Patent ID: 7895814

Claim:
A method of forming arrays of articles and dropping the articles into upwardly open cases at a loading station of the type having an upstream end and a downstream end, and including a loading gate on which articles are supported prior to being dropped, the loading gate having an entry end and an opposite end, and an elevator having lowered and raised positions for positioning cases below the loading gate, said method comprising: employing an article supply conveyor including a moving belt on which articles are carried to deliver articles to the loading station; conveying cases to the upstream end of the loading station; holding articles from the article supply conveyor short of the loading station, causing an accumulation of articles on the article supply conveyor and producing line pressure force urging articles towards the loading station; and effecting a cyclical sequence of operations by employing a conveyor article sensor positioned so as to sense the presence of an article on the article supply conveyor a predetermined distance upstream of the loading station away from the loading gate to ensure that articles are present on the article supply conveyor a predetermined distance upstream to develop sufficient line pressure force before releasing articles to move onto the loading gate via the loading gate entry end urged by line pressure force, allowing at least one case to move into position over the elevator while the elevator is in the lowered position, subsequently raising the elevator to the raised position, and subsequently opening the loading gate to drop articles into the at least one case, and subsequently lowering the elevator to the lowered position and allowing a loaded case to exit via the downstream end of the loading station.