US2555816A - Packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1951 s. H. RHODES ETAL 7 PACKAGING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 'e, 1945 NW M \N Q Q o av k W .r 1 c q w w F h v Q W WA/Q FQV r m C. h A

INVENTORS 6.H- RHODES 8( Y R.C. LANG June 5, 1951 s. H. RHODES ETAL .mcmmc mum:

6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 6, 1945 I: In:- niiln-liini-lii I I ii'l 1.1.1.] I.

6 N m u 0. m m v 5 T MD T 0 H R M 6 J1me 1951 r G. H'. RHQDES ETAL 2,555,816 .ncmmc MACHINE Filed June 6, 1945 e Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTQRS G.H. RHODES & R.c. LA NG ORNEY INVENTORS 4G.H.RHODE$ K RC. LANG BY A7! ORN 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q wk MN 3 .QN mm L G. H. RHODES ETAL PACKAGING MACHINE June 5, 1951 Filed June 6, 1945 June 1951 G. H. RHODES ETAL 2,555,816

.PAcxAcmc MACHINE Filed June 6, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS 6.H.RHODE5 X ROLANG Patented June 1951 PACKAGING MACHINE George H. Rhodes, Jackson Heights, and Rudolph C. Lang, New York, N. Y., assignors to National Biscuit Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 6, 1545, Serial No. 597,918

19 Claims.

Our invention pertains to packaging machines and has for one of its important objects to effect automatic packaging of biscuit, crackers and other articles in a carton, box, or other package in a faced, stacked or other orderly arrangement.

Heretofore, automatic packing of biscuit, such as soda crackers, has not been practicable except in the case of dump-filled packages. There are two major problems involved in automatic packing, first to measure off and segregate a quantity of the product to properly fill the package, and second to insert this quantity into the package without damage to either the product or the package. Soda crackers raise in baking to varying amounts and in raising develop bl'istered tops which results in considerable variations in thickness of-di1ierent crackers and in various parts of the same cracker. The measuring device must be able to separate a proper quantity to fit the length of package with su-ificient adjustability to give a reasonable control of the weight without leaving the package too tightly or too loosely packed which would result in damage to the product in handling and shipping.

It is usual practice in packaging biscuit, such as cookies, snaps, soda crackers, wafers and the like to arrange them in continuous rows or stacks after they are discharged from the oven, and as they approach the packing table or machine. The stacks or rows are carried by continuously or intermittently driven belts to the packing station where a suitable quantity is measured off from the head of a stack and placed in the carton or container, either by hand or by machine. Prior machines for this purpose operate satisfactorily only when the biscuit are quite uniform in thickness and have fairly smooth surfaces, such, for example, as ginger snaps and graham crackers. However, in the case of biscuit of irregular surface and varying thickness, such as soda crackers, no machine for automatically packaging them has been practicable heretofore.

An important object of our invention, therefore, is to measure off and segregate successive suitable unit lengths or volumes of crackers from a continuous stack, and to deliver these units in such manner as required for insertion into cartons.

Another important object is to provide a means for supplying cartons in proper quantity and in a manner such as to make possible the inserti'on of the above segregated units into them.

Another object is to provide a packaging machine wherein definite volumes of articles are successively measured oil from the leading end of a continuously moving stack and inserted into cartons moving in a continuous line parallel theretowithout change in the speed of either the articles or cartons.

Still another object is to provide a packaging machine that will automatically and with certainty measure off a unit volume of more or less irregular articles, such as soda crackers, from the leading end of a continously moving stack sumcient to fill a carton within allowable limits and insert each unit into a carton by moving it laterally into the carton, while both the carton and unit are moving forward with the stack.

The above and other valuable advantages are attained by our invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings to which attention is now directed.

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing in side elevation the invention in skeleton form.

Figs. 2 and 202 show the invention in top plan on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 3a are elevations, partly in section, of Figs. 2 and 2a respectively, taken substantially on lines 3-3 and 3a--3a.

