Letters Patent is: 1. An egg candling device including a supporting frame defining an iegg candling station, means for receiving an e@gg and @supporting the same 35 with its major axis dispo'sed vertically, means for rnoviiig the egg supvort to a position in register with the egg candling 8tation and for removing it from said station, means for lifting the egg freeof said egg carrying @means when the egg 40 support is in -regigter with sold candling station, 'means for imparlting a spinning motion to the egg lifting mi3ans at said egg candling station, means for jiium-inating the egg at said egg candling station, means ior lowering the illuminat-ing 45 means jdver the egg while it is Iifted and is spinning at said egg candling -station, and drive means for the aforesaid instrumentalities. 2. An egg candling machine comprising a main fmme structure having- means def ning a@-i egg 50 candling station at a point in the length thereof, a guideway on said frame, egg trays support.,d on said guideway for movement horizontally along said guideway to and from the ca-@idling station, soid trays being formed with 55 a plurality of uniformly spaced rows of openings providing seats to receive eggs individually and to support them with their major axes disposed vertically, the dimensions of the openings being such that the eggs will rest on said seats 60 with a portion normally projecting abbve the plane of the tray and a portion normally proi--@ting below the plane of the tray, feed means'disposed at opposite sides of the guideways far engaging a tray and advancing it along the guide65 ways a distance represented by the space bet-)veen rows of egg seats on the tray, a spiii7.ning h-@.-,Ld carried by the main frame and disposed bencauh the horizontai path of travel of the trays at th@3 egg candling station, said spinning head ineijd70 ing a row of egg lifting cups, the individual cli.1-s registering with individual seats in a rov-7 o,egg seats of the egg carrying tray, means fosimultaneously spinning said cups in unison ard in a single direction, egg illuminatitig means d-'-@- will cause the illuminating device to be lowered 75 posod abolve the pstth of tr4VOI of an t!gg tray at

2,487,877 9 the egg candling station,,said Jlluminathi.& means, including a light housing within which a,light source is disposed and a plurality of individual shields in front of said light source adai3ted to be brought to rest against the contour surface of the upper ends of a row of eggs for shielding the@ light around said portion of the eggs, means for initiating and interrupting the drive,,of said spinning cups while a row of eggs on the e@g tray is in register with the candling station, means. for raising and lowering the spinning head, with the cups when a row of eggs is in register with said candling station whereby the eggs will be lifted from the tray and will )@e supported as they spin, means for lowering and Iiiting the illuminating means to and away from a candling position over the eggs in said row when the eggs have been lifted from the tray and are spinning, and drive means for said units. 3. An egg candling device including a support-, ing frame defining an egg candling station, a pair of spaced horizontal guide rails carried by the supporting frame extending horizontally from said station to receive a movable e@@ tray and to direct it along a longitudinal path to and away from said station, egg trays mounted on said rails for movement @long said guide rails, said trays having a body panel formed with a plurality of rows of openings within which eggs may seat with their major axes vertically disposed, ratchet bars carried at opposite edges of the trays, feed heads disposed on said rails at opposite sides of the trays and each carrying a pawl to engage the teeth of one of said ratchet bars, means for reciprocating said feed heads whereby a tray resting upon said, guide -rails -w.Ul be fed forwardly a predetermin6d distance at intervals, means at the egg candling station for lifting eggs free of said- egg carrying means, means for imparting a spinning motion to thb egg lifting means at said egg candling station, means for illuminating the egg at said egg candling station, and synchronous driving means for the means for reciprocating said feed heads to feed the tray forwardly a predetermined interval, the egg lifting means at the candling station during the interval of rest of the tray, the egg spinning means while the egg is lifted, and the egg illuminating means at the same time. 4. An egg candling device including a supporting frame defining an egg candling station, a horizontal guideway therealong, an egg carrying tray movable along said guideway, said tray