Particle packaging systems and associated methods

1. A high speed particle packaging machine, comprising:

a weighing station, operable to weigh a cluster of particles;

a densification station, positioned downstream of the weighing station and being operable to collect a cluster of particles released from the weighing station to densify the cluster of particles;

the densification station including an openable gate operable to selectively and instantaneously release the cluster of particles collected at the densification station; and

a bagging station, positioned downstream of the densification station and being operable to receive the densified cluster of particles after being released by the gate;

wherein the densification station includes a chute having a channel formed therein and extending downward from the gate toward the bagging station, the chute defined by a vertical wall;

wherein the cluster of particles follows an uninterrupted downstream path from the densification station to the bagging station and the chute has a vent opening therein between the gate and the bagging station.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the downstream path includes no impeding physical structure between the gate and the bagging station.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the weighing station releases the cluster of particles in a noncontinuous flow pattern.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the particles move from the weighing station, through the densification station and to the bagging station along a substantially vertical flow path aligned with the gravity vector.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the gate is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a flow path of the cluster of particles.

6. The machine of claim 5 , wherein the gate is configured to open and close along a plane oriented at an oblique angle relative to the flow path of the cluster of particles.

7. A high speed particle packaging machine, comprising:

a weighing station, operable to weigh a cluster of particles;

a densification station, positioned downstream of the weighing station and being operable to collect a cluster of particles released from the weighing station to densify the cluster of particles;

the densification station including an openable gate operable to selectively and instantaneously release the cluster of particles collected at the densification station; and

a bagging station, positioned downstream of the densification station and being operable to receive the densified cluster of particles after being released by the gate

wherein the densification station includes a chute having a channel formed therein, and wherein at least a portion of the gate fits within the channel to cause the cluster of particles to collect within the chute;

wherein the gate includes a protrusion having a shape that corresponds to an inside curvature of the chute.

8. A method of high-speed packaging of particles, comprising:

dividing a plurality of particles into one or more clusters of particles;

weighing each cluster of particles with a weighing station;

dispensing each cluster of particles from the weighing station into a densification station to densify the cluster of particles, the densification station being positioned downstream of the weighing station;

actuating a gate of the densification station to instantaneously release the cluster of particles from the densification station to allow the cluster to flow downstream of the densification station; and

bagging the cluster of particles with a bagging station positioned downstream of the densification; and

wherein the cluster of particles follows an uninterrupted downstream path from the densification station into a bag at the bagging station.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein actuating the gate includes actuating the gate along a plane that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a flow path of the cluster of particles.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the downstream path includes no impeding physical structure between the gate and the bag at the bagging station.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the weighing station dispenses the cluster of particles in a noncontinuous flow pattern.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cluster of particles moves from the weighing station, through the densification station and to the bagging station along a substantially vertical path aligned with the gravity vector.

13. A method of high-speed packaging of particles, comprising:

dividing a plurality of particles into one or more clusters of particles;

weighing each cluster of particles with a weighing station;

allowing each cluster of particles to fall from the weighing station to a densification station;

momentarily arresting the cluster of particles densification station in order to densify the cluster of particles;

actuating a gate of the densification station to instantaneously release the cluster of particles from the densification station to allow the cluster to freefall downstream; and

bagging the cluster of particles with a bagging station positioned downstream of the densification station;

wherein the cluster of particles follows an uninterrupted downstream path from the densification station to the bagging station.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein actuating the gate includes actuating the gate along a plane that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to a flow path of the cluster of particles.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the downstream path includes no impeding physical structure between the gate and the bagging station.