Fig. 4 is a view, somewhat enlarged, of the right hand end of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and side views respectively of the left hand end of Figs. 2a and 3a, with Fig. 6 partly in section on line 6-5 of Fig. 5.

Figs. '7 and 8 are plan and side views respectively of the right hand end of Figs. 2a and 3a, with Fig. 8 partly in section on line 3 -8 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of one of the box or arrow flights.

Figs. 11 and 12 are views similar to Fig. 7, with the parts in different stages of operation.

Figs. 13 and 14 are sectional views taken substantially on lines l3-l3 and l4l4 01 Fig. 11.

Our invention is adapted to package automatically biscuits of all kinds that are faced, stacked or placed in orderly arrangement in the containers. In the embodiment that we have se lected for illustration, we have adaptedit to filling a box approximately 8 inches long that contains approximately 4 ozs. of crackers in a single stack.

Reference is made first to Fig. 1 for a brief general description of the operation of the machine. An endless chain 2% passing around sprockets 2i, 22 carries a number of box flights 23 spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a box 24 that is to be filled with biscuit. A second chain 25 passing around sprockets 26, 2'! has its upper run parallel to the upper run of chain 23 and carries a number of biscuit c- \9 flights 23, adapted to receivea unit stack of biscuit between each adjacent pair suflicient to fill one box. The flights 23, 28 are spaced the same distance center to center on their respective chains and are in exact alignment on their parallel upper runs. Biscuit are fed in a continuous stack to the left end of a belt 29 passing over guide pulleys 30, st, 32 and driven by a drum 33. The belt 29 delivers the biscuit to a metering device shown as a pair of wheels 34, 35 between which the biscuit must pass standing on edge. At least one of the wheels, preferably wheel 35 has either a sponge rubber face or floating suspension so that it yields to accommodate slight variations in the height of the biscuit. The metering wheels deliver the bi..- cuit to rails 35 along which theyare pushed until they are intercepted and measured into desired quantities by the flights 28. The peripheral speeds of the wheels 3%, 35 are equal and are adjusted so that they will feed the biscuit to the rails 36 just fast enough to fill the spaces between successive flights. Soft rubber pusher rolls 3?, 3B or other suitable mechanism gently press any projecting biscuit down between the flights.

3?: represents the delivery end of a carton chute or feeder that feeds an empty box, lying .on its side with its open face turned toward the along by-the box flights until they tip over to upright position on a conveyor 42 by which they are carried to the wrapping and sealing machine. The box flights then pass downward around sprocket 22. It will thus be seen that the crackers and boxes move along at uniform speed from the point where they enter between pairs of flights 28 and 23 until the biscuit are fully in the boxes. There are no reciprocating parts or other mechanisms that have to be accurately timed and alternately moved and brought to rest.

This uniform motion and the omission of reciprocating and timing mechanisms contributes to high speed and accuracy of operation.

Reference is now made to Figs. 2 to 4 for a detailed description of the invention. Figs. 2 and 2a are complementary views, together constituting a plan of the entire machine. Likewise, Figs. 3 and 3a are complementary sectional views corresponding to Figs. 2 and 2a. The biscuit are omitted from Figs. 2 and 2a so as not to conceal parts of the machine, but are shown in Figs. 3 and 3a. The biscuit 43 are fed continuously from a stacker or other means (not shown) to the left-hand end of belt 29 between side rails 14. The belt carries the biscuit forward to the metering wheels 34, 3%, the surface speed of the belt being kept slightly greater,

about 2 to than the surface speed of the metering wheels. This compensates for occasional gaps in the line of biscuit and assures a constant supply to the metering device. In case the belt continues for an extended period to supply the biscuit faster than the metering device can receive them, the belt will slip under the crackers, or the operator may adjust the speed 7 while the flights move 8 /2 inches.

of the belt relative to the metering device by any shown in Fig. 4, to prevent its slipping with respect to the biscuit and the wheel 35 has a sponge rubber face or yieldable mounting to accommodate variations in the biscuit. The distance between the faces of the two wheels is slightly less, about 1-..- to A; inch, than the vertical width of the biscuit, so that the biscuit either indent the sponge rubber slightly or throughthe yielding of the wheel 35 are gripped between the wheels. This assures a uniform feed of the biscuit through the meter. The wheel 35 lifts the biscuit slightly and delivers them to a pair of rails 36, between which the wheel extends, the latter being narrower than the hiscuit.

