Packing machines

Claim 1

IN AND FOR A MACHINE FOR PACKING GROUPS OF ARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES A PACKING STATION, A FIRST FEED PATH, MEANS FOR FEEDING GROUPS OF ARTICLES ALONG SAID FIRST FEED PATH TO SAID PACKING STATION, A SECOND FEED PATH, MEANS FOR PLACING UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL SUCCESSIVELY ONTO SAID SECOND FEED PATH, MEANS FOR FEEDING SAID UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL FROM SAID PLCING MEANS ALONG SAID SECOND FEED PATH TO SAID PACKING STATION, SAID SECOND FEED PATH BEING OF A LENGTH FOR ACCOMMODATING THEREON A PLURLAITY OF SAID UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL, AND MEANS AT SAID PACKING STATION FOR SUPPLYING SAID GROUPS OF ARTICLES TO SAID UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL, ONE TO EACH: AN ARRANGEMENT FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE OPERATIOLN OF SAID MACHINE, THE ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID PLACING MEANS, A PLURLITY OF ELECTRIC DEVICE FOR SENSING THE PRESENCE AND ABSENCE OF GROUPS OF ARTICLES ON SAID FIRST FEED PATH, SAID SENSING DEVICES BEING LOCATED ALONG SAID FIRST FEED PATH AND SPACED ONE FROM THE NEXT FOR SIMULTANEOUUSLY SENSING SUCCESSIVE GROUPS OF ARTICLES WHEN PRESENT ON SAID FIRST FEED PATH, AND AN ELECTRIC CIRCUIT FOR ELECTRICALLY INTERLINKING SAID SENSING DEVICE WITH SAID OPERATING MEANS IN SUCH A MANNER THAT WHEN ONLY THE SENSING DEVICE NEAREST SAID PACKING STATION SENSES THE PRESENCE OF A GROUP OF ARTICLES SAID OPERATING MEANS IS ACTUATED AND A SINGLE UNIT OF PACKING MATERIAL IS PLACED BY SAID PLACING MEANS ON SAID SECOND FEED PATH, THAT ONLY SAID NEAREST SENSING DEVICE AND ITS SUCCEEDING SENSING DEVICE SIMULTANEOUSLY SENSE THE PRESENCE OF TWO GROUPS OF ARTICLES, SAID OPERATING MEANS IS ACTUATED TWICE IN SUCCESSION AND TWO UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL ARE PLACED IN SUCCESSION ON SAID SECOND FEED PATH, AND SO ON, SAID OPERATING MEANS BEING ACTUATED SUCCESSIVELY WITHOUT INTERRUPTION SO LONG AS THE LAST ONE OF THE SENSING DEVICES CONTINUES TO SENSE THE PRESENCE OF A GROUUP OF ARTICLES, THE DISTANCE OF SAID NEAREST SENSING DEVIECE FROM SAID PACKING STATION BEING SUCH THAT WHENEVER SAID OPERATING MEANS CEASES TO BE ACTUATED AND THEREFROE THE PLACING OF UNITS OF PACKING MATERIAL ON THE SECOND FEED PATH IS STOPPED, EACH UNIT WHICH AT THE MOMENT OF STOPPING IS PRESENT ON SAID SECOND FEED PATH IS SUPPLIED AT SAID PACKING STAION BY SAID SUPPLYING MEANS WITH A GROUP OF ARTICLES.