U.S. patent number RE35,973 [Application Number 08/210,363] was granted by the patent office on 1998-12-01 for modular injection system for avian embryos.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Embrex, Inc.. Invention is credited to Robert Ilich, Eric A. Paul.
United States Patent |
RE35,973 |
Paul , et al. |
December 1, 1998 |
Modular injection system for avian embryos
Abstract
A sterilizing fluid passageway is defined by the annular space
between a cylindrical injection needle and a surrounding
cylindrical punch. A sterilizing fluid entry fitting allows the
sterilizing fluid to be added to the passageway. In this manner, it
will be understood that sterilizing fluid entering a fitting will
travel through the passageway to clean the interior of a punch and
an exterior of the needle. As an additional feature, however, the
invention further comprises fluid exit openings that are adjacent
to and partially above the lowermost portions of the punch, i.e.,
those portions that are most likely to enter an egg during
injection. The openings permit a sterilizing fluid to travel from
the entry fitting through the passageway and then to the exterior
surface of the punch so that the sterilizing fluid sterilizes the
passageway, the needle and both the interior and exterior portions
of the punch that are most likely to enter an egg during
injection.
Inventors: |
Paul; Eric A. (New Bern,
NC), Ilich; Robert (Wake Forest, NC) |
Assignee: |
Embrex, Inc. (Research Triangle
Park, NC)
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Family
ID: |
25073523 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/210,363 |
Filed: |
March 16, 1994 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
765426 |
Sep 25, 1991 |
5136979 |
|
|
Reissue of: |
880069 |
May 7, 1992 |
05176101 |
Jan 5, 1993 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
119/6.8;
604/199 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K
45/007 (20130101); A61D 19/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A01K
45/00 (20060101); A01K 045/00 (); A61M
005/32 () |
Field of
Search: |
;604/199,198,265
;119/6.8,6.6,174 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Manahan; Todd E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Myers Bigel Sibley &
Sajovec
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/765,426,
filed Sep. 25, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,979.
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. An egg injection device comprising:
a generally cylindrical injection needle;
a generally cylindrical punch surrounding said needle;
.Iadd.an annular space between said cylindrical injection needle
and said surrounding cylindrical punch; .Iaddend.
a sterilizing fluid passageway defined by .[.the.]. .Iadd.said
.Iaddend.annular space between said cylindrical injection needle
and said surrounding cylindrical punch;
a sterilizing fluid entry fitting for adding sterilizing fluid to
said passageway; and
fluid exit openings adjacent to and partially above the lowermost
portions of said punch that are most likely to enter an egg during
injection, said openings permitting a sterilizing fluid to travel
from said entry fitting, through said passageway, and to the
exterior surface of said punch so that the sterilizing fluid
sterilizes said passageway, said needle, and the portions of said
punch that are most likely to enter an egg during injection.
.Iadd.
2. An egg injection device comprising:
a generally cylindrical injection needle;
a generally cylindrical punch surrounding said needle;
an annular space between said cylindrical injection needle and said
surrounding cylindrical punch;
a sterilizing fluid passageway defined by said annular space
between said cylindrical injection needle and said surrounding
cylindrical punch; and
a sterilizing fluid entry fitting for adding sterilizing fluid to
said passageway, whereby the sterilizing fluid can travel from said
entry fitting and through said passageway to sterilize said
passageway, said needle, and the interior portions of said punch.
.Iaddend.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the injection of avian embryos,
and in particular relates to an injection apparatus and associated
method in which individual eggs are injected from floating
injection modules in which each module can orient itself both
horizontally and vertically to an individual egg even where the
eggs are of different sizes and may be presented in slightly
different orientations to the other modules. Using the invention,
each individual egg is injected as closely as possible to a desired
location, both horizontally and vertically, and a plurality of eggs
can be concurrently accurately and precisely injected regardless of
the individual differences in size and orientation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The desirability of injecting eggs has been recognized for some
time. Initially, the purpose of injecting eggs was to prepare
various vaccines using the egg as a growth medium for the vaccine.
The vaccine was then harvested from the egg and used as
desired.
