Automated pre-roll fill and twist system and method

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system includes a pod assembly, a dispensing assembly, a filling assembly, a spinning assembly, a twisting assembly, an unloading assembly, and an electronic control unit. The dispensing assembly can dispense a set of cones into the pod assembly, each cone having a first end and a second end, the first end being a pre-closed end. The filling assembly can fill each cone in the pod assembly with filler material. The spinning assembly can spin the pod assembly such that the filler material within each cone is compressed. The twisting assembly can twist the second end of each cone such that the second end is closed. The unloading assembly can remove each cone from the pod assembly and transfer each cone to another location separate from the pod assembly.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a smoking article container receptacle assembly including a frame and a set of elongated members supported by the frame, each elongated member from the set of elongated members having a first end, a second end, and defining a lumen configured to receive a smoking article container, the frame including an extension member and a rod coupled to and extending laterally from the extension member;   a dispensing assembly configured to dispense a set of smoking article containers into the lumens of the elongated members of the smoking article container receptacle assembly such that a smoking article container is disposed within each lumen, each smoking article container having a first end and a second end, the first end being a closed end;   a filling assembly configured to fill each smoking article container from the set of smoking article container disposed in the smoking article container receptacle assembly with filler material; and   a spinning assembly configured to engage with the smoking article container receptacle assembly such that the smoking article container receptacle assembly is rotatably coupled to a spin arm of the spinning assembly via the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly, the spinning assembly configured to rotate the smoking article container receptacle assembly about an axis such that the set of elongated members of the smoking article container receptacle assembly rotate outward relative to the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly from a vertical orientation to a non-vertical orientation and the filler material within each smoking article container is compressed toward the first end of each smoking article container.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a twisting assembly configured to twist closed the second end of each smoking article container of the set of smoking article containers. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an unloading assembly configured to remove each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers from the smoking article container receptacle assembly and move each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers to a location distinct from the smoking article container receptacle assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each elongated member of the set of elongated members includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion having a shape that tapers toward the lower portion, the lower portion having a tubular shape. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the elongated members of the set of elongated members are disposed in a circular arrangement such that a central axis of each elongated member is parallel to a central axis of each of the remaining elongated members. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor assembly configured to move the smoking article container receptacle assembly from the dispensing assembly to the filling assembly and from the filling assembly to the spinning assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spinning assembly is configured to engage with the smoking article container receptacle assembly via receiving the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly within a recess of the spinning assembly and transitioning a latch member from an unlatched configuration to a latched configuration such that the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly is retained within the recess. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a set of spin arms, each spin arm from the set of spin arms defining a recess configured to receive a rod of a smoking article container receptacle assembly of a set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies, the smoking article container receptacle assembly including a frame and a set of elongated members supported by the frame, each elongated member from the set of elongated members having a first end, a second end, and defining a lumen configured to receive a smoking article container from a set of smoking article containers, the frame including an extension member, the rod coupled to and extending laterally from the extension member;   a set of latching members, each latching member coupled to a respective spin arm from the set of spin arms and configured to be transitioned between a latched position and an unlatched position relative to the recess of the respective spin arm, each latching member configured to form a boundary of the recess of the respective spin arm in the latched position such that the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly can be retained within the recess of the spin arm by the latching member; and   a motor configured to rotate the set of spin arms about a central axis such that, when each smoking article container receptacle assembly of the set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies is retained by a respective latching member of the set of latching members within a recess of a respective spin arm from the set of spin arms, 1) the set of elongated members of each smoking article container receptacle assembly of the set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies rotates relative to the respective rod of each smoking article container receptacle assembly from a first orientation in which the set of elongated members are vertically-oriented to a second orientation in which the set of elongated members are non-vertically-orientated and 2) when each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers is disposed within a respective elongated member from the set of elongated members of the smoking article container receptacle assembly and a filler material is disposed within each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers, the filler material disposed within each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers is compressed toward a closed end of each smoking article container.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the recess of each spin arm includes a first recess portion and a second recess portion spaced from and coaxial with the first recess portion, each spin arm from the set of spin arms including a first extension portion defining the first recess portion and a second extension portion defining the second recess portion, the first recess portion configured to receive a first portion of the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly, the second recess portion configured to receive a second portion of the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly, the latching member forming a boundary of the first recess portion and the second recess portion in the latched position such that the rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly can be retained within the first recess portion and the second recess portion of the swing arm by the latching member. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein each latching member of the set of latching members defines a gap through which the extension member of the smoking article container receptacle assembly associated with the latching member can rotate relative to the swing arm associated with the latching member when the smoking article container receptacle assembly transitions from the first orientation to the second orientation. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the elongated members of the each smoking article container receptacle assembly of the set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies are horizontally-oriented in the second orientation. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the central axis is the central axis of a spin arm support, the set of spin arms coupled to the spin arm support and extending away from the central axis, the motor configured to rotate the set of spin arms about the central axis of the spin arm support via controlling the rotation of the spin arm support. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the set of spin arms includes six spin arms. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a set of latching assemblies, each latching assembly including a respective latching member from the set of latching members and being coupled to a respective spin arm of the set of spin arms, each latching assembly including at least one elongated member, at least one spring, at least one supporting element, and a plate, a first end of the at least one elongated member coupled to the latching member and a second end of the at least one elongated member coupled to the plate, the at least one elongated member coupled to the respective spin arm of the set of spin arms via the at least one supporting element, the at least one spring disposed between the at least one supporting element and the latching member and configured to bias the latching member toward the latched position, the plate configured to be translated away from the at least one supporting element to translate the latching member from the latched position to the unlatched position. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a latch actuator assembly including a linear actuator and a plate, the motor configured to align the plate of the latch actuator assembly with the plate of a latching assembly of the set of latching assemblies, the linear actuator configured to translate the plate of the latch actuator assembly into contact with the plate of the latching assembly and to pull the plate of the latching assembly such that the latching member of the latching assembly is translated from the latched position to the unlatched position. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the motor is configured to rotate the set of spin arms at a rate of at least 900 revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first actuator assembly configured to raise a first smoking article container receptacle assembly of the set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies such that the rod of the first smoking article container receptacle assembly is received within the recess of a first swing arm of the set of swing arms; and   a second actuator assembly configured to lower a second smoking article container receptacle assembly of the set of smoking article container receptacle assemblies such that the rod of the second smoking article container receptacle assembly is translated out of the recess of a second swing arm of the set of swing arms.   
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 dispensing each smoking article container from a set of smoking article containers into an interior of a respective elongated member of a set of elongated members of a smoking article container receptacle assembly;   sequentially filling each smoking article container from the set of smoking article containers with a filler material having a weight above a threshold weight; and   spinning the smoking article container receptacle assembly such that the smoking article container receptacle assembly transitions from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation and such that the filler material disposed within each smoking article container is compressed from an open end toward a closed end of each smoking article container.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the spinning includes disposing a rod of the smoking article container receptacle assembly within a recess of a swing arm of a spinning assembly and transitioning a latching member of the spinning assembly from an unlatched configuration to a latched configuration such that the smoking article container receptacle assembly is retained within the recess of the swing arm and able to rotate relative to the swing arm about a central axis of the rod. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising moving the smoking article container receptacle assembly via a conveyor assembly after the dispensing and before the filling and after the filling and before the spinning.