Automated clipping packaging apparatus and associated devices, methods, systems and computer program products suitable for packaging whole muscle

摘要

Methods, devices and computer program products automatically package an object, such as, for example, whole muscle meat pieces, in a covering material, such as, for example, netting. The devices include a loading chute having a ceiling or door having at least a portion configured to open and close and a floor underlying and in cooperating alignment with the ceiling. The ceiling and floor are configured to cooperate to encase a product chamber with an axially extending open channel therebetween. At least one of the floor and ceiling reciprocates in a substantially vertical direction between a first loading position corresponding to when the ceiling is open and a second operative position corresponding to when the ceiling is closed.

主权项

1. A loading chute for a packaging system, comprising:
a frame; a ceiling with a semi-cylindrical shape configured to open and close held by the frame, wherein the ceiling semi-cylindrical shape has lower long edges along respective long sides thereof; a pair of spaced apart vertical sidewalls, wherein the vertical sidewalls are held by the frame and extend in a longitudinal direction, wherein one of the ceiling lower long edges is pivotably attached to an upper end portion of one of the vertical sidewalls; a detachable floor having a semi-cylindrical shape that corresponds to the ceiling semi-cylindrical shape underlying and in cooperating alignment with the ceiling held by the frame inside the sidewalls, wherein, in a closed operative position, the ceiling and floor are configured to abut one another to encase a product chamber with an axially extending open channel therebetween and define a portion of the product chamber in the loading position but not in the closed operative position, wherein at least one of the floor and ceiling reciprocates in a substantially vertical direction between (i) a loading position corresponding to when at least a portion of the ceiling is open while the detachable floor is detached from and spaced a distance apart from the ceiling and (ii) the closed operative position; and a cradle that resides under the ceiling between the vertical sidewalls and abuts a lower surface of the floor, the cradle being releasably held by the frame, wherein the cradle moves with the floor and has an arcuate upper surface, wherein the floor vertically reciprocates and directly contacts product in the product chamber in the closed operative position, and wherein, in the loading position, the floor resides a distance below the closed operative position of the floor.