More recent developments have aimed at injecting live eggs for the
purpose of accomplishing some beneficial or therapeutic affect on
the bird that will eventually hatch from the egg. One main
advantage of injecting the egg rather than the live bird is
basically related to the ease of injection. Eggs can be kept
immobile and handled rather efficiently in comparison to newborn or
older birds. Furthermore, in addition to the mechanical ease of
injecting eggs, there also appear to be certain therapeutic
advantages in either inoculating or otherwise treating embryos
rather than live birds. These advantages have become particularly
important in the poultry industry i.e., for chickens and
turkeys.
Given the desirability of injecting eggs for both of the described
purposes, several basic techniques have been attempted. These
generally include either forcing fluids through the shell of an egg
using some sort of pressurization system or physically forming an
opening in the shell of an egg and then adding the desired fluid.
In turn, injection using some type of needle arrangement has been
one of the basic techniques for physically opening an egg for such
purposes.
One goal of the devices that physically inject fluids is to deliver
the fluid to a consistent position--i.e. vertically and
horizontally--within each egg. For example, merely opening the top
of an egg and delivering fluid into the air sack above the amniotic
fluid is not appropriate for delivery of all substances. Some
substances, in order to be effective, must be delivered directly
into the amniotic fluid. Such delivery, however, raises an
additional risk that when the injection device, commonly a needle,
enters the amniotic fluid it risks injuring or even destroying the
live embryo therein.
Therefore, a device which has the goal of injecting a large number
of eggs on a relatively rapid basis, and of doing so while
delivering a fluid substance to the same location within each egg,
particularly when desired into the amniotic fluid, must deal with
the reality that eggs, although generally of similar size, are not
identical in size, even if taken from identical types of birds. The
differences in size are particularly magnified compared to the
normal operation of any well constructed machine in which the
movement of the various parts is rather precisely and accurately
governed by the physical parameters of the machine.
To date, there have been a number of attempts to orient eggs and
injection devices with respect to one another so that each
individual egg can be injected accurately, and a plurality of eggs
can be handled with precision.
One example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,989 to Sandhedge in which
injection needles are disposed within "egg size variation members"
that are held in place by a cross bar. When the egg size variation
member strikes an egg, it is permitted a slight variation of
vertical travel to accommodate eggs of slightly different
sizes.
Other methods are set forth in several patents assigned to the
assignee of the present invention. These include U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,681,063 and 4,903,635 both to Hebrank, and U.S. Pat. No.
5,056,464 (Ser. No. 07/466,878, Filed Jan. 18, 1990) to Lewis. Each
of these devices uses a novel combination of lifting eggs from
their top portions, preferably by suction, in order to orient them
with respect to injection needles. The Hebrank patents disclose a
method of delivering fluid to the injection needles from a common
supply, while the Lewis patent discloses an alternative
advantageous arrangement for using a plurality of syringes
associated with a respective plurality of injection needles.
In spite of the success obtained from the Hebrank and Lewis
devices, however, there remains an addition problem in injecting
eggs, particularly when they are delivered for injection in large
groups. This problem is that when the eggs are delivered, typically
in an egg tray or "flat", they may be positioned slightly off of a
direct vertical orientation; i.e they are tilted. Accordingly, if
the eggs are slightly tilted the ability to accurately and
precisely control the travel of a needle will be somewhat lessened,
even where the vertical relative travel between the egg and the
needle is carefully controlled to account for differences in egg
height. In other words, to date it has been difficult to accurately
and precisely inject an egg with a device that includes a plurality
of injection needles if an individual egg is tilted slightly off a
direct vertical alignment.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
apparatus and an associated method for injecting a plurality of
eggs with an appropriate injection device herein each injection
needle may be aligned with an egg not only with respect to the
height of individual eggs, but also with eggs that may be
misaligned with respect to the vertical, and still deliver a
desired fluid as accurately and precisely as possible into each
egg.
