Patent ID: 7587879

Claim:
A system for loading a plurality of items in series into a receptacle held in an item holding device, comprising: (a) a plurality of item holding devices each adapted for holding an item receptacle, each item receptacle being adapted to receive and hold a plurality of items; (b) a holding device moving apparatus for moving said plurality of item holding devices to and through an item loading station with said item receptacles being oriented at a first angle to the horizontal during loading of a plurality of items; (c) an item delivery apparatus delivering to an item loading station, a plurality of items separately in series at an item orientation that is at a second angle to said item receptacles when each item receptacle is at said item loading station, said item delivery apparatus directing items towards each item receptacle in turn held in a holding device at said item orientation; wherein said holding device moving apparatus comprises: (a) an item holding device conveyor having a conveyor path for moving said plurality of holding devices to an item loading station; (b) an indexing intermittent movement apparatus for moving each of said plurality of item holding devices at said first angle with indexed intermittent movement to allow said plurality of items to be loaded sequentially into each said item receptacle; and wherein each item of said plurality of items is delivered in series by said item delivery apparatus towards each item receptacle held in a holding device, and each said holding device is moved with indexed intermittent movement through said item loading station to permit a plurality of items to be sequentially loaded into each said item receptacle.