being formed with parallel rows of openings spaced at equal intervals longitudinally of the tray and with the openings in said rows spaced at equal intervals along the rows, the diameters of said openings being less than the diameter of eggs which are seated within,said openings and disposed with their axes vertical, an egg illuminating unit mounted for vertical reciprocation at said egg candling station and designed to move downwardly to produce illumination of a row of eggs at the candling station, a series of spinning cups normally disposed beneath the plane of travel of the egg carrying tray, a supporting framework therefor designed to reciprocate vertically with relation to the frame of the machine and support the spinning cups with their vertical axes concentric with the centers of a row of openings on the egg carrying tray, a drive shaft rotatably mounted upon the frame, a driving structure between the drive shaft and the egg, carrying tray to feed the tray forwardly and in10 ter with the candiing station succ(@ssively, a driv6 structure between said drive shaft and the spin" ning cup supporting frame whereby the frame with the spinning- cups will be raised,to lift the to eggs from the carrying tray and to lower the eggs onto the carrying tray after a predetermined interval, an operating, mechanism between the drive shaft and the illuminating unit Nvhereby said illuminating unit will be lowered to a can10 dling position over the eggs as a row of eggs is lifted to said candling position, and drive means between the drive shaft and the egg spinning cups whereby the egg spinning cups will be rotated when the cups have been lifted to an egg candling 15 position. 5. An egg candling machine comprising a main frame including a pair of spaced horizontal guide raiis to receive a m,ovable egg tray and to direct it. through the machine, ega trays adapted -to be. 20 moved along said guide rails, said egg trays each, having a body formed with a row of openings within which eggs may seat, a ratchet bar carried by each tray, a feed, head dis@osed@ adjacent said rails carrying a pawl to engage the teeth of, 26 said ratchet bar, a candling station including an, illuminating unit, drive@ means. for reciprocating@ said feed head to periodically feed a tray a @pye@-, determined distance along said rails to-successively bring a row of eggs mounted in said open3-0 ings of said tray to said candling.:@tation, a spinl-ning unit at said candling station comprising a vertically movable frame, a plurality of rotatable: spindles carried by said frame, equal in spacing and number to the openinas of said -row and dis35 posed with parallel vertical axes in alignment with a row of tray openings when a tray is moved to the candling station, individual egg spinning cups mounted on the end of each spindle to engage an egg carried by the tray when,the tray is 40 lifted, a gear mounted on each of said spindles, intermediate idler gears rotatably supported on said frame and meshing with said spindle gears at opposite sides thereof forming a spindle drive train, means actuated by said driving means for 45 lifting and lowering said unit between periods of motion of said tray and when a row of eggs is in registration with said cups, and means actuated by said drive means for imparting driving movement to the spindle gears when the frame is Bo lifted. 6. An egg candling machine comprising a main frame including a pair of spaced horizontal guide rails to receive a movable egg tray and to direct it through the machine, egg trays adapted to be 55 moved along said guide rails, said egg trays each having a body formed with a row of openings within which eggs may seat, a ratchet bar carried by each tray, a feed head disposed adjacent said rails carrying a pawl to engage the teeth of said 60 ratchet bar, a candling station including an Uluminating unit, drive means for reciprocating said feed head to periodically feed a tray a predetermined distance along sa-id rails to successively bring a row of eggs mounted in said open65 ings of said tray to said candling station, a spinning unit at said candling station comprising a vertically movable frame, a plurality of rotatable spindles carried by said frame equal in spacing and n=ber to the openings of said row and dis70 posed with parallel vertical axes in alignment with a row of tray openings when a tray is moved to the candling station, individual egg spinning cups mounted on the end of each spindle to engage an egg carried by the tray when the tray is terinittently and to bring rows of eggs intq regis- 75 lifted, a gear mounted on each of said spindles,

