US3546838A

US3546838A - End case packer

Info

Publication number: US3546838A
Application number: US796056A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank P Alduk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-02-03
Filing date: 1969-02-03
Publication date: 1970-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-15

Description

F. P. ALDUK END CASE PACKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 3, 1969 lNl/'A/TOR FRANK P. ALDUK 511M Wt K U D L A R F END CASE PAGKER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 3, 1969 0 5 4 5 9 N 5 w w mm/ 2 y 7 7 00 3 l a '5 a v 6 6 8 3 0 8 a 8 W F m. 3 4 5 2 3 T ,0 o w T w 7 0 W746 3 4 8 o 3 s7 ,.JW INVENTOR FRANK P ALDUK Ms A flamers F. P. ALDUK END CASE PACKER Dec, 15, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 5, 1969 Ill/X Y Ill/I/A rLWLr Ill III/l/l/l/ INVENTOR F/id/VK P. ALDUK aym 7w Iris Attorneys United States Patent U.S. CI. 53-77 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed an apparatus for assembling and simultaneously discharging a case load of containers into an open-ended carton. The machine is in the form of an attachment to an existing machine of another type. Containers are arranged in lines or rows on a continuouslymoving endless belt from which they are pushed in rows onto an inclined platform pivoted to tilt to a steeper inclination. There is a funnel structure beyond the end of this platform through which containers on the platform can slide when the platform is tilted to its steepest angle. The open end of a carton is fitted over the funnel so that as the containers move through the tunnel, they slide into the carton. As the carton is placed over the funnel, an end support member is first raised to support the end of the carton opposite the open end, when the tilting platform is dropped to its steepest angle and the containers are released to slide through the funnel, while a gate lowers against the leading cans moving off the conveyor to block their movement until all parts return to the starting position.

This invention relates to the field of packaging in which a plurality of similar objects, such as containers, are loaded into a carton, and more particularly it is for such an apparatus of the type known as an end case loader in which a predetermined number of containers is organized into a prearranged group, and the group then slide into an open-ended carton supported in position to receive them.

The present application discloses a single tier end case packer especially, although not necessarily, designed as a unitary interchangeable attachment to a basic unit comprising a supporting frame in which is a continuouslydriven endless belt. Containers are discharged in a more or less random arrangement onto the receiving end of this belt, and they are carried by the belt toward the discharge end, and as they travel, a plurality of parallel plates extending lengthwise of the conveyor near its discharge end arrange the containers into parallel rows. US. Pat. to A. A. Smith, No. 2,657,845, granted Nov. 3, 1953, shows such a basic unit where the supporting frame for the belt conveyor comprises parallel structural sections between which the belt is located, the sections extending beyond the discharge end of the conveyor, and the containers moving oif the discharge end of the conveyor are discharged in prearranged successive groups onto a rocking platform where an inverted open top carton is slipped down over each successive group, and the plate then rocked to discharge the carton, loaded with the containers, and turn it upright.

Such an upside-down case loading apparatus is desirably used where the carton has internal cells, with a cell for each container in a case lot. A case lot in this package is customarily twenty-four containers. In a copending application Ser. No. 796,097, filed Feb. 3, 1969, and executed by me the 27th day of January 1969, I have shown an attachment for converting the upside-down case packer to a drop-through case packer, and in still another application, Ser. No. 796,092, filed Feb. 3, 1969, and executed Jan. 27, 1969, I have shown the adaptation of such ice a basic unit adapted to the nested packing of cartons.

For very large food cans. such as No. 1 cans, and similar large containers, the packaging arrangements above referred to are less adaptable, both because of the size of the containers and the weight of the filled containers. A case lot of such large containers is usually twelve containers in three rows of four cans each, and even such a load is quite heavy, and both the upside-down method and the drop-through method of case packing is not well adapted to loading them into a case or carton.

