Case filling machine

Claim 1

IN A CASE FILLING MACHINE, A CASE CONVEYER, A CASE HOLDING STATION INCLUDING A CASE STOP ASSEMBLY, A CARTON CONVEYER, A TRANSFER STATION INCLUDING A DEAD PLATE, SAID CARTON CONVEYER ACTING TO ADVANCE INDIVIDUAL CARTONS ON SAID DEAD PLATE, AN ASSEMBLY STATION INCLUDING A PATTERN TABLE, SAID TRANSFER STATION INCLUDING MEANS TO TRANSFER A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF CARTONS FROM SAID DEAD PLATE ONTO SAID PATTERN TABLE, SAID ASSEMBLY STATION INCLUDING MEANS TO SHIFT SAID PATTERN TABLE AND A PATTERN OF CARTONS THEREON TO A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDED POSITION, A LOADING STATION INCLUDING A GRIPPER MECHANISM IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID EXTENDED POSITION OF THE PATTERN TABLE, SAID GRIPPER MECHANISM BEING OPERABLE TO REMOVE A PATTERN OF CARTONS FROM SAID PATTERN TABLE, A LOADING ELEVATOR OPERABLE WHEN SAID PATTERN TABLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED TO PRODUCE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID GRIPPER MECHANISM AND A CASE ENTERING SAID HOLDING STATION, AND CONTROL MEANS SYNCHRONIZING THE OPERATION OF SAID STATIONS AND LOADING ELEVATOR TO CAUSE A PATTERN OF CARTONS TO BE DEPOSITED WITHIN SAID CASE.