Patent US3603243A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3603243A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Machine for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-06-04
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Granted: 1971-09-07
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Expires: 1990-06-04
Abstract
Abstract A machine for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs which includes conveyor means for moving a plurality of eggs along a predetermined path, the path extending through a heated fluid for cooking the eggs, and through a freezing zone for freezing a portion of the eggs just inside the shell. After traversing the freezing zone, the eggs move down a chute which is configured to seriate the eggs. A revolving egg cracking device which carries a pickup element picks up each egg in succession and cracks the shell in a number of places by rolling the eggs across a number of serated bars. A conveyor is positioned adjacent the cracking device for receiving cracked eggs therefrom and moving them to a discharge point. This conveyor includes a plurality of rollers which support the eggs discharged from the cracking device, and mechanism is provided for alternately driving these rollers, first in one direction of rotation, then in the other direction of rotation, as the eggs are moved in translational movement by the conveyor. Liquid spraying apparatus is provided over the conveyor carrying the rollers for impinging a liquid upon the cracked eggs to remove the shells therefrom.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert D Foster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 19:51
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J43/00; A47J43/14; A47J43/145; A47J29/00; A47J29/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs comprising: first conveyor means; means for cooking eggs moving on said first conveyor means; means for cooling the eggs moving on the conveyor means after the eggs have been cooked; means for freezing eggs moving on the conveyor means after the eggs have been cooled; an egg-cracking device positioned to receive eggs from the conveyor means, said device including: a housing; means for rotating the housing; and means in the housing for cracking eggs contacted therewith as the housing is rotated; a second conveyor means positioned for receiving cracked eggs from said housing; and means for directing a fluid against eggs carried on said second conveyor means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs comprising: first conveyor means; means for cooking eggs moving on said first conveyor means; means for cooling the eggs moving on the conveyor means after the eggs have been cooked; means for freezing eggs moving on the conveyor means after the eggs have been cooled; an egg-cracking device positioned to receive eggs from the conveyor means, said device including: a housing; means for rotating the housing; and means in the housing for cracking eggs contacted therewith as the housing is rotated; a second conveyor means positioned for receiving cracked eggs from said housing; and means for directing a fluid against eggs carried on said second conveyor means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooking means comprises a housing around a portion of said first conveyor means and configured to contain a heated liquid immersing said portion of said first conveyor means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and further characterized as including a burner under the housing which is around a portion of said first conveyor means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooling means comprises means for placing a liquid on eggs moving on said first conveyor means after said eggs have passed said cooking means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for placing a liquid on eggs moving on said first conveyor means comprises perforated piping for spraying a relatively cool liquid on the eggs from points above said first conveyor means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus for preparing shell-less hard cooked eggs as defined in claim 1 wherein said freezing means comprises a device for gravitating a liquid refrigerant onto said eggs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises: a pair of endless, substantially parallel chains; sprockets drivingly engaging the chains; rollers extending between the chains and carried thereby; means supporting each roller for rotation about a horizontal axis; and reciprocating means contacting the peripheries of the rollers for rotating the rollers, first in one direction, then in the opposite direction, as said rollers are moved in translation by said chains.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein said reciprocating means comprises: a carriage in contact with the underside of at least a portion of said rollers; wheels mounted on said carriage; tracks supporting said wheels for movement of the carriage therealong; and a motor drivingly connected to said carriage for reciprocating said carriage back and forth along said tracks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means comprises; a pair of endless, substantially paralLel chains; a plurality of serpentine bars extending between and connected to said chains and defining a plurality of egg sockets.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 and further characterized as including righting plates extending over and cooperating with said serpentine bars for righting eggs carried in said egg sockets.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein said second conveyor means comprises: a pair of endless, flexible supporting elements extending substantially parallel and horizontally spaced from each other; means drivingly engaging each of said supporting elements; rollers extending between said supporting elements and each journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis; and means for driving said rollers in rotation alternately in a first direction, then a second direction.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said means for cracking eggs contacted therewith comprises a plurality of serrated cracker bars secured to the internal walls of the housing.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized to include a chute positioned between said first conveyor means and said egg-cracking device and configured to gravity seriate eggs moving along said chute toward said egg-cracking device.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 and further characterized as including guide means for guiding pairs of eggs into said chute.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including means cooperating with said first conveyor means for standing eggs on one end before the eggs are cooked by said cooking means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
