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Vacuum packmachine for french fries

  • US 5,473,866 A
  • Filed: 06/24/1994
  • Issued: 12/12/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A machine for packaging elongated product strips, said machine comprising:

  • a vertical free-fall column having open upper and lower ends, and at least one internal divider vane extending through said column to subdivide the column interior into a plurality of column passages each having a vertically open area with a relatively narrow width and a comparatively long length in a horizontal plane;

    means for positioning an upwardly open product package in the form of a flexible bag at the lower end of said column, said product package having a cross sectional size and shape conforming generally with the cross sectional size and shape of said column;

    means for supplying product strips to the upper end of said column for free-fall through said column passages and into the product package at said lower end of said column, whereby the product strips orient during free-fall through said column passages to fill the product package in a substantially aligned array;

    means for drawing a substantial vacuum within the package subsequent to filling thereof with product strips, said vacuum drawing means including a vacuum source and at least one vacuum port formed through said divider vane for communicating said vacuum source with the package interior; and

    means for closing and sealing the package to maintain the vacuum therein.

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