intermectiate idler gears rotatably supported, on said frame and meshing with said spindle. g-ear-s at opposite sides thereof: forming a spindle- d-rivetrain, means actuated by said drivinf@ mew,-O-s for lifting and lowering said unit between periods of 5 motion of said tray and when a row Gf eg-gs is in2 registration with said cups and. means. aetuated-, by. said drive means for iii;arting drivin,- , movement to the spindle gears when the frame is: lifted, said means comprising a vertically disposed gear@, 10 extending parallel to said spindles and in constant mesh with a gear i@n. said spindle dtive train@, the length of said N7ertical gear being groater @t@,han, the vertical movement of the spindle unit, a shaft geared to drive said vertically extending gear,,,:a 1& dr,ive actuated, by the drive- means, a clutch between said shafts for establ-ishing and ir-terrupting driving operations of the spindles, a cam, sh,@ft actuated by said drive means, cam. means dt-iven thereby for actuating, said clute-@li,, and cgm- m-e6-.iz@ 29 on said cam shaft for raising and lowering, the@ frame carrying the egg spiniiings ciips. 7 ' An egg candling machine comprisino@ a f-rame including a pair of spaced hori@bntat gui&- rails to receive a movable egg tro@y and. to d-ir-edt 25@ it through the machinei egg irays adapted- to, bemoved along said guide rai-Is, said egg trays eaehhaving a body forlmed with a rbw ofopen@i-ng.s, within which eggs may seat, a ratchet bar car-r-ied-by each tray; a feed head d@isposed adjacerit said@ 3o rails car-rying a pawl to engage the teeth of sb@id; ratchet bar, a candling stdtion includ-ing an- illu,minating unit, said unit including a pair of postsmounted to reciprocate ver-tically with relati@o-R. 12 head to@ peri<>dicallS,r feed a tray a @predetermined distance along said rails to successively bring a row, of eggs m. ounted in said openings of said tr:@y to said candling- station, meais operable by said &-ive means to reciprocate said illuminating unit in timed seq@uence w-ith the feeding movement of said trays, a spinning unit at said candling statior-i comprisirig. a vertically movable fra@me@ a plurality of rotal:able spindles carried by said@ f-rame equal@ in, spacing and number to the openings of said row and disposed with parallel vertical axes in alignment with a row of tray op&-nings when a tray is moved to- the candling station, individual egg- spinning cups mounted oiithe end of- each spindle to engage an egg carried by the tray when the tray is lifted, a gear mountecl on each of said spindles, intermediate idler gears rot-atably supported on said frame and m.eshing with said spindle gears at opposite sides, thereof forming- a spindle drive trai,-@i, ineans aetuated by said driving- means f or lifting an-d lowering said unit between periods of motion of said-, tray and when a row of eggs is ir@ re@.,,is6ratioxi with said cups 4nd means actuated by sa-iddrive means for imparting, driving movemei-:it to t-he spindle gears when the frame is lifted. JAMES W. JOHITSON. DONALD Q. PARK-. REF-ERENCES CL-TED The following. references are of record in the file of this patent: UNITED@ STATES PATENTS to. the fr-ame and disposed. at oi?posite side8- 35' Number Name Date thereof, a hood structure@ ca@r-ried by,said; posts ab.-d 1,202,455 Turlingtbn --------- Oct. 24, 1916 extending hor@izontally aer,6ss th& top of; th@6 1 220,439@ McLellan i@t al ------ Mar. 27, 191@7@ frame, illuminating means mounted. within said-- i',930,621 Meyer ------------- Oct. 17, 1933 hood drive means, for reciprocating- said- f@eed-1 2,284,991 Sewell et al --------- June 2, 19,42

Patented Nov. 15,, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,487,877 EGG CANDLING MACHINE OF THE POWER-DRI[VEN TYPE James W. Johnson, Highland Park, and Donald Q. Park, Los Angeles, Calif. Application August 12, 1946, Serial No. 689,960 7 Claims. (Cl. 88-14.5) 2 This invention relates to a device for use in the produce industry, and particularly pertains to an egg candling machine. In U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,150,375, entitled -"Egg candling rnachine," issued on March 14, 5 1939, to James W. Johnson, one of the co-inventors herein, an egg candling machine was shown in which eggs were mounted in spinning cups and thereafter lifted by a supporting platform to a position where they were within the 10 beam of light from illuminating devices and were tested. In actual practice this rnachine was demonstrat ed as being operable and satisfactory but in order to handle a large quantity of eggs rapidly, without breakage, and to efficiently 15 candle the eggs, it has been.deemed desirable to design a structure in which trays of eggs are supported Nvith their major axes extending vertically and arranged in rows