Patent ID: 7310923

Claim:
A product delivery chute assembly to extend between a weigher that provides batches of product and a packaging machine former that receives the batches to deliver the batches to the interior of tubular bag material, said assembly including: a chute having a generally vertical longitudinal axis and a side wall surrounding said axis and converging downwardly from an upper chute portion to a lower chute portion, the lower chute portion surrounding a lower opening through which product batches are delivered to the former, the upper portion surrounding an upper opening through which product batches are delivered from the weigher, a plurality of troughs extending down said side wall and along which the batches travel after being delivered thereto by said weigher; and a timing gate device including timing gates in the chute and a motor assembly operably associated with the gates to cause movement thereof between a first position blocking the passage of the product batches along the troughs so as to retain a batch or batches of said product, and a second position releasing the batch or batches of product for movement along the chute for delivery to the lower opening, each gate being operatively associated with a respective one of the troughs to engage the batch or batches travelling along the trough; and wherein the upper chute portion has a lower edge surrounding an upper chute portion lower opening through which the product is delivered to the lower chute portion, with the timing gates being located adjacent the upper chute portion lower opening.