Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for packaging food products provides evacuation of air and application of purging gas in two stages. The first stage evacuates air and applies an initial gas flush to a first group of packages while the second stage provides an evacuation of a portion of the gas initially applied and applies a second gas flush to the group and then seals the packages. The packages include food containing bases which enter the first stage station of the apparatus where lidding material is laid over a small leading portion of the group, and as this group is transported to the second stage station the lidding material is fed onto the remainder of the bases of the group. Each station includes an evacuation chamber having a base receiving cavity, the second station including base receiving dies acting in conjunction with a heater for bonding the lidding material to the bases. The cavity is closed after two groups of bases have been indexed into the cavity. After the evacuation and gas flush the dies are moved upwardly to force the group in the second station against the heater to bond the lidding material to the base. The cavity is thereafter opened so that the group of bases in the second stage may be removed and the group in the first stage may be indexed to the second stage while a third group is indexed into the first stage.

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First Claim