Method for portioning and depositing ground tobacco into containers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and method for portioning and depositing processed tobacco into a container. The method may include compressing the processed tobacco into a column, wherein a portion is disposed in a shuttle pocket, moving the shuttle pocket to a second position and placing the sliced compressed tobacco into a container.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a collection column;   a shuttle pocket having a first position alignable with the collection column, the shuttle pocket having an open first end and a closable second end, the open first end adapted to receive a processed material from the collection column;   a plunger adapted to engage the collection column, wherein the plunger compresses the processed material into a compressed column, at least a first portion of the compressed column being disposed within the shuttle pocket; and   wherein the shuttle pocket is movable to a second position disposed over a container.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a column bottom configured to removably engage the closable second end of the shuttle pocket, and wherein the plunger and the column bottom cooperate to compress the processed material into the compressed column. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the column bottom is a second plunger adapted to engage the shuttle pocket a desired amount to set the volume of the first portion of the compressed column. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an inner geometrical shape of the shuttle pocket is approximately same as an inner shape of the container. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a knife adapted to cut the compressed column at an upper portion of the shuttle pocket to form the first portion of the compressed column disposed in the shuttle pocket and further forming a second portion of the compressed column disposed in the collection column.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein a height of the first portion of the compressed column is predetermined according to a height of the container and the height of the compressed column is higher than twice height of the first portion. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shuttle plate having a hole providing an entrance for the first portion of the compressed column in the shuttle pocket; and   a moving member adapted to move the shuttle pocket from the first position to the second position, and wherein the moving member included a first surface that closes an opening of the collection column when the shuttle pocket is moved from the first position to the second position.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an insert disposed in the collection column to modify a geometrical configuration of the collection column. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a tamper disposed above the second position adapted to force the first portion of the compressed column into the container. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the tamper further compresses the first portion once inside the container. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a fill basing adapted to feed processed material to the collection column. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a baffle configured to urge the processed material towards the collection column. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the container is a tin or a pouch. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 filling a processed material into a collection column   compressing the processed material into a compressed column using a first plunger, wherein at least a first portion of the compressed column is disposed in a shuttle pocket alignable with the collection column;   moving the shuttle pocket and the first portion of the compressed column from a first position below the collection column to a second position over a container; and   pushing the first portion of the compressed column into the container.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 slicing the compressed column into the first portion and a second portion at a plane between the shuttle pocket and the collection column.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising moving a second plunger into an open bottom end of the shuttle pocket through a first hole in a shuttle plate to set a height of the first portion of the compressed column. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising setting the height of the first portion of the compressed column substantially equal to a height of the container. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein pushing the first portion of the compressed column into the container includes placing the first portion of the compressed column into the container via a third plunger adapted to push the first portion through a second hole in the shuttle plate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the compressing the processed material into a compressed column includes reducing weight variances of the processed material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising channeling the processed material into an opening of the collection column by one or more baffles. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting an inner configuration of the collection column by placing an insert into the collection column. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising closing an opening of the collection column when the shuttle pocket is not located at the first position.