Abstract: A continuous motion apparatus and method are disclosed where slugs of articles are picked up by pick-up heads revolving in a vertical plane path, and are transferred to a case packing station. A vertical motion mechanism lowers the pick-up heads at the case packing station to gently place the slugs into indexed cases in a reliable manner. The slugs, pick-up heads, and indexed cases are fed in continuous, synchronous motions. The pick-up heads are carried on the transfer arms in alignment with grid heads which reciprocate relative to the pick-up heads. The grid heads include grid fingers which define grid chutes arranged in a matrix corresponding to the array of articles in a slug. The grid chutes are lowered over the slug to receive the articles, and thereafter to transfer the slug to the case packing station. In this manner, the grid heads may be used in connection with the pick-up heads to provde a placement packer.

Abstract: A container receives and stores soiled items through valving structure that receives a soiled item through a normally open input opening and releases the soiled item to the container through a normally closed output opening after closing the normally open input opening and opening the normally closed output opening while preventing odors inside the container from escaping to the region outside the container.

Abstract: Assembly of buckets for weighing a product in a machine for packaging said product, including at least a first and a second row of buckets, wherein each bucket of a row is in communication for the downward passage of the product with a corresponding bucket of the other row. In the assembly of buckets each of the buckets has a slanted surface for sliding of the product and the buckets of the rows of buckets in respective communication for the passage of the product are positioned to convey the product along a downwardly conveying path comprising the sliding surfaces of the corresponding buckets, so that relevant vertical fallings of the product are avoided.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to packaging and storage containers suitable particularly for the packaging and storage, with optimum filling, of remote-handled hazardous waste; a process for filling the containers; and the implementation of the process for the packaging and storage of compacted nuclear waste. The containers are equipped inside, along one or more axial walls, over substantially the whole of their height h, with locking elements capable of undergoing elastic radial deformation on direct contact with the products introduced therein, the locking elements allowing the introduction and movement of products inside the containers only when force is applied to the products.

Abstract: Loading device, particularly for loading containers carried on a conveyor, including a vertically fixed funnel with a shutter arranged in the area of its delivery aperture. In order to ensure reliable loading of the containers in such a device, it is provided that lateral of the funnel, adjustable covering elements, such as slides, are arranged, which can be positioned close to the upper rims of the containers, which may vary in their vertical dimensions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for putting small, slender, cylindrical cells in a box in an aligned row. By using the force of a magnet, multiple cells are suspended from the lower side of a conveyor belt, and are aligned and held in this position. By releasing the magnetic force, the cells drop, so that large numbers of cells, in a suspended and aligned state, can be simultaneously put into a cell container waiting below.

Abstract: A system for sequentially establishing batches of predetermined numbers of items is disclosed. The system includes a feeder for continuously dispensing items serially and one at a time. A counter counts items as they are dispensed by the feeder and emits a batch control signal each time a predetermined number of items has been dispensed by the feeder. An item accumulator/separator separates items fed on a continuous basis into batches. The separator includes a diverter for diverting items forming each succeeding batch to a collection location separated from the location of items in the batch immediately preceding each separated batch while maintaining all items along a flow path from the feeder to a collection station. The diverter is operative to establish diversion of items of a succeeding batch in response to each such batch control signal. A collector is positioned at the collection station for sequentially collecting such batches and maintaining them in such separated condition.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method are described for attaching a finger to a birdie block without affecting the attachment of other fingers to the birdie block. A finger may be attached to a birdie block that includes a lower portion in which a plurality of radially spaced apart notches are formed, with a ring and a spring being disposed around the notches of the lower portion to engage the finger and thereby resiliently attach the finger to the birdie block.

Abstract: A continuous motion apparatus and method are disclosed where discrete, successive slugs of articles are picked up by pick-up heads revolving in a vertical plane path, and are transferred over a linear transfer section of that path to a case packing station. A vertical motion mechanism lowers the pick-up heads at the case packing station to gently place the slugs into indexed cases in a reliable manner.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for loading a bin with articles such as fruit. The apparatus has a filling conveyor pivotable between a position within the bin to be filled and the top of the bin. The discharge end of the filling conveyor is maintained at an offset distance from the contents of the bin. The filling conveyor carries a plurality of resilient flaps pivotally mounted at one end thereof to the filling conveyor for movement therewith. The flaps successively carry rows of the articles along an upper run from a take-up end to a discharge end, at which end the articles are dropped off of the flap. A second flap, moving along a lower run in a direction opposite to the upper run, gently catches the dropped articles, and deposits the articles in the bin. Subsequent flaps moving along the lower run then sweep the deposited articles away from the drop location and toward to other end of the bin, allowing the articles to pile up at that end.

