Article handling means for a packaging machine

Claim 1

Article handling means for arranging continuously moving articles in spaced groups, said article handling means comprising conveyor means including metering means for continuously moving a row of articles along a predetermined path at a controlled and substantially constant velocity, an endless feed element having a working reach movable alongside said path, a plurality of article engaging pusher projections mounted in a spaced relation on said endless element and arranged respectively to move behind the rearmost article of a group of moving articles to impart movement to such group of articles in the direction of movement of the articles in such manner as to establish a gradually increasing space between such rearmost article and an immediately succeeding continuously moving article, a plurality of elongated smoothly contoured spacer elements pivotally mounted at one end thereof with said pusher projections and each spacer element having an article engaging restraining portion thereon, and spacer control means for sequentially engaging and imparting controlled swinging movement to said spacer elements relative to said endless feed element so as to swing the restraining portions thereof into the path of movement of the articles and into said spaces respectively only after the length thereof is sufficiently great to receive and portions thereby to grip a group of articles between each of said restraining portions and each of the immediately succeeding pusher projections respectively.