Automatic packaging method and apparatus

A french fry packaging machine comprising:

• a rotatable drum;
• means for loading cooked french fries into said rotatable drum;
• means for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis at a speed to cause said french fries to first be carried upwardly and then to fall through a predetermined path;
• means for automatically selecting a container and positioning said container in said path of french fires to fill said container;
• means for detecting when said container is filled;
• and
• means for moving said filled container to a deposit area.

A system for automatically dispensing objects comprising:

• an input terminal for inputting information relating to a desired order for packaged objects;
• a rotatable loading drum;
• means for loading said objects to said rotatable loading drum;
• means for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis at a speed to cause said objects first be carried upwardly and then to fall through a predetermined path;
• means for automatically selecting a container in response to said input information;
• means for positioning said selected container in said path of said falling objects to fill said container;
• means for detecting when said container is filled;
• means for moving said filled container to a deposit area.

A packaging machine comprising:

• a rotatable drum;
• means for loading objects to be packaged into said rotatable drum;
• means for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis at a speed to cause said objects to first be carried upwardly and then to fall through a downward path;
• means for automatically selecting a container and positioning said container in said path of objects to fill said container;
• means for detecting when said container is filled;
• and
• means for moving said filled container to a deposit area.

A packaging machine comprising:

• a rotatable drum;
• a conveying device for loading objects to be packaged into said rotatable drum;
• a motive device operably connected to said drum for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis at a speed to cause said objects to first be carried upwardly and then to fall through a downward path;
• a staging platform having stations for holding a plurality of variously sized containers;
• a withdrawing mechanism for automatically withdrawing a desired container from said staging platform and positioning it in said downward path;
• a mechanism for aligning said desired container on said staging platform and said withdrawing mechanism to permit said withdrawing;
• a device for determining when said container in said path is filled;
• and
• a moving apparatus for moving said filled container to a deposit area.