Abstract:
The packaging machine includes: a plurality of lane guides, the plurality of lane guides being spaced apart to form a plurality of lanes; a moveable conveyor belt having a first end and second end, the first end located beneath one of the plurality of lanes, the movable conveyor belt delivers the product to each of the plurality of lanes; a support device located at the plurality of lanes; and a shifting assembly attached to the plurality of lane guides. The method for packaging a case with a product includes: conveying a first plurality of the product to a first lane; supporting the first plurality of the product within the first lane; conveying a second plurality of the product to a second lane; shifting the first lane and the second lane in a first direction; and dropping the first plurality of the products into the case.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/095,427 which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/005,457, filed Nov. 2, 2001, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/245,889 filed Nov. 3, 2000, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Automated packaging devices are often used in high volume production facilities to prepare products for sale and shipment. One common automated packing device is a packaging machine, which divides up the product and drops it into a box or case. The packaging machine typically consist of five sections; a product infeed section, a case feed section, a lift table section, a grid table section and an operator interface section.  
         [0003]     The product infeed section of the packaging machine includes a conveyor belt that transfers the product from an up stream process such as filling or labeling, in a serial fashion. The conveyor belt urges the product into grid lanes that align the product into a plurality of rows. Distribution of the product between the grid lanes is accomplished using the force of the conveyor belt and the force created between the individual product items to distribute the product between fixed, stainless steel lane guides. As the product passes between the lane guides, it rests on support strips positioned below the product. At the end of each grid lane is a separation bar, which stops the first product to enter the grid lane. The product is monitored using electronic sensors as it is fed into a grid lane. When the grid lane is filled with the desired amount of product, a brake is applied to stop the serial flow of product in the conveyor belt and, thereby, prevent further product from entering the lane guides.  
         [0004]     While the infeed section fills the grid with product, the case feed section delivers empty boxes or cases onto the lift table via a conveyor. The lift table section lifts the cases to a point beneath the grid lanes and waits for product to enter the case before descending. The lift table section is equipped with an air or oil lift table that prompts the up and down motion of the table. As the grid area is filled with product the lift table rises. Once the product is placed in the case, the lift table lowers. The case feed section then discharges the filled case, and an empty case enters the lift table. The operation will then repeat, depending on the number of products in the infeed section.  
         [0005]     The grid section is responsible for releasing the product into the empty cases on the lift table. The grid section accomplishes the release of the product using two primary components: the support strip on which the product rests as it enters the grid area, and a grid basket, which guides the product into the case. Once the grid lanes are filled with product, the support strips are shifted to the side allowing the product to fall through the grid basket into the case or box. The support strips are then returned to their original position and the link brake is released allowing subsequent product to be moved from the product infeed into the grid.  
         [0006]     An operator interface section controls the system and allows the operator to manage the operation of the machine. Typically, the interface is mounted on a swing boom that enables the operator to control the machine from either side to facilitate viewing of the process. This interface consists of a series of pushbuttons, which enable the operator to start, stop, or alter the performance of the machine, and locate/correct any fault conditions.  
         [0007]     As discussed above, the line brake is applied to the infeed conveyor to prevent over filling of the lanes. The application of the brake causes the upstream product to compress together. This compression of the product is known as “line pressure”. Also, as discussed above, the product infeed section divides the product into grid lanes using the force of the conveyor belt and the force created between individual product items. As the product is forced into the grid lanes, the first product to enter the grid lane is forced against the separation bar, and the subsequent products are forced against the first product and against each other. This pressure between the products in the grid lane is known as “wind up”. Despite that line pressure and wind-up cause problems in the packaging operation, they are often used to help move the product in to the grid lanes. Therefore, there is a delicate balance that must be achieved to use line pressure and wind-up without causing problems in the process.  
         [0008]     Line pressure results in two main problems in the packaging operation. The first depends on the product being packaged. If the product is made of a glass or plastic oval shape base that has a thinner wall towards the front and back of the base and a thicker wall in the center of the base, excess line pressure may cause the product to break or deform causing delays in the operation as the damaged product is removed and the line is cleared. The second problem occurs with products having irregularly shaped containers (i.e. containers not shaped as a cylinder or parallel-piped). Because the containers are irregularly shaped, contact of containers against each other may cause tipping of adjacent containers resulting in interlocking, tipping, or mispackaging of the product, which again causes delays. To overcome the problems associated with packaging irregularly shaped products, prior art devices used additional devices such as an inflatable membrane to hold the product and prevent it from tipping.  
