Food packaging machine with synchronized drive mechanism

Claim 1

Apparatus for packaging food, drugs and other products, comprising tank means, an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs rotatably mounted in said tank means, said endless conveyor having a plurality of flights extending transversely of said tank means, each of said flights having at least one opening to receive a container to be filled, means for driving said conveyor, container dispenser means mounted above said tank means and adapted to receive at least one stack of containers, means for dispensing one container at a time from each stack, the dispensing container falling by gravity into the openings of said flights, means for introducing food products into said containers, lid dispensing means for placing a lid on each of said containers, means for sealing said lids on said containers, means for discharging filled containers from said conveyor, means for driving said conveyor and container dispenser means and food product introducing means and lid dispensing means and said means for discharging filled containers from a common shaft and in synchronization with each other, the lower run of said conveyor being immersed in a cleaning solution in said tank to clean said conveyor, said means for discharging filled containers including a container raising cam for partially raising the containers out of the openings in said flights, a receiver plate normally disposed within said tank means, said receiver plate having a notch located in alignment with the containers on said conveyor and adapted to receive said containers, a pair of fixed support rods associated with each notch in said receiver plate and adapted to support the containers when the containers are discharged from said conveyor.