The invention meets this object with an apparatus that comprises a
generally horizontally oriented tooling plate with openings
therethrough. An injector rests generally vertically in each
opening in the tooling plate with a lower portion of the injector
depending downwardly below the tooling plate, and an upper portion
of the injector resting at or above the tooling plate. Means are
included for raising and lowering the tooling plate and the
injector therewith so that when the plate is lowered and the lower
portion of each resting injector contacts an object such as an egg,
the resting injector stops and disengages from the tooling plate
while the tooling plate proceeds downwardly. When the injector
disengages from the tooling plate, it is free to move in a
translational direction independent of the tooling plate to
therefore more accurately meet the top portion of an egg that may
be partially misaligned with respect to the vertical. When the
tooling plate is raised, it reengages the injector and carries it
upwardly and away from the egg.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the
invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, will
become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following
detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary
embodiments, and wherein:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the overall arrangement of the
apparatus including the tooling plate and the injectors;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tooling plate and the injectors
and in conjunction with a plurality of eggs;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an injector according to the
present invention;
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along lines 4--4 of
FIG. 3;
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the manner in which the injector and the
tooling plate can be operated to align the injector both vertically
and horizontally as closely as possible to the top most portion of
an egg;
FIG. 7 is a more detailed cross-sectional view of the punch and
needle portion of the injectors according to the present
invention;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 8--8 of FIG. 7;
and
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a feature of the present invention in
which the injectors that are free to align themselves both
vertically and horizontally with an egg can be temporarily
stabilized on an egg during the injection stroke.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention is illustrated in overall fashion in FIGS. 1
and 2. These illustrate that the invention comprises a generally
horizontally oriented tooling plate with openings 21 therethrough.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a plurality of such openings 21 in the
tooling plate 20.
An injector broadly designated at 22 rests generally vertically in
the opening 21 in the tooling plate 20. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a
plurality of injectors 22, with one injector 22 in each respective
opening 21 in the tooling plate 20. A lower portion broadly
designated at 23 (FIG. 3) of the injector 22 depends downwardly
below the tooling plate 20 and an upper portion broadly designated
at 24 rests at or above the tooling plate 20.
The invention includes means, shown as the cylinder 25, cylinder
shaft 26, horizontal frame member 27, and upright shafts 28, for
raising and lowering the tooling plate 20 and the injectors 22
therewith. When the tooling plate 20 is lowered and the lower
portion 23 of the resting injector 22 strikes an object such as an
egg to be injected, the injector 22 stops while the tooling plate
20 proceeds downwardly until the injector 22 disengages from the
tooling plate 20. At this point, the injector 22 is free to move in
a translational direction independent of the tooling plate 20 to
seek and come to rest upon the top most portion of an egg, even if
that egg is slightly tilted. When the tooling plate 20 is raised,
it reengages the injector 22, straightens the injector 22 with
respect to the vertical, and carries it upwardly and away from the
object being injected. This sequence of operation is perhaps best
illustrated by a combination of FIGS. 3, 5 and 6.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7, the lower portion 23 of the
injector 22 further comprises a punch 31 and a needle 32 with the
punch 31 surrounding the needle 32 in coaxial relationship
therewith. As best illustrated in FIG. 7, both the punch 31 and the
needle 32 preferably have bevelled tips for more efficient entry
into an egg.
The upper portion 24 of the injector 22 further comprises a fluid
driven cylinder 33 which in preferred embodiments is a double
shafted, double acting air driven cylinder that drives the punch
and the needle in reciprocal opposite directions between respective
retracted and injecting positions (FIGS. 5 and 6). FIGS. 3, 5 and 6
illustrate the features of a preferred cylinder. The cylinder
comprises a respective pair of air entry fittings 34 and 35 which
are connected to respective air supply tubes or hoses 36, 37,
respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 3, to drive the punch and
needle downwardly, air is directed into the air hose 36 and through
the air entry fitting 34 through an opening 40 in the cylinder 33.
The incoming air drives the piston 41 which is illustrated with an
annular seal 42 for bearing against the inner diameter of the
cylinder 33. At the bottom of the piston stroke, and to desirably
return the punch and needle to a retracted position, air is
directed in through air hose 37 and air entry fitting 35 and
travels through the housing of the cylinder 33 into lower portions
thereof so as to drive the piston 41 back upwardly. The total path
of travel through the cylinder of the air entering through the hose
37 and the fitting 35 is not specifically illustrated, but it will
be understood that it comprises an opening analogous to the opening
40, and an associated path to the lower portion of the cylinder
33.
