A high speed linear bagging
machine and method of bagging a product with such
machine is described. The
machine has a reciprocating linear bagger
assembly which has a straight drive member with a
carriage connected thereto. A drive having a pair of coils is used to drive the straight drive member to displace the
carriage. A
stroke controller is used to control the coils dependent on a desired forward and rearward displacement
stroke of a
carriage along the drive member. A product receptacle is secured to the carriage and displaceable to a bagging
station. A bag engaging member is connected to the carriage and a product arresting member is displaceable for abutting relationship with an end of a product at the bagging
station. The bag engaging means engages an open end of a bag at a forward end of the displacement
stroke adjacent the bagging
station and withdrawing the open end of the bag over the product which is maintained substantially stationary by the product arresting means during a reverse stroke of a carriage whereby to insert the product in the bag and
discharge the bagged product. The drive member is comprised of a straight thrust rod of magnetic material which constitutes a
stator of the
linear motor. The pair of coils are connected to the carriage and energized for displacing the carriage along the thrust rod to cause displacement of the carriage.