Patent ID: 8402724

Claim:
A device for deflecting loose fill product from a seal zone of a bag comprising: a vertically movable sealing element operable to draw down a column of tubular bag material when in a closed position; and a product stopper adjacent to the sealing element of a vertical fill bagging machine, wherein said product stopper pinches a first bag proximal to a sealing zone prior to said first bag being sealed by said sealing element at said sealing zone to prevent the loose fill product from migrating into said sealing zone, and wherein said product stopper includes a mount and at least two opposing members, each of said opposing members of said product stopper includes a pinching element having a continuous straight edge and a spring loaded mechanism adapted to pinch said first bag proximal to said sealing zone, and wherein each of said pinching elements has a width which spans and pinches less than a full width of said first bag so that air can be released prior to sealing.