Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~ 894
This invention relates to a sorting or selecting device
generally for trout and fish eggs, characterized by using differ-
ent rebound capabilities of said eggs, such capabilities prevailing-
ly depending on the vitality and hence on the quality of the egg.
The sorting or selecting device comprises means for arran-
ging the eggs in a suitable aligned and spaced apart relationship
on a rotary drum, wherein the eyys are sucti~`on dried and caused
to advance to the ~one of the rebound wall, against which wall
they are launched to fall down by gravity due to the differenti-
ated rebound thereof into distinct separating picking means to bedischarged therefrom outside the sorting or selecting device.
At present, a photoelectric cell sorting or selecting
~ device is known which operates on the ground of the different
; colouring distinguishing vital eggs from those deprived of 1ife.
However, this sorting or selecting device is operatively very slow
and can give only but a very low output.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus capable of a very high output, or capable of sorting or
selecting in the same time unit a much larger amount of eggs. ~hus,
~0 the apparatus according to the invention exhibits àn output capa-
bility of about ten times larger than that hitllerto obtained.
It is a fur-tller object of the present invention to pro-
vide an apparatus for counting with a good approximation the num-
ber of sorted or selected eggs.
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According to the present invention there is provided
a sorting apparatus generally for trout and fish eggs of the
type comprising an inclined wall, said wall providing a surface
against which eggs are launched and caused to rebound there-
from according to different trajectories depending on the
resilience of the eggs and spaced collecting means, for
collecting the eggs according to their reajectories; wherein
said apparatus comprises a tank adapted to receive the eggs
together with water, and a rotating drum associated to said
tank and provided with a plurality of cups on the outer surface
thereof, said cups being aligned in parallel rows extending
along the drum generatrices and having a perforated bottom,
each of said cups being designed to separately accommodate one
egg therein so that, upon rotation of said drum, the eggs
contained in the cups are removed from the water.
Upon rotation, the foraminous or perforated drum
removes the eggs away from water, which eggs, after being dried
by ventilation, are row by row aligned in front of the rebound
wall and then pneumatically launched still row by row against
said wall, allowing the occurrence of differentiated rebound
determinlng the selection or sorting of the eggs. The latter
will fall down in distinct picking means, from which they are
carried to the outside.
In the figure of the accompanying drawings, the
apparatus according to the invention has been schematically
shown by mere way of unrestrictive example as embodied in a
preferred embodiment thereof. Of course, any other embodiment
following the same inventive concepts or embodying, even in a
different combination, the features of the present invention,
would be within the scope of the invention and accordingly
within the covering field of the related patent.
In the drawings:
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l~Z08~4
Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing in a largely
reduced scale the diagram of the sorting or selecting device;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sorting or selecting
device shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a detailed and enlarged view with respect
to Figs. 1 and 2 showing the egg carrying drum or cylinder
in a cross-sectional view;
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1~0~4
Fig, 4 is a lon~itudina~ cx~ss-sectional view showing
the carrying drum ~nd associated de~ices; and
Fig. 5 is a diagram relating to the numerical count of
the eggs.
The basic element of the sorting or selecting device com-
prises a drum or cylinder 1 which has on its outer shell or sur-
face a plurality of concaved cups with a foraminous or perforated
bottom, the cups being aligned in parallel rows.
In upward direction on the side facing a basin or tank
2, into which mixed water and eggs are introduced, as rotably dri-
ven said drum 1 will crowd the well distributed eggs fiIling up the
cups 3. Possible eggs that should remain stuck to the drum out-
side of cups 3 would be washed away by a rainer 4 and broughtback
to the mass.
On rotation, said drum 1 upward carries the eggs rest-
ing thereon by entering said cups, dries said eggs by air suction
through the bottom holes of the cups, and completes the transfer
of the eqgs by carrying the latter to a position in front of
rebound wall 5, against which such eggs are launched by blowing
to rebound according to a different pattern for a selection or
sorting to fall down separately and in accordance with the quality
thereof into respective compartments 6 and 7. The eggs of the
best quality, or the most rebounding eggs as provided with a
higher elasticity, will fall down into compartment 6. Said com-
partmentæ 6 and 7 are provided with conduits 8 and 9, respectively,
the conduits having a slanting bottQm and with running rivulet
water, separately discharging the selected or sorted eggs to the
outside.
Internall~ ~f the drum and at the topmost section, a
suction line 10 is prQvided, externally terminating in a suction
fan or impeller ~nQt shown).
Still internally of the drum and at the section facing
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0894
said rebound wall 5, a blowing line 11 is prQvided, externally
terminat~ng in a blowtng ~an ~r impeller (n~t shown).
Through a belt 12, said drum l is rotably driven by an
electric motor located in a casing 13.
By means of suitable tubing (not shown), water is
caused to supply said tank or basin 2, having positioned therein
the eggs to be sorted ~r selected, rainer 4, and rivulets for
carrying the selected or sorted eggs to the outside.
The inclination of rebound wall 5, as well as the posi-
tion of partition 14 can be adjusted.
A bulkhead or baffle plate 15, which at the bottom is
separated from the bottom, causes the eggs to become thoroughly
distributed for passing therebeneath in the transfer movement from
tank or basin 2 to drum 3.
Due to drying suction, water entering said drum is re-
used for transferring to the outside the selected or sorted eggs
outcoming from conduits 8 and 9, respectively, or is directly
exhausted to the outside by a free outlet to which it is caused
to flow.
Drum 1 is pivoted on sides 16 and 17 and rotates about
a tube 18, which is partly an intake or suction tube and partly
a blowing tube.
Since the eggs become aligned on the drum in an ac-
curate and constant number or amount, orderly moving to the
selection or sorting step, one needs only to count the number of
rows passed to such a selection or sorting step or the number of
revolutions of said drum, respectively multiplied by a proper
coefficient, to know with a good approximation the number or amount
of selected or sorted e~gs.
~s a pxactical matter of fact, the provision and opera-
tion of a mechanical counter l9 or a photoelectric cell counter
20 will suffice for counting the selected or sorted eggs.
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For a sepaXate count ~f ~u~lity eggs, one needs to pass
them ag,a,in through the apparRtus after the selection or sorting
has heen finished. ' -
It is within the scope of the apparatus ,according tothe invention also an embodiment for a separate counter.
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