Shifting grid style packer with lane holdback

Claim 1

In a shifting grid style packer of the type wherein columns of articles are received from an infeed conveyor between side-by-side longitudinally extending lane guides to be formed into discrete charges for deposit downwardly into upwardly open packing cases, the improvement comprising a fixed frame having longitudinally extending ways oriented parallel to the longitudinally extending lane guides, a grid assembly movably mounted on said ways and itself defining cross slide means oriented transversely to said ways, a shifting grid frame on said cross slide means and having riding strips to support the articles when said grid frame is in one limit position and to allow the articles to drop downwardly in another grid frame limit position, means for shifting said grid frame transversely between said limit positions, article abutment means associated with each column of articles between said lane guides and movable from and to positions wherein said abutment means are aligned with certain of said lane guides, means for causing initial transverse grid frame movement from said one position to achieve corresponding movement of said abutment means as the latter move initially from said lane guide aligned positions, camming means for said grid frame to cause said grid assembly to move downstream in the longitudinal direction in response to further transverse movement of said grid frame toward said another grid frame limit position and means for preventing further movement of said abutment means in response to said further movement of said grid frame toward said another grid frame limit position.