Automated egg injection machine and method

Abstract

A pneumatically operated egg injection machine includes a sealed frame structure with a pair of in line parallel tracks through an injection section and a transfer section in series. An injection assembly over one parallel track includes a plurality of injectors gripped in a support plate to simultaneously inject vaccine into the same injection region irrespective of egg height and orientation. Fluid delivery systems meter prescribed vaccine dosages to the injecting needles with reduced turbulence, friction, heat and residence time to increase the delivered titer to the injected eggs. A transfer assembly includes a plurality of transfer suction cups which lift the injected eggs by causing a reduced pressure in a ring around the injection hole while maintaining the injection hole at atmospheric pressure, thus avoiding negative pressure in the egg. Once the eggs are lifted, the plate and suction cups move horizontally across the machine over to the other parallel track to deposit the injected eggs. All of the eggs are injected and transferred as a single group. The injection assembly is sprayed with a sanitizing solution at the same time that the injected eggs are moved from the injection section to the transfer section and the transfer assembly can transfer the eggs from the incubating tray to the hatching tray while the eggs in the next incubating tray are injected by the injecting assembly, thus increasing machine speed. The operation of the machine is controlled and monitored by a controller or computer with appropriate visual display monitor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising: 
 an incubating tray track and a hatching tray track mounted on a frame in substantially parallel in-line relation through said machine;    a plurality of injectors in an injection section movable in a generally vertical direction over said incubating tray track to inject eggs in an incubating tray positioned on said incubating tray track; and    a plurality of egg transfer assemblies in a transfer section spaced longitudinally in said machine from said injection section, said egg transfer assemblies movable in a generally vertical direction over said incubating tray track to pick up injected eggs from said incubating tray and movable in a generally horizontal direction to transfer said lifted eggs from over said incubating tray track to a position over said hatching tray track.    
     
     
         2 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the injection section includes a stationary bridge supporting a moveable injector assembly in which said injectors are individually moveable within said injector assembly in a generally vertical direction, and gripping elements in said injector assembly actuated pneumatically to grip said injectors when properly positioned on said eggs for injection.  
     
     
         3 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the injection apparatus further includes a pair of longitudinally spaced pneumatic cylinders mounted on said stationary bridge to move said injector assembly in a generally vertical direction between a down position in which said injectors can contact and inject said eggs and an up position in which said injectors are spaced underneath said bridge.  
     
     
         4 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the injector assembly includes a generally horizontal support plate having a series of openings each of which supports one of said injectors, said gripping elements received in said support plate around said openings, and said support plate further having an air channel to apply pneumatic pressure external of said support plate to said gripping elements within said support plate to grip said injectors.  
     
     
         5 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said injection section includes a pneumatically operated pressurized fluid source, a fluid delivery manifold receiving pressurized fluid from said delivery source, and flexible tubing carrying said fluid from the pressurized fluid source to an injecting needle associated with each of said injectors.  
     
     
         6 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said fluid source is a heart-type valve pump and said fluid delivery manifold comprises a plurality of manifold modules assembled in side-by-side relation.  
     
     
         7 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said fluid source is an elongated fluid chamber pressurized along an elongated side wall of said chamber and said fluid delivery manifold includes a plurality of high pressure pneumatic valves which upon opening deliver a precise quantity of said fluid through said flexible tubes to said injecting needles.  
     
     
         8 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said fluid delivery manifold is tilted approximately 1°-2° off horizontal.  
     
     
         9 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each injector has a flexible contact nipple secured adjacent its lower end for seating against an upwardly facing shell portion of said egg when injected by an injecting needle.  
     
     
         10 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said contact nipple surrounds said injecting needle when injecting said egg and wipes an outer surface of said needle when retracted into said injector.  
     
     
         11 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said contact nipple includes a circular surface for contacting said upwardly facing shell portion and said circular contact surface has a diameter of less than about ½ inch to produce more consistent injection in generally the same injecting region within the eggs irrespective of egg orientation in said incubating tray.  
     
     
         12 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said injectors include an injector housing defining a cylindrical chamber, an injection needle assembly positioned in said generally cylindrical chamber and surrounding an injecting needle which can extend out of a lower end of said injector housing, said injection needle assembly including a piston which moves up and down within said cylindrical chamber upon application of pneumatic pressure on opposite sides of said piston in said chamber.  
     
     
         13 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprising a contact nipple secured to said lower end of said injector housing through which said injecting needle extends during egg injection.  
     