The rails 36 terminate in inclined portions at between which the flights '28 are carried by chain 25 with their pointed ends entering between adjacent biscuit so as to intercept or measure off from the stack the right volume of biscuit to flll a carton. In the case chosen for illustration, the flights are spaced 8 inches center to center on the chain 25 and they are inch thick so that the space between adjacent flights is 8 inches, equal to the inside length of the carton to be filled. The speed of the meter is such that a length of biscuit just sufficient to properly fill the carton, or approximately 8 inches, is fed to the rails 36 for each flight interval. The biscuit G3 are moving forward on rails 35, 56 at the rate of approximately 8 inches per flight interval, This causes a loosening up of the biscuit within the area indicated at 41, Figs. 3 and 4, where the two left-hand flights 28 are about to measure off a length or unit of biscuit. The point of the left flight 28 may come up between two biscuit or it may strike anywhere within the thickness of a biscuit. If the flight is directly under a biscuit, the latter usually will go forward of the flight because the biscuit are looser in the forward direction and thespace, 8 /2 inches long, between the points of flights has to accommodate only approximately 8 inches. If less than a half a biscuit is forward of the entering flight, the biscuit will fall to the rear. If more than one-half biscuit is forward of the point of the flight, it will take its position in the stack ahead. As the biscuit move down the inclines -46, they settle or snuggle down between the flights substantially filling the free space of 8 inches. Sometimes, the biscuit are so rough or blistered, especially in the case of soda crackers, that they do not settle down freely of their own weight, but one or more may project slightly. In order to be sure that all biscuit lie uniformlybetween the flights, we provide a pusher which may take the form of two or more wheels 31, 38 having sponge rubber faces. These wheels or other suitable mechanism successively engage any projecting biscuit and gently press them down between flights. The wheel38 is slightly lower than wheel 31 so that the pressing action is gradual in case a biscuit projects very far out of line. An inclined pusher may be used, but this causes friction On the biscuit. We have found the pusher wheels to be more gentle and certain in their action than a stationary inclined member, and prefer to drive the wheels so that their peripheral speed equals the forward speed of the 5 biscuit. This avoids all rubbing on the biscuit and prevents formation of crumbs.

The inclined rails 46 terminate at a flat table or frame made in part from two angular members 48, 48 spaced apart to provide a slot 39 in which reduced portions or necks 5!} of the biscuit flights 28 run. This is best shown in Figs. 13 and 14. The biscuit are disposed centrally between the flights, but in order to plow or push them laterally into the boxes, they are first displaced from their central position. This is best shown in Figs. 2a and 5. Inclined lateral guides 5!, 52 beyond the pusher wheel 38 press the biscuit to one side of the flights just before they come opposite the box flights 23, that receive the'boxes 24 from the chute 3d. Y

Each flight 28 has a deep slot 53 into which the inclined plow 4| extends progressively to plow the. biscuit from between the flights into the adjacent boxes 24. This is best shown in Figs. 5, 13 and 14.

As shown in Figs. 13 and 14, two angular bars T1, 18 forming part of the frame or table extend under the box delivery chute as and are spaced apart to leave a slot 54 in which the reduced necks 55 of the box flights 23 travel.

