Method and apparatus for packing product in a tubular casing

A product packing apparatus fora tubular casing, the apparatus comprising:

• an outer expansion plug retainer;
• an inner expansion plug retained by the outer expansion plug retainer, clearance between the inner expansion plug and the outer expansion plug retainer providing accommodation for a tubular casing to pass between the inner expansion plug and the outer expansion plug retainer;
• a product feed conduit positioned upstream of the inner expansion plug;
• a casing grabber positioned at least in part between the inner expansion plug and the product feed conduit, the casing grabber comprising a traversal actuator controllable to move the casing grabber from a downstream position proximate to the inner expansion plug to an upstream position proximate to the product feed conduit;
• a casing cutter controllable to perform a cutting action at a cutting position located between the inner expansion plug and the product feed conduit;
• and
• a controller having at least one processor and a memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, configure the at least one processor to collectively:
• a) direct the traversal actuator to move the casing grabber to the downstream position;
• b) while in the downstream position, direct one or more grabber actuators of the casing grabber to activate;
• c) while the one or more grabber actuators is activated, direct the traversal actuator to move the casing grabber to the upstream position;
• d) direct the casing cutter to perform the cutting action;
• and
• c1) after c) and before d), direct the traversal actuator or another actuator to retreat the casing grabber by a retreat distance towards the downstream position.