Packaging machine with continuous motion filler

A machine for depositing product into upright flexible pouches adapted to be advanced continuously and in equally spaced relation around an arcuate path, said machine comprising a turret having a series of holders located above said path and spaced arcuately from one another in accordance with the spacing of the pouches, mechanism for rotating said turret continuously about an upright axis which coincides with the center of said path, a series of angularly spaced funnels carried by said turret and positioned to register with said pouches as the pouches are advanced around said path, each of said funnels being mounted on said turret to move between raised and lowered positions, the lower end of each funnel being disposed above the underlying pouch when the funnel is in its raised position and being disposed within the pouch when the funnel is in its lowered position, a series of angularly spaced plungers carried by said turret and alined vertically with said funnels, each of said plungers being mounted to move vertically between inactive and active positions, the lower end of each plunger being located above the upper end of the underlying funnel when the plunger is in its inactive position and being located adjacent the lower end of the funnel when the plunger is in its active position, a series of containers adapted to hold said product, each of said containers comprising upper and lower sleeves telescoped slidably together, a gate pivotally mounted on the lower end of said lower sleeve and normally closing the lower end of said upper sleeve to retain the product in the container, the lower end of said upper sleeve engaging and opening said gate when said upper sleeve is slid downwardly within said lower sleeve, means for delivering filled containers to said holders, each container being delivered to its respective holder when the associated plunger is in its inactive position and when the associated funnel is in its raised position and being delivered to the holder in a position located between the lower end of the plunger and the upper end of the funnel, means on said turret for moving each funnel to its lowered position, for sliding the upper sleeve of the overlying container downwardly relative to the lower sleeve thereof and into the funnel, and for moving the associated plunger to its active position, said last-mentioned means thereafter raising said plunger to said inactive position, sliding the upper sleeve of the container upwardly relative to the lower sleeve thereof and out of said funnel, and moving said funnel to said raised position, and means for thereafter removing each container from its holder.