Patent ID: 7581369

Claim:
A system for enclosing at least one product in netting, comprising: a mounting frame; a loading chute with a loading door configured to allow an operator to place target products therein, the loading chute attached to the mounting frame; an elongate netting chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough, the netting chute having an axial centerline, wherein the elongate netting chute is pivotably attached to the mounting frame; an elongate product chute having opposing receiving and discharge ends, the product chute residing at least partially in the interior cavity of the netting chute and pivotably attached to the mounting frame, wherein, in operative position, the product chute is axially aligned with and disposed downstream of the loading chute, and wherein the netting and product chutes are configured to pivot together from an axially aligned position to a laterally offset position; a product pusher mechanism with a pusher head that is configured to have a product pushing cycle to automatically reciprocally travel into and out of the loading and product chutes to thereby advance a product through the loading chute, then through and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute; and a clipper mechanism disposed downstream of the netting chute in cooperating alignment therewith, the clipper mechanism configured to apply at least one clip to a netting material that encloses the product after the product exits the product chute.