A packer is especially useful for loading PET bottles into open top cases. The bottles are fed at a predetermined speed along an infeed path. An overhead pusher bar system contains vertically oriented bars that descend vertically between selected bottles at a penetration station to form the bottles into complements of the desired number. Vertical penetration is accompanied by horizontal motion of the bars as they travel in a curved path at the penetration station. The horizontal speed of the bottles at the penetration station is temporarily slowed as the bars descend between adjacent bottles. Horizontal bottle slowing is accomplished by pivoting a downstream bar to a horizontal orientation at a pivot station such that the bar acquires leading and trailing edges. The pivoting trailing edge forces the bottles upstream therefrom in the upstream direction relative to the continuous steady speed of the bar downstream end. Bar pivoting creates correct spacing between consecutive complements.
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