Abstract: An apparatus for stacking a plurality of articles in a side-to-side relation. The articles are conveyed in an upright end-to-end relation on a conveyor and a bin or article receiving member is positioned adjacent the downstream end of the conveyor and individually receives each article discharged from the conveyor. The bin includes a bottom wall and a rear wall and the bin is movable between a receiving position where the bottom wall extends downwardly and outwardly from the downstream end of the conveyor, to a discharge position where the bottom wall is disposed substantially horizontal. Each article being received within the bin is held in an upright position and is transferred laterally within the bin against a movable support plate, and each succeeding article received in the bin is transferred in a similar manner against the preceding article to form a stack.

Abstract: An apparatus for joining and folding container sections to form a hinged container. Two container sections are transported in end-to-end relation on a conveyor and the downstream section is engaged with a stop while a pusher member is pivoted into engagement with the trailing edge of the upstream section to force the sections together and engage snap fitted hinge elements on the two sections. The hinged container is then discharged from the first conveyor onto a second conveyor located at a level beneath the first conveyor and operating at a slower speed than the first conveyor. As the leading section of the hinged container falls from the upper conveyor onto the lower conveyor the increased speed of the upper conveyor will fold the trailing section over the leading section to provide a closed hinged container. The closed container then passes under a spring loaded pressure member which ensures that locking elements on the two container sections are fully engaged.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading articles into a container. The articles, in the form of a side-by-side stack of small trays or boxes, are conveyed along a conveyor and are discharged into a bin, which is mounted for pivoting movement between an article receiving position, in which the base of the bin is located at an acute angle to the horizontal, to a discharge position where the base is disposed generally vertical. The stack of articles received within the bin is supported against a movable end wall, and clamping means is provided to clamp the stack laterally against a side wall of the bin, as well as clamping the stack against the base. With the stack clamped in the bin, the bin is then rotated to the discharge position and the movable end wall is moved to a release position. The bin is then lowered to lower the stack into a container, and on release of the clamping mechanism the stack is discharged into the container.