Combination chamber and external suction vacuum packaging machine

A combination chamber and external suction vacuum packaging machine operable to evacuate a vacuum bag and seal closed an open margin of the bag, said vacuum packaging machine comprising:

• a vacuum container defining a vacuum chamber dimensioned and configured for use in a chamber packaging operation, wherein the bag is entirely received within the vacuum chamber, and an external packaging operation, wherein the margin and only part of the bag is received within the vacuum chamber;
• a vacuum source in communication with the vacuum chamber,
• said vacuum source being operable to evacuate the vacuum chamber and thereby the vacuum bag through the open margin thereof, during chamber packaging and external packaging operations;
• a seal bar operable to engage and seal closed the open margin of the vacuum bag after the vacuum bag has been evacuated,
• said vacuum container presenting opposed seal faces spaced apart to define a sealing gap therebetween,
• said vacuum container including a compressible seal configured to span the sealing gap and sealingly engage the seal faces during evacuation of the vacuum chamber and vacuum bag,
• said seal faces moving toward one another to decrease the sealing gap as the seal is compressed during evacuation of the vacuum chamber and vacuum bag;
• and
• a stop configured to limit compression of the seal during chamber packaging and external packaging operations and thereby define a minimum seal gap dimension,
• said stop being spaced away from the seal bar.