Destacking and restacking of containers using a robot in poultry hatchery operations
Methods and apparatus for processing eggs based upon a characteristic such as gender are provided. Material is extracted from each of a plurality of live eggs, the extracted material is assayed to identify eggs having the characteristic, and then eggs identified as having the characteristic are processed accordingly.
1. An apparatus used in poultry hatchery operations, the apparatus comprising:
a multi-axis robot arm;
an end effector operably engaged with the multi-axis robot arm and configured to hold and move a standardized container in three dimensions, the end effector having a frame and non-hinged end jaws at each end of the frame and having container retaining structures configured to move inwardly to horizontally clamp opposite ends of a standardized container upon actuation thereof, the non-hinged end jaws each comprise a pair of inwardly aligned flanges extending perpendicular from the container retaining structures and configured to support the standardized container, the end effector further having a pair of corner guides fixed to each non-hinged end jaw, the corner guides being configured to align the standardized container with reference to the frame; and
wherein the end effector is configured to be capable of performing acts in which:
eggs are removed from an egg flat by the end effector;
the external surface of the standardized container is clamped and supported by the end effector;
the standardized container is moved from a first stacked position to a second destacked position; and
the eggs are transferred from the end effector into the destacked standardized container.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector has opposing clamping faces having a gripping surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector has an array of suction cups configured to grasp and transport eggs.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector is configured to receive and handle multiple vertically-stacked standardized containers.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector is configured to receive and handle multiple horizontally-adjacent standardized containers.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector is dual purposely configured to selectively and alternatively destack and restack a container and transfer the eggs.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the end effector further comprises a pair of pivoting jaws attached to the frame and disposed between the non-hinged end jaws.