     
         14 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each tray track includes a tray positioning assembly, said positioning assembly for the incubating tray track moving said incubating tray sequentially in proper position for egg injection in said injection section and for egg transfer in said transfer section and said tray positioning assembly for the hatching tray track moving said hatching tray to a proper position in said transfer section to receive injected eggs from said egg transfer assemblies.  
     
     
         15 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 14 , wherein said tray positioning assembly for said incubating tray track includes at least one sanitizing sprayer mounted thereon for spraying sanitizing fluid upwardly on to said plurality of injectors in said injection section while said tray positioning assembly is moving said incubating tray with injected eggs from said injection section to said transfer section.  
     
     
         16 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of injectors in said injection section inject said eggs in said incubating tray all at one time in a sufficient quantity to fill an associated hatching tray.  
     
     
         17 . An injection apparatus for injecting eggs of varying sizes and different orientations in an incubating tray, the injection apparatus comprising: 
 a substantially horizontal support plate with a plurality of openings therethrough;    a plurality of egg injectors resting substantially vertically in said openings and having a lower portion extending downwardly below said plate and an upper portion resting at or above said plate to define an injector body, the openings in said plate being slightly larger than a cross-section of the injectors for permitting each injector to move vertically within its respective opening with respect to the plate;    a plurality of expandable rings positioned in the plate, one ring associated with each opening for gripping each injector; and    pneumatic connection through said plate to expand said rings to tighten around said injectors after said injectors have adjusted individually to a height of an associated egg.    
     
     
         18 . The injection apparatus as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said egg injector lower portion includes an egg contact nipple which contacts the associated egg for individual height adjustment of said injectors.  
     
     
         19 . The injection apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein each injector further includes a needle in coaxial relationship with said injector body and said contact nipple and a fluid driven cylinder in said body drives the needle between a retracted position substantially inside the injector body and an injecting position extending beyond the contact nipple.  
     
     
         20 . The injection apparatus as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said egg contact nipple positions each injector with respect to its associated egg for consistent penetration and injection location by the needle within the egg regardless of variations in egg size and orientation.  
     
     
         21 . An injector for use with an apparatus for injecting eggs, the injector comprising: 
 an injector body;    an injection needle assembly disposed within the injector body and surrounding a needle, the injection needle assembly moveable in said injector body between a retracted needle position and an extended needle injecting position;    a pneumatic circuit for driving the injection needle assembly with sufficient force to cause said needle to pierce an egg shell;    a fluid circuit for supplying a fluid substance to the needle for injecting into the egg after penetration to a predetermined injecting location; and    said pneumatic circuit also retracting the needle from the egg by exerting a counter force on said injection needle assembly.    
     
     
         22 . The injector as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said injector body includes a generally cylindrical chamber and said injection needle assembly includes a piston mounted to reciprocate within said cylindrical housing; said pneumatic circuit applying air pressure to a first side of said piston to cause said needle to pierce the egg shell and applying air pressure to a second side of said piston to retract the needle from the egg.  
     
     
         23 . The egg injector as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said injector body includes a contact nipple on a lower portion thereof which contacts the egg during the piercing and injecting and the relationship defined by the contact position of the contact nipple against the shell of the egg and the injecting position of the needle is consistently reproducible so that the penetration and injection location of the needle within said egg is consistent regardless of the size and orientation of the egg.  
     
     
         24 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising an injector and an injecting needle which reciprocates in said injector between a retracted position and an extended injecting position, said needle comprising a length of less than about six inches and a needle thickness from about 22 gauge to about 16 gauge.  
     
     
         25 . An egg injection machine as recited in  claim 24 , wherein an inlet end of said needle is open-mouth.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus for delivering a predetermined volume of liquid to a plurality of delivery sites, which comprises: 
 a body defining a liquid pressure chamber and a pneumatic pressure chamber, said chambers separated by a flexible member;    a plurality of liquid channels connecting said liquid pressure chamber to a plurality of delivery ports of said body to deliver liquid to said delivery sites;    a plurality of delivery valves associated with said liquid channels, each channel having a separate delivery valve;    said flexible member exerting pressure on a liquid when said liquid pressure chamber is filled with said liquid and pneumatic pressure is exerted on said flexible member through said pneumatic pressure chamber; and    a prescribed volume of liquid is delivered through said channels to and out of said delivery ports when said delivery valves are opened.    
     
     
         27 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said body includes a heart-type valve pump and a fluid delivery manifold with an elongated port communicating with said plurality of liquid channels.  
     
     
         28 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said fluid delivery manifold comprises a plurality of manifold modules assembled in side-by-side relation.  
     