Abstract: A machine for packaging product, such as blueberries and other similar small fruits in a container having a receptacle and a lid connected to the receptacle includes a hopper suspended over a conveying mechanism which conveys the container beneath the dispensing opening of the hopper to fill the container. The size of the dispensing opening is set for the speed of the line and the size of the container by adjusting the position of a movable wall of the hopper. The containers are then conveyed to a closing station at which the lids are closed and latched by applying pressure to the lid while one side of the container is deflected to move the corners away from the lid to thereby permit closing of the container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing mechanical railway parts within individual cradles for transportation and storage. The cradles are designed to securely store and protect fragile parts while allowing for easy manipulation and recognition of the parts positioned within the cradles. Additionally, the cradles may be stacked to allow a greater number of mechanical railway parts to be shipped or stored in a given amount of space.

Abstract: A grid finger for use in a grid structure for delivering articles from an article supply source to compartments and containers. The finger is a readily removable flexible finger that has a substantially flat main body portion, a right angle flange portion adjacent the top of the main body portion, and a flexible elongated flat article engaging section. A compressible resilient member is carried by the right angle flange portion so that it can be readily secured to and released from an elongated slot provided in the grid.

Abstract: A grid finger assembly for a carton filling machine has a finger holder having a body with a slot in one end thereof adapted to seat a grid element, a retainer cavity in its other end, and a multiplicity of finger receiving recesses extending axially into the body of the holder from the cavity and about its periphery. The body also has at least one retainer recess extending inwardly thereinto from the cavity and disposed inwardly of the finger receiving recesses. A multiplicity of elongated fingers formed from a flexible, form retaining synthetic resin, have a bifurcated end portion with spaced arms seated in the finger receiving recesses of the finger holder, and an elongated body portion depending therefrom and inclined outwardly from the axis of the finger holder. A retainer has its axis parallel to the axis of the holder and has one end dimensioned and configured to seat in the retainer cavity of the finger holder, and an axial projection seating in the retainer recess of the finger holder.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.

Abstract: A device for feeding a specific number of spheres into a container from a supply conduit via a sphere-metering device so that a predetermined number of spheres reaches a container. The metering device has a groove that is aligned with the outlet of the supply conduit and the opening of the positioned container and functions in conjunction with a cylindrical worm conveyor that covers this opening laterally and whose axis of rotation runs parallel to the extension of the groove. As the worm conveyor rotates by one turn, the spirals in cooperation with the stationary groove, guide the required number of spheres form-fittingly and forcibly into the container. A sensor of a monitoring device detects the conveyance of the spheres in order to feed the proper number of spheres to the container.

Abstract: A device for stacking flat articles, advancing from an outlet of a conveyor system or the like, to form one or more stacks into a box-shaped container. The stacking device includes a supporting plane member for supporting articles arranged above a container and movable rapidly and horizontally between a rest position, in which the supporting plane member covers the top opening of the container, to a discharge position, in which the opening is left uncovered. An actuator rapidly moves the supporting plane member. A supporting frame is arranged over the supporting plane member, and at least one inclined chute is fixed to the supporting frame having a lower end on the supporting plane member parallel to the direction of motion of the supporting plane member. The at least one chute receives articles advancing from an outlet and transfers them by gravity to the supporting plane member with a predetermined orientation.

Abstract: A packaging machine for round bakery products such as bagels and English muffins. The products are conveyed flatly side by side in successive transverse rows which are delivered by an infeed belt conveyor. The infeed conveyor discharges the products into open top chutes equipped with deflector rods located off center in the chutes. The products are rotationally deflected by the deflector rods to an edge down position. The chutes discharge the bakery products onto a packaging conveyor which receives the products in each group on edge and oriented face to face in a stack which can be conveniently packaged. Each deflector rod can be situated in two different alternative positions offset on opposite sides of the transverse center of the bakery product. This allows the faces of the products in each package to be oriented as desired.