         [0009]     Wind-up tends to cause problems in the packaging lanes. Most cases have product dividers or partitions that protect the product during shipment. Since the product within the lane is in a wound-up state, a gap must be created between the products before they pass into the case. Prior art packaging machines used a separation bar located on the end of the lane to release the wind-up. Once the lane is filled, the separation bar moves away from the row of product, releasing the wind-up. Unfortunately, this technique does not always work well with irregularly shaped products since the wind-up may cause the products to interlock or tip within the grid lanes.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, it is considered to be advantageous to have a packaging machine with an infeed section that is able to deliver product into the grid lanes without the problems associated with line pressure or wind-up. It is also advantageous to have a packaging machine capable of continuously filling grid lanes without the use of a line brake. It is also considered advantageous to have a packaging machine capable of continuously filling grid lanes where the products are packaged on a first-in, first-out basis. It is also considered advantageous to provide a packaging machine capable of continuously packaging cases containing variety packs.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     These and other drawbacks or deficiencies are overcome by an apparatus and a method for packaging a case with products. The packaging machine includes: a plurality of lane guides, the plurality of lane guides being spaced apart to form a plurality of lanes; a moveable conveyor belt having a first end and second end, the first end located beneath one of the plurality of lanes, the movable conveyor belt delivers the product to each of the plurality of lanes; a support device located at the plurality of lanes; and a shifting assembly attached to the plurality of lane guides. The method for packaging a case with a product includes: conveying a first plurality of the product to a first lane; supporting the first plurality of the product within the first lane; conveying a second plurality of the product to a second lane; shifting the first lane and the second lane in a first direction; and dropping the first plurality of the products into the case. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, claims and accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a side plan view of a packaging machine in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a top perspective view of the product infeed and grid sections of the packaging machine shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2B  is a top plan view illustrating an alternate embodiment infeed section of  FIG. 2A  utilizing side belts;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2C  is a top plan view illustrating an alternate infeed section of  FIG. 2A  utilizing a timing screw;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2D  is a partial plan view of an alternate embodiment the grid section of  FIG. 2A  utilizing inflatable bladders;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view, partially in section, illustrating a grid lane having a shock absorber;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the second lane being filled with product;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the second lane being filled with product;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the third lane being filled with product;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the fourth lane being filled with product;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the fifth lane being filled with product;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with product from lanes one through four being dropped into the case;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the fifth lane being filled with product;  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is an end plan view of the grid section of  FIG. 2A  with the fourth lane being filled with product;  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a top perspective view of the grid section shown in  FIG. 2A  being used to package variety packs;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a top perspective view of the grid section shown in  FIG. 2A ; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a side plan view of an alternate embodiment grid section for filling multiple cases simultaneously. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     A product must go through a number of steps to transform the raw material into a useful product. These steps can be numerous, including the mixing and processing of the raw material to create the base product, filling containers with the base product and labeling the container to create the final product. Usually one of the last steps before shipment to a customer is the packaging of the final product (hereafter referred to as the product) into conveniently sized case or box that will hold and protect the product during shipment. In high volume facilities, the process of filling cases with product is usually automated to reduce manufacturing cost.  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an automated packaging machine  20  is shown. The packaging machine  20  has a product infeed section  22  located at one end for receiving products from an upstream processing station (not shown). A product (not shown) will flow along the infeed section  22  in the direction indicated by arrow  24  to a grid section  26 . While the grid section  26  is being filled with the product, a case feed section  28  will open an empty case (not shown) using an opener  30 . Once opened, a conveyor  32  delivers the empty cases to a lift table  34 , which raises the case up under the grid  26 . When the grid section  26  is filled with the appropriate amount of product, the product descends through a grid basket  36  into the case. The full case is lowered and removed by a conveyor (not shown) for further downstream processing and shipping. The process is now ready to repeat with the grid section  26  filling with product and an empty case being positioned to receive product. The operation of the packaging machine  20  is controlled from an operator interface  38 , which may include a controller  39 , mounted to a movable boom  40 . Controller  39  may be programmed to control the operation of the packaging machine  20 .  