Referring now to Figs. 2a, 3a, 5 and 6, the flights 23 as they round the sprocket 2! come up under the box delivery chute The boxes 24 are inclined in this chute so that the rear end of the lowest box rests on bars 7?, it over slot 5.4. The length of the boxes is substantially equal to the distance between flights so. that they have a reasonably close fit between adjacent flights. As a flight 23 comes up around sprocket 2| and its neck 55 is about to enter slot 54., but before it attains a vertical position, it engages the rear end of the lowest box as in the chute and at the same time the preceeding flight that has been under the box rides out from under it and lets it drop down between flights. At that time, the distance between the tops of the flights is more than eight inches, due to the rearward inclination of the rear flight, so that the box can drop down freely. As the rear flight completes its travel around sprocket 21, it becomes vertical at the top of the sprocket, and the box is held snugly between the flights. The box is then carried forward from under the box above and the rear flight or the rear end or the advancing box holds up the next above box until it can drop down into the next flight space. The. boxes have an open side which facestoward the biscuit flights 28, which are in exact alignment with the box flights and moving parallel thereto at the same speed. At each end of its open side, each box 24 has a lip 53 that flares outwardslightly and lies within a notch formed by a barb 5! formed on each side of the arrow head ends of the flights 23. The barbed heads and lips 56 provide guides for directing the biscuit units into the boxes.

Hinged guide bars 58 keep the top sides of the boxes from bowing upward and a rear guide 59; prevents their displacement rearwardly when the biscuit units are pushed therein.

The flights 2 3 travelvery close to the flights 2-3; but there is-necessarily some space between flights and; a greater space between the .open faces of the boxes and the innermost face of the inclined plowM. The notches 53 cannot extend allthe way through the flights 28, so the plow the biscuit fully into the boxes, we provide a presser comprising a presser disc 65 and prcsser foot Bl Which come into operation following the plow.

. The presser disc 6!] is fixed to a vertical shaft 62 (Figs. 7, 8, 11, 12, 14) driven by bevel gears 63 from a counter shaft 64, which is driven from the shaft 65 carrying the sprocket 21. The peripheral speed of the disc 60 equals the speed of the biscuit and it is located so that its edge substantially coincides with the plane of the open side of the boxes, so that as the boxes are carried past it, it gently rolls against the biscuit and presses them fully into the successive boxes. The disc has two cut-outs or notches 1|, 12 into which the flights 28 and the points of flights 23 enter as they pass. The leading edges 13, 14 of these notches are sharp and will engage the last cracker of each group adjacent its flight 23 and press it fully into the box, 12. But, because the notches 1!, 72 are wider than the flights, the trailing edges 15, 16 cannot engage the first biscuit of each group. The presser foot 6| pushes this first biscuit fully into each box. On the under face of disc 60 are two cams 65, 61 adapted alternately to engage and swing outwardly one end of a lever 68 pivoted to the frame at 69 and at its other end having the presser foot 6|. A tension spring it normally pulls the presser foot from the biscuit. The cams 66, 67 are timed to engage lever 68 and press the foot 6| inward so that it will just clear each flight 23, as shown in Fig. 12. The forward end of presser foot 6| is turned. up so that the foot, as it remains in contact with the biscuit for a short interval while lever 53 is engaged by one of the cams, will not injure any of the biscuit.

The bars 38, 43' form a table or biscuit slide on which the biscuit rest as they are carried along between flights 28 and are pushed into the boxes by the plow d! and presser 69. This slide terminates substantially in line with the axis of sprocket 2"! (Figs. 7 and 8). At this point the biscuit are entirely in boxes, or substantially so, and the boxes 24 are still being carried along on the box slides 71, 18 between adjacent box flights 23. The bar or slide member I8 terminates at 19 while the slide Tl ends at 89 above the axis of sprocket 22. From 11 to 80, the box. fully loaded. with biscuit is supported only by slide 11. When the rear end of a filled box clears the end 19, it is unstable on slide l! and turns over to fall on the plate 8! which is slightly below slide l'l'. The filled boxes are pushed along on plate 8| by the flights 23 until they reach the conveyor 42, as best shown in Figs. '7 and 8. The guide rails 58, 59 terminate at or slightly before the end 19 of slide '18. An idler 82, Figs. 3a and 6, is adapted to adjust the tension in the chain 25. The slide ll, 18 on which the boxes slide are slightly below the top of the table 43, G8 on which the biscuit slide, so that the edges of the boxes will not present an obstruction to the lateral movement of the biscuit, as best shown in Figs. 13 and '14.