Abstract: A machine for filling fruit or other items into containers, and including a conveyor for feeding items to a location from which they are dropped into a container, with a member being provided near the discharge end of the conveyor for contacting the items as they fall downwardly from the conveyor and preventing or reducing damage thereto. The member may be actuable between an active position for contacting the falling items and a retracted position. The member may be inclined to deflect the falling items along an inclined path into the container, and is preferably cushioned. The mentioned conveyor fills the container up to a predetermined partially filled condition, with the final few items being delivered to the container by a second conveyor. The second conveyor is adjacent the first, and delivers items to the container at a second location along its path of movement, and is driven at two speeds to deliver items first at a relatively fast pace and then at a slower rate.

Abstract: A device for loading dough into cylindrical containers is disclosed. A first conveyor is provided which delivers a plurality of cylindrical containers to a receiving surface which is declining with respect to the horizontal. The containers are oriented such that a central cylindrical axis of each container is substantially parallel to the container receiving surface as the containers approach the container receiving surface. A second conveyor then delivers a cylindrical object to the receiving surface in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to path of the containers in the first conveyor as the objects approach the container receiving surf ace. The second conveyor aligns the cylindrical objects and causes the objects to be inserted into the cylindrical container. Means for positioning the container on the container receiving surface and for releasing the cylindrical containers after filling is also provided. A method of inserting cylindrical objects into cylindrical containers is also disclosed.

Abstract: Groups of articles are received from a conventional drop packer grid, into one side of a rotatable carrier that defines pockets for receiving the articles. Each pocket is defined by upright fingers that form funnels for each article. These fingers are resiliently deformed by a star shaped cam located alongside each pocket so as to close around each article and hold it securely while the carrier is inverted. A second set of pockets accepts a second charge of articles while the first charge is dropped into a case lifted into place below the carrier. This case can be so positioned while the fingers are closed to reduce the verticle height through which the articles are dropped.

Abstract: An automatic bagging machine and method gently and efficiently handle bruisable articles to be automatically bagged, such as apples. The bagger includes a weighing pan, a bag supply, a source of compressed air for inflating a plastic bag while it is held open at spaced points adjacent its top, and a cushioning arm assembly for engaging the exterior of the bag as it is being filled with articles to cushion the fall of the articles. A piston and cylinder moves the cushioning arm into engagement with the bag exterior while it is being filled, and away from the bag after the fall of articles has been effectively broken (cushioned). A number of conveyors that are independently controlled feed articles to the pan, and an ultrasound sensor senses the volume of the next article or articles to be fed to the pan in each conveyor path, and that conveyor or conveyors is or are operated which contains the next article or articles closest to the desired weight of articles in the pan, or slightly above it.

Abstract: A bagging machine having means for holding a plurality of unopened bags wherein the bags have an extended tab, means for manipulating the extended tab, thereby opening the bag and allowing it to be filled, and clamping means for manipulating the mouth of the bag before, during and after filling.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for uniformly filling a container with products such as fruits or the like to a predetermined weight or level, in which apparatus the angular position of the container with respect to the horizontal is changed during filling in response to the instantaneous weight or level of the product in the container. According to the invention, a tongue which can be moved back and forth in substantially horizontal direction is provided below a product supply. The tongue assumes positions in response to the instantaneous weight or level of the product in the container such that the height of drop of the products into the container is kept at a minimal during filling and the container is filled uniformly.

Abstract: A carton loading apparatus for loading delicately covered articles into a carton having dividers therein arranged to define spaces for the articles is disclosed. The apparatus utilizes a reciprocal grid structure to transport the articles from a separation station to a loading station. The grid structure includes guide surfaces which guide the articles away from the sharp edges of the grid structure as the articles are moved therein thereby preventing damage to the articles. Other guide elements associated with the grid guide the articles in moving from the grid to the carton so as to avoid the sharp edges of the dividers.

