| 主权项 |
1. An in ovo injection apparatus capable of injecting a plurality of avian eggs carried by an egg carrier having a leading end and a trailing end, the apparatus comprising:
an injection assembly having a plurality of injection devices, each injection device being configured to inject a respective avian egg when in alignment therewith; and an indexing system configured to provide a manual positioning scheme for an egg carrier carrying a plurality of avian eggs to the injection assembly for injection thereof, the indexing system comprising:
a carrier slide frame defining a carrier slide path and being configured to receive and constrain the egg carrier carrying the plurality of avian eggs;an initial stop configured to abut the trailing end of the egg carrier to form an initial egg carrier position such that a first subset of the plurality of avian eggs is in alignment with the respective injection device for injection thereof, the initial stop comprising an abutment member fixedly positioned at a forward end of the carrier slide frame; andan intermediate stop configured to abut the trailing end of the egg carrier to form an intermediate egg carrier position such that a second subset of the plurality of avian eggs is in alignment with the respective injection devices for injection thereof, the intermediate stop comprising a pivot stop device having a pivot abutment member pivotable with respect to the carrier slide frame, the pivot abutment member being biased with a biasing member toward the carrier slide path and configured to pivot out of the carrier slide path so as to allow the egg carrier to interact therewith and move thereby in a first direction within the carrier slide frame, and the pivot abutment member being further configured to lock such that the egg carrier is prevented from passing thereby when moving within the carrier slide frame in a second direction opposite the first direction. |