The use of a double acting cylinder, rather than a cylinder with a
spring or other kind of biased return, provides the opportunity to
make a more compact apparatus and to drive it in a more controlled
fashion. It will be understood, however, that other devices such as
a single stroke cylinder with a mechanically biased return,
solenoid devices, or hydraulic devices, could be used in the
present invention, but that the double acting cylinder is presently
preferable.
FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 further illustrate that the lower portion 23 of
the injector 22 comprises a cylindrical punch guide 43 Which
surrounds the punch 31 and the needle 32. Bottom portions of the
punch guide, shown as the slightly larger diameter portion 44,
extend below the needle 32 and punch 31 when the needle and punch
are in a retracted position (FIGS. 3 and 5). When the needle and
punch are in the injecting position (FIG. 6) the needle 32 extends
below the bottom portion 44 of the punch guide 43, while the punch
31 extends to a lower position within the punch guide 43. In a
preferred embodiment, this lowermost portion 44 of the punch guide
43 forms an egg receiving cup.
As set forth earlier, one of the objects of the invention is to
provide a means by which the portion of the injector that meets an
egg can move in a translational fashion, as well as in a vertical
fashion. Part of the means for accomplishing this include the
relationship between the lower portion 23 of the injector 22 and
the openings 21 in the tooling plate 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3,
the lower portion 23 of the injector, particularly the punch guide
43, is circular in cross-section. The opening 21 in the tooling
plate 20 is also circular and has a diameter somewhat larger than
the diameter of the circular cross-section of the lower portion 23.
The respective difference in size between the opening 21 and the
injector 22 permits the lower portion 23 of the injector 22 to move
in translational fashion within the opening 21 in the tooling plate
(FIG. 5).
FIG. 3 also illustrates some additional details of the preferred
embodiment of the invention. These include a biasing spring 45 that
acts as a flexible spacer that ensures that the punch 31 penetrates
the egg before the needle 32 penetrates it. The spring is
preferably strong enough to permit the punch 31 to puncture the
egg, but flxible enough to be driven by the air cylinder. The
spring 45 is complemented by a head portion 46 and a punch stop
ring 47. At its upper portion, the spring carries a spring stop 50
that is most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In addition to
providing some additional mass, the spring stop 50 serves as the
upper head of the spring 45 and a partial support for the turns of
the spring 45.
FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 further illustrate that the punch guide 43, which
is preferably formed of a polymeric material, includes the smaller
diameter main portion, the larger diameter lower portion 44, and a
larger diameter upper portion 51. The upper portion 51 rests in the
opening 21 of the tooling plate 20. In the particular embodiment
illustrated, a further cylindrical top portion of the punch guide
52 extends upwardly into the upper portion 24 of the injector 22
and is secured in place by one or more set screws 53, or any other
conventional means.
As further shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in preferred embodiments the
invention further comprises means for aligning an object to be
injected beneath the injectors 22 resting in the tooling plate 20.
In the preferred embodiment, the object aligning means comprises
means for aligning an egg beneath the injector 22 resting in the
tooling plate 20, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 as an egg tray or
flat 54 carried by an appropriate conveyor 55. As the structure and
function of both egg flats and conveyors is well known by those of
skill in this art and can be selected as desired for any particular
application of the invention, the operation and structure of each
will not otherwise be described in any further detail.
As illustrated in majority of the drawings, the present invention
further comprises a stabilizer plate 56 which is positioned above
the tooling plate 20 and has one or more openings 57 therethrough.
The upper portions 24 of the injectors 22 extend through these
openings 57, but the injectors 22 are otherwise not attached to the
stabilizer plate 56. As a result, when the injector 22 disengages
from the tooling plate 20, the upper portions 24 remain oriented by
the stabilizer plate 56, but are still permitted translational
motion. In preferred embodiments, the tooling plate 20 and the
stabilizer plate 56 are in fixed relationship to one another so
that the raising and lowering means raise and lower the stabilizing
plate 56 along with the tooling plate 20. As illustrated and
preferred, the openings 57 and the stabilizer plate 56 are in
substantial registration with the openings 21 in the tooling plate
20. It will be understood that although the preferred illustrated
embodiment incorporates two separate plates 20 and 56, a single
plate or block of appropriate dimensions could perform the
equivalent functions.
