No-container no-fill arrangement for receptacle filling machines

Claim 1

A DETECTION AND ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT FOR A MULTISTATIONED, HIGH SPEED RECEPTACLE FILLING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PRODUCT FILLING ASSEMBLIES WITH ASSOCIATED FILLING VALVES OPERABLE BY MEANS OF A MOVABLE CAMMING SURFACE OVERLYING AND MOVING ALONG A PATH IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A PLURALITY OF RECEPTACLES, A ROTATABLE FEED STAR HAVING POCKETS FOR INDIVIDUALLY FEEDING RECEPTACLES BENEATH SAID PRODUCT FILLING ASSEMBLIES AND A CONVEYOR FOR TRANSPORTING UNIFORMLY SPACED RECEPTACLES TO SAID POCKETS, COMPRISING DETECTING MEANS FOR DETECTING IN ADVANCE OF A PRODUCT FILLING ASSEMBLY THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A RECEPTACLE IN A POCKET OF SAID STAR WHEEL, MEMORY MEANS OPERATIVE FOR RECORDING THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF RECEPTACLES IN EACH POCKET AS DETECTED BY SAID DETECTING MEANS, AND MEANS INCLUDING A CAMMING SURFACE OPERATIVE BY SAID MEMORY MEANS UPON EACH POCKET OF SAID STAR WHEEL BEING ROTATED TO A PREDETERMINED POSITION PRIOR TO ENTRANCE OF RECEPTACLES BENEATH SAID FILLING ASSEMBLIES FOR CAMMING SAID PRODUCT FILLING VALVE DURING AN INDICATED PRESENCE OF A RECEPTACLE AND PREVENTING A CAMMING OF THE PRODUCT FILLING VALVE DURING AN INDICATED ABSENCE OF A RECEPTACLE SAID DETECTING MEANS AFFECTING SAID MEMORY MEANS DIFFERENTLY ONLY UPON A CHANGE OF CONDITIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF A RECEPTACLE.