Coordinated Soft-Touch Case Packer

A coordinated motion packaging machine for packaging product assembled in a product feed section in a bulk package assembled in a carton feed section, the packaging machine comprising:

• a gripper head assembly, a coordination arm, and a grid assembly;
• the gripper head assembly capable of simultaneously lifting a plurality of product and transporting the plurality of product to a position over the grid assembly and the bulk package;
• the grid assembly having fingers for guiding the product into the bulk package;
• the coordination arm linking motion of the grid assembly to simultaneous motion of the gripper head assembly;
• the coordination arm having a pick-up pivot to operatively link to the gripper head assembly, a link rod pivot to operatively link to a grid pivot on the grid assembly, and a frame pivot point around with the pick-up pivot and ling rod pivot may rotate;
• the link rod pivot positioned above the grip pivot in a range of between 45 degrees to the left and right of a point directly above the grid pivot, as measured at the grid pivot;
• and
• the pick-up pivot moveable from an initiation point toward the product feed section from a point directly above the frame pivot point, to an interruption point on the other side of the point directly above the frame pivot point;
• the initiation point and the frame pivot point form an initiation line, the interruption point and the frame pivot point form an interruption line, and the frame pivot point and the point directly above the frame pivot point forming a TDC line;
• and
• the interruption line is a greater angle from the TDC line than the initiation point is from the TDC line.

A packing cycle for packing a bulk package with an plurality of products comprising:

• staging product in a product feed section of a packaging machine;
• picking up a quantity of product suitable to the capacity of a carton;
• staging a carton in a carton feed section of a packaging machine;
• staging product, said staging product including simultaneously positioning a grid assembly in a carton and transporting product to a position over the grid assembly;
• wherein
• a coordination arm linking motion of the grid assembly to simultaneous motion of a gripper head assembly;
• and
• the gripper head assembly capable of lifting a plurality of product and transporting the plurality of product to a position over the grid assembly and the carton;
• lowering the product to the grid assembly;
• releasing all the product through the grid assembly;
• and
• returning the packing system to the beginning of the packing cycle.