In preferred embodiments, the openings 57 in the stabilizer plate
56 are larger than the upper portions 24 of the injectors that
extend therethrough. In this embodiment, the stabilizer plate 56
further comprises releasable means for securing upper portions of
each injector 22 to the stabilizer plate while the injector is
injecting an egg, and then releasing the injector so that the
vertical and translational movement of the injector is more
independent of the stabilizer plate. In the drawings, the
releasable securing means are shown as the inflatable fluid bladder
portions 60 that are adjacent to the perimeter of each opening 57
in the stabilizing plate 56. The bladder 60 is inflatable to a size
sufficient to contact and secure the upper portion 24 of the
injector 22. When the bladder is deflated, the injector is free to
move without interference from the bladder 60. As illustrated, the
bladder 60 can be formed of an appropriately expandable tubing.
The securing means minimizes movement of the injector 22 during
punching (including recoil and vibration) and therefore assures a
more accurate punching and injection stroke. It will also be
understood that although the releasable securing means has been
illustrated as the bladder 60, other mechanical,
electro-mechanical, hydraulic, or other devices could be
incorporated in its place.
By way of further reference, FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 show the
bladder in its deflated orientation, while FIG. 6 and FIG. 10 show
the bladder 60 inflated and stabilizing the upper portion 24 of the
injector 22. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the preferred fluid
for operating the bladder is air, which can be provided from any
desired or conventional air pressure source 61. As illustrated in
the drawings, the bladder 60 is generally positioned in a small
perimeter opening 62 that is part of, or adjacent to, the opening
57 in the stabilizer plate 56. In the illustrated embodiment the
bladder 60, is held in place by a top plate 63. It will be
understood, of course, that there are a number of ways to position
the bladder 60 with respect to the opening 57 that are otherwise
equivalent to that illustrated. Additionally, it will be further
understood that a single air pressure source with appropriate
controls can be used to drive the fluid driven cylinders 33 as well
as the bladders 60.
FIG. 4 illustrates that in a preferred embodiment, the fluid driven
cylinder 33 has a square cross-section that is somewhat larger than
the opening 21 in the tooling plate 20 so that the somewhat larger
cylinder portion 33 will rest on the tooling plate 20 to provide
the resting relationship between the injector 22 and the plate 20
of the invention.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the particular advantages of the present
invention. As background, FIG. 3, illustrates the relationship of
the tooling plate 20 and the injector 22 before the plate and
injectors are lowered towards an egg 64. In the orientation of FIG.
3, the injector 22 rests in the opening 21 in the plate 20, but is
otherwise not fastened thereto. Similarly, the upper portions 24 of
the injector 22 extend through the opening 57 in the stabilizer
plate 56, but are not fastened thereto.
Given this relationship, FIG. 5 illustrates that when the tooling
plate 20 is lowered, and with the stabilizing plate 56 following in
the manner set forth earlier, the lowermost portion 44 of the punch
guide 43 will strike an egg 64. At this point, the previously
resting injector 22 is free to stop while the tooling plate 20
proceeds further downwardly until the injector 22 disengages from
the tooling plate 20. At this further point, the injector 22 is
free to move in a translational direction indicated by the phantom
lines in FIG. 5 independently of the tooling plate 20 to thereby
orient properly with respect to an egg 64 regardless of any
misorientation of the egg 64. At this point, the bladder 60 is
inflated to hold the injector 22 so that the injection stroke can
proceed. The stroke is illustrated in FIG. 5 as partially in
progress. When the bladder 60 is released and then the tooling
plate 20 is raised, the tooling plate 20 reengages the injector 22
(FIG. 3) and carries it upwardly and away from the egg 64 being
injected. Thus, FIG. 3 illustrates the relationship when the
tooling plate 20 is moving downwardly, but the injector 22 has not
yet struck an egg, as well as the relationship after an egg has
been injected and tooling plate 20 has been lifted far enough to
reengage the injector 22.
