Abstract: An apparatus and method for packing vials into a case wherein vials are supplied through an infeed system and are organized into longitudinally extending rows defined between guide members. The guide rows or guide channels are adapted to grasp the vial below the neck for suspending it therebelow. The guide shoulders extending below the necks of the vials are not movable with respect to the guide members themselves. The guide assembly includes an inlet end through which vials enter for ordering into rows and the vial output end through which vials are removed upon placement into a case therebelow. The guide assembly is movable between an upper position and a lower position. In the lower position the vials extend to an intermediate position within the case such that removal of the case by the case pusher device will remove the vials from the guide channels and allow them to gently drop into the case as it is removed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bottle packing apparatus wherein bottles are packed by simultaneous movement together of the array of bottles and the case. The bottles are packed from a conventional infeed conveyor and are divided into rows by the use of lane dividers. Bottle guiding plates define guiding channels which compress the rows of bottles toward the center of line of a conveyor. This compressed grouping of rows are then urged into a neck holding means which includes a suspension carriage carrying a first and second bar movable with respect thereto and defining bottle suspension slots for retaining the bottles in the neck area thereof.

Abstract: A bottle divider grid assembly including a plurality of lower dividers for channeling downwardly moving bottles into specified arrays with plastic and/or metal guiding fingers secured onto guide support assemblies, secured into slots defined in the upper and/or lower portions of the lower dividers. The guide support assemblies are removable for maintenance in a manner specifically facilitated by easily removable locking devices. These locking devices are made easily removable by usage of a spring plunger device or a simple single screw which allows complete removal of the guide support assemblies. Also, there can be divider panels positioned immediately above the lower dividers to guide the bottles neatly on the bottle supply conveyor into paths which are then guided downwardly by the guide support assemblies into the pre-chosen arrays.

Abstract: A bottle packer grid assembly is disclosed which is capable of packing two cases simultaneously wherein the construction provides the capability for each individual single case grid section to be separately removable from the surrounding support structure. The configuration of the packer grid basically includes four transverse members and preferably five longitudinally extending members which divide the bottles to be packed into grids of variable numbers of rows and columns, the most common being 4.times.6. Preferably a dead plate support is positioned to hold one bottle in between the two cases being loaded in order to better maintain alignment with the cases positioned therebelow. The cooperation of a plurality of pin means with the transversely extending members which define apertures therein for receiving the pin means allows two arrays of 4.times.6 with a dead bottle position therebetween and yet allow upon removal of certain pins the easy maintenance of a specific bottle receiving cell.

Abstract: A Universal Bottle Suspension Device for packers including a plurality of movably mounted slide members which are arranged in rows and are disposed in spaced relation with respect to one another in order to be movable both toward and away from one another, each movable slide member including a downwardly extending connector means and a rail member secured to the bottom of the connector means, each rail member generally extending parallel with respect to the slide members such that the rail members are adapted to be movable both toward and away from one another in such a fashion as to hold and release bottles wherein the head of the bottle extends above the rail members and the rail members are adapted to be urged against the neck area of the bottle, the inwardly facing edges of the rail member providing low friction surfaces to facilitate movement of the bottle when held between the rail members, the friction free surfaces thereby defining a retaining channel therebetween for selectively holding the bottles t

Abstract: A packer grid block assembly utilizing detachably securable fingers for guiding articles into an orderly array to facilitate packing of the articles into a predefined receiving location positioned therebelow including a plurality of equally spaced parallel grid plates having mounted thereon a plurality of generally triangular support blocks which each present outwardly facing block surfaces to which a plurality of guiding fingers are detachably securable, each block surface including secured thereto a cover plate which is maintained in a spaced relationship with respect to the block surface by a plurality of spacers which serve to define a separation space between the cover plate and the support block, the finger members serving to guide articles passing through the grid may be detachably securable in a location between the cover plates and the block members by detachably securing themselves around the spacers, the elongated finger members being of a resilient material and defining a longitudinal slot therein

Abstract: A neck-down bottle packing grid which eliminates glass to metal contact between the packing apparatus and the glass bottles which includes a plurality of partitions extending approximately parallel with respect to one another having guiding blocks, deflectors or doghouses of nylon or some other soft material equally spaced along the upper edges thereof, these deflectors being fixedly mounted upon deflector or doghouse mounts firmly secured to the upper edge of the partitions, also including a plurality of finger blocks extending downwardly on both sides of the partitions below each doghouse location, the finger blocks including two outwardly facing guide surfaces which taper downwardly and obliquely outwardly away from the partitions to define in combination with adjacent partition and guide surfaces a plurality of bottle receiving cells for sorting the downwardly moving bottles into an array for direct placement into a case or the like, in order to prevent glass to metal contact a plurality of covers of soft