Patent ID: 9242752
Filing Date: 2016-01-26
CPC Classification: A22C,B65B,G05B,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A pivotable dual clipper assembly for attaching closure clips to a product held in netting, comprising: a retractable clipper mechanism having a clipper body configured to deliver clips to a clip window and attach the clips to casing and/or netting; a pair of clipper gathering plates attached to the clipper body so that the clipper gathering plates retract with the clipper mechanism, wherein, in operation, the clipper gathering plates gather casing and/or netting upstream of a product held therein prior to attachment of clips to the gathered casing and/or netting by the clipper mechanism; a curvilinear clip rail attached to the clipper body, the clip rail having opposing top and bottom end portions and defining a generally downwardly extending clip feed direction; a clip entry window in communication with the bottom end portion of the clip rail and a clip closure delivery path in communication with a punch mechanism that is adapted to wrap a clip from the clip rail about the casing and/or netting holding the product; and first and second clip pushers configured to selectively engage with clips held on the clip rail to force the clips in the feed direction, wherein the clipper gathering plates are positioned on opposing sides of the clip window and extend a distance below the clip rail and generally outwardly therefrom.