US3112807A

US3112807A - Package filling machine

Info

Publication number: US3112807A
Application number: US16815A
Authority: US
Inventors: Litchard Alexander
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-03-22
Filing date: 1960-03-22
Publication date: 1963-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-03

Description

e Sheets-Shet 1 Filed March 22, 1960 \N ha ZW% W166 ATTORNEYS Dec. 3, 1963 A. LITCHARD PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 22. 1960 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS A. LITCHARD PACKAGE FILLING MAQHINE Dec. 3, 19 3 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 22, 1960 ATTORNEY-5 Dec. 3, 1963 A. LITCHARD PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 22, 1960 ATTORNEYS ATTORNEYS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 W Ml Dec. 3, 1963 A. LITCHARD PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE Filed March 22. 1960 Dec. 3, 1963 A. LITCHARD PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 22, 1960 Q N 5 I amn 6 g Q V %m am}, SK mmk .QQ mm, A Ha Q QR x E N & Q MM a? Nwm .IJ \NQN Swx wk g NF wk wma H QR K mm mm HMIWIH H= 0 mm o R United States Patent 3,112,807 PACKAGE FILLING MACHINE I Alexander Litchard, 322 N. Main St., Wellsville, N.Y.

Filed Mar. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 16,815 Claims. (Cl. 177-120) This invention relates to improvements in machines for filling containers, such as cardboard boxes, with materials to be packed therein.

Machines of this kind may, for example, be used for packaging vegetables in containers in which the vegetables are then frozen. Machines of this type are employed while the vegetables or other products to be packaged are being harvested, and most fruits or vegetables, before being packaged for freezing, are blanched and must be packed quickly after blanching, also packers of such materials receive large quantities of the same in a comparatively short time during the harvest season so that machines of large capacities are desirable.

It is consequently an object of this invention to provide a machine which is capable of operating at high speed and of large capacity so that the fruits and vegetables can be packed quickly during the harvesting season. 1

It is also an object to provide a machine of this kind by means of which the materials are quickly placed into boxesor containers while the same rest on weighing scales, and my invention includes novel means to stop the feeding of the material to each container when the desired weight of material has been fed into the same.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example one embodiment of this invention:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly diagrammatic, to show the general arrangement of the various parts or elements of a machine embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a part thereof whereby material is fed from amain conveyor belt to another conveyor.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation thereof. a

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof on line 5-5, FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 6-6, FIG.

' 1, of another part of the machine for discharging material mechanism shown FIG. 1, 'of the part of said machine for movingboxes from a feed belt to a track or slide and to the. scales.

FIG. 11 is a top plan FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof on line 12-12, FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a similar view of the lower part of the mechanism shown in FIG. 12, but showing the parts in different positions.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof partly in section on line 14-14, FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof on line 15-15, FIG. 10.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic view showing the various electrical connections between parts of my machine.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary top plan view of the portion of the box receiving table which is adjacent to the box carrying belt.

weighing view of the mechanism shown in 3,112,807 Patented Dec. 3, 1563 "ice FIG. 18 is a fragmentary view similar to FIG. 17 with some of the parts in different positions.

rial while the containers rest on scales, not shown in the tion shown is preferably made of rubber or other flexible figure, and which of themselves do not constitute apart of the invention.

D represents a container or box feed belt by means of which the containers or boxes C are fed to the apparatus embodying my invention. 'These containers as delivered by the feed belt D have their lids c in open or vertical.

position and may be placed on this feed belt D in any suitable manner and by any suitable means. Box making machines are available which manufacture'these boxes at a rapid rate and one or more machines of this type may be positioned to deliver the boxes to the feed belt D;

The containers are moved from the feed belt D upon a transversely extending feed belt E from which the containers are discharged upon a series of tablesor platforms F, one of these tables being provided for each of the branch material feed belts B. The containers are posi-- tioned upon scale G and'while restingvon the scale platform the material is fed into the containers until the desired weight has been attained, after which the supply of further material to the containers is interrupted and the containers are moved upon discharge chutes or pas"- sageways H which may terminate at a conveyor belt I arranged below the main material feed belt A and from which the filled containers are discharged from the machine. The handling of the containers after leaving the machine is effected by means of an apparatus which does not by itself form a part of this present invention.

