Case packer

A case packer apparatus including en endless driven conveyor means having a fixed orbit in a vertical plane, article gripper means, carrier bars for said article gripper means operatively connected to and movable with said conveyor means, said conveyor means having a downwardly extending reach connecting a loading station to an article deposit station, said article gripper means depending from said carrier bars when said conveyor means moves said carrier bars from said loading station to said article deposit station, a carriage means for said carrier bars and gripper means operably connected to said conveyor means to position the gripper means as case packer groups spaced longitudinally of said conveyor means, said gripper means positioning articles to be packaged in transversely extending rows in said article groups,

• said carriage means including end carrier bars and edge brackets, a pair of said edge brackets being pivotally secured to each of said end carrier bars,
• cross bars for engaging the rows of leading and trailing articles in an article group, positioning means for said cross bars to secure them to said carriage means of each said group, and said positioning means including said trailing cross bars being fixedly secured to a said end carrier bar and said leading cross bar being fixedly secured to said edge brackets whereby the positions of said leading and trailing cross bars can be differently controlled as said conveyor means moves through its orbit, thus the controlled positions and actions of the cross bars can be varied.

A case packer apparatus including an endless driven conveyor means, article gripper means, and carrier bars for said article gripper means,

• said conveyor means having a downwardly extending reach connecting a pickup station to an article deposit station,
• said article gripper means depending from said carrier bars as said conveyor means moves said carrier bars from a pickup station to an article deposit station, and
• said carrier bars and gripper means being operatively connected to said conveyor means with carriage means and forming case packer groups spaced longitudinally of said conveyor means,
• the improvement of leading and trailing end carrier means positioned on each of said case packer groups,
• leading and trailing cross bars in said case packer groups for engaging the rows of leading and trailing articles carried by each case packer group, and
• positioning means on said leading and trailing end carrier means respectively engaging and positioning said cross bars to secure them to end portions of each said group,
• said positioning means positioning said cross bars for pivotal movement upwardly of said case packer groups, spring means engaging said cross bars to urge them downwardly of said case packer groups, means to limit the downward pivotal movement of said cross bars, and said cross bars extend transversely of said case packer groups.