Abstract: A case packer for packing bottles from an upright position to a necks down or upside down position in a case. A grid is provided for marshalling upright bottles and a conveyor is provided for bringing a case, to be packed, under the grid. A rotator, located between the grid and case, is adapted to receive a pattern of bottles from the grid, rotate the bottles to invert them, and then deposit the bottles into the case. Gripping devices are located above the grid to grasp the tops of the bottles on the grid and push them into the rotator. After a first pattern of bottles has been inserted into the rotator and held there by a frictional arresting device, the second set of bottles forces the first set through the rotator and into the case.

Abstract: Apparatus for removing bottles from a case wherein the bottles are in a 3.times.4 pattern and depositing the bottles in a 2.times.6 pattern on a conveyor. The apparatus includes a center carriage having a 2.times.3 pattern of lifting devices and two outboard carriages having 1.times.3 patterns of lifting devices with mechanism for moving the outboard carriages toward each other as the center carriage is moved longitudinally with respect to the outboard carriages, thereby converting a 3.times.4 pattern to a 2.times.6 pattern.

Abstract: Combining apparatus wherein plural upstream conveyors feed articles into a single downstream conveyor lane. A swinging guide pivoted at its downstream end has an upstream end adapted to be moved from lane to lane at the discharge end of the plural conveyor lanes to receive articles from the conveyor lanes, one at a time, and feed them onto the single conveyor lane.