Abstract: The invention provides a baling machine for baling groups of packages containing product into a bale bag. Packages are transported to fall down a chute individually where they are stacked in a group until the group is allowed to fall into a bale bag and into engagement with a moving platform which decelerates the group to minimize impact and resulting bruising. The filled bale bag is then ejected and closed.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for loading delicate fruit into standard sized fruit bins is disclosed. The apparatus includes a carriage, a cradle, a distributing conveyor which are controlled to automatically lower fruit into a bin in such a way as to minimize damage to fruit and to maximize efficiency of loading. The distributing conveyor includes a twisted conveyor belt that gently guides fruit to a discharge opening as the fruit moves along the belt.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting bean curd into pieces of the fixed size and packing them. This apparatus does automatically transporting, cutting and packing of bean curd under water in a water tank. Therefore, this apparatus requires no manual operation, is sanitary, involves high production capacity and is free from production of bean curd of broken shape.

Abstract: A system for packaging articles within containers, each container being generally egg shaped and having an open end for receiving the articles and having a generally planar closure applied to the open end thereof to confine the articles therein. The system includes a multi-station intermittently rotatable generally circular turret or carousel carrier disk having a plurality of radial slots, each fixedly mounting a canister for receiving and temporarily confining articles therein fed into the top thereof during partial rotation or indexing of said turret or carousel and for receiving an open container fed into the bottom during the remainder of the rotation thereof. These canisters are open at both ends for systematically receiving the articles and containers in timed relation. Highly polished reciprocatable fingers are selectively positioned beneath the canisters when such are located at prescribed locations to confine the articles therein.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for loading delicate fruit into standard sized fruit bins 10 wherein carriage 50, cradle 60, and distributing conveyor 40 are controlled to automatically lower fruit into bin 10 in such a way as to minimize damage to fruit and to maximize efficiency of loading.

Abstract: An apparatus for filling crates with objects, notably fruits, floating in water, which includes a tank filled with water, a crate which can be immersed inside said tank, feeding means for bringing the objects transported by the water in the crate, a water pump providing for the continuous circulation of water through the tank, the objects being distributed in the immersed crate until it is completely full, wherein the feeding means of the objects in the crate include a feeding channel and a cylindrical aperture formed in a massive plate, covering the upper portion of the crate, the upper portion of said plate being provided with profiled guides for channeling towards said cylindrical opening the objects floating on the liquid and incoming from the feeding channel.

Abstract: Apparatus for loading friable nuclear fuel pellets into a sintering boat from a pellet press which ejects newly made pellets. An inclined pellet chute (preferably a tube) receives the ejected pellets and discharges them against a first resilient brush which reflects the pellets downwardly to a second resilient brush. The brush tips are spaced apart such that a pellet moving downward along the second brush contacts the flexible brush tip of the first brush before dropping off the second brush (preferably with near-zero velocity) into the sintering boat.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for filling a bag with packs of produce or articles, in which the bag is suspended from a bag clamp and flattened by pairs of opposing lowering plates at spaced intervals down the bag. The packs are assembled in a batch of two or more packs on a platform formed by hinged plates which are swung downwards to deposit each batch in turn in the bag. The packs are supported initially on the wall of the bag covering the uppermost lowering plates, and the pairs of lowering plates are swung downwards in sequence to allow the packs to drop in stages within the bag. The filled bag is released from the bag clamp onto a conveyor which transports the filled bag to a closure device. The wall of the filled bag is supported by a suction head during movement along the conveyor to the closure device.

Abstract: A system for loading friable nuclear fuel pellets into sintering boats from a pellet press which ejects newly made pellets. A chute receives the ejected pellets and discharges them into an upright bowl at a location towards the top of the bowl near its inner surface with a tangential horizontal component of velocity. The bowl, which has an open smaller diameter bottom, is rotated such that the bowl near the pellet-discharge location has a velocity which generally matches the magnitude and direction of the horizontal component of the velocity of the pellets at the discharge location. A conveyor moves a line of adjacently positioned boats horizontally beneath the bottom of the bowl. A flexible strap which cushions the pellets as they enter a sintering boat also acts as a seal between boats.

Abstract: A bag inserter for inserting a liquid filled bag into a preselected position within a container. A funnel receives and guides the bag into the container. The funnel has a bag receiving aperture for guiding the bag into a tapered bag forming section. The bag passes into a bag discharge chute beneath the bag forming section and then through a bag discharge aperture formed at a substantial vertical angle across the lower end of the chute. Container positioning means are provided for positioning a container to receive the bag with a bag receiving aperture of the container adjacent the discharge aperture and with a wall of the container opposite the container bag receiving aperture at approximately the same angle at which the bag discharge aperture intersects the bag discharge chute.