in which the individual eggs are spaced equidistant from each 20 other, such a structure including means whereby successive rows of eggs may be lifted from the trays in id-dividual spinning cups and whereby illumij.iating means wiU move toward the lifted eggs to make it possible to candle the eggs while 25 they are spinning continuously. : It is the principal object of the present inven.tion, therefore, to Provide an egg candling machine, the fundamental feature of which is to spin an egg on its vertical axis while subjecting it to the light from a source of illumination whereby the egg may be observed and candled as it spins, the strueti-ire including means by which the eggs may be consecutiv ely moved to and away from the candling station and may be positioned automati- .1 r) cally with relation to a source of illumination at said station while the spinning motion is imparted to the egg. The present invention contemplates the pro- . vision of a base structure having a guideway to thereon to receive trays, each tray having openings therethrough within which eggs may be positioned with their major axes disposed vertically, said base structure carrying means for o.utomatic ally moving said trays in a step-by- 45 step niotion with relation to a candling station, the cardlip-g station being defined by spinning cups disposed beneath th6 tray and illuminating r.ieans disposed above the tray, said structures beir-g fitted with driving and moving means 50 v7hereby tlae spinning 6tips will lift eggs from the tray ,ind the illuminating means will move downw@@rdly '@-o a candling position over the lifted eggs. The invention is illustrated by way of eN4 ,Inple .@'n the accompanying drawings in which: 0 r) Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing the egg candling machine with a section of its guideway removed for the sake of convenience, the view being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 21. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan 8howing the candling machine as viewed on the line 2-2 of Mg. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical section through the candling machine as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. I and indicates the spinning cups and the illuminating devices in their separated positions. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 indicating the spinning means and the illuminating means in their candling positions. Fig. 5 is a view irl transverse vertical section through the machine as seen on the line 5- 5 of Fig. 1 and discloses certain details of the drive mechanism. Fig. 6 is a view in plan showing one of the egg trays dissociated from the machine. Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation showing one of the egg trays as seen on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 0 indicates bottom rails which rest upon the floor and fbrm a base for the egg candling machine. Extending vertically from these rails are structural elements I I forming corner posts and upri.-hts to support a top structure 12. The top structure 12 includes side timbers 13 which are disposed vertically at opposite sides of the main base structure and upon which horizontal rails 14 are mounted. These rails extend inwardly from opposite sides of the top structure 12 and provide an intermediate space 15 which extends lon@itudinally of the entire top S e I is intended that the rails 14 shall act to suppbrt and guide egg trays 16. The structural details of these trays are more particularly shown iii Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. Here it will be seen that the tray is formed of a plane sheet metal portion 17, the front and rear edges o which are bent downwardly,,as indicated at 18. The width of the plane portion 17 is greater than the width of the space 15 between the guide rails 14; thus, the opposite edges of the plane portion 17 will rest upon the upper faces of the guide rails 14. The down-turned mtmbers 18 are shorter than the overall width of the tray, and in fact are of a length to extend downwardly between the opposed vertical faces of the rails 14 and into the space 15. This acts as a guide for the tray. Mounted upon the opposi e ui3per overhan ging edges of the plane porti on of the tray are ratchet racks 19, These racks are se-