The present invention provides an attachment for a basic unit such as that shown in the said United States patent designed to load a single tier of cans into the end of an open carton while the carton is mechanically supported, and after the containers are in the carton, the support lowers it to a position where it may be conveniently removed or it may even be arranged to topple over onto a filled carton-removing conveyor. The cans, coming off the discharge end of the endless belt conveyor, move over a dead plate and slide in rows down an inclined platform until the leading can in each row is stopped by retractable dogs near the lower end of the platform. When the open end of the carton to be filled is slipped over the discharge end of the funnel, a valve is tripped which operates a fluid pressure cylinder and piston to move a support up against the end of the empty carton. As the support reaches its upper limit of travel, it operates a valve to tilt the platform to a steeper angle, and as the platform reaches the lower limit of this tilting motion, the dogs are retracted, allowing the containers on the platform to slide through the tunnel into the carton while a gate arrangement swings down to block other cans from sliding ofi the dead plate onto the platform, so that only a case load of containers can slide otf the platform into the carton. The carton support then starts to lower the filled carton while the platform is lifted to its starting position, the dogs reset to stop the next load of cans, and the gate opens to allow another case lot of containers to slide into the paltform for a repeat of the cycle.

Since, in its preferred form, the apparatus is embodied in a unitary attachment for a basic unit to be interchanged with other different loading attachments, it is so designed that it may be installed and adjusted to a correct position simply and rapidly, while the mechanism is simple and can be kept in operating condition without highly skilled labor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a unique, simple end case packer and more especially an end case packer made as a complete self-contained unit that may be attached to and removed from a standard basic machine.

In the accompanying drawings wherein a present preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation looking at the discharge end of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section in substantially the plane of line IV-IV of FIG. 2, but on a larger scale, with the front end of the conveyor broken away and showing the parts of the machine in container-receiving position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the parts in position to discharge the containers into the end of a carton;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line VII--VII of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a simplified diagram of the pneumatic circuits.

In the drawings, 2 designates the frame structure of the basic conveyor unit, having vertically-adjustable legs 3. The machine has a bed comprised of parallel horizontal structural sections 4 that project well beyond the frame 2 at the rear of the machine, these rearwardlyprojecting extensions being designated 4a. There is an endless conveyor belt 5 supported in the frame between the structural sections 4. This belt passes over a roll 6 at the forward end of the machine and over a driving roll 7 near the rear end of the machine. There is a motor and adjustable speed reducing drive unit at 8, and a chain 9 between this unit and a sprocket wheel on the shaft of roll 7 for continuously operating the conveyor at a selected speed.

There are parallel side plates 10 at each side of the conveyor near the discharge end of the conveyor. The tops of the side plates are connected by front and rear cross bars 11. Between the side plates there are a plurality of divider plates 12, four such plates being here shown, forming between them a series of lanes 13, three such lanes being here shown. The tops of the plates toward the discharge end of the conveyor have upwardly-extending pins 14 thereon (see FIG. 4) and these pins pass through a cross bar 15 which is removably set in brackets on the side plates 10 of the machine. The forward end of the divider plates 12 are pivotally connected at 16 to a cross bar 17. This cross bar has one end projecting from the side of the machine, and this end engages an eccentric pin at 18 on the end of a motor-driven shaft, the motor being designated 19. When the motor 19 is operating, the eccentric 18 reciprocates the bar 17 through a limited arc, oscillating the divider plates in a manner well understood in the art to facilitate the entrance of the cans or other containers which are more or less randomly disposed on the conveyor into the several lanes to keep all of the lanes substantially full of containers during the packaging operation. The divider plates and the associated parts are often referred to in the art as a grid.

Since only three lanes of cans are provided for, there are auxiliary side guides 20 bolted to the tops of the structural sections 4 at each side of the machine. These are best seen in FIG. 2. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is a dead plate 21 rearwardly of the roll 7 and close to the roll with the top of the dead plate flush with the top reach of the conveyor belt so that the containers are pushed from the belt onto the dead plate.

So much of the machine as has been described is essentially the same as that disclosed in the aforesaid Smith patent, except for the removability of the grid and the provision of the auxiliary side plates 20. The present invention comprises a self-contained unit that is removably attached to the discharge end of this conveyor unit.

The self-contained unit comprising the present invention has two parallel vertical side plates 25 having laterally-extending flanges 26 on their outer faces, and these flanges 26 are set on the tops of the forwardlyextending portions 4a of the parallel side sections 4 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The exterior of each of the side plates is also provided with a vertically-extending flange 27, and these abut against the ends of the respective sections 4a. The attachment is secured to the frame of the basic unit by bolts 27 that pass through the flanges 26 into the extending portions 4a of the sections 4. There are adjusting screws 28 passing through the flanges 26 for adjusting the level of the attachment on the ends of the sections to which they are bolted, these screws 28 functioning as shims to maintain the level of the attachment in proper relation to the dead plate 21.

