Egg Cracker Shaft Bracing With Scalloped Cam Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Widened egg cracker shafts in egg processing machinery are prone to flexing due to inadequate bracing, leading to uneven egg delivery and breaking operations, especially during high processing volumes.
Innovation Solution
A support mechanism featuring a disk-shaped portion with circumferentially offset scalloped surfaces and an outer fixed cam with an arcuate guiding surface is integrated at an intermediate location of the cracker shaft, preventing deflection by sandwiching and guiding the shaft between the scalloped cutouts and cam surface, ensuring proper egg delivery and breaking into yolk cups and albumen trays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cracker shaft is widened to accommodate more egg conveying lanes, then processing volume increases, but shaft flexing and deflection worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The support mechanism segments the shaft support function into multiple interaction points: the scalloped surfaces of the rotating disk create multiple contact zones with the cracker shaft, distributing the support load and preventing flexing across different sections of the shaft during rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating disk with scalloped surfaces acts as an intermediary element between the fixed cam and the cracker shaft. It transfers and modulates the guiding force from the fixed cam to the shaft, providing continuous intermediate support that prevents deflection while allowing rotational motion
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cracker shaft is supported in a single direction, then shaft stability improves, but egg delivery synchronization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support mechanism transitions from static single-direction support to dynamic multi-directional support. The rotating disk with scalloped surfaces continuously changes the support orientation during rotation, adapting to different phases of egg delivery while maintaining shaft stability and synchronization
Solution Approach 2:
The scalloped surfaces on the rotating disk create periodic contact points with the cracker shaft during rotation. This periodic support action occurs at specific intervals corresponding to the egg delivery cycle, providing stability at critical moments while maintaining operational precision
Data Source
AI summary
A support mechanism for preventing outward deflection of a cracker shaft in an egg breaker assembly, about which are supported in orbiting fashion a plurality of circumferentially spaced rows of egg breakers. A disk shaped portion is mounted in slaved rotatable fashion about an intermediate location of the cracker shaft and exhibits a plurality of exteriorly facing and circumferentially offset inwardly recessed scalloped surfaces. An outer fixed and guiding cam is secured to an aligning intermediate location of the breaker and exhibits an inner arcuate extending and guiding/support surface in outwardly spaced and aligning fashion relative to the scalloped locations of the rotating disk. A perimeter support is disposed upon an aligning location of each cracker shaft and which is captured between selected scalloped locations and the inner guide supporting surface corresponding to at least one of egg receipt, breaking and depositing of yolk and albumen contents to synchronized delivery cups and albumen trays associated with the breakers.