Orienting and packing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM ARTICLES IN PREDETERMINED RELATIVE POSITIONS COMPRISING MEANS TO DELIVER A SUPPLY OF ARTICLES; RECEPTION MEANS IN RECEIVING RELATION TO SAID SUPPLY MEANS TO HOLD A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF SAID ARTICLES; POWER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID RECEPTION MEANS SEQUENTIALLY TO EFFECT ARRANGEMENT OF SAID ARTICLES THEREIN IN A PREDETERMINED SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR ORDER AND TO COMPRESS THE ARTICLES INTO ENGAGEMENT IN SAID ORDER IN THE PLANE; GRIP PING MEANS ADAPATED TO HOLD SAID ARRANGED ARTICLES IN COMPRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT; POWER MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID GRIPPING MEANS TO EFFECT POWERED ADJUSTMENT THEREOF BETWEEN RELEASED AND GRIPPING CONDITIONS; TRANSPORT MEANS OPERATIVELY SUPPORTING SAID GRIPPING MEANS TO CARRY SAID ARTICLES TO A PACKAGING CONTAINER IN COMPRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT AND TO DEPOSIT THE ARTICLES THEREIN WHILE MAINTAINING SAID PRE-ARRANGED ORDER; POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TRANSPORT MEANS TO EFFECT THE CARRYING AND DEPOSITING FUNCTIONS OF SAID TRANSPORT MRANS; AND CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO EACH OF SAID POWER MEANS TO EFFECT SEQUENTIAL INDIVIDUAL OPERATION THEREOF IN A PREDETERMINED ORDER.