It will be notedthat the feeding of material from the belt on which the material to be depositedis'placed. The particular machine as illustrated in FIGL 1 is provided with six container filling mechanisms for simultaneously supplying material to six boxs or containers, but it will be understood that any number of these container filling mechanisms may be. employed, and since'thesemechanisms are all substantially identical, only one of them will be herein described.

The motor itself in the particular construction illustrated by way of example is mounted on an upright plate or frame member 24 connected by means of a transverse frame member 25 with another upright frame member 26. The

frame members

24 and 26 are suitably secured on the rods 21 by means of clamps 27 or the like. The rods 21 may be supported on the frame members 22 at their ends by mounting blocks 28. Any other means for mounting the, motor above the main material feed belt may be employed.

The motor has a shaft 30 on which a pulley 31 is secured which connects by means of a belt 32 with a pulley 33 provided with a shaft 34 suitably journalled on downwardly extending parts of the

side frame plates

24 and 26, and a paddle 36 is mounted on the shaft 34 for rotation by the motor 26 The paddle in the construcmembers shown in FIG. 1 are so positioned that each paddle will operate on a portion only of the main feed belt A so that the first of these paddles will remove material from an edge portion of the main feed belt and the other paddles are positioned successively farther across the main feed belt. Any other means for supplying material to the branch material feed belts may be employed from the ends of which the material to be packaged is discharged to the boxes or containers.

The feeding of the material to the boxes or containers C is shown in FIGS. 6-9, in which 40 represents a scale platform upon which the boxes C are fed one at a time. The branch material feed belts X extend over a pulley 4-1 suitably mounted on a frame member 42 and a scraper blade 44 is provided which extends crosswise of the branch feed belt B and over a container C positioned on the scale. The material carried by the branch feed belt B is removed from this belt and discharged into a container by means of a roll 45 having a number of combs or .brushes 46 mounted on the periphery of the roll, these combs or brushes being made of rubber or other resilient material and arranged relatively to the branch feed belt B in such a manner that when the roll 45 is rotated by its shaft 47 the drive of which is not shown, the combs or brushes 46 will contact the material on the branch feed belt and throw it into the box or container C.

The roll 45 and combs or brushes 46 mounted thereon are arranged within a cover or housing 48 extending be-- diameter as the cover 48 so as to form a continuation peripherally with the cover 48 when positioned as shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 6 the scoop is spaced from the scraper 44 so that the material can pass to the box C through the space between the scraper 44 and the scoop 49 and when the required amount of material has been deposited in the container C, the scoop is then moved down into the position shown in FIG. 7 into engagement with the scraper 44, thus intercepting further passage of material to the box C. While in this position the roll 45 and the branch feed belt B continue to move and consequently material deposited on the feed belt B will be fed by the brushes 46 upwardly into the cover 48 and deposited again on the feed belt B. This mechanism is desirable for the reason that in order to operate at high speeds it is very desirable that the motion of the'feed belt and the throwing mechanism including the roll 45' continue to Operate, thus avoiding the time required to start and stop the movement of these parts.

The stopping of the feed of material to the box is actuated by suitable mechanism energized by the scale platform 40 when the box C has acquired the desired weight. This weight control mechanism may be of any suitable or desired type, and since mechanisms of this type are commonly employed in connection with other types of weighing and container filling machines, a detailed description of the weighing mechanism is not deemed necessary.

As will be hereinafter explained, when the material in a box C has attained the desired weight, an electric switch 4 which has also connected to it, a rack bar 53 provided with gear teeth which mesh with a gear 54, FIG. 6, mounted on a shaft 55 suitably journalled in the frame members 42 on which this box filling mechanism is mounted. This shaft 55 also has mounted thereon a cam 56, the periphery of which bears against a wheel or roller 57 journalled in a post or plunger 58 movable vertically in a stationary guide member 60 secured in any suitable manner to the frame member 42. In the construction shown, the stationary guide member 6t) has a pair of outwardly extending arms 61 suitably secured by means of bolts 62 extending through spacing sleeves to the frame members 42. t

The movable plunger 58 is yieldingly urged into its upper position by means of springs 65 acting through rods 66 slidably mounted on the fixed guide member 60 and secured at their lower ends on a plate 67 to which the lower end of the movable plunger 58 is also secured. This plate 67 moves downwardly for the two-fold purpose of cuttingolf any material extending beyond the lower edge of the scraper 44 and also to compact the material in the box C. The scoop 49 must be in contact with the cutoff and compacting member 67 when the product is cut olf and then may move uywardly along the scraper 44 into the position shown in FIG. 7. The cam 56 is so formed that the compacting plate is immediately with drawn from its lowered position to permit the filled container to be removed and replaced by an empty one be-' fore the scoop 49 is raised to permit material to enter the next container.