         [0032]     The product infeed section  22  is best seen in  FIG. 2A . A first conveyor  50  receives the product (not shown) in a serial fashion from an upstream station (not shown). A pair of flex guides  52  and  54  supports and guides the product as the conveyor  50  moves the product along the first conveyor  50 . The first conveyor  50  is connected to a second conveyor  56  so that the product moves from the first conveyor  50  to the second conveyor  56 .  
         [0033]     The second conveyor  56  extends from the first conveyor  50  to an end section  58  of the second conveyor  56 , which is located at the grid section  26 . The end section  58  is coupled to a gear assembly  60 , which is driven by a motor  62 . The motor  62  may be a servo motor, a start/stop electric motor, or even air cylinders. The second conveyor  56  has a pair of pivots  70  and  72 , which allow the end section  58  to move laterally along gear assembly  60  while still remaining parallel to a plurality of grid lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88 . An additional motor (not shown), which may be a servo motor, a start/stop electric motor, or even air cylinders, drives a belt  90  of the second conveyor  56 . The motor  62  and the additional motor (not shown) may be coupled to their respective assemblies by clutches (not shown), which allow the operator to disconnect the motors in the event of a jam or dislodged product. In addition, the motor  62  and the additional motor (not shown) may be in electronic communication with the controller  39  (see  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0034]     The second conveyor  56  has a pair of sensors  92  and  94 , which are mounted to the gear assembly  60 . The sensor  92  is used to count the number of products entering the grid lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88 . This allows the packaging machine  20  to determine when a grid lane is filled with product. The sensor  94  may be used as a back up for the sensor  92 .  
         [0035]     The grid section  26  includes the grid lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88 , which are formed between a plurality of parallel, spaced apart plates (lane guides)  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112 . Second conveyor  56  is positioned so that the end section  58  extends under and to an end  114  of the grid lane  80 . A series of support devices, which are illustrated as stationary support strips  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128 , are positioned under and parallel to the grid lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  and the second conveyor  56 . Located adjacent to and at the end of each grid lane  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  is a shock absorbing device  130  (shown on  FIG. 3 ).  
         [0036]     Each of the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  that make up the grid lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  are mounted to a gear assembly  132 . The gear assembly  132  is driven by a motor  134 , which may be a servo motor, a start/stop electric motor, or even air cylinders. The motor  134  is mounted to a packaging machine frame  136 . As will be described in more detail herein, the motor  134  drives the gear assembly  132  which moves the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  in a direction perpendicular to the support strips  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  as indicated by an arrow  138 . The motor  134  may be in electronic communication with the controller  39  (see  FIG. 1 ).  
         [0037]     In the exemplary embodiment, the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  and support strips  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  are laterally adjustable. This allows the packaging machine  20  to be reconfigured for different products by adjusting the lateral distance between adjacent lane guides. Alternatively, to simplify the assembly, nonadjustable lane guides  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  may be removably mounted to the gear assembly  132 . In this alternate embodiment, different sets of lane guides would be utilized for different sized products.  
         [0038]     In an alternate embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2B , the product infeed section  22  also includes a spacing mechanism that spaces the product as it moves through the spacing mechanism. In an exemplary embodiment, the spacing mechanism includes a side belt assembly  140  located upstream from the conveyor  50 . The side belt assembly  140  consists of at least two pairs of belts  142  and  144 . Each belt pair  142  and  144  is spaced apart to allow the product (not shown) to pass in between while still maintaining contact with the sides of the product. A motor (not shown) drives the belts  142  and  144  in the direction indicated by arrows  146  and  148 . As the product (not shown) travels through the center of each pair of belts  142  and  144 , the product will contact the belts  142  and  144  and will move forward at the same speed as the belts  142  and  144 . By rotating the belt  144  at a faster rate than the belt  142 , the spacing between the products may be altered. The significance of this spacing for proper packaging will be made clearer herein. As the product exits belts  144 , the product is transferred to the conveyor  50 .  
