Abstract: A packer is provided with a continuous flow of side-by-side columns of plastic bottles that move down an inclined ramp and into a load station where groups or slugs of bottles are deposited into trays or cases. An overhead flight bar conveyor provides a gap between each such group and the cases move by line pressure through the load station. Neck ring guides are provided above the flight bar path to control the descent of the bottles into each case. The path of the flight bars assures that each slug or group is closely controlled, initially by the steep entry angle and as a result of the shallow V-shaped path defined by the angularly related linear active runs on the flight bars prior to entry into the load station and by a second active run forming an abrupt V at the entry to the load station and inclined toward the neck ring guides at the same angle defined by the first run.

Abstract: In a packaging line adapted to feed articles into a packer and including lane guides defining lanes for columns of articles fed under line pressure to the packer, the lane guides are provided with an offset portion adapted to create a back pressure for reducing the line pressure at the packer. The offset portion provides sufficient resistance to the flow of articles so that the articles entering the packer are more readily accommodated, particularly articles of the type which are compressed by excessive line pressures and tend to upset the operation of the packer as a result of excessive or varying line pressure. The reduced line pressure permits operation of standard packing equipment for the handling of relatively soft and compressable cylindrical plastic bottles.