     
         29 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said liquid pressure chamber and said pneumatic pressure chamber are elongated chambers with mating elongated openings separated by said flexible member, and said plurality of liquid channels are connected directly to said liquid pressure chamber through a manifold which also includes said plurality of delivery ports.  
     
     
         30 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 29 , wherein said pneumatic pressure chamber is a low pressure chamber, said plurality of delivery valves are pneumatic valves, and a second pneumatic pressure chamber exerts a high pressure on said delivery valves to maintain said delivery valves in a closed condition except when delivering liquid through said liquid channels to said delivery ports.  
     
     
         31 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the volume of liquid delivered to said delivery ports is controlled by the amount of time the pneumatic delivery valves are opened by release of high pressure from the high pressure pneumatic chamber.  
     
     
         32 . The fluid delivery apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein said low pressure pneumatic pressure chamber exerts a head pressure on said liquid in said liquid pressure chamber when air pressure is exerted in said low pressure chamber to cause liquid to flow through said liquid channels when said high pressure is released from said pneumatic delivery valves.  
     
     
         33 . A method for injecting fluid substances into eggs, which comprises the steps of: 
 placing an incubating tray filled with eggs to be injected on an incubating track and an empty hatching tray on a hatching tray track, said tracks being in substantially parallel in line relation;    moving a plurality of injectors downwardly in a generally vertical direction to inject eggs in said incubating tray and thereafter lifting said plurality of injectors;    moving said incubating tray with injected eggs and said empty hatching tray to a transfer section;    moving a plurality of egg transfer assemblies downwardly in a generally vertical direction to lift up said injected eggs from said incubating tray;    moving said egg transfer assemblies with said lifted eggs laterally in a generally horizontal direction to a position over said hatching tray; and    depositing said lifted eggs into said hatching tray.    
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein said plurality of injectors are gripped by pneumatic pressure during injection of the eggs.  
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein fluid substances are delivered to said plurality of injectors for injection of said eggs by pneumatically operating a fluid delivery device.  
     
     
         36 . The method as recited in  claim 35 , wherein said fluid delivery device delivers a high precision quantity of said fluid substance to each of said plurality of injectors.  
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein said egg transfer assemblies lift said eggs from said incubating tray by applying a reduced pressure to a surface of each egg in an area spaced away from a hole through which said egg was injected.  
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said reduced pressure is applied in a generally circular ring spaced around said hole.  
     
     
         39 . A suction cup assembly for transferring injected eggs having a hole in an upper surface of each egg which comprises a body section and a contact section at a lower portion of said body section, said contact section contacting said egg at a location spaced from said hole and causing a reduced pressure to be imposed between said contact section and said egg without applying negative pressure to said hole to grip said egg to said contact section.  
     
     
         40 . The assembly as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said body section is in the form of a flexible bellows which upon expansion causes said reduced pressure between said contact section and said egg.  
     
     
         41 . The assembly as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said body section is rigid and includes at least one passageway to remove air and cause said reduced pressure between said contact section and said egg.  
     
     
         42 . The assembly as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said contact section contacts said egg in a generally circular location spaced around said hole and said reduced pressure between said cup and said egg is in a circular ring at said spaced circular location.  
     
     
         43 . The assembly as defined in  claim 39 , wherein said contact section is defined by a flexible cup and conforms to a surface of said egg where contacted.  
     
     
         44 . A method for transferring injected eggs having a hole in an upper surface of each egg as part of an automated machine, which comprises the steps of applying a reduced pressure to a surface of each egg by a flexible cup in an area spaced away from said hole, lifting said egg with said flexible cup, lowering said flexible cup and associated egg, and releasing said reduced pressure to free said flexible cup from its associated egg.  
     
     
         45 . The method for transferring injected eggs as defined in  claim 44 , and further comprising the step of moving said flexible cup laterally in a generally horizontal direction after lifting said egg with said cup and before lowering said cup and associated egg.  
     
     
         46 . A method for injecting eggs in an incubating tray and transferring injected eggs from said incubating tray to an empty hatching tray in an automated machine which comprises the steps of: 
 placing an incubating tray filled with eggs to be injected and an empty hatching tray on substantial parallel in line tracks in said machine;    injecting the eggs in said filled incubating tray all at one time;    transferring said injected eggs from said incubating tray all at one time to said empty hatching tray to fill said empty hatching tray; and    removing said filled hatching tray and said empty incubating tray from said tracks.    
     
