Any advice for egg turner motor?

[smileygreen64]

I was thinking about building my own incubator. The problem I am having is with the motor for the the turner. I get lost when I look at the wiring diagrams. I saw one online that I think might not require any timers or switches.

Here is the link
https://www.incubators.org/egg-turner-motor.html

Has anyone ever used one of these? If I am assuming correctly most motors require some other timer or relay switches to make them cycle correctly. If anyone has any advice or experience with turner motors that have built in timers or are ready to go out of the box I would really appreciate it.

 

[gpop1]

You have to understand that different turners work different ways.

The motor you are looking at is a incredible slow turning motor at 6 revolutions per day. In normal use it has a arm that engages in the turner rack so as the motor turns the eggs are rocked back and forth (it says turns eggs 6 times a day I presume this means turns back and forth 6 times a day). If your turner design works the same way then this motor would work as it requires no timers. (the motor is not very strong from my own personal experience and ive never had much luck especially when used on cheap turner racks that have a habit of jamming)

Another motor design is a similar motor about 0.5rpm that is turned on by a timer every few hours. It runs for a preset time that allows the eggs to turn then shuts off. The timing doesn't have to be perfect just close enough that the motor shuts off before it makes the next turn (motor turns half a turn every 2hrs and uses the same type of lever design to turn the eggs) From experience the motor seems to be stronger than a continuous running motor but still not strong enough for a tilt table design.

If you plan to go with a tilt table turner design then you will require a motor/gearbox about 0.6rpm. The gearbox has to be a worm design so the shaft will not turn unless the motor is running.

If you post a diagram of the turner you are planning to build I will be more than happy to help



this is a turner with the once ever 2 hours design






this is a tilt table that holds premade trays but it requires a timer and switch's to work




a 0.6rpm motor its strong enough to turn out of balance egg racks even to the point that it can break things that are not meant to be broken
(I like it because its low voltage 12vdc) but its also a complicated build.

 

[smileygreen64]

I was planning on building something similar to the image below.

The mechanics I can figure out. I just don't know about electrical. From what you said though I think I am going to need to read up on how to wire them up. I was hoping there was a motor I could get ready to go out of the box.

I will try an educate myself and come back here if I have questions. Thanks for your comments.

 

[gpop1]

depending on the space you could try something like this. (depending on available space)




forgive the drawings its done in paint.

basically the motor will run turning a circle until a micro switch follower drops in a cut out of the circle. (mechanically the circle makes the turner tilt)

the motor no longer has power as the micro switch is open

after 2 hours a cycle timer (that's a timer that turns on and off for set periods of time) turns on for about 5 seconds by passing the micro switch (that allows the motor to turn the circle far enough so the micro switch is now out of the notch). The timer turns off and power is now going to the motor via the micro switch allowing the motor to carry on running.

once the micro switch drops into the next cut out In the circle the motor will stop as it will no longer be getting power and if the mechanics are right the table will have tilted fully the other way

a cheap timer can be bought from ???bay. better to get a 4 digit as 7200 seconds is 2 hours and some timers only have one time base.(seconds or hours) so 7200 off then 5 seconds on then repeat the same pattern

I have also added a double pole switch because loading eggs with the trays tilted is a pain. When in auto the turner will work as normal. when in manual the turner will only move when you press a normally open button. Once you remove your finger from the button it will stop

this is a $30 idea that I can not promise you will work with out calculating load and available space. I would consider using a 12vdc 0.6rpm like the one I posted a picture off especially if you are not in to electrical wiring as it will be safer than using 110vac

I used a arduino to control mine as it was already controlling the temp and humidity but that requires learning some code. (I also had no room so I had to mount the motor inside the turner direct drive the tilt table)

 

[smileygreen64]

I hadn't considered a notched wheel. Thanks so much for the idea and the drawing. I will start looking for parts and see if I can get it figured out.

 

[gpop1]

I got bored so I decided to go play in the shed for a few hours to do proof of theory on this idea.

I have to warn you no tape measure was used or harmed during this exercise and my carpentry skills are equal to a 5 year old using play doo


I started with a 12vdc motor that I keep as a spare for my incubator




used a hole saw and made a circle. About have way through the piece of aluminum I stopped and drilled the notches then finished cutting the disk out. The I chamfered the edge. (notches are slightly to big)



bolted motor to a scrap of aluminum angle then mounted the disk on a hub that I found from another project (notice the connecting arm is low quality as I couldn't find any flat stock)



mounted the micro switch then guessed where the ring should be mounted



Its not correct as I didn't use a tape but it proves it can work (tilts one way further than the other)



load tested the motor. (forgot to get a picture off all the tins on the same side. It worked but it can make the motor a little noisy as its a worm drive so when its driving a load its happier that when the load is trying to drive the motor) The square is the size of a premade egg tray and I hate wood so I didn't make it 3 level tall (pivots are screws so nothing fancy making the motors jobs easy)




couldn't find a decent power supply so I just used a 0.5amp 12vdc power brick. I think a 1amp would be required


I don't have a you-tube account so this is a sorry series of pictures showing it moving












as you can see its not equal tilt but that's something that can be fixed

the micro switch stopped the motor as it was designed. I cheated and just used a jumper wire to act as a cycle timer (I could have build one in a few minutes using a arduino but the theory works so there no real need to go that far)

I found it takes 12 seconds to clear the notch and latch the motor in so a 15 second on, 2 hours off timer would work great.


Time to hide this experiment before the wife see's it and wants another incubator built.

 

[gpop1]

looking at ebay parts for a simple build (some parts will still require being custom made)

Aluminum Mounting Hub 6mm Shaft (something to bolt the circle to)

RC Car Aluminum M4 Link Rod End

4mm threaded rod (length to be worked out, used with rc end it make a adjustable shaft)

12vdc motor 0.6rpm worm drive

roller micro switch

double pole switch single pole (double pole double throw would also work)

push button normal open

cycle timer


about $35 if you shop carefully most from Hong Kong (faster delivery than china). Even faster if you can find a USA reseller

 

[smileygreen64]

Thanks for all that! I found all the parts online I want to order and have been reading up. I think I can get it figured out. Knowing nothing about electronics and never having wired up anything before the wiring diagrams looked overwhelming but after thinking through it and looking at the parts I need it makes sense.

I do woodwork as a hobby, so I will probably make a prototype with scrap wood for testing to get my angles of tilt and lengths right and upgrade parts from there.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Now I just have the opposite problem. I need to convince my wife I need another incubator.

 

[gpop1]

Have your parts arrived yet?

 

[smileygreen64]

Have your parts arrived yet?

I am actually putting it on hold now. I was talking to a family member that used to raise chickens and he had an old designated hatcher that was in his barn that he gave me. It took some work and some cleaning but it's going now. It hold 300 eggs, so now I just transfer eggs to it on day 18.

If I do build one I will post my progress on here though. Odds are I will need another one sometime. I keep getting more chickens.