Patent ID: 7788886

Claim:
An apparatus for loading at least one of a plurality of bags and a plurality of netting packages into a container, wherein the apparatus comprises: a feed conveyor assembly; a loading unit including: a holder that is movable up and down, the holder being sized to receive and to hold at least one of the plurality of bags and the plurality of netting packages and to be substantially fittingly receivable in the container, at least one pressure-controlled air cylinder that is movable up and down and structured and arranged to carry substantially all of the weight of the holder and at least one of the plurality of bags and the plurality of netting packages disposed in said holder when lowering said holder into said container, and a drive unit having elements that are movable up and down, the drive unit structured and arranged: to control a vertical position of said holder, to carry a portion of the weight of the holder and said at least one of the plurality of bags and the plurality of netting packages when lowering said holder and said at least one of the plurality of bags and the plurality of netting packages into said container, to carry all of the weight of said holder when raising said holder from inside said container, and to determine, when lowering said holder into said container, when a portion of the weight of said holder and said at least one of the plurality of bags and the plurality of netting packages has been transferred to the container or to an object in the container by sensing a weight change; and control means for forming a layer of bags in the loading unit, the layer having dimensions substantially corresponding to at least one bottom dimension of the container to be loaded, wherein the control means is adapted to control the loading unit to place the layer by moving the holder down by activating the at least one pressure-controlled air cylinder and the drive unit when lowering the holder into said container to be loaded and by activating the drive unit when removing the holder.