Food packaging apparatus

A vacuum packaging apparatus comprising an elongate, horizontal tubular horn with an open item receiving rear end and an open delivery front end, an elongate drive member in axial alignment with the horn and shiftable axially forwardly from a normal position where its front end is adjacent the rear end of the horn, to an actuated position within the horn, intermittently operable drive means to shift the member, an elongate pusher with an item engaging front end at the forward end of the member and shiftable from a normal forward position where it projects forwardly from the member to a rear actuated position relative to the member, the pusher being shiftable axially into, through and from the horn, intermittently operable pusher drive means to move the pusher between its normal and actuated position, said front end portion of the pusher occurring at the rear end of the horn when the member and pusher are in their normal position and projecting forwardly from the front end of the horn when the member is in its actuated position and said pusher is in its normal position and occurring within the forward portion of the horn when the member and pusher are in their actuated positions, an elongate vacuum nozzle with an elongate neck fixed relative to the drive member and having an apertured head at its front end and arranged within and extending longitudinally of the pusher when the pusher is in its normal position and projecting axially freely and forwardly from the pusher and the horn when the pusher and drive member are in their actuated positions, valve controlled air conducting means connected with and between the nozzle and air suction means, an elongate supply of tubular packaging film shirred axially on and about the exterior of the horn and having a lead portion extending axially forwardly from the horn and gathered and closed at its forward end by a sealing means, an elongate conveyor occurring below the front end of and extending forwardly from the front end of the horn to support and transport items enveloped in the lead portion of the film when items and film are urged forwardly from the horn by the pusher, and sealing and cutting means spaced forward of the front end of the nozzle when said nozzle projects freely forwardly from the pusher and horn, normally spaced radially outward from the axis of the horn and selectively shiftable into substantial axial alignment with the horn and operable to engage and seal the film at two longitudinally spaced locations between the item and the nozzle and to cut the film between the seals.