Machine for loading stacks of packages in cartons

Claim 1

IN A MACHINE FOR LOADING STACKS OF FLAT PACKAGES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE IN CARTONS AND CLOSING THE LATTER, THE COMBINATION OF, A BASE, A CARRIER SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE, A PLURALITY OF HOLDERS SPACED ALONG SAID CARRIER AND MOUNTED THEREON FOR BACK AND FORTH SWINGING BETWEEN UPRIGHT POSITIONS AND RECLINING POSITIONS, ONE END OF EACH HOLDER OPENING UPWARDLY IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND LATERALLY IN THE RECLINING POSITION, MECHANISM FOR ADVANCING SAID CARRIER ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH TO PRESENT SAID HOLDERS SUCCESSIVELY TO A RECEIVING STATION AND THEN TO A LOADING STATION, A DEVICE DISPOSED ALONG SAID PATH AND OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID HOLDERS UPRIGHT AT SAID RECEIVING STATION AND OVERTURN THE HOLDERS INTO THE RECLINING POSITION AS THE HOLDERS ADVANCE TOWARD THE LOADING STATION, MECHANISM FOR STACKING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF PACKAGES IN EACH HOLDER AT SAID RECEIVING STATION, THE OTHER END OF EACH HOLDER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN SMALLER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED SIZE WHEREBY SAID OTHER END SUPPORTS THE PACKAGES IN THE HOLDER, A RETAINING MEMBER FOR HOLDING THE STACKS AGAINST FALLING THROUGH SAID ONE END AS AND AFTER EACH HOLDER IS OVERTURNED, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AN EMPTY CARTON OPEN AT BOTH ENDS AT SAID LOADING STATION WITH ONE OF SAID CARTON ENDS ADJACENT AND ALINED WITH SAID ONE HOLDER END, AN INSERT RAM SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE ON ONE SIDE OF SAID HOLDER IN ALINEMENT WITH SAID SMALLER OPENING AND FOR BACK AND FORTH MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID HOLDER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE CARTON, A BACK-UP RAM SUPPORTED ON SAID BASE IN ALINEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID CARTON ENDS AND MOVABLE BACK AND FORTH THROUGH THE CARTON TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOLDER, MECHANISM FOR MOVING SAID RAMS FIRST INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID STACK, THEN IN UNISON TOWARD THE CARTON TO CARRY THE STACK INTO THE CARTON, AND FINALLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AWAY FROM THE CARTON, MEANS FOR CLOSING THE CARTON ENDS TIGHTLY OVER THE STACK ENDS, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING THE STACK TIGHTLY TOGETHER IN THE CARTON AFTER THE RAMS ARE MOVED IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND UNTIL THE CARTON ENDS ARE AT LEAST PARTIALLY CLOSED.