         [0039]     Another alternate embodiment of the spacing mechanism is shown in  FIG. 2C . In this embodiment, a timing screw  150  is utilized. The screw  150 , similar to a worm gear, provides a number of threads  152  which pickup the product (not shown) from the upstream process (not shown) and advances it downstream in the direction of arrow  154 . Since the screw  150  has a variable pitch, i.e. a gap  156  between a front surface  158  of adjacent threads  152  increases along the length of the screw  150 . This increasing gap  156  also increases the distance between adjacent products. Such that as the product leaves the screw  150  and is transferred to the conveyor  50  at the appropriate spacing for packaging.  
         [0040]     An alternate embodiment of the support devices of the grid section  26  is illustrated in  FIG. 2D . The support devices may be any type of support device that holds the product as the second conveyor  56  moves to each lane and fills each lane. The support device is employed to hold the product until the appropriate number of lanes is filled. Once the appropriate number of lanes is filled, the support device is removed and the product in the lanes descends to the case feed section  28  located beneath the grid section  26 .  
         [0041]     In an alternate embodiment, bladder pairs  160  and  162  eliminate the need for the support strips  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  and for the shock absorbing device  130 , both illustrated in  FIG. 2A .  FIG. 2D  is only a partial view of the grid section  26 . Thus, while only bladder pairs  160  and  162  are illustrated, the bladder pairs would replace each support strip for each grid lane illustrated in  FIG. 2A .  
         [0042]     Each bladder pair  160  and  162  is associated with a particular grid lane  84  and  86  respectively. Grid lane  84 , which includes lane guides  106  and  108 , is illustrated with bladder pair  160 . One of each bladder pair  160  is attached to lane guide  106  and  108 . Grid lane  86 , which includes lane guides  108  and  110 , is illustrated with bladder pair  162 . One of each bladder pair  162  is attached to lane guides  108  and  110 . Each of the bladder pairs  160  and  162  are attached at a valve  164 , which is connected to an air supply  166 . Air supply  166  provides air through valve  164  to bladder pair  160  and  162 .  
         [0043]     As the conveyor  56  fills a lane with a product  170 , valve  164  opens and supplies air to the bladder pair associated with the grid lane. Lane  84  illustrates bladder pair  160  inflated with air and shows bladder pair  160  surrounding the product  170 . When bladder pair  160  is inflated with air, bladder pair  160  stops the forward motion of the product  170  and holds the product  170  in place. Lane  86  illustrates bladder pair  162  deflated and the product  170  moving in a forward motion.  
         [0044]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the shock absorbing device  130  is illustrated. The shock absorbing device  30  includes a plunger  180  connected to a chamber  182 , which is connected to air valves  184  and  186 .  
         [0045]     Operation of the packing machine  20  can be described with reference with  FIGS. 3-12 . First referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , as the second conveyor  56  continuously moves the product  170  at a constant speed into the lane  82 , the first sensor  92  counts the product  170 . The products  170  are each speed at a distance equal to a gap  172 . The products  170  move into the lane until the first product  170  contacts the shock absorbing device  130 . To prevent tipping of the product  170  as it slowed to a stop, the first product  170  in the lane  82  contacts the plunger  180  resulting in the displacement of air from the chamber  182  through the valve  186 .  
         [0046]     The number of products  170  allowed in a given lane depends on the size of the case being packaged. In the exemplary embodiment, the case is capable of holding sixteen containers of the product  170  (4×4 grid) (see  FIG. 12 ). When the appropriate number of products  170  (i.e. four products  170 ) has entered the lane  88 , the motor  62  (see  FIG. 2A ) energizes, shifting the end section  58  from under the lane  88  to the lane  86  as shown in  FIG. 5 . As the end section  58  is shifted, the product  170  in lane  86  contacts the lane guide  110 . Since the lane guide is stationary at this point, the product  170  in lane  88  slides off the end section  58  and onto the support strip  128 .  
         [0047]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4, 5 , and  12 , the speed of the second conveyor  56  is adjusted so that the total time for the end section  58  to shift from lane  88  to  86  is less than the time it takes for conveyor  56  to move the product  170  the distance equal to the gap  172 . This allows the lanes  88 ,  86 ,  84 ,  82 , and  80  to be filled continuously using a constant conveyor speed and without the need for a brake used by prior art packaging machines. The elimination of the brake also eliminates the problems associated with line pressure. In addition, it will be recognized that the timing of the movement of the end section  58  from lane  88  to lane  86  will maintain the gap  172  between the products  170  within lane  86 . In other words, the timing of the movement of end section  58  will eliminate wind-up within the lanes.  
