Apparatus and Methods for Packing of Cigarettes

Abstract

A method involves placing a cigarette starter cone in a cavity of a holding fixture carried on a carriage at a first station, moving the carriage to a second station, loading a quantity of content into the cone at the second station by a content loading mechanism, moving the carriage to a third station, packing the loaded content in the cigarette starter cone at the third station by a packing mechanism flowing pressurized gas infused with terpene oil or vapor, moving the carriage to a fourth station, exposing the open end of the cigarette starter cone at the fourth station, clamping an exposed portion of the paper cone at the open end by a twister mechanism, activating the twister mechanism, rotating the twister mechanism at least one full turn, twisting the open end closed, and releasing the paper cone, and opening the holding fixture, releasing the packed and twisted-closed cigarette.

1 . A method for assembling a finished cigarette, comprising:
 placing a pre-existing cigarette starter cone having a longitudinal axis in an internal cavity of a holding fixture carried on a translatable carriage at a first station;   moving the carriage to a second station;   loading a pre-measured quantity of content into the cigarette starter cone at the second station through an exposed end of the cigarette starter cone by a content loading mechanism;   moving the carriage to a third station;   packing the loaded content in the cigarette starter cone at the third station by a packing mechanism flowing pressurized gas infused with terpene oil or vapor;   moving the carriage to a fourth station;   exposing the open end of the cigarette starter cone at the fourth station, clamping an exposed portion of the paper cone at the open end by a twister mechanism, activating the twister mechanism, rotating the twister mechanism at least one full turn, twisting the open end closed, and releasing the paper cone; and   opening the holding fixture, releasing the packed and twisted-closed cigarette infused with terpene oil or vapor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a step:
 returning the carriage to the first station and repeating the process with another pre-existing cigarette starter cone. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the holding fixture has an internal volume shaped to accommodate the cigarette starter cone, and is separable on a plane along the longitudinal axis, such that the fixture may be opened and closed by robotically manipulated mechanisms included on the carriage, and the holding fixture is opened to place the cigarette starter cone at station  1 , then closed, and is opened at station  4  to release the packed and twisted-closed cigarette. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the holding fixture has two parts, a first part holding a major length of the cigarette starter cone, and a second part enclosing the open end of the paper cone, the two parts being openable separately by robotic mechanisms, and wherein the second part is opened at station  4 , exposing the open end of the cigarette starter cone to be clamped and twisted, while the first part remains closed, holding the cigarette starter cone from rotating while the end is twisted. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the holding fixture comprises vacuum passages opening into the internal cavity in a matrix, such that applying vacuum to the passages holds the paper cone against inside walls of the internal cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein vacuum is applied to the passages during loading at the second station to hold the paper cone open to be loaded. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein vacuum is applied to the passages during twisting at the fourth station to hold the paper cone from rotating while the end is twisted. 
     
     
         8 . A system for assembling a finished cigarette, comprising:
 a carriage translatable between individual stations, the carriage carrying a holding fixture having an internal cavity, the internal cavity shaped to match a shape of a pre-existing cigarette starter cone;   a first station having a mechanism for dispensing cigarette starter cones one-at-a-time into the internal cavity of the holding fixture;   a second station having a content-loading mechanism adapted for loading a pre-measured quantity of content into the cigarette starter cone through an exposed end of the cigarette starter cone;   a third station having a packing mechanism flowing pressurized gas infused with terpene oil or vapor, packing the loaded content in the cigarette starter cone to a desired density with terpene oil or vapor infused in the content; and   a fourth station having a twisting mechanism adapted for clamping an exposed portion of the paper cone at the open end and twisting the end closed by at least one full turn;   wherein a cigarette starter cone is loaded to the fixture at the first station, the carriage is moved to the second station, content is loaded to the cigarette starter cone at the second station, the carriage is moved to the third station, the loaded content is packed to the desired density with gas infused with terpene oil or vapor at the third station, the open end of the cone is twisted at least one full turn at the forth station, and the packed and twisted-closed cigarette is released.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the carriage, after a packed and twisted-closed cigarette is released is returned to the first station to start through the stations with another cigarette starter cone. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the holding fixture has an internal volume shaped to accommodate the cigarette starter cone, and is separable on a plane along the longitudinal axis, such that the fixture may be opened and closed by robotically manipulated mechanisms included on the carriage. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the holding fixture is opened to place the cigarette starter cone at station  1 , then closed, and is opened at station  4  to release the packed and twisted-closed cigarette. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the holding fixture has two parts, a first part holding a major length of the cigarette starter cone, and a second part enclosing the open end of the paper cone, the two parts being openable separately by robotic mechanisms, and wherein the second part is opened at station  4 , exposing the open end of the cigarette starter cone to be clamped and twisted, while the first part remains closed, holding the cigarette starter cone from rotating while the end is twisted. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the holding fixture comprises vacuum passages opening into the internal cavity in a matrix, such that applying vacuum to the passages holds the paper cone against inside walls of the internal cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein vacuum is applied to the passages during loading at the second station to hold the paper cone open to be loaded. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein vacuum is applied to the passages during twisting at the fourth station to hold the paper cone from rotating while the end is twisted.