Apparatus for packaging cigars

Claim 1

IN A PACKAGING MACHINE FOR CIGARS OR SIMILAR ARTICLES HAVING A LOADING STATION, A CONVEYOR FOR PROGRESSIVELY MOVING A PRE-FORMED OPEN ENDED CARTON TO AND FROM SAID LOADING STATION, MEANS FOR PROGRESSIVELY SUPPLYING A CHARGE OF SAID ARTICLES TO SAID LOADING STATION, SAID LOADING STATION INCLUDING A WALLED PASSAGEWAY THROUGH WHICH SAID CHARGE IS ADAPTED TO PASS AND MEANS FOR INSERTING SAID CHARGE INTO SAID CARTON, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED SPRING MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING FIXEDLY SECURED AT ONE END ADJACENT A SIDE OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE FREE END OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS EXTENDING TOWARD EACH OTHER WITHIN SAID PASSAGEWAY, SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING FIXED APART BY THE ENTRY OF SAID CHARGE INTO SAID PASSAGEWAY TO CAUSE THE FREE ENDS THEREOF TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY OF SAID PASSAGEWAY INTO THE OPEN END OF SAID CARTON TO MAINTAIN SAID CARTON IN CONDITION FOR SUBSEQUENT ENTRY OF SAID CHARGE, ONE OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING OF A LENGTH SUFFICIENTLY SHORT TO PERMIT IT TO REFLEX INDEPENDTLY TO ITS ORIGNAL POSITION UPON THE COMPLETE INSERTION OF THE CHARGE IN THE CARTON, AND THE OTHER OF SAID SPRING MEMBERS BEING REFLEXED TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION IN SAID PASSAGEWAY BY THE FURTHER MOVEMENT OF THE LOADED CARTON AWAY FROM SAID STATION.