There is a platform 30 pivotally supported at 31 to the side plates 25, the pivots being located close to the discharge end of the conveyor, the platform 30 being movable on these pivots in a vertical arc from a gradual slope to a steeper slope, the normal can-receiving slope being shown in FIG. 4 and the steeper slope being best shown in FIG. 5. The platform has divider plates 32 thereon which are in line with the divider plates 12 over the conveyor, but which are of less height than the divider plates 12. These divider plates form lanes between them which are aligned with the lanes 13. In the bottom of each lane are parallel rails 33 on which the containers slide when they move onto the platform and leave the platform as hereinafter described. The divider plates and the rails may be adjustable in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the conveyor so as to increase or decrease the width between them where it is desirable to use the machine for containers of different diameters, but of course in any operation all containers in one run will be of the same diameter.

Under the outer or discharge end of the platform 30 there is a fluid pressure cylinder 34 having a piston and piston rod 35, and the upper end of said piston rod is pivotally attached at 36 to the under side of the platform 30. The lower end of the cylinder 34 is pivotally attached at 37 to a cross member 38 extending between the two side plates 25.

There is a cross bar 40 carried on parallel levers 41 pivotally supported in brackets 42 on the under side of the platform near its discharge end, and this cross bar has dogs 43 thereon that projects up through openings in the platform 32, there being one of these dogs on the bar 40 centrally positioned in each lane on the tilting platform 30. A tension spring 44 is secured to the opposite end of the levers 41, and this spring is anchored at 45 to a bracket 46 carried on a cross member 47 that extends between the plates 25 under the platform 30. The cross bar 47 as so positioned that when the platform 30 swings down to the position shown in FIG. 5, the left end of the levers 41 as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5 will strike the cross bar 47, causing the bar 40 with the dogs 43 thereon to swing downwardly, withdrawing the dogs from their normal obstructing position near the ends of the lanes on the tilting platform. FIG. 5 shows the dogs so withdrawn.

There is an apron 50 at the rear end of the apparatus extending across between the side plates 25, this apron having a sloping upper portion that is inclined upwardly toward the platform 30, but which terminates at the rear of the end of the platform 30. The lower portion of this apron designated 50a is substantially vertical and has a slot 51 at the center of the bottom. Beneath the apron there is a rock shaft 52 that extends between bearing blocks 53 secured to the inner faces of the plates 25. This rock shaft has attached thereto a sleeve 54 from which depends a rod 55. There is an adjustable sleeve 56 on the rod to which is attached a supporting foot member 57. The rock shaft 52 also has an arm 58 fixed thereon, and the top of this arm is pivotally connected at 59 to an adjustable link through an adjustment 60 to the piston rod 61 of a fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit 62. This unit is pivotally supported at 63 to another cross bar 64 extending between the bottom edges of the two plates 25. The arrangement is such that when fluid pressure is admitted to the right end of the cylinder 62 as viewed in FIG. 4, the piston rod 61 moves to the left, rocking the rock shaft 52 to the position indicated in FIG. 5, swinging the carton-supporting element 57 from the horizontal position shown in FIG. 4 to the upwardly-inclined position shown in FIG. 5, where it will support the rear end of a carton C (indicated in broken lines in FIG. 5), resting on the sloping part of the apron 50.

There is a rectangular funnel structure the discharge end of which is shown in FIG. 3. This funnel structure is supported between the two side plates 25 with the bottom 71 thereof spaced a slight distance above the apron 50, as indicated at 71a, and above the funnel there is a cover plate 72. The funnel 70' has its bottom surface 71 so located that when the tilting plate 30 moves from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 5,

the level of the bottom plate 71 will be flush with the top of the rails 33 on the top of the tilting plate, and the bottom of the tunnel will be closely aligned to the ends of these rails so that containers may slide easily from the rails through the tunnel.

