Packaging system

In the packaging of hosiery articles carrier means supporting a plurality of spaced, article receiving container portions for displacement along a first endless path having an arcuate portion, a plurality of article loading means displaceable along a second endless path having an arcuate segment aligned with said first endless path arcuate portion, each of said plurality of loading means including a receiver tube and a ram means, the receiver tube and ram means of each loading means being continuously displaceable along said second endless path, means simultaneously displacing said article receiving container portions along said first endless path arcuate portion and said receiver tubes along said second endless path arcuate segment, feeding means for directing hosiery articles sequentially to the receiver tubes in a first work zone, and means for sequentially actuating said ram means for forcing articles from the receiver tubes into the article receiving container portions upon displacement of the loading means and container portions through a second work zone.

An article packaging machine including support means, and endless conveyor means mounted upon said support means for continuous displacement from work zone to work zone along an endless path, said endless path including a first arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature at a first work zone and a second arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature at an adjacent work zone, packaging portion receiving means carried by said endless conveyor means, means selectively displacing said package portion receiving means between said first and second arcuate portions of said endless path as said package portion receiving means progress from work zone to work zone, feeding means proximate said conveyor means depositing package portion receiving means upon said conveyor means, article feeding means, article loading means mounted for continuous displacement in a circular path having a radius of curvature aligned with said first radius of curvature for receiving articles from said article feeding means and directing articles to said package portion receiving means, means closing said package portion receiving means, and means for removing the package portion receiving means having articles therein from said conveyor means.

The method of packaging articles comprising:

• conveying an article receiving portion of a container along a first arcuate segment of an endless path, directing an article loading member in a circular path remote to the first arcuate segment, directing the article receiving portion from the first arcuate segment to a second arcuate segment of the endless path vertically aligned with portions of the circular path, vertically aligning the article receiving portion and the rotating loading member, feeding an article into the rotating loading member after displacement of the receiving portion to the endless path second arcuate segment, forcing the article from the rotating loading member into the aligned article receiving container portion, conveying the article receiving portion and article from the second arcuate segment to a third arcuate segment of the endless path remote to the loading member circular path and the second arcuate segment closing the article receiving portion, and removing the containers having articles therein from the endless path.

An article packaging apparatus including conveyor means amounted for rotation about a vertical axis, a plurality of upwardly opening article receiving means carried by said conveyor means and continuously movable from work zone to work zone spaced along an endless path, container portions supported upon selected ones of said plurality of receiving means for receiving articles therein, means for sequentially displacing radially of said axis of rotation each of said plurality of receiving means as said receiving means moves along said path between work zones spaced unequal distances radially from the axis of rotation, and means for ejecting said article container portions from said receiving means at a selected location along said endless path.