Apparatus for and method of filling and sealing cups

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF PROVIDING FILLED, SEALED CUPS IN A TRAY, THE STEPS OF ARRNGING OPEN ENDED CUPS NESTED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER IN A VERTICAL STACK IN A CUP DEPOSITING ZONE, PASSING ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH PAST SAID CUP DEPOSITING ZONE A TRAY HAVING EQUALLY SPACED RECESSES ALIGNED WITH THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID TRAY, DROPPING THE BOTTOMMOST CUP OF SAID STACK INTO AN INTERMEDIATE HOLDING POSITION WHILE RETAINING THE REMAINING CUPS OF THE STACK IN THE DEPOSITING ZONE, SUBSEQUENTLY MOVING THE BOTTOMMOST CUP TO A DISCHARGE POSITION AND DROPPING THE BOTTOMMOST CUP INTO THE FIRST RECESS IN SAID TRAY WHEN THE RECESS OF SAID TRAY IS IN THE CUP DEPOSITING ZONE, SEQUENTIALLY DROPPING ADDITIONAL BOTTOMMOST CUPS INTO SUCCESSIVE RECESSES OF SAID TRAY AS SAID RECESSES MOVE INTO THE CUP DEPOSITING ZONE, SUCCESSIVELY INSERTING MATERIAL INTO THE CUPS, AND SEALING THE OPEN ENDS OF THE FILLED CUPS.