Machine for filling collapsible tubes

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES FROM CARTONS DIVIDED INTO UPWARDLY OPEN CELLS WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN ROWS AND COLUMNS AND WHICH EACH CONTAIN AN EMPTY COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, TO A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED UNDERLYING TUBE HOLDERS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR A FILLED CARTON WITH THE OPENINGS OF THE CELLS DIRECTED TOWARDS SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO UNCOVER SAID CELL OPENINGS WHEN ALIGNED THEREWITH , MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CARTONS ALONG SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE TOWARDS THE PAST SAID OPENING TO UNCOVER SAID CELL OPENINGS WHEN ALIGED THEREWITH, A MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A SURFACE POSITIONED BELOW SAID OPENING OF SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SUFACE AND ABOVE SAID TUBE HOLDERS SO AS TO ALOW THE TUBES OF A ROW TO SLIDE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID SURFACE OPENING ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS SO THAT PART OF THE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE TUBES IN THE ROW IN VISIBLE, A PHOTO-ELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE ARRANGED TO SENSE THE POSITION OF THE ROW OF TUBES ON THE SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH TUBES ARE BEING ADVANCED TO A GENERATE AN OUTPUT SIGNAL WHEN SAID ROW OF TUBES IS IN A PERDETERMINED POSITION ABOVE SAID TUBE HOLDERS, AN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STOP MECHANISM FOR SAID DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL TO DISABLE SAID DRIVING MEANS AND TO STOP THE CAROTN WHEN SAID ROW OF TUBES IS IN SAID PERDETERMINED POSITION, AND AN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED ACTUATING MECHAMISM FOR SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SIAD PHOTO-ELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL TO MOVE SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS FROM BELOW SAID SURFACE OPENING AND TO UNCOVER THE UNDERLYING TUBE HOLDERS, SO THAT THAT THE TUBES ON THE SURFACE OF SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS CAN FALL INTO SAID TUBE HOLDERS

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSIBLE TUBES FROM CARTONS DIVIDED INTO UPWARDLY OPEN CELLS WHICH ARE ARRANGED IN ROWS AND COLUMNS AND WHICH EACH CONTAIN AN EMPTY COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, TO A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED UNDERLYING TUBE HOLDERS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR A FILLED CARTON WITH THE OPENINGS OF THE CELLS DIRECTED TOWARDS SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE, SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO UNCOVER SAID CELL OPENINGS WHEN ALIGNED THEREWITH , MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CARTONS ALONG SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SURFACE TOWARDS THE PAST SAID OPENING TO UNCOVER SAID CELL OPENINGS WHEN ALIGED THEREWITH, A MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING A SURFACE POSITIONED BELOW SAID OPENING OF SAID CARTON SUPPORTING SUFACE AND ABOVE SAID TUBE HOLDERS SO AS TO ALOW THE TUBES OF A ROW TO SLIDE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID SURFACE OPENING ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS SO THAT PART OF THE LENGTH OF THE RESPECTIVE TUBES IN THE ROW IN VISIBLE, A PHOTO-ELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE ARRANGED TO SENSE THE POSITION OF THE ROW OF TUBES ON THE SURFACE OF SAID MOVABLE TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH TUBES ARE BEING ADVANCED TO A GENERATE AN OUTPUT SIGNAL WHEN SAID ROW OF TUBES IS IN A PERDETERMINED POSITION ABOVE SAID TUBE HOLDERS, AN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STOP MECHANISM FOR SAID DRIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PHOTOELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL TO DISABLE SAID DRIVING MEANS AND TO STOP THE CAROTN WHEN SAID ROW OF TUBES IS IN SAID PERDETERMINED POSITION, AND AN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED ACTUATING MECHAMISM FOR SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS WHICH IS CONNECTED TO SIAD PHOTO-ELECTRIC SENSING DEVICE AND RESPONSIVE TO SAID OUTPUT SIGNAL TO MOVE SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS FROM BELOW SAID SURFACE OPENING AND TO UNCOVER THE UNDERLYING TUBE HOLDERS, SO THAT THAT THE TUBES ON THE SURFACE OF SAID TUBE SUPPORTING MEANS CAN FALL INTO SAID TUBE HOLDERS