Packaging machine

Claim 1

A case loading machine comprising a frame, a spider mechanism rotatably mounted on a shaft having the ends thereof supported on said frame and including radially extending shelves for transporting in a circular path containers to be loaded into cases with each shelf carrying one or more containers, a guide plate secured to said frame adjacent a predetermined circumferential portion of the circular path swept-out by said shelves wherein said guide plate supports said containers being transported by said shelves, a chute having an elongated passage for conveying cases past said guide plate, an opening formed through a wall of said chute adjacent said guide plate for communication with the open tops of the cases, a stop mechanism including means rotatably mounted on said frame, said shaft means having a predetermined number of fingers extending radially therefrom in different radial directions and longitudinally spaced along the length of said chute, wherein certain ones of said fingers extend into the path of movement of said cases for alternately engaging said cases and thereby controlling the movement of the cases past said opening, means for rotating said shaft means such that said case are controlled by said fingers to advance in repeated movements each equal to the distance of the width of one row of containers, and electrical means for coordinating the movements of the stop mechanism and the spider mechanism whereby successive layers of one or more containers are fed from the respective shelves of the spider mechanism as such respective shelves pass by said opening into the space of the next available row within the respective cases as said stop mechanism permits each case to drop under the force of gravity the distance of one container row width.