Patent ID: 7520107

Claim:
A system for pushing product through a product chute that dispenses covering material from an outer surface thereof so that the covering material receives a product discharged from the product chute, comprising: a product chute having an open through cavity; a pusher head having a forward portion with a pin extending outwardly therefrom so that a sharp end of the pin extends in a downstream direction, the pusher head configured and sized to enter into the product chute and push a food object undergoing packaging through the product chute; a pusher actuation cylinder attached to the pusher head assembly to direct the pusher head assembly to automatically and controllably repetitively reciprocate between a downstream position and an upstream position, wherein, in operation, the product emerges from the product chute in a substantially uncompressed shape to be encased in a covering material held over an exterior portion of the product chute; and a clipper mechanism in communication with the product chute whereby the clipper mechanism applies at least one clip to a leading and/or trailing end portion of the covering material.