exposed of the egg that is received in the pocket. The retaining pockets remain in an upright position in every position in the lane.

Abstract: An endless egg conveyor includes an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor. The conveyor has an upper run and a lower run and head sections Where the direction of movement of the endless element between the upper run and the lower run is reversed. The conveyor furthermore includes at least one lane of egg retaining pockets coupled to the endless element, moving in the conveying direction. Each of the retaining pockets has a central axis and an tipper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis. The retaining pockets are each coupled to the endless element by a bearing structure allowing rotation of the retaining pocket around a rotational axis extending parallel to the rotational axes of said rotational wheels, allowing the retaining pockets to remain in an upright position in every position in the lane.

Abstract: An egg printing system comprises a printer (30, 31, 32) and an endless egg conveyor (1) that is adapted to move the eggs (50) past the printer. The conveyor including an endless element running around a set of rotational wheels and a drive unit defining a conveying direction of the conveyor. The egg conveyor includes a lane of egg retaining pockets (10) coupled to the endless element, said lane of retaining pockets in use moving in the conveying direction. Each retaining pocket has a central axis and an upper receiving opening to receive an egg with a longitudinal axis of the egg generally aligned with said central axis of the pocket. The pocket has a side opening at a side thereof facing in the conveying direction and/or in the opposite direction, leaving a side surface area exposed of the egg that is received in the pocket. The retaining pockets remain in an upright position in every position in the lane.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving or transferring, vertically transporting and delivering articles such as eggs. The apparatus provides a feed conveyor (2) for presenting successive articles (5) in oriented position and an endless, continuously movable and substantially vertically arranged carrier conveyor (9) for receiving the articles successively presented by the feed conveyor. The carrier conveyor (9) is equipped for retaining and supporting the articles (5) during the vertical transport by way of a fixed guideway (11), extending in the direction of transport, over which the article (5) can move in sliding fashion and which supports the article on one side, as well as a support member (10) pivotally mounted on the carrier conveyor (9), which member supports the article (5) on the opposite side and keeps it pressed against the guideway (11).

Abstract: A method of drying eggs, fruits or the like articles, in which water or other moisture is removed from the articles by blowing air at high speed along the articles, after which the water drops are removed from this air, and the air being subsequently passed again along the articles. Said air, after removal of the drops therefrom, is diverted along a blower or the like where it is pre-heated with heat dissipated from the blower and is again passed as pre-heated, unsaturated air along the articles.