Patent ID: 8641483

Claim:
A system for packaging products in elastic covering material, comprising: a horn or chute having a length, an outer surface and an internal channel extending therethrough; a clipper aligned with and residing downstream of the horn or chute; an automated rerucker operatively associated with the horn or chute, whereby the rerucker is configured to automatically pull a clipped end portion of elastic covering material toward an upstream end portion of the horn or chute, wherein the automated rerucker comprises first and second cooperating rerucker grippers that, during a respective rerucking operation, are configured to (i) pivot inward to tightly press the covering material against an outer wall of the horn or chute proximate a discharge end of the chute, then (ii) move axially rearward a distance away from the discharge end of the chute in a direction away from the clipper between about 1-24 inches while pressing the covering material against the outer wall of the horn or chute; and an automated derucker with derucker grippers that are spaced apart from the rerucker grippers, wherein the automated derucker is configured to automatically travel through a derucker stroke cycle comprising upstream and downstream locations to pull segments of the elastic covering material toward a downstream end portion of the horn and/or chute, wherein the covering material comprises a sleeve of elastic netting material residing on the horn or chute, wherein the automated rerucker is configured to automatically reruck netting after but proximate in time to a clipping operation to pull a clipped end portion of the netting to snugly cover a discharge end cavity of the chute and/or horn, wherein the rerucker grippers pull a clipped end portion of the elastic netting material toward the upstream end portion of the horn or chute a sufficient distance so that the clipped end portion closes the open channel at a discharge end of the chute or horn with the clipped end portion residing substantially axially aligned with a centerline of the open channel and with the clipped end portion of the netting held stretched tight across the open channel to define a planar surface across the open channel at the discharge end of the chute or horn.