Abstract: An egg packing apparatus includes an endless conveyor including a plurality of rotatable parallel rollers each provided with a plurality of abutments in the form of annular flanges. The flanges of any one roller are aligned with flanges on other rollers to form a plurality of transport channels or feed paths extending to respective guide chutes. The guide chutes are each defined by a pair of opposing side walls, a pivotably mounted plate member and an additional wall opposite the plate member 36, the additional wall being provided with a V-shaped portion extending inwardly towards the plate member so that the guide chute has a decreased width in a central region. Upon the deposition of an egg on the plate member with the narrow end of the egg is contact with one of the side walls of the guide chute, the plate member is pivoted and the large end of the egg is temporarily held between the additional wall and the plate member, allowing the narrow end of the egg to swing downwardly.

Abstract: A case packing head for the packing of rectangular containers into cases. In a first embodiment of the invention, the containers are passed through arcuate paths on skid blades such that the containers fan apart above the top edges of the cross fingers of the packing head, avoiding the cross fingers upon shifting of the skid blades. In another embodiment, the skid blades are angled downwardly and the stop blocks are adapted to withdraw a sufficient amount to allow the containers to tilt on the skide blades and separate. A separating grid is then driven between the containers to space them apart with the spaces positioned above the top edges of the cross fingers. In yet another embodiment, the skid blade assembly comprises a pair of blades, one slidable upon the other. The stop block is connected to the sliding blade which has teeth thereon for contacting the containers.

Abstract: A grid finger attachment assembly attachable to a grid structure for guiding articles delivered to the grid structure from an article supply source into containers. The grid finger attachment assembly comprises an elongated grid finger, a compressible resilient member projecting from the upper end of the grid finger receiving member defines a receiving recess for receiving the upper end of the grid finger and the compressible resilient member. The grid finger receiving member has portions defining an aperture for receiving the compressible resilient member, such that upon receipt by the receiving recess of the upper end of the grid finger and the compressible resilient member, the compressible resilient member is projectable through the aperture and engageable with portions of the grid finger receiving member adjacent the aperture, for fixedly retaining the grid finger to the grid finger receiving member.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing and filling tubular bag packages includes a shaping mandrel, about which a sheet of packaging material is shaped into a tube and an open end of the tube is filled with one portion of a product at a time and separated from the formed tube. For sending the portions of the product gently and quickly through the hollow shaping mandrel, a feed apparatus is disposed in the mandrel. The feed apparatus has a plurality of spaced flaps pivotably connected at equal intervals to two synchronous belt drives. In a feed conduit of the shaping mandrel, these flaps define downwardly moved chambers which receive portions of the product and transport them to the lower end of the shaping mandrel, and then, through a relatively narrow return conduit in the shaping mandrel, the flaps return upward again in an upright position by the belts.

Abstract: In a packaging machine in which bottles (P) or the like are drop-loaded into open topped article carriers (C), a device for interrupting the fall of bottles into a carrier. The device comprises a pivotal arm (32) which includes resiliently mounted support blocks (42, 44) adapted to displace a base panel (b) of a carrier upwardly at a drop-loading station of the machine and provide a temporary platform onto which the dead load of a bottle is transmitted during interruption of drop-loading while the base panel remains displaced. The pivotal arm is cam-actuated so that it pivots in one direction to cause the carton base panel displacement and thereafter in the opposite direction to allow completion of loading by withdrawal of the support blocks so that the dead load of the bottle is transferred from the support blocks to the carrier base.

Abstract: In an apparatus for applying a label to packages filled with eggs or the like in a state without a cover in the packaging operation and moving one by one on a conveyor beneath the apparatus, a sucking disk for taking out the labels one by one from a label feeder is provided between the upper label feeder and a lower label-posture adjusting chamber in a way freely movable in the vertical direction. An air pipe, connected to the sucking disk, is opened and closed in accordance with the up-and-down motions of the sucking disk, which is controlled by a signal from a sensor for detecting the presence of a label inside the label-posture adjusting chamber. The bottom of the label-posture adjusting chamber is opened by detecting the approach of a package.