The tunnel is so arranged that when the carton C is put in position to receive cans, the lower end flap of the carton will extend into the space 71a between the bottom 71 of the tunnel and the top of the apron 50. There is a fluid pressure valve, preferably an air valve 80, at the upper end of the space 71a so positioned that when the flap of the carton is inserted into the space 71a and the carton is lined up against the end of the funnel, the flap will strike the valve 80. As shown in FIG. 8 this will admit air under pressure from a supply line 81 through tube 82 to the upper end of the cylinder 62 so that the first operation that occurs when the carton is put in position is for the support 57 to move rapidly up against the end of the carton as shown in FIG. 5. As the support 57 reaches carton-supporting position, the arm 58 on the rock shaft 52 will strike a second air valve 83 so that air will flow from the high pressure line through pipe 84, valve 83, and line 85 to the upper end of the cylinder 34. This will energize the cylinder to pull the piston rod 35 down, bringing the tilting plate 30 to the steeper inclination shown in FIG. 5, at which time the dogs 43 will be withdrawn from the ends of the lanes so that the containers will slide from the platform 30 through the tunnel into the carton. When the cans which are filled with product enter the carton, the weight will tend to swing support 57 downwardly, and as the arm 58 starts to move back to its original position, it will contact two valves '86 and 87. High pressure air will flow from air supply line 81, line 84, branch line 88, and valve '86 to line 89 to rapidly force the platform 30 up to its normal container-receiving position shown in FIG. 4. At the same time air from line 88 will also flow through a branch line which includes a flow-restricting element 90 to the valve 87, and from valve 87, air will slowly pass through line 91 to the other end of the cylinder 62, which is the left end as viewed in FIGS. 4 and to slowly return the support 57 to its normal horizontal position. At this time the loaded carton will be upright, but its balance may be such that it will either fall off onto a receiving conveyor, or may be manually removed.

On the under side of the plate 30 at each side thereof is an ear 95 to which is attached a link 96, there being one of these links at each side of the platform 30. The upper end of each link 96 is adjustably connected at 97 to a gate that is movable from the position shown in FIG. 4 where it is above the level of the containers to the position shown in FIG. 5 where it is in the path of travel of the containers which are then on the dead plate 21. This gate has side arms 98 adjustably pivoted at 99 to the side plates 25, and it has a cross bar 100 extending between the arms 98 that actually forms the gate to stop the movement of the containers. The links 96 of course attach to the respective side bars 98. The purpose of the adjustment provided by the multiple holes indicated in the drawings enables pivot points to be changed to meet the requirements of containers of different heights.

When the containers move from the dead plate 21 onto the sloping plate 30, an angular space develops between the last can in each line on the dead plate 21, and the endmost can in each lane on the platform 30. When the platform 30 tilts from the normal container-receiving position shown in FIG. 4 to the carton-loading position shown in FIG. 5, the links 96 pull down on the gating structure so that the cross bar 100 of the gate enters this angular space between those cans on the dead plate and those on the tilting platform to block the oncoming cans against movement from the dead plate during the time that the cans on the platform 30' are sliding into the carton, and until the platform 30 has returned to the container-receiving position shown in FIG. 4.

As previously stated, this apparatus is generally used with larger sizes of containers, such as No. 1 cans, that are commonly used for juices or restaurant supplies. Each filled container is quite heavy, so that a case lot is normally twelve units, and as here shown the machine is designed to pack three rows of four cans each, but this may be varied to suit the requirements of the trade.

Starting with the platform 30 in its normal position of relatively slight inclination, the accumulated cans in the several lanes 13 over the belt conveyor are pushed into the registering lanes on the platform 30 by the forward travel of the conveyor belt. When each lane is full, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, no more can move onto the platform, and there is then arranged on the platform a case load of three rows with four uni-ts in each row. The cans cannot move off the discharge end of the platform by reason of the dogs 43, and they cannot tip over because the cover 72 restrains the endmost can in each row from tilting. When a carton flap is inserted under the bottom 71 of the tunnel and it strikes the valve 80, the sequence of operations heretofore described takes place with the platform tilting to the steeper angle, pulling the gate bar down in front of the endmost cans on the dead plate 21. As the platform reaches its lowest position the dogs 43 are retracted and the cans are then clear of the cover 72 and they slide through the tunnel, preserving their arrangement of three rows as they slide into the carton. The platform quickly returns to its raised container-receiving position, lifting the gate bar 100 as it does so. As the platform lifts, lever 41 moves clear of cross bar 47 and the dogs 43 return to their raised can-blocking position under the action of spring 44. The loaded carton at the same time is lowered to a vertical position by the downward movement of support 57 to minimize lifting by the operator. As soon as gate bar 100 raises, another load of cans quickly fills the lanes on the platform for a repeat of the same operation when another carton is placed in canreceiving position.

