Automatic packaging machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY PLACING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES INDIVIDUALLY INTO INDIVIDUAL COMPARTMENTS OF A MULTIPLE COMPARTMENTED FLEXIBLE PACKING TRAY WHICH COMPRISES A DOWNWARDLY INCLINED CONTINUOUS ARTICLE DELIVERY BELT, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL CONTINUOUS TRAY DELIVERY BELT BELOW THE ARTICLE DELIVERY BELT, VARIABLE DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING THE BELTS AND CONTROLLING RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREOF AND SLIDE MEANS BETWEEN ARTICLE AND TRAY DELIVERY BELTS FOR SLIDING SUPPORT AND TRANSPORTATION OF ARTICLES BETWEEN THE BELTS, THE SLIDE MEANS HAVING A STATIONARY TRANSVERSE MEMBER BELOW THE ARTICLE DELIVERY BELT AND ABOVE THE TRAY DELIVERY BELT, WHICH TRANSVERSE MEMBER HAS A PLURALITY OF HOLES THEREIN, AND SLIDE FINGERS PIVOTED, FOR MOVEMENT UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY, ABOUT A PORTION OF THE TRANSVERSE MEMBER AND PASSING THROUGH THE HOLES THEREIN, SO THAT ARTICLES FROM THE ARTICLE DELIVERY BELT MAY BE SLID DOWNWARDLY INTO COMPARTMENTS OF TRAYS ON THE TRAY DELIVERY BELT WHEN THE SLIDE FINGERS ARE IN LOWER POSITION AND SO THAT THE FINGERS MAY BE RAISES BY CONTACT WITH A WALL OF A FILLED COMPARTMENT, PASS OVER THAT WALL AND DESCEND INTO A SUBSEQUENT COMPARTMENT.