When packaging many kinds of biscuit and other articles, the presser foot BI is not necessary because articles which may be projecting slightly from the box, will drop all the way in when the box is tilted over and drops the short distance to plate at.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the rear guide 59 is inwardly inclined adjacent the chute 39 to press the boxes laterally so that the lips 56 engage behind the barbs 51 22 and2l, so that the chains 20 and 25 are driven at the same speed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that our invention provides a machine for automatically measuring off definite quantities of fragile articles, that may be of varying thickness, from a continuously moving stack and inserting the measured quantities in boxes without altering the speed of the stack and without the use of reciprocating arts which would interefere with 'opcrating at high speed, with accuracy and certainty.

The foregoing is but illustrative of one form of ou invention and not a limitation thereon.

It may be embodied in many vforms andadaptations. We claim all such that may come withi the scope or intent of our claims. What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a continuous row of articles stacked on edge, a second conveyor having a number of flights spaced apart thereon, the receiving end of said second conveyor being adjacent the delivery end of said first conveyor, a metering device adapted to receive the articles on edge from the first conveyor and deliver them to the second conveyor, said metering device comprising a pair of wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles, and between which the articles pass, one of said wheels being yieldable, th peripheral speeds of said wheels being equal and of such magnitude that the length of the stack of articles metered therethrough in a given time interval shall be the linear amount required to properly fill the space between flights on the second conveyor which pass in the same time interval, and means for driving said conveyors and metering wheels continuously.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a row of articles stacked on edge, a pair of metering wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles to which the conveyor delivers said articles, one bisaid wheels being yieldable so that it may yield as, the articles pass between them, a pair of rails spaced apart to which the metering wheels deliver the stacked articles and push them al0ng, said rails being inclined downward at their delivery ends, a table to one end of which the rails deliver the articles, said table having a slot extending its full length and beyond one end of which the inclined rails extend so that the rails and table overlap in part, a sprocket beneath the overlapping ends of the table and rails and in alignment with said slot, an endlesschain conveyor passing around said sprocket and having its upper run beneath said slot, spaced flights se cured to saidconveyor and on its upper run extending through said slot and over said table, the inclined ends of said rails being spaced apart so that the flights can pass between them, said flights being wider than the table slot and each having a reduced neck that enters into said slot, said flights being reduced in thickness at their upper edges whereby each flight as it enters between the inclined portions of the rails will measure off a definite length from the stacked articles thereon to flll the space between adjacent flights, and means for driving said metering wheels and chain conveyor continuously at such relative speeds that the metering wheels will deliver the stacked articles to the rails at a rate to fill the space between adjacent flights. n 3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a row of articles stacked on edge, a

pair of metering wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles to which the conveyor delivers said articles, one of said wheels being yieldable so that it may yield as the articles pass between them,-a pair of rails spaced apart to which the wheels deliverthe stacked articles and push them along, said rails being inclined downward at their delivery ends, a table to one end of which the rails deliver the articles, said table having a slot extending its full length and beyond one end of which the inclined rails extend so that the rails and table overlap in part, a sprocket beneath the overlapping ends of the table and rails and in alignment with said slot, an endless chain conveyor passing around said sprocket and having its upper run beneath said slot, spaced flights secured to said conveyor and on its upper run extending through said slot and over said table, the inclined ends of said rails being spaced apart so that the flights can pass between them, said flights being wider than the table slot and each having areduced neck that enters into said slot, said'flights being reduced in thickness at their 'upper edges whereby each flight as it enters between theirrclined portions of the rails will measure off ,a definite length from the stacked articles thereon to fill the space between adjacent flights, means for driving said metering wheels and chain conveyor continuously at such relative speeds that th metering wheels will deliver the stacked articles to the rails at a rate to fill the spaces between adiacent flights, each flight having a slit therein which is above the table on its upper run,

