Cut-off device for chub machines

Claim 1

In a chub machine for forming chub packages and having, means for continuously forming a web of packaging material into a tube, means for continuously feeding said tube downwardly over a hollow vertical mandrel, means for delivering a flowable product to said mandrel so as to continuously discharge product from the bottom end thereof into said tube, voider means for voiding product from short lengths of said tube at predetermined intervals, vertically reciprocating head means having a passageway through which said tube descends and containing means to gather said short lengths of voided tube and apply a pair of spaced clips to each said gathered length, and means operatively interconnecting said voider means and said reciprocating head means in timed operating relationship, the improvement, comprising: means for severing said gathered tube intermediate said pairs of clips comprising, a shears mechanism in vertical alignment with and below said head means passageway, vertically reciprocable carrier means for said shears mechanism separate from said head means, drive means operatively interconnecting said carrier means and said voider means whereby said carrier means reciprocates in coordination with said head means, and activating means for said shears mechanism for activating the same in coordination with said head means.