         [0048]     Referring to  FIGS. 5-9  the filling of lanes  86 ,  84 , and  82  will continue as described above and shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , with the lane guides  104 ,  106 , and  108  retaining the products  170  in their respective lanes  82 ,  84 , and  86  and resting on the associated support strips  122 ,  124 , and  126 . After the last product  170  enters lane  82 , the end section  58  will once again shift to the next lane  80 . The case  190  of the exemplary embodiment is capable of holding four rows of product  170 . As shown in  FIG. 9  there is enough product  170  in lanes  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  to fill the case  190  located on the lift table  34  directly below the support strips  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128 .  
         [0049]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , as the product  170  is being loaded into the spare lane  80 , the end section  58  and the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  all shift simultaneously causing the lane guides  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  to move the products  170  off their respective support strips  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128 . This allows the products  170  in lanes  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  to fall between the support strips  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  and into the case  190  on the lift table  34  (see  FIG. 1 ). Because end section  58  is still located under lane  80 , product  170  and lane  80  does not descend into case  190 . The lane  80  continues to be filled with additional product  170  while the products  170  in lanes  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  descend into the case  190 .  
         [0050]     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 10 , once the products  170  have fallen in to the case  190  the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  shift simultaneous back to the original position and the lane  80  rests over the support strip  120 . In the empty lanes  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88 , the plungers  180  are reset to the extended position by closing valve  186  and opening valve  184  allowing compressed air  185  to be injected into the chamber  63 . The injection of air forces the plunger  61  to the extended position. The lift table  34  lowers the now full case  190  down to the case feed section  28  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) where the full case  190  is automatically removed from the packaging machine  20  for further downstream processing. A new empty case  190  is opened by the case feed section  28  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) and loaded on to the lift table  34  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) ready to receive product.  
         [0051]     Referring to  FIG. 11 , once the appropriate number of products has been placed in grid lane  80 , the process repeats itself in reverse. The conveyor shifts to lane  82  with the lane guide forcing the product in lane  80  to slide off and fall into support strip  120 . The remaining lanes  82 ,  84 , and  86  will be filled in the manner described above, with the spare lane for this cycle being lane  88 . Thus, the process described allows for a continuous packaging of products  170  without the use of a line brake to stop the flow of products  170 .  
         [0052]     This continuous process also provides additional benefits. Unlike the hopper type arrangement of the prior art, the serial loading of product  170  described herein assures that the product  170  will be packaged into the case  190  on a first-in, first-out basis. Additionally, since the product  170  is continuously fed sequentially in to the grid lanes, as shown in  FIGS. 4-12 , it is possible to create a so called “variety pack” where different varieties of the product  170  are packaged into the same case  190 . In this embodiment, it is desired to package different products  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D together in case  190 . Since the feed sequence of the product  170 A,  170 B,  170 C, and  170 D is maintained, the case  190  will always contain an equal number (i.e. four) of each variety of the product  170 .  
         [0053]     Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2D , the lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  are filled with the product  170  as described herein above. In this embodiment, once the lane  84  is filled with the product  170 , the end section  58  starts to shift to lane  86 . To prevent the product  170  from falling, high pressure air from supply line  166  is injected through the valves  164  to inflate the bladder pair  160 . Once inflated, the bladder pair  160  securely holds the product  170  in place and prevents it from descending into the case (not shown) below.  
         [0054]     As with the exemplary embodiment, when the end section  58  shifts to fill the spare lane  88 , all the lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  shift to position the product  170  in lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  over the case (not shown). Once positioned, the air in the bladder pairs  160 ,  162  (and other bladder pairs not shown for the lanes  80  and  82 ) is removed through valve  164  allowing the bladder pairs to deflate, freeing the product  90  to descend into the case (not shown) below. The process then reverses itself and proceeds in the continuous manner described herein above. The use of the bladder pair to secure the products is advantageous when the product  170  is easily damaged and contact with the lane guides or the shock absorbing device is undesirable. The bladder pairs will also help align oval or non-circular products.  