said slit extending nearly across the flight, an in clined plow secured to the table in alignment with said slits, said plow being spaced from the flights at one end and progressively entering into said slits in the direction of travel of the flights whereby the articles between the flights are pushed laterally therefrom.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a row of articles stacked on edge, a pair of metering wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles to which the conveyor delivers said articles, one of said wheels being yieldable so that it may yield as the articles pass between them, a pair of rails spaced apart to which the wheel deliver the stacked articles and push them its upper run beneath said slot, spaced flights seasses 1e cured to said conveyor and on its upper run extending through saidslot and over said table, the inclined ends of said rails being spaced apart so that the flights can pass between them, said flights being wider than the table slot and each having a reduced neck that enters into said slot, said flights being reduced in thickness at their upper edges whereby each flight as it enters between the inclined portions of the rails will measure off a definite length from the stacked articles thereon to fill the spaces between adjacent flights,

means for driving said metering wheelsand chain conveyor continuously at such relative speeds that the metering wheels will deliver the stacked articles to the rails at a rate to fill the spaces between adjacent flights, and means for pushing the articles from between the flights during their travel along the table.

5. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table having two parallel slots therein, an endless conveyor beneath each slot and each having a number of spaced flights which on their upper runs extend through the respective slots and above the table, the flights on the two conveyors being spaced equidistant and being .in alignment above the table, means for filling the successive spaces between flights on one conveyor with stacks of articles, means for placing a box in each space between successive flights on the other conveyor, means for driving said conveyors in the same direction and at the same speed whereby said stacks of articles will be carried along the table opposed to the respective boxes, and a fixed camming member for pushing the stacks of articles laterally into the boxes.

6. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table, two parallel endless conveyors beneath the table, one of said conveyors having a number of article flights thereon which on their upper run extend above the table, means for filling the spaces between flights as they begin their upper run with measured groups of articles stacked on edge, the second conveyor having a number of box flights thereon which on their upper run extend above the table, the box flights being spaced apart the same distance as the article flights and in alignment therewith above the table, means for placing an empty box to fill the space between each two box flights as they start their upper run, means for driving said conveyors in the same direction and at the same speed, whereby each group of articles is carried along the table opposed to an empty box, each article flight having a horizontal slit extending across it above the table with its open end away from the box flights, and an inclined plow on the table adapted to enter said slits and progressively push the groups of articles from the article flights into the boxes as they travel along the table.

'7. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table, two parallel endless conveyors beneath the table, one of said conveyors having a number of article flights thereon which on their upper run extend above the table, means for filling the spaces between flights as they begin their upper run with measured groups of articles stacked on edge, the second conveyor ha ing a number of box flights thereon which on their upper run extend above the table, the box flights being spaced apart the same distance as the article flights and in alignment therewith above the table, means for placing an empty box to fill the space between each two box flights as they start their upper run, means for driving said conveyors in the same direction and at the same speed, whereby each group of articles is carried along the tableopposed to an empty box, each article flight having a horizontal slit extending across it above the table with its open end away from the box flights, an inclined plow on the table adapted to enter said slits and progressively push the groups or" articles from the article flights into the boxes as they travel along the table, and a presser beyond the plow for pressing the articles fully into the boxes.

8. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table having a longitudinal slot therein, 'a pair of inclined rails leading to one end of said table on opposite sides of said slot, an endless conveyor chain beneath said table having its upper run beneath and parallel to said slot, a sprocket under said rails and the adjacent end of said table around which said chain passes, a number of flights connected to said chain and on its upper run extending above the table, said flights having reduced necks which on the upper run travel in said slot, said flights being wider than said slot above the table and passing between said inclined rails at the beginning of their upper run, means for driving said chain and flights continuously at uniform speed, and means for supplying a continuous row of articles stacked on edge to said inclined rails, said means including a pair of yieldable wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles and between which the articles are moved to elfect their proper spacing whereby as each flight passes between the rails a definite length of the stacked articles will be measured off between it and the next preceding flight at the beginning of their upper run.

9. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table having a longitudinal slot therein, a pair of inclined rails leading to one end of said table on opposite sides of said slot, an endless conveyor chain beneath said table having its upper run beneath and parallel to said. slot, a sprocket under said rails and the adjacent end of said table around which said chain passes, a number of flights connected to said chain and on its upper run extending above the table, said flights having reduced necks which on the upper run travel in said slot, said flights being wider than said slot above the table and passing between said inclined rails at the beginning of their upper run, means for driving said chain and flights continuously at uniform speed, means for supplying a continuous row of articles stacks on edge to said inclined rails, whereby as each flight passes between the rails a definite length of the stacked articles will be measured off between it and the next preceding flight at the beginning of their upper run, each of said flights having a horizontal slit extending nearly across it above the table, and an inclined plow secured to the table and adapted to enter said slits and push the stacked articles progressively from between the flights as they are carried along the table.

10. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table having a longitudinal slot therein, a pair of inclined rails leading to one end of said table on opposite sides of said slot, an endless conveyor chain beneath said table having its upper run beneath and parallel to said slot, a sprocket under said rails and the adjacent end of said table around which said chain passes, a number of fli hts connected to said chain and on its upper run extending above the table, said flights having reduced necks which on the upper run travel in said slot, said flights being wider than said slot above the table and passing between said inclined rails at the beginning of their upper run, means for driving said chain and flights continuously at uniform speed, means for supplying a continuous'row of articles stacked on edge to said inclined rails, whereby as each flight passes between the rails a definite length of the stacked articles will be measured oil be tween it and the next preceding flight at the beginning of their upper run, each of said flights having a horizontal slit extending nearly across it above the table, an inclined plow secured to the table and adapted to enter said slits and push the stacked. articles progressively from between the flights as they are carried along the table,

and alaterally inclined guide adapted to engage the articles and displace them laterally of the flights toward the plow before the plow becomes operative.

11. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table having a longitudinal slot therein, an

endless chain beneath said table with its upper run adjacent said slot, a number of flights secured to said chain and spaced equidistant thereon, said flights on the upper run extending through said slot and having a reduced neck running in said slot, means for supplying stacked articles to fill the spaces between adjacent flights m above the table at one end of their upper run, said means including a pair of yieldable wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of the stacked articles and between which the articles are moved to effect their proper spacing and means for driving the chain continuously whereby the articles are carried along the table between the flights.

on edge, means for filling the spaces between flights-on the other of said upper runs above the table with single boxes, the flights on, the two chains being in alignment, means for driving the chains at equal speeds, and a fixed camming member arranged angularly to traverse the upper run of said article conveyor to effect a continuous progressive transfer of said articles from the article conveyor to'the box conveyor.

13. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table, an endless conveyor beneath the table having its upper run adjacent the table top, a number of flights spaced equidistant on said conveyor and on the upper run extending through V a slot in said table, means for placing an empty box between each two flights at the beginning of their upper run above the table and means on said flights including a bevelled barbed head to serve the two-fold purpose of holding the box in position and forming an entrance guide to the empty box.

14. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table, an endless conveyor beneath the table 7 having its upper run adjacent the table top, a number of flights spaced equidistant on said conveyor and on the upper run extending through a slot in said table, means for placing an empty box between each two flights at the beginning of their upper run above the table, each flight having an arrow head at one end providing opposite barbs for receiving lips on the boxes, whereby the barbed heads serve the two-fold purpose of holding the boxes in position and forming an entrance guide to the empty box, and mean for driving the conveyor.