The movement of the scoop 49 from the position shown in FIG. 6 in which the material is discharged into a box C to the cutoff position in which the product is cut olf by the plate 67 and in which the flow of material to the box C is interrupted and then to the position shown in FIG. 7 in which the material is directed upwardly into the cover member 48, is controlled by means of a pair of arms 70 connected at their lower end to the scoop 49 and having their upper ends pivoted at 71 to links 72. The upper ends of these links are pivoted at 74 to the opposite ends of a crosshead or yoke 74 secured to the piston of the pneumatic motor 52. The upper ends of the arms 70 consequently receive movement from the piston rod 75 and the direction of the movement of these arms is controlled by means of

slots

76 and 77 formed in the frame plate 42 and into which pins secured to the arms 70 extend. The slots are so formed that the scoop when moved downwardly will move in contact with the cutting edge of the lower plate 67 until the cut is completed, after which the lower end of the scoop will be moved upwardly along the scraper into the position shown in FIG. 7 to cause the material delivered to the scraper by the belt B to pass the material from the branch belt B upwardly into the space between the roller 45 and the cover 48 for return later to the branch belt B.

The mechanism for moving the containers into positions on the scales where they are filled with the material is particularly illustrated in FIGS. 10 -l5. As has been stated, the boxes or containers are removed, one at a time, from the feed belt E to the various tables or platforms F, six of which are shown in FIG. 1. Since the box feed mechanism is the same in principle for each table, only the construction as used on the shortest of thesetables will be described. These tables are supported on rigid frame members which are in turn suitably mounted on the main supporting frame of the machine. These frame members include parts and 86 connected by longitudinally extending frame members 87 to which suitable, upwardly extending arms 88 are secured, these arms being rigid or integral extensions of

side plates

89 and 90 between which the table F is supported. The table with the upwardly extending

side plates

89 and 90 guides the containers C during their movement to the scale G.

The mechanism for imparting movement to the boxes or containers along the table F includes a bar or rod 94 which is mounted to slide toward and from the containercarrying belt E. This rod may be mounted on the

frame members

85 and 86 of the machine in any suitable manner and is slidable in guides or bearings 95. This slide bar 94 has mounted thereon various parts for engaging the boxes and it advances them step by step to the scale G and then removes them from the scale to the discharge chute H from which they are discharged from the machine to suitable apparatus (not shown) for closing the boxes.

Another slide bar 96 is provided at the other side of the table F and the two slide bars are connected by a yoke 97 which is moved back and forth lengthwise of the table by means of the piston of a fluid actuated cylinder 98. The slide bar is guided in its movement by suitable bearings 99. 1

The slide bars 94 and 96 support upwardly extending

plates

100 and 106 on which certain parts of the box moving mechanism is mounted. Another plate 191 is suitably connected with the main plate 100, the plate 101 being spaced from the plate 100 to receive between them the cover or lids c of the boxes. The plate 101 may be provided with a channel-shaped portion 102 for reinforcing the same, and the two plates are welded together or otherwise suitably connected by means of laterally extending plates or other structural members 193 above the path of travel of the box lids. The upwardly extending plate 106 is connected with the plate 191 by means of a plurality of pivot rods or

cross members

107, 193 and 109, thus forming a frame structure which travels with the slide bars 94 and 96, since the lower ends of the plates are secured to bushings 194 through which the slidable bars extend loosely so that the shaft 94 can rotate within these bushings. Sleeves or enlargements secured to the shafts cause the bushings to move with the shafts during lengthwise movement of the same.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a hook member which hooks over the nearest upper edge of a container C while such container is located on the belt E. This hook member may be of any suitable construction, that shown being in the form of a box-engaging link 111 having a slot or recess 112 formed in the lower edge thereof. The link 111 is actuated through an intermediate link mechanism from a cylinder 115, the piston rod 115 of which is connected to an arm 117 of a bell crank lever pivoted on the pivot or cross member 107, the other arm 118 of this bell crank lever being pivoted to

links

120 and 121, the opposite end of link 121 pivoted at 122 to a box-pushing finger orpawl 124. The boxengaging link 111 is pivotally connected to the link 1211 at 126 and is also provided with a slot 127 through which the cross member 109 extends.

As a result of thisconstruction, it will be noted that when the piston rod 116 is drawn into the cylinder 115, the parts will occupy the positions shown in FIG. 14, in which the box-engaging link 111 is in approximately horizontal position above the path of movement of the boxes, and the notched end of this link extends above and near the adjacent edge of a box C, the link lll having previously advanced this box C fromthe belt E to the table F. When the slidable rod 96 is moved into its advanced position, the cylinder 115 is then actuated to move its piston downwardly, whereupon the box-engaging link 111 is moved to the right with its pivotal connection 126 with the link 120, thus moving the slot 112 over an edge of the box on the belt E and at the same time the finger 124 is swung into the position by its link 121 to engage the rear wall of the box, shown in FIG. 10. In order to accomplish this movement of the box-engaging link 111, it will be noted that this link has on its upper edge a downwardly recessed or shouldered part 130 which moves into engagement with a roller 128 on the fixed bearing member 108 which permits the outer end of the box-engaging link 1111 to swing downwardly so that the notched outer end thereof moves into engagement with a side wall of the box, and at the same time Cir the swinging of this link 111 permits the link to move into the inclined position shown in FIGURE 10,

table F by the notched link 111. While the parts are. in this position, the

slidable rods

94 and 96 are moved to the left in FIGS. 10 and 11 so that the finger 124 moves forwardly the box which has just been positioned on the table, while the box-engaging link 111 moves another box from the belt onto the table. This finger and link space the boxes in correct distance from each other so that the cover of one box will not interfere with the cover of an adjacent box.

In addition to moving the boxes from the belt E to the table F, means are provided for correctly positioning the boxes on the table. These means include two movable side walls 133 which are hinged to the fixed

side walls

89 and 99, as indicated at 134. These movable side walls are moved to extend laterally at angles to the fixed side walls, as clearly shown in FIGS. 11 and 18 and are swung toward each other to engage the sides of the boxes and push them into approximate alinement with the fixed

side walls

89 and 90 in any suitable manner so that any boxes arranged between these two side walls will be moved into correct alinement with the table F to pass between the fixed side walls on their way to the scale G. The movement of the side walls 133 toward each other may for example be effected by blocks 174 which are secured to the side walls 133. These blocks have holes extending through them into which rods 172 extend for movement relatively thereto. The rods 172 are secured to the yoke 97 and have bent portions 171 which produce the necessary movement of the side walls 133.

The movable side walls have their outer ends bent outwardly, as shown at 135, to engage any boxes located on the belt E and not in correct alinement therewith, such boxes being pushed by the outwardly bent ends 135 into correct position on the belt E. Any other means for correctly positioning the boxes on the table F may be provided.

The advancing of the boxes after they have been positioned on the table F is effected by means of the slidable bar 94 and the parts connected therewith, which include upwardly extending arms secured thereto. The upper ends of these arms 140 are connected to a rod 141 which has secured thereto a plurality of box-engaging pusher fingers 142 and stop fingers 143. Because of the rapid movement of the boxes on the table F, stop fingers are necessary to prevent the boxes from advancing beyond their intended positions.

The slidable bar 94 also has an outwardly extending arm 144 secured thereon. This slidable bar and the arms mountedthereon are movable between the positions shown in FIGS. 12 and 13; In FIG. 12 the box-engaging pusher fingers 142 are in positions in back of a box for advancing the box when the slidable bar 94 advances.