The entire unit is self-contained so that it can be readily applied to and removed from the basic conveyor unit. If the basic unit is already equipped with upside-down case packing elements as disclosed in said U.S. patent, the gate arrangement and tilting platform as there shown must be first removed. After the present unit is in place, it is only necessary to attach the air supply line 81 to the air supply and regulating unit which is customarily provided for operation of the upside-down case packer. Air is desirable as the fluid-operating medium because it is both convenient and fast. The diagram in FIG. 8 is schematic, in that it represents well known components and the circuits do not attempt, for the sake of simplicity, to show how pressure is relieved at one end of either cylinder when air under pressure is admitted to the other.

I claim:

1. An end case packer for assembling and discharging a case load of containers into the open end of a carton comprising:

(a) an endless belt conveyor having a receiving end and having a discharge end,

(b) means extending lengthwise over the discharge end portion of the conveyor belt for arranging containers that are randomly positioned thereon at its receiving end into parallel lanes for discharge from the conveyor,

(c) a container-receiving platform at the discharge end of the conveyor that is pivotally supported adjacent the end of the conveyor to move in a vertical are from a normal container-receiving position to a sloping container discharge position where containers resting thereon will slide off the free end of said platform, which is the end most remote from the conveyor,

(d) operating means arranged to effect such movement of the platform between the normal position and container-discharge :position and returning it to its normal position,

(c) said platform having guide means thereon to con fine the containers in the lanes in which they have been arranged on the conveyor,

(f) means under the platform having a series of dogs thereon, each one of which dogs projects through the platform into container-obstructing position at the end of each lane at the free end of the platform,

(g) means operated by the downward movement of said platform to the can-discharge position to retract said dogs from container-obstructing position, and

(h) gating means arranged to block the travel of containers from the conveyor onto said platform when the platform is lowered to container-discharge position and clear the containers when the platform is in normal container-receiving position.

2. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which said dogs are carried on a transversely-extending bar supported on the under side of the platform near the free end thereof for movement in a vertical arc relatively to the platform, and means fixed with respect to said platform for moving said bar downwardly relatively to the platform when the platform nears the lower limit of its movement.

3. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which said dogs are carried on a transversely-extending bar, a lever pivotally mounted on the under side of the platform with the pivot therefor intermediate its ends, said bar being carried on one end of said lever, biasing means normally holding said bar in its uppermost position relative to the platform, and a fixed member arranged under said platform in position to contact the end of said lever opposite the end on which said bar is carried to rock said lever and move said bar downwardly relative to the platform as the platform reaches its container-discharge position, said biasing means being effective to lift the bar relatively to the platform as the lever is moved up with the platform away from said fixed member.

4. An end case packer as defined in claim 1 in which there is an inclined carton-supporting surface rearwardly of the tilting platform and wherein there is a guide funnel in fixed position at the free end of the platform to receive containers from the platform when the platform is tilted to its container-discharge position and said dogs are withdrawn from a position where they are clear of the containers, said guide being arranged to direct rows of containers from said platform into a carton positioned on said inclined carton-supporting surface, and a carton end support movable in an arc from a substantially horizontal position upwardly to an inclined position where it will support an end of a carton on said inclined supporting surface that is remote from said guide funnel.

5. An end case packer as defined in claim 4 in which there is a first fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit arranged to effect such movement of the carton end support.

6. An end case packer as defined in claim 5 wherein said operating means for moving the platform is a second fluid pressure cylinder and piston unit, and valve means controlled by the operation of said first cylinder and piston unit for controlling the operation of said second fluid pressure unit arranged to operate said second unit to lower the platform only after the first cylinder and piston unit has operated to raise the carton end support to its inclined position and effect the return of said platform to normal container-receiving position only after a load of containers has been received in the carton, and other means controlled by the loading of the carton to activate said first fluid pressure cylinder piston unit to return the carton end support to its horizontal position.

7. An end case packer as defined in claim 6 wherein the conveyor belt is mounted in a frame having parallel structural sections at the sides thereof, which sections project beyond the discharge end of the conveyor, said tilting platform, the gate means, the inclined carton-supporting surface, the carton end support, the guide tunnel and the fluid pressure cylinders are carried as a complete self-contained unit between two parallel spaced side plates,

each side plate having a laterally-extending horizontal flange on the exterior surface thereof for removably supporting said unit on and between the projecting ends of the structural sections at the sides of the conveyor belt.