75 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said cooperating means comprises a plurality of righting plates defining channels through which eggs are moved on said first conveyor means, said righting plates each being twisted through an angle over their lengths to provide an egg-contacting surface extending at an angle to the horizontal where first contacted by an egg as said first conveyor means is moved, and extending substantially vertically where last contacted by the egg.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including means for delivering a cleaning fluid to the interior of the housing of said egg-cracking device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means in the housing for cracking eggs comprises a plurality of serrated cracker bars secured to the internal walls of the housing and having radially inwardly directed serrations thereon.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including guide plates in said housing of the egg-cracking device and helically arranged to provide a spiral path from one end of said housing to the other.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized as including means below said second conveyor means for receiving shell particles removed from eggs on said second conveyor means and removing said shell particles from the remainder of the apparatus.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said first conveyor means comprises: a first conveyor assembly for moving eggs through said cooking means; and a second conveyor assembly positioned to receive eggs from said first conveyor assembly and for moving eggs past said cooling means and said freezing means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
75 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said egg-cracking device is further characterized as including: cracker bars lining at least a portion of the internal wall of said housing; and guide plate means projecting inwardly from the internal wall of said housing into the interior and to a greater distance than said breaker bars project into said housing, said guide plate means forming a channel extending from one end of the housing to the other.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 22 wherein said housing is rectangular in cross section, having four walls and tow opposed ends, and said guide plate means includes a plurality of plates spaced along each of the walls thereof and each extending at an angle to an axis extending through said housing from one end thereof to the other.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said breaker bars are serrated bars having teeth projecting inwardly in the housing, said bars being secured to the walls of said housing between said plates.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 24 wherein three of said serrated bars are disposed on three of said walls and adjacent one end of said housing.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
47 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 23 wherein said machine is further characterized as including a pickup scoop secured to one end of said housing and contiguous to one end of the channel formed by said guide plate means for picking up and feeding eggs to said channel.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for directing a fluid against eggs carried on said second conveyor means comprises perforated pipes extending over said second conveyor means.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said second conveyor means includes means for rotating cracked eggs while fluid is directed thereagainst by said fluid directing means.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for automatically cooking and shelling eggs comprising: means for moving eggs continuously along a path through the apparatus; means adjacent a portion of said moving means for cooking eggs during their movement thereon; means for freezing the portion of the eggs immediately inside the shells thereof and to a depth not exceeding about 1/4 inch as the eggs are moved by said moving means away from said cooking means; means for cracking the shells on the moving eggs while the portion of the eggs immediately inside the shells remains frozen; and means for removing the cracked shells from the remainder of the eggs while the eggs are being moved on said moving means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for automatically cooking and shelling eggs comprising: means for moving eggs continuously along a path through the apparatus; means adjacent a portion of said moving means for cooking eggs during their movement thereon; means for freezing the portion of the eggs immediately inside the shells thereof and to a depth not exceeding about 1/4 inch as the eggs are moved by said moving means away from said cooking means; means for cracking the shells on the moving eggs while the portion of the eggs immediately inside the shells remains frozen; and means for removing the cracked shells from the remainder of the eggs while the eggs are being moved on said moving means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said moving means includes: a spiral path defined about a rotational axis by sidewall means around said axis; guide plates helically arrayed within said sidewall means and secured to said sidewall means; and means for rotating said sidewall means and guide plates about said axis to cause eggs to follow said spiral path; and wherein said cracking means comprises bars carrying protuberances secured to said sidewall means and positioned for contact with eggs moving along said spiral path.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said means for removing the cracked shells comprises rotating elements alternately rotating first in one direction then in another direction while in contact with the eggs having cracked shells.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 29 and further characterized as including means for automatically erecting each egg on said moving means to an upright position in which the axis of each egg extends vertically.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 29 wherein said moving means includes means for gravity seriating eggs to move a plurality of eggs from a position of movement abreast to a position of movement in a line along the direction of movement.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-09-06 | 1975-03-08 | 1975-09-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-09-06 | 1979-03-08 | 1979-09-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-09-06 | 1983-03-08 | 1983-09-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |