Article stacking and strapping machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR PACKAGING ARTICLES, COMPRISING A JIG FOR RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES IN A GIVEN LOOSELY STACKED ARRANGEMENT, MEANS FOR CONVEYING SAID JIG ALONG AN ENDLESS PATH PAST A NUMBER LOADING STATIONS AT EACH OF WHICH A DESIRED NUMBER OF ARTICLES ARE PLACED THEREON TO PROGRESSIVELY BUILD A COMPLETE STACK COMPRISING A DESIRED MUMBER OF SUPERIMPOSED TIERS, UNLOADING MEANS AT A STATION IN THE PATH OF JIG MOVEMENT BEYOND SAID LOADING STATIONS FOR REMOVING A COMPLETED STACK OF LOOSE ARTICLES FROM THE JIG, MEANS AT SAID UNLOADING STATION FOR RECEIVING THE COMPLETED STACK OF LOOSE ARTICLES AS IT IS REMOVED FROM SAID JIG AND INCLUDING A SECOND CONVEYOR ALONG WHICH SAID UNLOADED STACK OF ARTICLES IS ADVANCED TO A DISCHARGE POINT, FIRST MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND CONVEYOR FOR INDEPENDENTLY COMPACTING THE ARTICLES OF EACH TIER RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AS THE STACK IS ADVANCED ALONG SAID SECOND CONVEYOR TO ELIMINATE SPACES BETWEEN THE ARTICLES, AND SECOND MEANS ASSOCIATE WITH THE SECOND CONVEYOR FOR APPLYING A STRAP AROUND THE COMPACTED STACK OF ARTICLES TO FORM THE LATTER INTO A SELF-SUSTAINING PACKAGE BEFORE IT ARRIVES AT SAID DISCHARGE POINT.