3 cured to the upper face of the tray and are formed with teeth 20 having vertical forward edges 21 and inclined faces 22. The plane surface 17 of the tray is formed with a plurality of egg receiving seats 23. These are formed by making perforations through the sheet metal tray, and it is preferable that these seats be spaced uniformly from each other, both longitudinally and laterally of the tray; thus, the seats will be arranged in rows extending transversely of the tray, and the transverse rows will be spaced equidistant from each other. The diameter of the openings forming the seats is such as to insure that when eggs, as indicated at 24, are disposed within the seats with their major axes vertical that they will be held in this position. It is to be understood that when using this machine the eggs have been previously graded so that they will be substantially uniform in size, and that trays I 6 have been selected with seats 23 which will properly accommodate the particular grade of eggs. The trays are intermittently moved longitudinally of the guide rails 14 by pawls 25. These pawls are mounted upon horizontal pivots 26 . carriedbyblocks27. Theblocks27aremounted upon feed bars 28 which are disposed at the op-' posite sides of the path of travel of the trays 16 and are guided longitudii'lally by an.-le bars 29. The feed bars 28 are secured to a yoke 30 having a bracket 31 extending downwardly therebeneath to carry a pivot pin 32. The pivot pin 32 is fitted with a 14mk 33 which leads to operating mechanism. The details of construction of the operating mechanism will be described hereinafter. It should be explained that the vertical shoulders 21 on tbe ratchet racks I 9 are spaced a distance apart equal to the space from center to center of the rows of egg seats 23, and that the crosshead 30 will reciprocate horizontally a distance sufficient to cause the pawls 25 to erigage the ratchet teeth and to advance the egg tray the distance between t@vo successive rows of eggs at each actuation. The feed opera.tion previously described is provided in order to move successi-Ve rows of eggs to a candling station. At this statio--q an egg spinning unit 34 is provided and disposed beneath the path of travel of the egg trays 16, and illuminating units 35 are provided and are disposed above the path of travel of the egg trays@ 16. The spinning unit 3e, includes a plurality of spinning cups 36. These cups are mounted oii spindles 37 which extend t'llrough bars 38. A pair of these bars is provided. Spacing blocks 30, hold the bars in suitable spaced relation to each other. The spindles 37 extend cornpletely through both of the bars 3'0. At the lower end of each spindle is a gear pinion 39 which is fixed to the spindle. Between adjacent -spindles 37 are idler spindles 40. These spindles carry idler gear pinions 41 which mesh with the tnvo adjacent pinions 39, 'thus imuring that all of the spindles 37 will ro.tate in the same direction when driven at any O'ne point in the gear train. The centermost idler spindle 40 extends downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and receives a drive gear 42. The drive gear 42 is in mesh with a 'drive pinion 43 which is mounted upon a shaft 44. The shaft 44 is rotatably supported in an upper bearing 45 and in a lower bearing 43. As will be hereinafter explained, the spinn4@ng uxiit -34 is- designed to be bodily raised and lowered incident to the operation of the machine. It is also intended that during these movements the 2,487,877 4 ly. For that reason the length of the pinion 43 is greater than the length of stroke of the spinning unit so that the gear 42 will always be in mesh with the driving pinion 43. Tne power source and power transmission mechanism connected with the shaft 44 will be described hereinafter. The bars 38 which form the crosshead of the spinning unit 34 are mounted to reciprocate ver10 tically upon guide bars 47. These guide bars are secured within foot members 48 fastened to the transverse floor portion 49 of the frame and at their upper ends are secured to a cross-rail 50 which extends horizontally from one of the side 15 members 13,-.to. the other. A rod 51 extends downwardly from the bars 38 and carries a grooved collar 5,2 which receives a pin 53 carried ori the free end of a lifting arm 54. The lifting arm 54 is mounted upon a horizontal pivot shaft 20 55. This shaft is supported by brackets 56 resting upon the floor 49 of the base structure. Fixed to the pivot shaft 55 is a power lever 57 which is oscillated by means to be hereinafter described. 25 The illuminating unit 35 is designed to move bodily and vertically above the egg trays 16. This unit is supported upon a pair of vertical posts 58 which reciprocate vertically through slotted guide openings 5S formed through the s-ide 30 rails 13 of the frame. The lower ends of the posts 53 carry pivot pins 6 0 by which links 6 i are pivotally connected to the posts. These link-s 61 are pivotally connected at their lower ends to a power lever 62 by pins 63. The power levers 62 35 are mounted upon a shaft 64. The shaft 64 is carried by a bracket 65 which is. secured to the floor 49 The illuminating unit includes a frame structure 66. This frame structure has opposite end 40 portions 67 which carry trunnions 68. The trunnibns 68 extend through openings in the upper ends of the posts 58. This makes it possible to swing the illurninating unit around the horizontal axis of the trunnion 68 when desired. 