Tipper Tie, Inc.

Delaware Capital Formation, Inc.

Other

Dealware Capital Formation, Inc.

Samuel D Griggs

Dennis J May

William M Poteat

Derek L Brown

Matthew D Lowder

David R Gupton

Thomas E Whittlesey

David T Wince

Kim L Poling

Harrison A Ailey, Jr

Richard Scott Bruce

Bradford L Brewster

Kuo-Raid Grant Chen

Sean Michael Kieffer

W Mark Poteat

Brian K Digeso

Adam Keever

A packaging machineincludes a feeding systemfor delivering and positioning work products, in registry with a chute systemas well as in registry with a pushing systemfor pushing the work products through a stuffing tubeof the chute system. The chute systemalso includes a plurality of individual chute assemblies, each constructed with an elongate chutepositionable in registry with the stuffing tubefor receiving the food products from the stuffing tube and guiding the work product into packaging materialwhich has been shined over the elongate chute. The plurality of chute assembliesare mounted on a transverse mounting structureto slide along the mounting structure to sequentially position chute assemblies, loaded with packaging material, in alignment with the stuffing tubeto receive the work products. Additional chute assembliesare positionable on either side of the chute assembly in use.

Netting machine with multiple netting chute exchange system

Packaging systems with a rotatable table top held by a rotatable column, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart clipper assemblies held at respective clipper stations provided by the rotatable table top, plurality of spaced apart pneumatic valves under the table top in fluid communication with the clipper assemblies, and at least one of: (a) a clipper reset cam assembly held under the rotatable table top with first and second reset cams cam that selectively automatically engage the pneumatic valves as the table rotates; and (b) a clipper trigger cam assembly held under the rotatable table top circumferentially spaced apart from the clipper reset cam assembly with first and second trigger cams that selectively automatically engage the pneumatic valves as the table rotates.

Packaging systems with clipper trigger and reset cam assemblies each comprising a plurality of cams and related cam assemblies

Packaging apparatus for producing encased products from flat-roll stock using an external user interface (i.e., a handle that is external to a housing holding the heat seal assembly that is attached to a horizontally oriented shaft that rotates a first gear in the housing to rotate an aligned second gear in the housing or an electronic control) that is attached to and/or in communication with (directly or indirectly) a heat-seal assembly with a heat-seal contact member, such as a heat-seal band, in the housing to allow a user to adjust a vertical height of the heat-seal assembly while the apparatus is operational and/or without requiring physical access to the interior of the housing.

Systems with external heat-seal assembly height adjustment control and related seal assemblies

A casing extender apparatus () includes a first actuator assembly () to raise and lower a pair of spaced-apart spanners (and) from a position above the bunched casing rope () to a position adjacent the rope. A second actuator assembly () lowers a drawing member () to a position beneath the slack casing rope and then draws the slack casing rope upwardly between the spanners to form a loop () of slack casing rope upwardly between the spanners (and).

Additional casing for slack filling

Packaging systems include a rotating table and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart spool mount assemblies mounted to the rotating table at respective clipper stations. The spool mount assemblies can include a laterally extending centrifugal force retention shaft that faces an outer perimeter of the table.

Spool mount assemblies for rotating multi-clipper platform systems

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.

Automated clipping packaging systems suitable for packaging whole muscle

Methods, systems, apparatus, 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, sheared casing and/or netting. The devices include an automated compression assembly with an electric drive motor and a pusher assembly with an electric motor, preferably each electric motor is a servo-motor. The systems/apparatus devices can include a programmably adjustable index and/or speed profile for the compression and/or pusher assembly.

Automated packaging systems with electric motor driven actuators for compression of target product

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 pusher assembly, an electric motor, preferably a servo motor with a gear box, that drives a linear drive assembly. The devices can include a programmably adjustable index and/or speed profile for the pusher assembly.

Electric motor driven pushers for automated clipping packaging apparatus

Methods, systems, apparatus, devices and computer program products automatically package an object, such as, for example, whole muscle meat pieces, in a covering material. The devices include an automated compression assembly with an electric drive motor and a pusher assembly with an electric motor, preferably each electric motor is a servo motor. The systems/apparatus devices can include a programmably adjustable index and/or speed profile for the compression and/or pusher assembly.

Automated packaging systems with electric motor driven actuators for compression chambers

Apparatus, systems, devices, methods and computer program products configured to provide one or more of the following: clip spool cradles, improved rotary table or platform packaging systems, improved adhesive (glue) based film seal systems, and/or easier loading or releasing mounting systems of horns, forming collars and/or sprockets.

Packaging systems with clip spool cradles

Computer programs for systems with reruckers configured to automatically reruck casing material such as netting in an upstream direction on a chute or horn proximate in time to a clipping operation to pull a clipped end portion of the casing snugly against a discharge end of the chute or horn.

Computer program products for systems with cooperating reruckers for producing encased products

Netting chutes suitable for use with manual, automatic and semi-automatic packaging operations to enclose product in netting packaging include chutes with embossed floors.

Methods of forming embossed netting chutes for manual and/or automated clipping packaging apparatus

Pivotable clipper assemblies for attaching closure clips to a product held in casing and/or netting include a retractable clipper mechanism having a clipper body configured to deliver clips to a clip window and attach the clips to the casing and/or netting; and a pair of clipper gathering plates attached to the clipper body so that the clipper gathering plates retract with the clipper mechanism, wherein, in operation, the clipper gathering plates gather casing and/or netting upstream of a product held therein prior to attachment of clips to the gathered casing and/or netting by the clipper mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Samuel D Griggs