Multiple line-filler

Claim 1

A FILLING MACHINE COMPRISING A MAIN FRAME, A CONVEYOR STRUCTURE MEANS MOUNTED TO ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME FOR SUPPORTING CONTAINERS ARRANGED IN A FILE FOR FILLING AND FOR MOVING THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FILE DURING THE FILLING OPERATION, A PLURALITY OF FILLING UNITS MOUNTED TO THE FRAME OPPOSITE THE CONVEYOR, EACH OF SAID FILLING UNITS COMPRISING A PISTON AND A RELATIVELY RECIPROCABLE COOPERATING CYLINDER AND VALVE MEANS OPERATIVE TO DIRECT FLUID TO BE DISPENSED ALTERNATELY TO AND FROM THE CYLINDER, A SERIES OF FILLING NEEDLES MOUNTED IN SINGLE FILE SPACED RELATION OVER THE CONVEYOR FOR MOVEMENT VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY IN RELATION TO THE CONVEYOR, FLEXIBLE TUBING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE VALVE MEANS OF THE FILLING UNITS AND THE NEEDLES OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE NEEDLES TO MOVE LATERALLY AND VERTICALLY ON EACH OPERATING CYCLE, MEANS FOR ACTUATING EACH OF SAID FILLING UNITS TO CAUSE A MEASURED QUANTITY OF LIQUID MEDIUM TO BE DISPENSED ON EACH OPERATING CYCLE, MEANS FOR DRIVING THE CONVEYOR CONTINUOUSLY AT A RATE SUCH THAT IT TRAVELS A CONSTANT UNIT DISTANCE DURING EACH OPERATING CYCLE OF THE FILLING UNITS, AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE FILLING NEEDLES VERTICALLY AND LATERALLY IN A RECTANGULAR PATH IN TIME WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE CONVEYOR AND IN TIME WITH THE OPERATION OF THE FILLING UNITS SO AS TO CAUSE THE FILLING NEEDLES TO DESCEND AND MOVE LATERALLY WITH THE CONVEYOR FOR A FRACTION OF THE UNIT DISTANCE THE CONVEYOR TRAVELS PER FILLING CYCLE SO THAT CONTAINERS ARE FILLED AS THEY MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FILE AND TO ELEVATE AND RETRACT TO THEIR STARTING POINT DURING THE REMAINING FRACTION OF SAID UNIT DISTANCE THAT THE CONVEYOR TRAVELS PER FILLING CYCLE, THE RELATIVE DISTANCES THAT THE FILLING NEEDLES MOVE FORWARD AND THE CONVEYOR TRAVELS PER FILLING CYCLE BEING ON THE ORDER OF 2 TO 3, RESPECTIVELY, SO THAT THE FILLING NEEDLES WILL HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR STARTING POINTS IN TIME FOR A REPEAT FILLING CYCLE ON A NEXT SUCCEEDING GROUP OF CONTAINERS CARRIED ON THE CONVEYOR.