DESTACKING AND RESTACKING OF CONTAINERS USING A ROBOT IN POULTRY HATCHERY OPERATIONS

摘要

Methods and apparatus for processing eggs based upon a characteristic such as gender are provided. Material is extracted from each of a plurality of live eggs, the extracted material is assayed to identify eggs having the characteristic, and then eggs identified as having the characteristic are processed accordingly.

主权项

1. An apparatus used in poultry hatchery operations, the apparatus comprising:
a multi-axis robot arm; an end effector configured to hold and move a standardized container in three dimensions, the end effector having a frame and container retaining structures configured to clamp and support an external surface of the standardized container, the end effector being operably engaged with the multi-axis robot arm; and wherein the end effector is configured to remove eggs from an egg flat, clamp and support the external surface of the container, move the container from a first stacked position to a second destacked position, and transfer the eggs into the destacked container.