Casing machine

Claim 1

A CASING MACHINE FOR PLACING CONTAINERS FED TO THE MACHINE INTO EMPTY OPEN-TOP CASES SUPPLIED TO THE MACHINE AT A LEVEL BELOW THE CONTAINER FEED LINE, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING CASE HANDLING MEANS FOR POSITIONING AND HOLDING THE CASE IN A PROPER LOCATION TO RECEIVE A GROUP OF CONTAINERS, CONTAINER SUPPORT MEANS MOVABLE TO AND RETRACTABLE FROM A POSITION OVER THE OPEN-TOP OF THE POSITIONED CASE TO SUPPORT A GROUP OF CONTAINERS WHEN IN POSITION OVER THE CASE, GROUPING MEANS FOR FORMING A GROUP OF CONTAINERS ON SAID CONTAINER SUPPORT MEANS, HOLDING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE FORMED GROUP WHEN THE CONTAINER SUPPORTING MEANS IS RETRACTED FROM SUPPORTING POSITION OVER THE OPEN-TOP OF THE POSITIONED CASE, ELEVATOR MEANS FOR LOWERING THE GROUP OF CONTAINERS INTO THE POSITIONED CASE, AND MEANS TO GUIDE THE GROUP OF CONTAINERS INTO THE CASE, SAID CASE HANDLING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST DEPENDING MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID CONTAINER SUPPORT MEANS AND RETRACTABLE THEREWITH TO ENGAGE THE INSAIDE EDGE OF SAID CASE AND THEREBY POSITION SAID CASE WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS IS RETRACTED.