Method and apparatus for packaging articles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PACKING STACKED ARTICLES INTO A CONTAINER, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL TABLES IN SPACED RELATION, MEANS RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID TABLES TOGETHER, A COUNTER-TABLE BETWEEN SAID PARALLEL TABLES AND PARALLEL THERETO, MEANS CONNECTING SAID COUNTER-TABLE TO ONE OF THE FIRST SAID TABLES AND PERMITTING DISPLACEMENT OF SAID COUNTER-TABLE PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST TABLES, SAID ARTICLES BEING ADAPTED FOR PLACEMENT IN STACKED RELATION ON THE OTHER OF SAID TABLES, A CONTAINER BEING PROVIDED AND HAVING A DOWNWARDLY FACING OPEN MOUTH FOR TIGHTLY ENCLOSING SAID STACK, THE CONTAINER BEING SUPPORTED WITH SAID OPEN MOUTH FACING SAID STACK SO THAT AS SAID COUNTERTABLE IS DISPLACED TOWARDS SAID STACK THE COUNTER-TABLE EXTERNALLY CONTACTS SAID CONTAINER, FURTHER DISPLACEMENT OF SAID COUNTER-TABLE CAUSING THE SAME TO BE URGED AGAINST SAID CONTAINER SUCH THAT THE SHEETS OF SAID STACK ARE IMMOVABLY CONTAINED IN SAID CONTAINER BY THE COUNTER-TABLE AND SAID OTHER TABLE, AND MEANS COUPLED TO THE FIRST SAID MEANS FOR INVERTING THE TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLE IN UNISON WHEREBY THE STACK IS FREELY SUPPORTED IN THE CONTAINER AND SAID STACK CAN BE REMOVED FROM SAID APPARATUS AS A UNIT IN SAID CONTAINER, SAID MEANS FOR INVERTING SAID COUNTER-TABLE AND TABLES IN UNISON COMPRISING MEANS CONNECTING SAID TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLE TOGETHER AND MEANS FOR ROTATING THE MEANS CONNECTING THE TABLES AND COUNTERTABLES ABOUT AN AXIS OF ROTATION, SAID APPARATUS FURTHER COMPRISING A STATIONARY FRAME SUPPORTING SAID MEANS CONNECTING THE TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLES, A SHAFT ROTATABLY SUPPORTED IN SAID STATIONARY FRAME AND CONNECTED TO SAID MEANS CONNECTING THE TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLES, A ROTARY MEMBER ON SAID SHAFT, SAID ROTARY MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH RECESSES FOR ANGULARLY POSITIONING SAID MEANS CONNECTING THE TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLES WITH RESPECT TO THE STATIONARY FRAME, AND STOP MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RECESSES FOR SELECTIVELY LOCKING SAID MEANS CONNECTING THE TABLES AND COUNTER-TABLES WHEN THE COUNTER-TABLE AND TABLES ARE IN NORMAL AND INVERTED POSITIONS.