Patent ID: 7237369

Claim:
A system for enclosing at least one product in a covering material, comprising: an elongate product chute having an outer surface and opposing receiving and discharge end portions with an interior cavity extending therethrough; a product pusher mechanism that is configured to controllably and automatically advance into and retract from the product chute to thereby advance a product through the product chute and out of the discharge end portion of the product chute; a clipper mechanism pivotably attached to a mounting frame and disposed downstream of the product chute, wherein the clipper mechanism pivots from a home to a full-clip position in cooperating alignment with the product chute, the clipper mechanism configured to apply at least one clip to a covering material that encloses the product after the product exits the product chute; a cutting member disposed downstream of the product chute, the cutting member configured to cooperate with the clipper mechanism to, in operation, automatically pivot with the clipper mechanism as the clipper travels from the home to the full clip position, then automatically travel generally upwardly to sever adjacent portions of covering material from an underside to top side thereof; and at least first and second spaced apart gathering plates in communication with the clipper mechanism for automatically gathering a length of a leading and/or trailing edge portion of covering material held about a target product together for clipping by the clipping mechanism; wherein a guide member is attached to the clipper mechanism and is disposed intermediate the two spaced apart first and second gathering plates which are attached to the clipper mechanism and pivot in concert in response to pivoting the clipper mechanism, the guide member configured to guide the cutting member upward to sever a target gathered portion of a covering.