     
         47 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising: 
 an incubating tray track and a hatching tray track mounted on a frame in substantially parallel in line relation through said machine;    a plurality of injectors in an injection section moveable in a generally vertical direction over said incubating tray track to inject eggs in an incubating tray positioned on said incubating tray track;    a plurality of egg transfer assemblies in a transfer section spaced longitudinally in said machine from said injection section; and    at least one tray positioning assembly associated with the incubating tray track to move said incubating tray from said injection section to said transfer section while at the same time spraying sanitizing solution onto said plurality of injectors following each injection sequence.    
     
     
         48 . The automated injection machine as recited in  claim 47 , wherein injected eggs in one incubating tray are transferred to an empty hatching tray in said transfer section while eggs in a next incubating tray are being injected in said injection section.  
     
     
         49 . A transfer apparatus for transferring injected eggs from an incubating tray to an empty hatching tray, which comprises: 
 a substantially horizontal support plate moveable in a generally horizontal direction between a first position over said incubating tray and a second position spaced from said first position over said hatching tray; and    a plurality of egg transfer assemblies associated with said support plate, said support plate moveable in a generally vertical direction in said first position to pick up eggs from said incubating tray and movable in a generally horizontal direction to said second position to deposit said eggs into said hatching tray.    
     
     
         50 . The transfer apparatus as recited in  claim 49 , wherein said transfer apparatus is an integral component of an automated injection machine.  
     
     
         51 . A transfer apparatus for transferring eggs of varying sizes and different orientations from an incubating tray to a hatching tray, which comprises: 
 a substantially horizontal support plate;    a source of vacuum pressure; and    a plurality of suction cup assemblies supported by said support plate, each suction cup assembly comprising a body section and a cup attached to a lower portion of said body section and contacting an associated egg in said incubating tray at a location spaced from a hole through which said egg was injected, said suction cup assemblies causing a reduced pressure created by said vacuum pressure source to be imposed between said cup and said egg without applying negative pressure to said hole to lift the eggs from the incubating tray and transfer the lifted eggs to the hatching tray.    
     
     
         52 . The transfer apparatus as recited in  claim 51 , wherein said reduced pressure is caused by removing air from said suction cup assembly through said support plate.  
     
     
         53 . The transfer apparatus as recited in  claim 51 , wherein each said suction cup assembly is in the form of a flexible bellows.  
     
     
         54 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs which comprises an injection assembly, a transfer assembly and a tray positioning assembly all of which are pneumatically operated to eliminate motors, pumps and components to reduce vaccine turbulence, friction, heat and residence time in said machine.  
     
     
         55 . An automated injection machine for injecting vaccine from a vaccine delivery bag supported on said machine into a plurality of eggs, said machine comprising an injection apparatus for injecting a plurality of eggs at one time with a specified dosage of said vaccine and a vaccine monitoring system which measures the quantity of vaccine remaining in the vaccine delivery bag and verifies the specified dosage during each injection.  
     
     
         56 . The automated injection machine as recited in  claim 55 , wherein said vaccine monitoring system also measures the time that the delivery bag has been in use on the machine.  
     
     
         57 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising a frame structure and a movable injection assembly to inject a plurality of eggs with said fluid substance at one time, said frame structure presenting a sealed machine frame to eliminate cracks, crevices and openings where particles can collect and bacteria grow.  
     
     
         58 . An automated injection machine for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising a plurality of injectors, each having an injecting needle reciprocating therein, said needles having a beveled open ended tip for piercing a hole in said eggs and injecting said fluid substance into a prescribed region in said eggs, and a vaccine delivery assembly associated with said needles to impose a positive head pressure of said fluid substance at each needle tip to help prevent clogging during the piercing of said egg to form said hole.  
     
     
         59 . An automated injection machined for injecting fluid substances into eggs, said machine comprising an injection assembly, a transfer assembly, at least one tray positioning assembly, and a plurality of containers containing water and sanitizing and cleaning solutions, said containers pressurized by pneumatic pressure to force said water and solutions out of said containers when associated valves are opened.  
     
     
         60 . The automated egg injection machine as recited in  claim 59 , and further comprising a hand held spray wand and nozzle integral with said machine and separately connected to the solution and water containers for spraying solution and water onto selected surfaces of said machine.  
     
     
         61 . A method for simultaneously injecting eggs with a live cell vaccine in an incubating tray and transferring said injected eggs to a hatching tray as part of an automated machine, which comprises the steps of reducing the residence time of the vaccine in said machine, reducing the heat and friction imparted to the vaccine while traveling through the machine and reducing the turbulence caused to the vaccine during the delivery process in order to increase the live cell count of the vaccine injected into the egg by needles of said machine.