Apparatus for handling cases being loaded

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING CASES TO BE LOADED BY A PACKER HAVING A HORIZONTAL FUNNEL THROUGH WHICH A LOAD IS THRUST INTO THE OPEN END OF A CASE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A BASE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY IN FRONT OF THE FUNNEL AND WHICH IS INCLINED UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY TOWARD THE FUNNEL, A MAGAZINE ON THE BASE AT ONE SIDE OF THE FUNNEL FOR SUPPORTING A STACK OF FLAT OPEN END CASES HAVING FLAPS AT THEIR ENDS FACING FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THE BASE, MEANS FOR FEEDING ONE CASE AT A TIME FROM THE MAGAZING TO A CASE ERECTING STATION ON THE BASE, MEANS FOR ERECTING SAID CASE WHILE RESTING ON ITS SIDE ON THE BASE AND FOR CLOSING THE FRONT END FLAPS THEREOF AT SAID STATION, MEANS FOR MOVING THE THUS ERECTED CASE TO A LOADING STATION ADJACENT THE FUNNEL, AN ARTICULATE SUPPORT FOR THE CASE AT THE LOADING STATION INCLUDING A FIRST ARM WHICH IS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED AT ITS BOTTOM END AND EXTENDS UPWARDLY, A SECOND ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END OF THE FIRST ARM AND HAVING A CRADLE WHICH IN A FIRST POSITION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ARMS IS POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE CASE IN THE INCLINED POSITION OF THE BASE, SAID FIRST ARM BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN ITS FIRST POSITION AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN THE OPEN FLAP END OF THE CASE IS THRUST OVER THE FUNNEL, SAID SECOND ARM BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN ITS FIRST POSITION RELATIVE TO THE FIRST ARM AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN THE CASE STANDS ERECT IN FRONT OF THE FUNNEL WITH ITS OPEN END UP, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ARMS BEING MOVABLE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY TOWARD THEIR RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS.