Box packing machine and process

In a process for packing a box with a group of containers and at least one separator sandwiched between at least two of said containers, including a separator inserting station, a grouping station, an intermediate box loading station, and a transferring station, wherein said process comprises the steps of:

• inserting at least one separator into a separator holding means mounted in an intermediate box after locating said intermediate box at said separator inserting station;
• moving said intermediate box thus inserted with at least one separator to said intermediate box loading station and then loading said intermediate box on opposing sides of said separator with a predetermined number of containers grouped at said grouping station;
• transferring the containers and at least one separator sandwiched between the containers thus loaded from said intermediate box directly into a shipping box after moving said loaded intermediate box along stationary guides to said transferring station;
• and
• moving said intermediate box, now empty, to said separator inserting station for a new cycle of packing operation.

A box packing machine for packing a box with a predetermined number of containers and at least one separator sandwiched between at least two of said containers, comprising:

• a rotatable disk driven to rotate intermittently;
• a plurality of intermediate boxes supported on said rotatable disk to be movable in the vertical direction, each of said intermediate boxes including means for holding at least one separator and stoppers engageable with the containers;
• means for inserting at least one separator into one of said intermediate boxes so that the separator is held by said separator holding means;
• means for forming a group of containers with a given number;
• means for loading the thus grouped containers into said intermediate box on opposing sides of said inserted separator;
• means for transferring the containers and the separator sandwiched between the containers from said intermediate box into a shipping box;
• and
• stationary guides extending between said loading means and transferring means for keeping said containers and separator inside said intermediate box.