Netting chutes for manual and/or automated clipping packaging apparatus

Abstract

Netting chutes suitable for use with manual and automatic packaging operations to enclose product in netting packaging include a non-circular cross-sectional cavity shape.

1 . A netting product chute adapted to cooperate with a clipper apparatus, comprising a chute primary body with a generally open through cavity, the body having a generally pentagonal cross-sectional shape.  
     
     
         2 . A netting product chute according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity has a substantially planar floor that merges into two upstanding sidewalls, each merging into respective inclined ceiling portions that rise to meet at a peak segment above the floor.  
     
     
         3 . A netting product chute according to  claim 1 , wherein the generally pentagonal cross-sectional shape has five sides such that adjacent ones of the five sides have a common rounded segment, and wherein the peak segment is rounded.  
     
     
         4 . A netting product chute according to  claim 1 , wherein the cavity cross-sectional shape comprises an upper generally triangulated portion that resides above two substantially vertical sidewalls and a generally planar floor.  
     
     
         5 . A netting product chute according to  claim 2 , further comprising a flared entry portion that extends around the upstanding sidewalls and the ceiling of the chute body and a handle attached to an upper ingress portion of the product chute.  
     
     
         6 . A netting product chute according to  claim 5 , wherein the flared entry portion terminates proximate the floor at opposing outer edge portions, and wherein the flared entry segment has a first cross-sectional area that tapers into an adjacent downstream portion proximate the outer wall to have a smaller second cross-sectional area thereat.  
     
     
         7 . A netting product chute according to  claim 1 , wherein the object is a bone-in ham.  
     
     
         8 . A netting product chute according to  claim 2 , further comprising a downwardly extending mounting bracket disposed under the floor proximate an entry portion of the chute body.  
     
     
         9 . A method of packaging objects in a covering material, comprising: 
 pushing an object through a product chute holding a sleeve of covering material thereon, the product chute comprising a chute primary body with a generally open through cavity, the body having a cross-sectional shape with a generally triangular upper portion;    enclosing the object in the covering material as the object exits the chute; and    closing leading and trailing edge portions of the covering material on opposing sides of the object body to thereby package the object in the covering material.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the covering material is netting, the method further comprising stretching the netting about the chute body.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the object is a bone-in ham.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the closing step comprises clipping a clip against a gathered portion of the leading and trailing edge portions of the covering material.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cavity has a cross-sectional profile with a substantially planar floor that merges into two generally planar substantially vertical sidewalls, each merging into respective inclined ceiling portions that rise to meet at a peak segment above the floor, the inclined portions that meet at the peak segment defining the generally triangular shape.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cross-sectional shape has five sides, three of which reside below the upper triangular shape, and wherein adjacent ones of the five sides have a common rounded segment.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the cavity cross-sectional shape comprises a generally planar floor that merges into two spaced apart substantially vertical upstanding walls, that merge into the upper triangular portion portion.  
     
     
         16 . A clipping system, comprising: 
 a clipper;    a product chute upstream of the clipper in cooperating communication therewith, the chute having a cross-sectional shape comprising two upper spaced apart inclined surfaces that rise to meet at a peak segment residing substantially medially at an uppermost location of the chute body; and    a sleeve of netting disposed over the chute body.    
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the cavity has five substantially linear segments including a substantially planar floor that merges into two generally planar substantially vertical sidewalls, each merging into the respective inclined ceiling portions that rise to meet at the peak segment above the floor.  
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the inclined portions that meet at the peak segment define a generally open bottom generally triangular shape, and wherein the cross-sectional shape is generally pentagonal with five sides with the upper two sides defining the upper triangular shape, and wherein adjacent ones of the five sides meet at a rounded common wall segment.  
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the cavity cross-sectional shape comprises a rounded peak segment.  
     
     
         20 . A system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a flared entry portion that extends around the perimeter of the entry portion of the cavity but terminates at opposing outer portions of the generally planar cavity floor.  
     
     
         21 . A system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a downwardly extending mounting bracket disposed under the floor proximate an entry portion of the chute body, and wherein the mounting bracket comprises a sensor that cooperates with a component on a mounting frame associated with the clipper apparatus to inhibit operation when the chute is not in proper operative position.