Fruit packing machine

Claim 1

A MACHINE FOR PACKING FRUIT INTO A CARTON WHICH IS OPEN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM ENDS THEREOF, AND WHICH IS POSITIONED AT A LOADING STATION, SAID MACHINE COMPRISING: A GRID MOVABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION DIRECTLY OVER SAID CARTON, AND A SECOND POSITION REMOVED TO ONE SIDE THEREOF; SAID GRID HAVING A PLURALITY OF POCKETS TO RECEIVE SAID FRUIT, SAID POCKETS BEING ARRANGED IN AT LEAST ONE GROUP REPRESENTING ONE LAYER OF SAID CARTON, THE POCKETS OF SAID GROUP BEING ARRANGED IN A LOSE PATTERN CORRESPONDING TO THE PATTERN IN WHICH SAID FRUIT IS TO BE PACKED IN SAID ONE LAYER; MEANS FOR LOADING SAID FRUIT INTO SAID POCKETS; MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY EJECTING SAID FRUIT FROM ALL OF THE POCKETS OF SAID GROUP AND TRANSFERRING THE FRUIT INTO SAID CARTON; MEANS FOR COMPACTING SAID FRUIT FROM SAID LOSE PATTERN OF SAID GRID TO A TIGHTLY PACKED PATTERN OF DIMENSIONS TO BE RECEIVED WITHIN SAID CARTON; A PLATEN PROJECTING UP THROUGH SAID CARTON FROM THE OPEN BOTTOM END THEREOF AND PROVIDING A RECEIVING SURFACE FOR SAID FRUIT AT THE PLANE OF THE TOP EDGE OF THE CARTON, SAID PLATEN BEING MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID CARTON IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID FRUIT AS THE LATTER COMPLETES ITS TRAVEL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TRANSFERRED FROM SAID GRID TO SAID CARTON; AND MEANS FOR REMOVING THE LOADED CARTON FROM SAID LOADING STATION AND REPLACING THE SAME WITH AN EMPTY CARTON.