Patent ID: 7356975

Claim:
An apparatus for packaging material in netting, comprising: a netter for enclosing material in netting, said netter comprising a product tube adapted for receiving a net and for maintaining a first end of the net in an open position, a second end of the net being in a closed position, whereby the material to be enclosed can be conveyed from a first end of said product tube to engage said second end of the net at a second end of said product tube and unfurl a portion of the net from said product tube; a first iris held adjacent to said second end of said product tube and adjustable from an open position forming an aperture larger than the material, to a substantially closed position, whereby the material and the portion of the engaged and unfurled net can be conveyed from said second end of said product tube through said first iris aperture and whereby said first iris gathers the engaged and unfurled net in said substantially closed position; a second iris mounted adjacent to said first iris and movable from a first position adjacent said first iris, to a second position remote from said first iris; said second iris being adjustable from an open position forming an aperture larger than the material, to a substantially closed position, whereby said second iris gathers the engaged and unfurled net in said substantially closed position; a tray movable from a first position protruding through said first iris and said second iris, to a second position remote from said first iris; and a clipper attached to said first iris and positioned to clip and sever the net gathered by said first iris and said second iris when said second iris is in said second position remote from said first iris, to form said closed position of said second end of the net on said product tube, said clipper further comprising: a scissors assembly comprising: a pair of blade elements pivotally connected by a pin affixed to said netter; each of said pair of blade elements comprising a knife section extending in a first direction from said pin and a lever section extending in a second direction from said pin; a pair of link arms each connecting one of said lever sections of said pair of blade elements to a piston, said piston extendable in a first direction to pivot said knife sections of said blade elements toward each other and extendable in a second direction to pivot said knife sections of said blade elements away from each other.