Charging machine

A charging machine comprising a tubular housing, a connector mounted at one end of the housing, a seal positioned in the housing in somewhat spaced relation to the said one end, first and second latches mounted on the tubular housing so as to project thereinto, the first latch being adjacent the seal on the side thereof away from the said one end, the second latch being adjacent the other end of the tubular housing, a charging trough connected with the said other end of the tubular housing and extending therefrom in alignment therewith, a loading tray connected with and extending laterally therefrom, an indexing means for moving a group of objects from the tray to the trough, means moving in the trough from the end thereof away from the tubular housing to the first latch for pushing the group of objects in the trough through the tubular housing so as to position the last object of the group in the seal and in latching relation with the first latch and the other objects of the group beyond the seal in the tubular housing and in a treating device in which liquid under pressure flows continuously and to which the charging machine is attached by the connector, the first latch engaging the said last object of the group to prevent the pressure liquid in the treating device from forcing the group to follow the pushing means when it withdraws to permit a new group of objects to be indexed from the tray to the trough, the said last object cooperating with the seal to prevent pressure liquid from entering the charging machine farther than the seal, and an extensin adapted to be applied to the pushing means for expelling all objects of a final group into the treating device by movement of the pushing means to the first latch, the extension being adapted to overlap the pushing means so as to be prevented from being held by the first latch and thus being caused by the pressure fluid of the treating device to follow the pushing means during its withdrawal as far as the second latch, the second latch holding the extension in a position in which it is withdrawn from the treating device and lies within the seal, whereby the charging machine may be detached from the treating device and the pressure fluid in the treating device is prevented from penetrating the charging machine. beyond the seal.

A charging machine comprising a tubular housing, a connector connected to one end of the housing, a seal positioned in the housing in somewhat spaced relation to the said one end, first and second latches mounted on the tubular housing so as to project thereinto, the first latch being adjacent the seal on the side thereof away from the said one end of the housing, means moving in the housing as far as the first latch for pushing a group of objects through the housing so as to position the last object of the group in the seal and in latching relation with the first latch and the other objects of the group beyond the seal in the tubular housing and in a treating device in which liquid under pressure flows continuously and to which the charging machine is attached by the connector, the first latch engaging the said last object of the group to prevent the pressure liquid in the treating device from forcing the group to follow the pushing means when it withdraws to bring a new group of objects into the housing, the said last object of the group cooperating with the seal to prevent pressure liquid from entering the charging machine farther than the seal, and an extension adapted to be applied to the pushing means for expelling of objects of a final group into the treating device by movement of the pushing means to the first latch, the extension being adapted to overlap the pushing means so as to be prevented from being held by the first latch and thus being caused by the pressure fluid of the treating device to follow the pushing means during its withdrawal as far as the second latch, the second latch holding the extension in a position in which it is withdrawn from the treating device and lies within the seal, whereby the charging machine may be detached from the treating device and the pressure fluid in the treating device is prevented from penetrating the charging machine beyond the seal.