Abstract: Disclosed is a case packer for placing bottles in a case having dividers separating the bottles. The packer employs horizontally acting trap doors upon which bottles are placed in rows and columns as they are indexed from an infeed conveyor. Half the bottles are placed on one trap door and the other half are placed on the other by the indexing means. As the trap doors are actuated the upper portion of the bottles strike alignment bars and are pivoted and oriented into proper alignment to drop into the case which is located beneath the trap doors.

Abstract: The invention provides a loading finger for a drop loading mechanism which finger incorporates a guide plate. In a drop loading grid set the loading fingers define passageways through which bottles are dropped into the cells of cartons. In order to protect the partitions between adjacent carton cells during drop-loading, opposed loading fingers which are located in adjacent passageways have guide plates which include upper portions overlapped with one another above the uppermost edge of a carton partition during drop loading and include lower portions which are spaced apart one on either side of and below the uppermost edge of a carton partition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for case packing flexible product-containing bags is described. Rows of flexible product-containing bags are fed onto a tongue assembly. The tongue assembly has a flat plate which guides the bags into a carton, a movable lip which supports the bags from below and means for moving the lip from a bag-supporting position to a non-supporting position. The tongue assembly containing the bags is inserted into the carton and the movable lip is moved into a non-supporting position, allowing the bags to drop into the carton. The flat plate is also used to partially compress bags which have already been deposited in the carton.

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 finger assembly supports up to four molded fingers in circumaxially spaced relationship so that each finger can guide a bottle dropped downwardly through a pocket defined by four such finger assemblies in a packing case loader. Each finger has a spoon shaped lower end designed to preclude destructive reverse bending of the molded finger as a result of interference with a case or other impediment. The fingers are preferably biased by individual return springs and may move laterally at least slightly to accommodate misalignment between them and the case. These springs may comprise individual coil compression springs or be defined in the form of petals or leaves integrally formed in a plastic part with a central opening such that this part can be mounted to the lower face of the retaining member and be held in place by the same retaining member fastener as used to assemble the holder and retainer.

Abstract: A guide finger mounting apparatus including positioning member having two flat surfaces extending longitudinally of the member, a pair of spring drop finger means one engaging each flat surface on the positioned member and a clip means engaging the fingers and the positioning member to retain the finger means in operative engagement. Complementary interengaging means may be formed on the finger means and the positioning member to aid in preventing relative movement therebetween.

Abstract: A machine for packaging eggs of the type having an egg orienting and aligning device for arranging the eggs, supplied at random by a conveyor, in successive cross rows of a predetermined number, an orienting device for orienting the eggs in each cross row with their blunt ends directed in the direction of forward movement with the longitudinal axes of the eggs equally spaced in each row at a first distance, and a transfer device for transferring the successive cross rows of the eggs so oriented to successive corresponding cross rows of the egg holding recesses of egg trays or the like, the centers of these recesses being spaced at a second smaller lateral distance.

Abstract: A movable carriage or receptacle receives lemons or other products from a conveyor or the like, and as a quantity sufficient to fill a box or container is accumulated, the receptacle or carriage moves down to the box, with the fragile product being gently layered into the carriage or receptacle; and then the lower door of the carriage or receptacle opens slowly to completely fill the box or other container, with the product again being layered gently into the box with no dropping so that the boxes are packed full without damage to the product. An alternate arrangement uses a pivotal support member and an associated product feeding member to accomplish the same functions. Through the use of a triangular receptacle or carriage, with the final measurement taking place near the apex of the triangular space, very accurate measurement may be accomplished.

Abstract: A filling head for loading food articles such as franks into individual packaging trays is adapted for quick connect to a power system and a loader parent machine. The filling head comprises an open frame, at least two spring loaded flapper doors hingeably attached to the frame, and a pusher bar unloading system capable of operable connection to the power system of the parent machine to intermittently discharge food articles from the filling head to the individual packaging trays positioned below the flapper doors. The pusher bar unloading system includes a drive rod which can be connected to the periphery of a flywheel by quick connect means to run in an smooth continuous reciprocating motion to deliver an up and down motion to a horizontal shaft slideably mounted on the frame and an associated set of pusher bars and elongated pusher members.