Machine for packing fish in containers

Claim 1

A MACHINE HAVING A FORMING POSITION AND A FILLING POSITION FOR FILLING CONTAINERS WITH TUNA FISH WHICH HAS BEEN CUT TRANSVERSELY OF THE LOINS OF THE FISH TO FORM SLICES OF A HEIGHT SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE CONTAINERS WHICH THE SLICES ARE TO OCCUPY WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION: (A) A TURRET, (B) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TURRET ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS OF ROTATION, (C) A MULTIPLICITY OF CONTAINER POCKETS CARRIED BY SAID TURRET AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF SAID FORMING AND FILLING POSITIONS. (D) A STATIONARY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING SURFACE OVER WHICH SAID CONTAINERS ARE MOVED BY SAID POCKETS, (E) A MULTIPLICITY OF FORMING MEMBERS MOUNTED IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONTAINERS, SAID FORMING MEMBERS BEING CARRIED BY SAID TURRET AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HALF CYLINDERS, (F) A MULTIPLICITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HALF-CYLINDER FORMING ELEMENTS, EACH OF WHICH IS COMPLEMENTARY TO A FORMING MEMBER TO COOPERATE THEREWITH TO FORM SAID SLICES INTO SLUGS OF SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SHAPE ADAPTED TO FIT SAID CONTAINERS, (G) MEANS DRIVEN FROM SAID TURRET FOR ROTATING SAID FORMING ELEMENTS THROUGH A NON-CIRCULAR PATH BUT PART OF WHICH IS CIRCULAR AT AND ADJACENT SAID FORMING AND FILLING POSITIONS, (H) MEANS FOR FEEDING THE SLICES OF TUNA TO SAID FORMING POSITION, (I) MEANS FOR TRANSFERRING THE FORMED TUNA FORM SAID FORMING MEMBERS AND ELEMENTS INTO SAID CONTAINERS, AND (J) MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE FILLED CONTAINERS FROM THE MACHINE AT A CONTAINER DISCHARGE POSITION.