Patent ID: 7762047
Filing Date: 2010-07-27
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for packaging food article comprising: a) a longitudinal frame having an inlet end, an outlet end, a product receiving station, a bag loading station and a product delivery station; b) wherein said longitudinal frame comprises a means to transport at least one food article thereon comprising a food article receiving end, and a food article discharge end; c) wherein said product receiving station comprises a horizontal product tray having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive said food article from said food discharge end; wherein said product tray is adapted to both deliver said food article into a flexible bag and retract from said flexible bag; wherein said product receiving station is adapted to position said food article such that the longest dimension of said food article has an orientation substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said product tray when said food article is received onto said product tray; and d) wherein said bag loading station is adapted to receive and open said flexible bag; e) wherein said product delivery station comprises an outfeed conveyor and a vertically actuated stripper device adapted to engage said product tray at a position between said food article and the mouth of said flexible bag such that said food article remains in said flexible bag when said product tray is retracted from said flexible bag; and f) wherein said outfeed conveyor of said product delivery station and said bag loading station are positioned to lie on the same substantially horizontal plane such that said food article does not invert while being unloaded from said bag loading station to said outfeed conveyor.