Vertical multi-tamping cigarette herb filling system and method

Abstract

An apparatus can include a holder plate and a carriage assembly. The holder plate includes a plurality of through-holes configured to receive containers having an interior cavity. The carriage assembly comprises one or more carriage plates and tamper rods, the carriage plates having a plurality of through-holes. Each of the tamper rods can be slidably disposed in a respective one of the plurality of through-holes of the carriage plate. Each of the tamper rods can be independently weighted to provide a force independent of the other of the tamper rods and can be independently movable relative to the other of the tamper rods. The carriage assembly can be configured to be aligned with the holder plate such that the each of the tamper rods provides a compressive force to a filler material within the interior cavity of each of the containers.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a holder plate having a first side and a second side, the holder plate defining a plurality of through-holes extending from the first side to the second side, each through-hole configured to receive a container of a plurality of containers, each container of the plurality of containers having a first open end, a second end closed by a filter, and an interior cavity between the first open end and the filter, each through-hole configured to maintain one the plurality of containers in an upright position relative to a support surface; and   a carriage assembly including at least one carriage plate and a plurality of tamper rods, the at least one carriage plate defining a plurality of through-holes, each of the plurality of tamper rods slidably disposed in a respective one of the plurality of through-holes of the at least one carriage plate, each of the plurality of tamper rods independently weighted to provide a force independent of the other of the plurality of tamper rods and independently movable relative to the other of the plurality of tamper rods,   wherein the carriage assembly configured to be aligned with the holder plate such that the each of the plurality of tamper rods can be slidably disposed within a respective one of the plurality of containers to provide a compressive force to a filler material within the interior cavity of each respective one of the plurality of containers.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover plate, the cover plate defining a plurality of through-holes, the plurality of through-holes of the cover plate having a smaller diameter than a diameter of the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate, the cover plate configured to be arranged on the holder plate such that the plurality of through-holes of the cover plate are axially aligned with the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an alignment peg configured to extend through an alignment hole defined by the holder plate and into an alignment hole defined by the cover plate such that, when the alignment peg is disposed within the alignment hole defined by the holder plate and the alignment hole defined by the cover plate, the plurality of through-holes defined by the holder plate are axially aligned with the through-holes defined by the cover plate. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate can be cylindrically-shaped and the container is a smoking article tube. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate can be conically-shaped and the container is a smoking article cone. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the filler material is a non-tobacco smoking herb. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of tamper rods includes a stop pin near a proximal end of the at least one of the plurality of tamper rods, the stop pin having a length greater than the diameter of the corresponding through-hole of the plurality of through-holes of the carriage plate within which the at least one of the plurality of tamper rods is slidably disposed. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a counterweight assembly, the counterweight assembly including at least one counterweight and at least one handle, the counterweight assembly coupled to the carriage assembly such that movement of the handle can control the vertical position of the carriage assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of tamper rods includes a flat distal end. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate have a constant diameter from the first side to the second side of the holder plate. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 inserting each of a plurality of containers into a respective one of a plurality of through-holes defined in a holder plate such that the plurality of containers are maintained in an upright position relative to a support surface on which the holder plate is disposed;   disposing filler material within an interior cavity of each of the plurality of containers;   lowering a carriage assembly including a plurality of tamper rods such that each of the plurality of tamper rods is disposed in an interior of a respective one of the containers and applies a compressive force to the filler material within the respective one of the containers, the plurality of tamper rods being independently weighted to provide a force independent of the other of the plurality of tamper rods and independently movable relative to the other of the plurality of tamper rods;   raising the frame assembly such that the plurality of tamper rods are removed from the interiors of each of the containers; and   removing the containers filled with compressed filler material from the holder plate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the removing comprises:
 raising the holder plate relative to the support surface;   lowering the carriage assembly such that the plurality of tamper rods applies a pressure to the filler material such that the containers filled with compressed filler material are pushed out of the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the raising comprises placing one or more blocks on the support surface underneath the holder plate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising disposing additional filler material within an interior cavity of each of the plurality of containers and lowering the carriage assembly such that the plurality of tamper rods applies a compressive force to the additional filler material such that the additional filler material is compressed within the plurality of containers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising arranging a cover plate on a top surface of the holder plate, the cover plate defining through-holes having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the through-holes at the top surface of the holder plate, the arranging including arranging the cover plate such that the through-holes of the cover plate are axially aligned with the through-holes of the holder plate. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the disposing comprises spreading the filler material across the cover plate such that the filler material falls through the through-holes defined by the cover plate and into the interior cavities of the plurality of containers. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the removing comprises:
 lowering the holder plate relative to the support surface such that the support surface applies a pressure to the containers filled with compressed filler material causing the containers to be pushed upward out of the plurality of through-holes of the holder plate.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the lowering comprises removing one or more blocks from between the support surface and the holder plate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the filler material is a non-tobacco smoking herb.