Apparatus for filling and packing containers

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PACKING LOOSE, COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL IN CONTAINERS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A CONTAINER TO BE PACKED WITH THE LOOSE COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL, A DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN EXTENDED POSITION AXIALLY DISPOSED ABOVE THE MOUTH OF THE CONTAINER AND A RETRACTED POSITION RADIALLY SPACED FROM THE AXIS OF THE CONTAINER, FIRST ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING THE DISTRIBUTOR BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS THEREOF, MEAND INCLUDING A PRESSING PLUNGER MOVABLE VERTICALLY INTO THE CONTAINER TO COMPRESS MATERIAL THEREIN, SECOND ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID PLUNGER VERTICALLY INTO THE CONTAINER TO COMPRESS MATERIAL THEREIN, AND MEANS FOR ENERGIZING SAID SECOND ACTUATING MEANS FOR INITIATING DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSING PLUNGER IN RESPONSE TO THE ARRIVAL OF SAID DISTRIBUTOR AT ITS FULLY RETRACTED POSITION, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A SWITCH ACTUATED BY SAID DISTRIBUTOR WHEN THE DISTRIBUTOR REACHES SAID RETRACTED POSITION THEREOF WHEREBY THE PLUNGER WILL NOT START ITS DOWNWARD MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE CONTAINER UNTIL THE DISTRIBUTOR IS IN ITS FULLY RETRACTED POSITON.