'8. For use with an endless belt conveyor having a horizontally-extending conveyor belt and means for continuously driving the belt wherein the belt is supported between two parallel horizontally-extending structural sections and wherein the belt has a receiving end and a discharge end and a dead plate at the discharge end level with the top surface of the belt, and said parallel structural sections have portions projecting beyond the discharge end of the belt and wherein means are provided adjacent the discharge end of the belt for arranging containers that are randomly positioned on the receiving end of the belt into parallel lanes, the invention comprising an end case packer for removable attachment to the projecting ends of said parallel structural sections, said end case packer comprising:

(a) a pair of spaced parallel vertical side plates with cross connections therebetween,

(b) a horizontal laterally-projecting flange on the outer face of each side plate, each one of said flanges being adapted to rest on and be secured to one of the projecting ends of said parallel structural sections to operatively position the unit at the discharge end of the conveyor between the ends of said structural sections,

(c) a platform carried between said plates for receiving containers moving oif the discharge end of the conveyor when said unit is in position, the platform being pivoted between the side plates at the end of the platform nearest the dead plate and movable from a normal containenreceiving position where it slopes downwardly away from the dead plate at a gradual slope to a contain-er discharge position where it is sloped downwardly to a steeper angle,

(d) a cylinder and piston unit supported between said side plates and connected with said platform for moving it from a container-receiving position to the container-discharge position,

(e) a gate element comprising two arms, one of which is pivotally attached to the inner face of one of said side plates and the other of 'which is pivotally attached to the inner face of the other side plate opposite the first one and a gate bar connecting the free ends of said arms, said arms extending from between the side plates toward the conveyor, and

(f) a link pivotally connected to said platform and to one of said arms arranged to move the gate bar down into a space between the containers on the dead plate and the containers on the platform when the platform is tilted to container-discharge position and to be lifted clear of the containers on the dead plate when the platform returns to its normal container-receiving position.

9. The end case packer defined in claim 8 wherein there is:

(a) a first cylinder and piston unit operatively at tached to the under side of the platform and there is a gate bar extending between said side plates to which said cylinder and piston unit is anchored,

(b) a container-supporting means positioned between said side plates rearwardly of the tilting platform and inclined upwardly toward said inclined platform on which a carbon may be placed to receive containers from the platform,

(0) means positioned to guide containers from the platform when it has tilted to container-discharge position into a carton supported on said inclined container-supporting means,

(d) a carton end support mounted between said side plates movable in an arc from a substantially horizon l position to an upwardly-inclined position where it will bear against the end of a carton placed on said inclined container-supporting means,

(e) a second cylinder and piston unit supported between said side plates arranged to swing said carton and support between said two positions, and

(f) a pneumatic circuit arranged to effect the oper-' ation of the said first cylinder to move the platform to container discharge position only after the second cylinder has moved said carton end support from the horizontal position to the carton end supporting position and to effect the operation of said first cylinder to return the platform to containerreceiving position and effect the operation of said second cylinder to move the container end support back to its normal horizontal position only after a load of containers has been discharged into a carton positioned on the inclined carton-supporting means.

10. An end case packer as defined in claim 8 wherein said platform has parallel guide means thereon for keeping containers in the parallel lanes in which the platform has guide means for retaining the containers in lanes which are aligned with the lanes formed on the conveyor, said paltform having a dog at the discharge end of each lane which is movable vertically from a containerobstructing position downwardly to a nonobstructing position, a lever on the under side of said platform for effecting such movement of the dogs, and means supported between the plates under the platform for tripping said lever to move the dogs downwardly from container-obstructing to container-nonobstructing position only when the platform has moved to the container discharge position, and spring means for returning the dogs to containerobstructing position before the platform has returned to container-receiving position.

11. The end case packing unit as defined in claim 8 in which each of said flanges has leveling means thereon positioned to cooperate with the surfaces of the projecting end portions of the structural side sections on which the end case packer is set for adjusting the level of the platform with respect to the dead plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,294 2/1938 Kimball 53-59 3,056,482 10/1962 Lanham et a1. 19826X 3,377,771 4/1968 Schmidt 53153 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.