4r) Pins 39 limit the swinging r.-LlQvement of the illurmnating unit 35 in the direction of the arrow a, as shown in Fig. 1. By reference to Fig. I it will be seen that the illuminating unit 35 will be 60 disposed, with its frame portion 67 inclined. This causes guard loops 70 carried at the bottom of the structure 67 to extend horizontally so that they will fit down and around the upper end of an egg during the candling operation. An in55 clined back wall 71 extends. upwardly and rearwardly fxom . the horizontally dispbsed guide lobps and provides a reflector surface. Mounted over the frame structure 66 is a reflector hood 72 which is substantially U-shaped in cross60 section and has a forward portion which extends downwardly and forwardly to shield the eyes, of the operator of the machine from the illumination of lamps 73 and 73'. These lamps are mounted in sockets 74 and 741 disposed beneath 65 the hood and carried by the frame 66. A plurality of downwardly extending shield members 75 are associated with the housing 35 as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. These shields have a lower concave edge 76 which will 70 conform substantially to the upper end o@' an egg when in contact therewith, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The shields are separately mount-@d so that they may have separate vertical movement upo-a members 77. This makes it posspinning cups 36 shall be in rotation Gontinuous- 76 sible for the shi6lds to adapt themselves to the

size,and contour of ihe e is@ *ith'wliieh the con9 tact during a candling 6p6ration; The lamps 73 are disposed upwardly and rearwardly of the positioii to- be'- by @ari egg during the candling op . eratiori aild' are mounted in the rear of the shields- 7 5, one of the- lamps'73 being behind each of the shield@ 75. Th6se lamps thus project a beam @ of @ light int6 th6 egg-b6ing candled so that the contentg of the eg@g rh-ay be observed after the e@g has @ ceased tb @pin with the spinning cups 36 and @vhile the white and yolk of the egg are still spinnfng xvithin the, sh,e.11. The lamps 73' are ptovid6d f6 jiliimin@,tei the exterior of the shell so that the' operat6r @may observe the color and c6ndition of the: shi@ll. A suitable switch is provided and is-bperatod in synchronism v,7ith the egg spi'nn-ing devi-cid 'to establish electric circuits Alternately through-the lamps 73 and 731. In thi8 ,@vay the exterior bf the eggs may be inspected while the egg8 are being lifted and lowered,@and@the interior of the egg can be inspected vthile the, cups 36: @tand stationary and th6 eggs are@disposed in register with the shields 75. The various operating units, previoiisly described, are intended to be driven in synchroni@m from an electric motor 78. This mdtor is mounted up a subframe 79 aiid is fl ed with a driving p ley 80 carried upon the armature shaft8l. Thedrivingpulley89carriesabelt8l' leading to a driven pulley 82. The driven pwley 82 is mounted upon a shaft 83. This shaft leads to a reduction ge@ir unit 84. This unit drives a cam shaft 85. This shaft extends horizontally from the opposite sides of tho gear @eduction unit. Mounted upon the portion of the:shaft 85 upon the outer side of the gear reduction unit are a spinnin.- unit.lifting cam 86 and an illiiminating imit lifting cam 87. The spinning unit lifting came is engaged by a cam roller 88 rotatably supported upon an arm 89 which is fixed to a power lever 90. The lever 90 is - mounted upon a fixed pin 91 at one end and is pivoted to a shackle 92 by a pin 93 at its opposite end. The lower end of the shackle is connected with the lever arm 57 by a pin 94. The cam 87 is engaged by a roller 95 which is- mounted upon a pivot pin 96. This pin is carried upon the free end of a lever arm 97 which is fixed to the shaft 64. The lever arms 62 are also fixed to this shaft so that, as the arrn 97 oscillates the illuminating unit will be raised and lowered. Mounted upon the shaft 85 is a cam 98. This car-,i is shown in Fig, 2 of the drawings as beingpositioned substantially sleeve 98' which inay rotate frpely, with relation to the shaft 85. This sleeve may be locked -to rotate with the shaft by a clutch mechanism:to behereinafterdescribed. The,camOBisenga;ged by a roller 99 carried by an oscillating lever 100. do The lever 100 is mounted on a.pivot shaft 4@Of intermediate its ends. At one end of thle:-Iever ' 100 is mounted the cam roller 99. The opposite end of the lever 100 is pivoted at 102 to a pitman rod 103. This rod extencis horizontally and is GIS ;secured to a lever arm 104 by a pivot pin 105. The lever arm 104 is mounted upon a pivot- pin 106 which is carried: upon-. a standard 107. An - upper extension 108 of t4e lever. arrn,is pivotally connected to the link 33 byz a @pivot pin 109. -, The 70 levers and linkage between the cam. roller 99 and the crosshead 3 0 thus act, to foed the tray IS forwardly in a step by step motionl- as will be hereinafter described. 