Abstract: The method of packaging a receptacle (2) with a product comprising different miscible ingredients comprises the steps of filling the receptacles (2) in part with a first portion of the ingredients in a first filling unit (4) comprising a series of filling stations (5), of transferring the receptacles to at least one second filling unit likewise comprising a series of filling stations (9), and of successively finishing off the filling of the receptacles with the remainder of the ingredients.

Abstract: The invention is an improved apparatus for canning food, such as oysters and other foods. The invention consists of a holding tank containing a reservoir of food to be canned, a plurality of combinations of funnel members and quantity measuring structures that cooperate as part of a rotating mechanism to receive measured quantities of food from the holding tank, and at a subsequent indexed point automatically discharge the food into a container. Devices are included for adjusting the mechanism to receive and measure a plurality of quantities of food for a range of sizes of containers.

Abstract: A housing has a compartment subdivided by a pair of sleeve valves into an input compartment to which is continuously fed a stream of viscous hardenable material and an output compartment arranged adjacent a transport device which step-wise advances a succession of containers. Each of these sleeve valves has a central piston and has a valve port that can be directed either into the input compartment or the output compartment. Thus one of the sleeves is turned with its port toward the input compartment and its piston is retracted to draw into the sleeve a predetermined quantity of the viscous mass. Thereupon the sleeve is rotated through 180.degree. and this portion is discharged into the output compartment and thence into one of the containers.