15. In a packaging machine, the combination of a table formed from two slides spaced apart to provide a slot therebetween, an endless conveyor beneath said table having a number of box flights thereon which on the upper run extend through said slot, means for placing an empty box on its side between each two flights at the beginning of the upper run whereby the boxes will be carried along on said slides, a second conveyor carrying groups of articles along said table parallel to said first conveyor, means for moving said groups of articles from said second conveyor into the respective boxes on the first conveyor, said slides being of different lengths with the slide that is farthest from the second conveyor being shorter and ending at approximately the-point where the groups of articles are moved from the second conveyor, a plate beneath and beyond the end of said shorter side and parallel to said longer slide, whereby each filled box as it is carried beyond the end of the shorter slide will tilt about the longer slide and drop to the plate with its open side uppermost.

15. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a conveyor for advancinga col umn of stacked articles in a continuous flow, a pair of yieldable wheels spaced apart a distance slightly less than the height of said stacked ar ticles between which the articles pass and are metered from the column, means for driving said wheels at equal peripheral speeds, a second conveyor arranged to segregate and carry off predetermined amounts of the metered articles, said second conveyor operating at a linear speed relative to the peripheral speeds of said wheels such that the space interval between said metered articles is maintained.

1?. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a continuous stack of articles, a second conveyor in alignment with said first conveyor, continuously operating means for measuring off unit quantities of articles from said first conveyor and placing said quantities in spaced apart relation on said second conveyor, a thirdconveyor parallel to said second conveyor and spaced laterally therefrom, means for supplying boxes to said third conveyor and spacing them thereon the same distance apart as quantities of articles on the second conveyor, means for driving said second and third conveyors continuously and at the same speed, and means including a fixed member located the second conveyor in a position to engage bias each of said quantities of articles progressively therefrom into the box opposed to it on the third conveyor;

18. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a continuous stack of articles, a second conveyor, a continuously driven metering device'receiv'ing articles from said first conveyor and delivering them continuously at a definite rate to said second conveyor, means on said second conveyor to separate said articles into groups of definite size, a third conveyor parallel to said second conveyor, means supplying boxes to said third conveyor spaced apart thereon the same distance as said groups on said second conveyor, means for driving said second and third conveyors in the same direction and at the same speed, and means including a fixed member located adjacent the second conveyor in a position to engage and bias each group therefrom into a box on the third conveyor While said conveyors are travelling at their uniform speeds.

19. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a continuously driven conveyor adapted to carry a continuous stack of articles, a second conveyor having a number of flights thereon, a continuously driven metering device receiving stacked articles from said first conveyor and delivering them continuously to said second conveyor, means whereby said flights separate said articles into groups of definite size on said second conveyor with each group being between two adjacent flights, a third conveyor parallel to said second conveyor and having a number of box flights thereon, means for placing a box between each two adjacent box flights on said third conveyor with each box having an open side facing toward said second conveyor, the flights on said second and third conveyors being spaced the same distance apart and in alignment on the two conveyors, means for driving said second and third conveyors continuously in the same direction and at the same speed, and means including a fixed member located adjacent the second conveyor in a position to engage and bias each group of articles from between the flights therefrom laterally of its direction of travel into an open box between flights on the third conveyor, whereby the boxes are filled with the articles, and means for removing the filled boxes from the third conveyor.

GEORGE H. RHODES. RUDOLPH C. LANG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 699,775 Thom May 13, 1902 1,064,452 Denmead et a1 June 10, 1913 1,300,763 Parison Apr. 15, 1919 1,433,328 Wright Oct. 24, 1922 1,467,020 Tzibides Sept. 4, 1923 1,502,201 Jaeger July 22, 1924 1,627,764 Angeli May 10, 1927 1,628,803 Pinter May 17, 1927 1,635,543 Conti July 12, 1927 1,649,639 Wright Nov. 15, 1927 2,016,820 Milmore Oct. 8, 1935 2,133,248 Jones Oct. 11, 1938 2,285,283 Jones June 2, 1942 2,311,577 Rose Feb. 16, 1943

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