         [0055]     Referring to  FIG. 13 , while the product moves on the conveyor  56 , the product  170  is supported by a pair of flex guides  52  and  54 . The flex guides  52  and  44  are made from a flexible plastic strip and can bend and move as the conveyor  56  pivots from one lane to the next. A pair of flex-supports  202  supports the lane guides  52  and  54 . These supports  202  typically have a bracket  204  mounted adjacent to, and movable with the conveyor  56 . The bracket  204  has a collar  206  on one end that receives a threaded rod  208 . The rod  208  is attached at one end to the flex guides  52 , and  54 . The use of the threaded rod  208  and collar  206  allows a distance  210  between the flex guides  52  and  54  to be changed to accommodate different size products  170 .  
         [0056]     As described herein above, in the exemplary embodiment, the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  are also adjustable to accommodate different size products  170 . Alternately, the lane guides may be fixed relative to each other and mounted for easy removal and replacement to accommodate the different sizes of products  170 .  
         [0057]     It should be appreciated that this method of packaging products can be applied to any configuration grid. The exemplary embodiment illustrates a four-lane grid with four products per lane (4×4 grid). This method can be scaled up or down to meet the packaging size requirements of the product. The frame  136  ( FIG. 2A ) is adapted to receive additional lanes as needed by the operator. This gives the operator more flexibility and versatility in their use of the packing machine  20 .  
         [0058]     Referring to  FIG. 14 , an alternate embodiment grid section  26  is shown. In this example, two cases  212  and  214  are simultaneously packaged. To accomplish this, the grid components such as the end section  58 , all lane guides (lane guide  112  is shown) and support strips (support strip  128  is shown) are extended to-match the combine length of cases  214  and  216 . The case feed section  28  and lift table  34  are modified to load two cases  214  and  216  in series. Once this is done, the process continues as described herein above. The end section  58  loads the products  170  into the lane  88 , the conveyor shifts to the next lane causing the products  170  to fall on the support strip  128 . Once all four lanes are filled, the lane guides shift causing the products  170  in the front section  220  of the end section  58  will fall and be packaged in case  214  while those in the rear section  222  will fall and be packaged in case  212 .  
         [0059]     In an alternative exemplary embodiment, it should also be appreciated, that some products  170  can withstand some line pressure and that the spare lane can be eliminated from the machine. In that embodiment, the product  170  fills the number of lanes that correspond to the number of lanes needed to fill the case located below the grid section  26 . The second conveyor  56  is then stopped while the lane guides  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  all shift simultaneously causing the lane guides  104 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 , and  112  to move the products  170  off their respective riding strips  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128 . This allows the products  170  in lanes  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86 , and  88  to fall between the support strips  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  and into the case  190  on the lift table  34  (see  FIG. 1 ). Instead of the second conveyor  56  being located under the spare lane, second conveyor  56  is moved out from under each of the lanes filled with the product so that the product can descend into the case. The product  170  builds up some line pressure on the second conveyor  56  while the product  170  moves into the case.  
         [0060]     The packaging machine  20  allows the line pressure to be controlled so that there may be some line pressure, if there is no spacing mechanism and no spare lane. In addition, the packaging machine  20  may be utilized with no line pressure, if the spacing mechanism is employed and/or the spare lane is employed. The packaging machine  20  allows the product  170  to be filled continuously using a constant conveyor speed and without the need for the brake used by prior art packaging machines. In addition, the packaging machine  20  may maintain the predetermined gap  172  between the products  170  within each lane, which will eliminate the wind-up within the lanes. Because line pressure and wind-up can be controlled so that line pressure and wind-up are minimized or eliminated, the drawbacks and deficiencies caused by line pressure and wind-up have also been eliminated. For example, the packaging machine  20  allows the packaging of irregularly shaped product container while eliminating the interlocking, tipping or mispackaging or the product caused by line pressure and wind-up. Additional benefits are also gained by continuously maintaining the feed sequence of product, including the packaging of variety packs and first-in, first-out basis packaging.  
         [0061]     While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration only, and such illustrations and embodiments as have been disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting to the claims.