2,'487,877 6 '6f th-e'machin@, as 8hown in Fig @2 of th . e drawings, and carries bee@rings I I 11 I 1 2 and 11 3 which receive longittidinal ly aligned shafts II 4 and I IS. The shaft 115 carries a sprocket 116 around @5 whichadrivin gchainII71sle d. Thischairialso passes around a sprocket II 8. The sprocket 118 is mounted on the @nd of the drive shaft 83 of the reduction unit 84. Mounted upon contiguous 6nds of the shafts I 1 4 and I 1 5 are clutch 10 - elements 12 1 0 and 12 1. The element 120 i@ fixed to the shaft i 14 whiie the @ element 121 is longitudinal ly rnovable on the shaft I I 5. The clutch element 121 has a hub 122 formed with an . annwar groove 123. This groove red6ives the fin15 gers of a fork 124 which is mount ed upon an oscilla ting arm 125. The arm 125@ is mount ed upon its lower end at a fixed pivot 126 carrie d by a brack et 127. A spring 128 secur 6d to a post 129 tends to draw the lever arm 126 20 towar d the shaft 85. Moun ted upori th6 I shaft is a cliitch cam 130 which is engag ed by a Oaih 'roller 131 carrie d b . y the lever arm 12 5. Moun ted upon the shaft I I 5 is a spring 13 2 which tends to urge the clutch eleme nts 120 and 121 towar d 25'each other. This spring is interposed between t]@e end of the hub 122 and a collar 139. At the outer end of the shaft II 4 is a bevel pinion 134 which is in mesh with a be@rel pinion 135 carried upon tho shaft,44. these pinions I dkive the shoft 44 and the iong spiir je,@ir piiiion 43. The cam shaft 85 carries the illuminating :unit lifting cam 87, the spinning 4ead lifting cam 86, and the clutch shifting cam 130, all of which canis are fixed with relation to the shaft. TI@e shELft 85 o@.,5 also carries the c-am 98 and its slee@e 08'. This cam, however, is freely rdtatable u]@on the @haft @85. It is optionally locked with rel.ationthereto by a clutch structure comprising a clutch elemeiit 136 -which is fixed on the end of the sl@eve 98'. 40 A complementa ry clutch element i 37 is carried by a sleeve 138 which is splined onto the shaft 85. This sleeve is fitted with a shifting cbllar 1'39 which receives a shifting fork 140 by @vhich the sleeve may be lon@itudinall y reciprocated on the 4,-) siiaft 86. The fork 140 is mounted ulion a pi,@ot 141 carried by a bracket 142. The fork is also fixed to a shiftiri@ lever 143. By this arrangement, therefore, it is possible to siat and release the clutch elemen.ts 136 and 137 by manual opera50 tion. When these clut-@h elements are set th I ei tray 'feed c98 will be locked t6 . the shaft 85 and the, am step by step feed iilovement of the trays 16 will be brought about. It is to be understood that the :opposite ends bf the shaft 85 may be rotatably midway the length of the shaft 85 upon a clutch r,5 supported in bearings 145 :carried, by the frame of the machine. In operation of the present invention the ni@chine is assembled as heie sbown. Eggs are placed on suce6ssive trays 16 with their major axes dispos6d vertically ai@d with the eggs seated within the seat openings 23 formed, in the tray. The trays are then deposited upon the guide rails 14 and are moved forwardly until the forward teeth 20 on the ratchet bars 19 are engaged by the pawls 25. V-Ihen in this position the @ motor 78 may be started. This will cause the shaft 83 to be driven - continuously as well as the cam shaft 85 and the spinning drive sb-aft 115. In the initial position of operation the various elements of the machine will be in the position sbowil'in Fig. 1 of the dra@wing. Here it will be se en that the tray -feed crosshead 3 0 is in its forward position and that the illuminating structure 35 is:in its uppermost position while the egg spinning A subframe structure :1 IQ, is disposed ce4trall,y 7,5 structure 34 is in its lowermost position. - At this

