Destacking and restacking of containers using a robot in poultry hatchery operations

1. A method of destacking or restacking at least one standardized container used in poultry hatchery operations using robotic means, comprising the steps of:

providing a multi-axis robot arm, wherein said multi-axis robot arm is a series-link, five or six-axis robot arm that is servo-driven on all axis;

providing an end effector adapted to hold and move a container in three dimensions, said end effector having a frame and container retaining structures which are configured to clamp and support an external surface of the container, wherein said end effector is attached to said multi-axis robot arm;

removing eggs from an egg flat with the end effector;

clamping and supporting the external surface of the container;

moving the container from a first stacked position to a second destacked position;

transferring the eggs into the destacked container using the end effector.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first position is a box transport dolly and wherein said second position is a conveyor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said box transport dolly is dimensionally secured against movement within a dolly docking station adjacent the robot.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said standardized container is a box, tray or flat.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said box transport dolly includes a rack.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said box transport dolly is a buggy having shelves.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising the additional repeating steps of

(i) destacking a next container and restacking said next container on the first mentioned destacked container;

(ii) removing eggs from a next egg flat with the end effector;

(iii) transferring the eggs into said next restacked container.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the egg transfer step is performed by robotic means having said end effector adapted to selectively hold and release a quantity of eggs.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second stacked position is a box transport dolly.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said box transport dolly is dimensionally secured against movement within a dolly docking station adjacent to the robot.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said end effector is dual purposely adapted to selectively and alternatively destack and restack a container and transfer the eggs.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the end effector is adapted to transfer the eggs by means of a vacuum operable suction cup array.