Returning to a slightly earlier point in the sequence, FIG. 5
illustrates the relationship just after the punch guide 43 has
contacted an egg and has been free to adjust itself vertically to
the height and tilt of the egg by virtue of the disengagement of
the injector 22 from the tooling plate 20. Some translational
movement also can take place as necessary because of the difference
in size between the punch guide 43 and the opening 21, combined
with the disengagement of the injector 22 from the tooling plate
20.
Although the translational movement of the injectors 22 is limited
to some extent by the size of the openings 21 and 51, the
translational movement available is sufficient given the generally
vertical (if often slightly tilted) presentation of eggs in a
typical tray or flat. Indeed, some limitation in the range of
movement can be useful in keeping the overall operation of the
apparatus accurate and precise.
FIGS. 6 and 10 illustrates that when the punch guide 43 has reached
the proper position, the bladders 60 can be inflated to temporarily
secure the upper portion 24 of the injector 22, after which the
injection stroke proceeds. In other words, the bladder 60 is
inflated before the injection stroke starts. Following the
injection stroke, alignment is no longer critical and raising the
tooling plate 20 serves to again pick up the injectors 22 and carry
them away from the eggs 64.
FIGS. 5 and 6 help illustrate that in preferred embodiments the
openings 21 in the tooling plate are at least partially conical and
have a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the
cylindrical punch guide which also has a conical upper portion 51
for resting in the conical opening 21.
FIGS. 7 and 8 help illustrate certain other features of the
invention. First, FIG. 7 illustrates that the injector 22 includes
the appropriate means for delivering a fluid to be injected from a
supply to the injector. This is shown as the hose fitting 65 which
surrounds upper portions of the needle 32. When an appropriate
fluid hose is connected to this fitting (illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2
and 3), fluid can be appropriately delivered to the interior of the
needle 32 and thus to whatever object the needle injects.
FIGS. 7 and 8 also best illustrate the means for sanitizing the
needle and the punch during operation of the apparatus. As
illustrated therein, a sterilizing fluid passageway 66 is defined
by the annular space between the cylindrical injection needle 32
and the surrounding cylindrical punch 31. A sterilizing fluid entry
fitting 67 allows the sterilizing fluid to be added to the
passageway 66. In this manner, it will be understood that
sterilizing fluid entering the fitting 67 will travel through the
passageway 66 to clean the interior of the punch 31 and the
exterior of the needle 32. As an additional feature, however, the
invention further comprises fluid exit openings 70 that are
adjacent to and partially above the lowermost portions of the punch
31, i.e., those portions that are most likely to enter an egg
during injection. The openings 70 permit a sterilizing fluid to
travel from the entry fitting 67 through the passageway 66 and then
to the exterior surface of the punch 31 so that the sterilizing
fluid sterilizes the passageway 66, the needle 32 and both the
interior and exterior portions of the punch 31 that are most likely
to enter an egg during injection.
In addition to its structural aspects, it will be understood that
in another aspect the invention is a method of accurately and
precisely injecting a plurality of eggs of different sizes and in
which the eggs may be at least partially vertically misoriented.
The method comprises positioning a plurality of egg injectors in a
corresponding plurality of openings in a tooling plate, and without
fixing the injectors to the plate. Portions of the injectors are
smaller than the openings in the tooling plate. A plurality of eggs
are positioned in substantial alignment beneath the injectors. The
tooling plate is then lowered along with the injectors until the
injectors contact the eggs and stop while the tooling plate is
further lowered until the injectors no longer rest in the tooling
plate. At this point, each injector is free to stop at a position
defined by the top of each individual egg, and each injector is
further free to move translitionally to the extent permitted by the
difference between the size of the opening in the tooling plate and
the smaller size of the injector. As a result, the injector can
travel translationally to orient itself most accurately on the top
of the egg, regardless of the position or orientation of any of the
other eggs or injectors. It will be understood that the orientation
on each egg is not necessarily absolutely perfect, but is a
significant improvement over the prior devices.
In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed
typical preferred embodiments of the invention, and, although
specific terms have been employed, they have been used in a generic
and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the
scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
* * * * *