,same time th-e clutch eiements 12-0 and 121 will be @disengkg@ed so that the spinning cu@ps will not be rot-ated, an'd usually the clutch elements 136 :and @137 nTe out of engagement due @to manual manipulatidn @of the shifting lever 143. The lever 4:43 -nmy then be swung in the -direction of the :arrow a, @as indicated i-n Mg. 2 @of the drawings. This will cause the @el'utch el-oments 136 and 137 to engage each other so that the cam 98 will be lock@ed to the:shaft 95,and will be driven thereby. This c-am acts upon the cam roller 99 which @causes the le'ver -100 to oscillate upon its pivotal ax@is la I. -The lower 'end of the lever pulls the Amw@bax 103 in the 7direi3tion of the arrow b as -sho.wu -in Fig. I ., and this in turn will swing the lev,er arm 1,08 in @the direction of the arrow c shown@inFig.l. Thecrosshead3Dwilithenmove horizontall'y in the directi6n of arrow d, shown in Fig. -1, so that the pawls 25 will ride over the ,ratchet bars 48 and rearwardly thereof to a point alf engagem-ent with the shoulder 21 on the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet b-ars 19 so that reverse @oscill'ation of tl-ie lever arm ID 8 will ad,va.nce the t@ray 16 the width of one row of seats 23. It -w@ll be understood that the cam roller -as 'II be @held in contact with the cam 98 by % wl a,otion of the -spring I 001. As the tray 4 6 is moved forwardly to a posi-tion in ver-.tical alignment with the longitudinal vertica-I axes of the spinning cups 36 the clutch ,cam ISO will E@ngage the cam roller i 31 and swing the l@ver arm 12,5 so that the clutch element 121 will move into driving,engagement with the clutch eiem,ent 120. This will cause the shaft 114 to be ,driven. R.otation will then be iinparted to the long spur .gear pinion through the bevel gears 134 and 135. The spur gear pinion will then impart a rotary rnotion to the gear 42 in mesh ther,ewith, and this will be imparted in turn to the various spindles 37 carrying the spinning CUPS 36. As has been previously explained, the spiniung cups 36 are rotated simultaneously in the same ditection due to the arrangementof a gear train which i-neludes meshing spur gears 39 and ,41. The axial position of the cam 130 is so disposed with relation to the -axial position of the cam 98 as to cause the clutch members 120 and 121 to -begin to engage each other as the feed motign is interrupted. Attention is directed to the fact that the axiai Positions of the lifting cams 86 and 87 are sub-stantially at right angles to those of the cams 98 and 130. Thus, when the cups o'B are spinning at their maximum revidlution the cam @B 5 -vvi.11 begin -lifting the lever arm 90 through engagement with the cam roller 88. This motion will be imparted thr4Dugh the lever 57 and the pivot shaft 55 to the lever arm 54. The lever arm 54 will then act through the lift rods 51 to raise the spinning head -'34 bodily. Attention is directed to the fact that .the swell on the cam 86 represents substantially .180', and thot the curved portions between the swell and dwell sections of the cam surface are cormee,ted by a relatively smooth progressi-.ie surface which will insure that when the spinning cups 36 move upwardly to engage and lift the eggs and when these st)inning cups move downwardly to place the eggs in the seats 23 the motion will not be violent, and there will not be any possibility for the eggs to be damaged. It is also to be pointed out that the rise on the cam 87 is quite abrupt, and that the dwell portion of the ,cam is relatively short as compared with th6 aretiite length of the dwell upon cam 86. This i877 rapidly and @to be radidly raised in an interval,of time during which the -spinning unit 34 is in its raised positign. When the illuminating structure 35 is lowered to the position -shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings the guard rings 70 will fit around the end sections of the eggs carried by the,spinning cups 36 and will tend to steady the eggs as they spin. The shield members 75, will move down and rest upon the 10 upper ends of the -eggs, after which time the eggs will be illuminated so that the operator may inspect them before the illuminating unit 35 is lifted to the 1)osition shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and before the spinning unit 34 is lowered to the po15 sition shovrn in Figs. 1 and 3. It will thus be seen that by the structure here diselosed it is possible to feed eggs through a candling machine automatically and at a hiah rate of speed, during which time the eggs may 20 be moved toward and away from a candling station and may be lifted by spinning means whilia an illuminating structure is simultaneously lowered over the eggs to be candled. While we have shown the preferred form of our 25 inverition as now known to us, it will be understood that various ehanges may be made in combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention a;s @claimed. 3o I-Iaving thus described our invention, what we clairn and desire to secure by