Apparatus for making a sealed evacuated package

Claim 1

PACKAGING APPARATUS FOR USE IN MAKING A PACKAGE HAVING A FLEXIBLE WRAPPER WHICH IS AT LAST PARTIALLY EVACUATED AND SEALED COMPRISING: A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; A PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY INCLUDIG AN EVACUATING TUBE HAVING AN OPEN END ARRANGED SO THAT THE WRAPPER OF A PACKAGE TO BE EVACUATED CAN BE ASSEMBLED THEREAROUND AND HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE OTHER END OFF THE TUBE TO A VACUUM SOURCE; VERTICALLY DISPOSED PIVOTAL MOUNTING MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY ON THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE SO THAT IT IS SHIFTABLE RELATIVE THERETO IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE PACKAGE IS ARRANGED ADJACENT THE OPEN END OF THE TUBE WITH THE WRAPPER ASSEMBLED AROUND THE PACKAGE AND THE OPEN END OF THE TUBE AND A SECOND POSITION SPACED FROM THE FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE PORTION OF THE WRAPPER BETWEEN THE PACKAGE AND THE END OF THE TUBE IS SEALED; VALVE MECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID PACKAGE EVACUATING TUBE AND SHIFTABLE BETWEEN OPEN POSITION PROVIDING COMMUNICATION WITH THE VACUUM SOURCE AND CLOSED POSITION CLOSING COMMUNICATION WITH THE VACUUM SOURCE, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING PROVIDE WITH SPRING MEANS NORMALLY HOLDING IT IN CLOSED POSITION; AND VALVE OPERATING MEANS ENGAGING THE VALVE TO CAUSE THE OPERATION THEREOF AND HAVING INTERENGAGEMENT WITH THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE AND THE PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY TO CAUSE THE VALVE TO REMAIN CLOSED WHEN THE PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION AND TO CAUSE SAID VALVE TO OPEN WHEN THE PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY IS SHIFTED TOWARDS SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID VALVE OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING A LEVER PIVOTED ON SAID PACKAGE EVACUATING ASSEMBLY AND HAVING FIRST ARM ENGAGEABLE WITH THE VALVE AND A SECOND ARM ENGAGEABLE WITH A FIXED PORTION OF THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE.