High speed linear bagging machine and method of operation

A high speed linear bagging machine comprising a product carrying infeed conveyor for transporting a product to be bagged to a bagging station, a discharge conveyor adjacent said bagging station for transporting a bagged product, a reciprocating linear bagger assembly having a straight drive member, a carriage connected to said straight drive member, drive means having a pair of coils to impart a drive to said straight drive member to displace said carriage, stroke control means for controlling said coils dependent on a desired forward and rearward displacement stroke of said carriage along said drive member, a product receptacle secured to said carriage and displaceable to said bagging station, bag engaging means connected to said carriage, product arresting means displaceable for abutting relationship with an end of said product at said bagging station, said bag engaging means engaging an open end of a bag at a forward end of said displacement stroke adjacent said bagging station and withdrawing said open end of said bag over said product which is maintained substantially stationary by said product arresting means during a reverse stroke of said carriage whereby to insert said product in said bag and discharge said bagged product from said product receptacle, detection means associated with said infeed conveyor and said control means to detect the position of said product, said infeed and discharge conveyor having a common synchronized drive feeding a speed indicator signal to said control means to synch said reciprocating linear bagger with said conveyors, said drive member being comprised by a straight thrust rod of magnetic material constituting a stator of a linear motor, and said pair of coils being connected to said carriage and being energized for displacing said carriage along said thrust rod to cause displacement of said carriage.