Patent ID: 7891156

Claim:
An apparatus for packaging a batch of material within a plastic film material, said apparatus comprising: a receptacle adapted to receive the batch of material, said receptacle defining a central axis and having a dispensing end, said dispensing end defining an opening and including first and second substantially linear opposed edges wherein said first and second edges are disposed substantially parallel and on opposite sides of said central axis, said dispensing end further including third and fourth edges extending between said first and second edges and disposed on opposite sides of said central axis, said first and second edges defining an axial limit of said receptacle and projecting axially beyond a central portion of said third and fourth edges; a ram axially moveable within said receptacle and engageable with the batch of material to thereby displace the batch of material along said central axis; a film dispensing assembly dispensing the plastic film material and forming the plastic film material into a film tube about said receptacle; and first and second elongate members disposed substantially parallel with said first and second edges, said elongate members being moveable toward and away from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to said central axis; and wherein operation of said apparatus includes axially extending said ram to eject the batch of material through said dispensing end into the film tube and subsequently retracting the ram into said receptacle to form at least a partial vacuum within the film tube between the batch of material and said ram and moving the first and second elongate members toward each other in a closing stroke to compressively engage the film tube between the batch of material and said dispensing end and wherein the partial vacuum is present in the film tube for at least a portion of the closing stroke to thereby form folded flaps in the film tube.