At one edge of the arm 144 a wedge 147 is arranged which is movable vertically by means of an air cylinder 148. It will be clearly seen by comparing FIGS. Hand 13 that when the wedge is moved upwardly, the arms 14% and box-pushing fingers 142 will be in a position to engage the boxes and when the wedge 147 is in a lower position, shown in FIG. .13, the box-pusher fingers 142 will be out of engagement with the boxes and in posi-. tion to be returned to cooperate with another box. Suitable resilient means, not shown, may be employed to swing

arms

140 and 144 back into the positions shownin FIG. 13.

The link 144 also has an extension which cooperates with a sensitive switch 150 which controls the return movement of the sliding bar 94 as will hereinafter more in referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 that the mechanism described moves the boxes one at a time onto the scale platform G where they are filled by means of mechanism which has been described. When the desired weight has been placed into the box on the scale, a sensitive switch is actuated which immediately interrupts further feeding to the box, as has already been described, and at the same time advances the box feeding mechanism to move the box on the scale G to the discharge track H and to move another box on the scale. When this movement is complete, the sliding bar 96 will have advanced to the position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 11, in which position it actuates an electric switch 155 which through suitable means hereinafter described again starts the operation of the box-filling mechanism and returns the box-advancing mechanism into its starting position, and on this return movement, the slidable rod 94 actuates another switch 156 through its arm 157.

The box-advancing mechanism is the same on the other tables shown in FIG. 1 except that

slidable rods

94 and 96 and the rod 141 are longer and more box-advancing fingers 142 are provided.

The cycle of operation of the mechanism described is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 16, and includes the moving of each box ahead one station at a time by means of four distinct, rapid, consecutive movements. Current is supplied to the machine through conductors 160 and 161,.the conductor 160 leading to a switch 162 which is closed by downward movement of the box on the scale G when this box has received the required weight. During this operation of filing the box, the other parts of the mechanism are all dormant and all of the air cylinders or motors are in retracted positions with the various boxadvancing fingers or parts out of engagement with the boxes. When the desired weight on the scale G has been attained, the switch 162 closes allowing current from the line 160 to flow to the line 165 and thence to the advance valve solenoid in the solenoid housing 163 of the cylinder 52 and then to the other side of the line 161, completing this circuit, which advances the scoop 49 to stop delivery of material to the filled box C. The plate 67 cuts off and packs the produce in the box and at the same time at the end of its downward stroke the switch 164 is closed, this providing current from the line 160 to flow to

lines

166 and 167. The line 166 connects to a solenoid valve on the end of the cylinder 115 and then to the other side of the line 161, while the line 167 connects to a solenoid valve on the end of the air cylinder 148 and then to the line 161. These connections provide simultaneous advancing of these cylinders causing the box-engaging link 1111 to catch onto the side of the box C while the cylinder 148 rotates the shaft 94 counter-clockwise and moves the pusher fingers 142 into box-engaging position. In this position the finger 157 closes the switch 156 which provides cur rent from the line 160 through a line 168 to the advance valve solenoid in the solenoid housing 170 of the boxadvancing cylinder 98, and thence to the other side of the line 161. This connection then allows air pressure to advance the piston and crosshead 9'7 and cause a box C to be taken off the conveyor E, advance an empty box onto the scale platform 40 while at the same time push a filled and weighted box C off of the scale platform 40 to the discharge chute H. At the extreme advance position the rod 96 will engage the switch 155 which provides current from the line 160 to the retracted valve solenoid in the solenoid housing 163 and then to the other side of the line 161, this causing the retraction of the scoop 49 and allowing the filling of a box C to take place. Simultaneously, as the piston of the cylinder 52 retracts, the switch 164 opens, which retracts the link 111 to the position of FIG. 14 and the pusher finger arms 140 and the pusher finger 142 associated therewith are returned to the position of FIG. 13. This movement then causes pawl 144 to close switch 150 and energize the retracting valve solenoid by current flowing from line 160 through switch 8 to the other side of the line 161. Energization of this valve solenoid causes the crosshead 97 and the associated parts to return to retracted position and ready for another cycle when a box has the correct weight of material.

The machine herein shown and described has been found to operate successfully on French style green beans in blanched state for packaging them in frozen food boxes, but it is not intended to limit this machine to use on this material since the machine can be readily used on other vegetables and fruits as well as on many other substances. My machine lends itself readily for use with machines now on the market for making the boxes at high rates of speed which are fed directly to my machine and to another machine for closing the boxes.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container filling machine including a belt for carrying material to its discharge end, a rotary brush mounted above the discharge end of said belt for brushing material from said belt into a container, means for interrupting the feed of material to a container when the same has received the desired quantity of material, including a scoop which moves to the discharge end of said belt without stopping said belt when a container has been filled to the desired extent, for preventing further material from being discharged to said container.

2. A container filling machine according to claim 1 and including means cooperating with said scoop for again discharging to said belt material removed therefrom, for feeding to another container.

3. A container filling machine according to claim 2 and including a scale on which said container rests while being filled, and means actuated by said scale when the container has acquired the desired weight to move said scoop into position at the discharge end of said belt and prevent material from being fed to the container.

4. A machine for supplying material to a container, said machine including a belt for carrying material to its discharge end, a rotary brush arranged above the discharge end of said belt for brushing material from said belt into a container, a cover extending above and partly enclosing said rotary brush, a scoop movable into a position at the discharge end of said belt and peripherally continuous with the cover for cooperating with the brush to feed material into the space between said brush and said cover when the desired amount of material has been fed to a container, said cover and brush returning material in the space between said brush and said cover to said belt for delivery to another container, said scoop being movable into position in spaced relation to said belt to permit discharge of material to a container.

5. A container filling machine including a belt for carrying material to its discharge end, a rotary brush mounted above the discharge end of said belt for brushing material from said belt into a container, a cover for partly enclosing said rotary brush, said cover being partly cylindrical, and ascoop of partly cylnidrical form movable to the discharge end of said belt, said scoop when in material-receiving position forming approximately a continuation of the cylindrical form of said cover, said brush in cooperation with said cover and said scoop feed material picked up back upon said belt.

6. A container filling machine including a belt for carrying material to its discharge end, a brush at the discharge end of said belt, a scraper at the discharge end, of said belt for guiding material advanced by the brush into a container and having a cutting edge at the discharge end thereof, a cutoif member cooperating with the cutting edge of said scraper for cutting olf material on said scraper, and means for interrupting further feed- 9 ing of material to a container when material on said scraper has been out 01f.

7. A container filling mechanism according to claim 6 in which said interrupting means is in the form of a scoop engaging said scraper for removing cut off material remaining on said scraper.

8. A container filling mechanism according to claim 6 in which said interrupting means is in the form of a scoop engaging said scraper for removing cut ofi mateing material from said belt into a container, a housing extending partly around the upper portion of said brush, a scraper engaging said belt at the discharge end thereof for guiding material from said belt into a container and having a cutting edge at its discharge end, a cutting plate cooperating with the discharge end of said scraper for cutting material at said discharge end, and a scoophaving its lower end movable with said cutting plate into engagement with the discharge end-of said scraper and extending into said housing for deflecting material from said scraper into said housing for return by said brush to said belt.

10. A container filling machine including a belt for carrying material to its discharge end, a scale upon which the container rests while receiving material, a scoop movable into operative relation to the discharge end of said ,belt for interrupting the supply of material to said container when the same has received the required weight of material, a scraper which guides the material from the belt and which has a cutting edge at its discharge end, a cutoff plate which cooperates with said cutting edge and severs the material passing to said container when the supply of material thereto is interrupted by said scoop, a cam which moves said cutofi plate toward said container, a single actuating member for turning said cam and moving said scoop, a circuit completed by said scale when said container thereon is filled to the desired extent, said circuit activating said actuating member to move said scoop to the discharge end of said belt and moving said cutoff member into material severing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 909,560 France May 13, 1946

Claims

1. A CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE INCLUDING A BELT FOR CARRYING MATERIAL TO ITS DISCHARGE END, A ROTARY BRUSH MOUNTED ABOVE THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID BELT FOR BRUSHING MATERIAL FROM SAID BELT INTO A CONTAINER, MEANS FOR INTERRUPTING THE FEED OF MATERIAL TO A CONTAINER WHEN THE SAME HAS RECEIVED THE DESIRED QUANTITY OF MATERIAL, INCLUDING A SCOOP WHICH MOVES TO THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID BELT WITHOUT STOPPING SAID BELT WHEN A CONTAINER HAS BEEN