Patent ID: 6837023

Claim:
A bagger for sealing products in bags with product information printed on the bags, the bags arranged in an indefinite length shingle bag assembly with a plurality of shingled bags each having an open lead end, a sealed trailing end, a lead portion, a shingled trailing portion overlapping a trailing bag in the bag assembly, and an elongate member extending along the length of the assembly and removably joined to the lead portion of each bag, the bagger comprising a bagging workstation; a support member defining a support surface; feed means located adjacent the workstation for pulling the bag assembly past the support surface and to the workstation; a first holddown located above the support surface; a printer located above the support surface downstream from the holddown; a sensor located above the support surface; a nozzle aimed to flow a jet of gas in a generally downstream direction along the support surface to move a trailing portion of each bag fed past the holddown away from the support surface and adjacent the sensor; and a control circuit for said feed means and for said printer, said circuit including said sensor; wherein movement of the trailing portion of a bag adjacent the sensor actuates the sensor to deactivate said feed means and stop movement of the bag assembly across the support member and activates the printer to print product information on an underlying bag on the support surface.