C	==================================================
C	PACKER
C		SUBROUTINE PACKS A STRING, UP TO A COMMA, A TAB
C		AN ARITHMETIC SIGN (+ - * / ! ^ &)
C		OR END OF LINE (START OF COMMENT) INTO A REAL*8
C		VARIABLE
C	PARAMETERS
C		BUFF,J	AN 80 BYTE ARRAY BUFF CONTAINS J CHARACTERS
C		IX	THE PACKING COMMENCES FROM CHARACTER BUFF(IX)
C		STRING	A REAL*8 VARIABLE TO HOLD THE STRING
C
C	==================================================
C
	SUBROUTINE  PACKER (BUFF,IX,J,STRING)
	BYTE	BUFF(80),TEMPS(8)
	REAL*8	STRING,TEMP,SPACE
	EQUIVALENCE (TEMP,TEMPS(1) )
	DATA SPACE /'        '/

	TEMP=SPACE
	K=1
	DO 10  I=IX,J
	IX=I
	IF (BUFF(I).EQ.1H* .OR. BUFF(I).EQ.1H,) GOTO 99
	IF (BUFF(I).EQ.1H+ .OR. BUFF(I).EQ.1H-) GOTO 99
	IF (BUFF(I).EQ.1H/ .OR. BUFF(I).EQ.1H!) GOTO 99
	IF (BUFF(I).EQ.1H^ .OR. BUFF(I).EQ.1H&) GOTO 99
	IF (BUFF(I).EQ.9 .OR. BUFF(I).EQ.32) GOTO 99
	TEMPS(K)=BUFF(I)
10	K=K+1

99	STRING=TEMP
	RETURN
	END