Patent ID: 8474503

Claim:
A kicker wheel useful, in combination with a tab sealing machine, to apply one or more tabs to the trailing edge of a passing article comprising: a thin product support rail, disposed on a leading edge of the kicker wheel, for supporting the trailing edge of the article as it passes over the kicker wheel; a profiled tab swipe, disposed on a trailing edge of the kicker wheel, for folding the one or more tabs under the article and lifting the trailing edge of the article as is passes over the kicker wheel; a first, arcuate kicker rail, detachably secured to a first side of the thin product support rail and a first side of the profiled tab swipe, for supporting a first side of the article as it passes over the kicker wheel; and a second, arcuate kicker rail, detachably secured to a second side of the thin product support rail and a second side of the profiled tab swipe, for supporting a second side of the article as it passes over the kicker wheel; wherein the kicker wheel is rotatable about an axis; wherein the first and second kicker rails and the thin product support rail are disposed on a common arcuate path about the axis; and wherein at least a portion of the profiled tab swipe lies outside the common arcuate path.