Pickle packing machine

Claim 1

An improved pickle packing apparatus for pressing pickles into a container and retaining the same therein sufficiently long so that said pickles remain wedged in said container below the top edge of said container without external retaining means after said pressing force is removed, said apparatus comprising: a vertically adjustable cam surface arranged in a generally horizontally disposed closed loop; a plurality of plunger assemblies moveable in a closed loop path below said cam surface, each having a first portion adapted for limited movement into a container and a second portion moveable with said first portion and adapted for engagement with said cam surface, said cam surface and each of said plunger assemblies being associated with each other such that movement of said plunger assembly in said closed loop path and engagement between said second portion and said cam surface causes vertical movement of said first portion into and out of said container, the shape of said cam surface and the relationship between said cam surface and said plurality of plunger assemblies being such that during movement of said plunger assemblies, said first portion is moved into said container in a pressing action and retained in such pressing action sufficiently long so that the pickles remain wedged in said container below the upper edge thereof without external retaining means after such pressing force is removed, means for vertically adjusting said cam surface to a position in which the relationship between the vertically adjusted position of said cam surface and said plurality of plunger assemblies is such that at least two of said plunger assemblies are engaged in said pressing action simultaneously and such that each of said plunger assemblies is engaged in said pressing action throughout in excess of one-half of its movement along said closed loop path; and alignment means properly aligning said containers with said plunger assemblies to enable said first portion of said plunger assembly to reciprocate into and out of said container.