Mechanism for filling egg boxes - has aligning sensing means, box supply, filling and stacking means with box retainer, and step-conveyor

摘要

Mechanism is for placing eggs (102) in compartments of shaped egg boxes, stacking the filled boxes, and conveying stacks of boxes so formed. It comprises egg aligning means with sensor and conveying means to receive eggs one at a time and placing them in rows above a step-wise moving conveyor carrying empty boxes from a supply. The empty boxes are taken from the bottom of the supply one at a time, the movement being controlled by the sensor and a counter. A stacking mechanism downstream of the filling station, comprises a stack container above the conveyor and a vertically movable table which lifts a filled box to a level where it is retained in the container. During each second upward stroke, the table rotates through 90 deg. and when the stack has reached a pre-determined height the retaining means are released and the stack placed on a further conveyor.