Apparatus, systems, and methods for filling prerolls

Abstract

A system for filling prerolls may include a pod, tamper accessory, and ejector accessory. The pod includes a keying groove, a support flange, and a plurality of fill chambers for filling prerolls that open into a foot space of the pod. The tamper accessory may include a keying segment configured to fit into the keying groove of the pod, allowing the tamping rods to seat prerolls within the fill chambers of the pod. The ejector accessory may include a keying segment configured to fit into the keying groove of the pod, a ring groove configured to accept the support flange, and an ejector pedestal configured to push filled and packed prerolls out of the pod.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising a pod, the pod comprising:
 a keying groove that traverses a side of the pod parallel to an insertion axis of the pod, the keying groove being configured to align with keying segments of pod accessories;   a support flange that encloses a foot space around a base of the pod; and   a plurality of fill chambers aligned with the insertion axis of the pod, each fill chamber comprising an elongated space within the pod that is configured to accept a preroll for filling such that, when the preroll is fully seated within the fill chamber, an end of the preroll protrudes from an end of the fill chamber into the foot space of the pod.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pod is substantially cylindrical in shape. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each fill chamber in the plurality of fill chambers is tapered to be narrower at the end of the fill chamber that opens into the foot space of the pod than at a mouth of the fill chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the keying groove is textured to enhance a grip on a surface of the keying groove. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each fill chamber in the plurality of fill chambers is configured such that, when the preroll is fully seated within the fill chamber, a topmost edge of the preroll, a wall of the fill chamber, and a mouth of the fill chamber define a headspace volume of the fill chamber that defines a fill volume for the preroll. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pod comprises at least one additional keying groove. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the keying groove comprises a semicircular profile. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the pod comprises a colored material, wherein a color of the colored material corresponds to a configuration of the pod. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of a sidewall of each fill chamber in the plurality of fill chambers is textured to facilitate increased friction between the sidewall and prerolls that are inserted into the fill chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an ejector accessory, the ejector accessory comprising:
 an ejector base;   a keying segment, coupled to the ejector base and perpendicular to the ejector base, configured to align with and slide into the keying groove of the pod; and   an ejector pedestal, coupled to the ejector base, that is configured to fill the foot space of the pod, thereby applying a force to any protruding tips of prerolls in the fill chambers of the pod when the pod is pressed into the ejector accessory.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the ejector base comprises a ring groove that encircles the ejector pedestal and is configured to accept the support flange when the pod is pressed into the ejector accessory. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the ejector accessory comprises a sidewall that is configured to fit the pod and align the pod with the ejector pedestal. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a tamper accessory, the tamper accessory comprising:
 a tamper base;   a keying segment, coupled to the tamper base and perpendicular to the tamper base, configured to align with and slide into the keying groove of the pod; and   a plurality of tamping rods, coupled to the tamper base and perpendicular to the tamper base, each tamping rod being configured to slide into a corresponding fill chamber in the plurality of fill chambers, thereby seating prerolls in the bottoms of their respective fill chambers when the tamper accessory is applied to the pod.   
     
     
         14 . A system for filling prerolls, the system comprising:
 a pod comprising:
 a keying groove that traverses a side of the pod parallel to an insertion axis of the pod, the keying groove being configured to align with keying segments of pod accessories; 
 a support flange that encloses a foot space around a base of the pod; and 
 a plurality of fill chambers aligned with the insertion axis of the pod, each fill chamber comprising an elongated space within the pod that is configured to accept a preroll for filling such that, when the preroll is fully seated within the fill chamber, an end of the preroll protrudes from a base of the fill chamber into the foot space of the pod; 
   a tamper accessory comprising:
 a tamper base; 
 a tamper keying segment, coupled to the tamper base and perpendicular to the tamper base, configured to align with and slide into the keying groove of the pod; and 
 a plurality of tamping rods, coupled to the tamper base and perpendicular to the tamper base, configured to slide into the plurality of fill chambers in the pod, thereby seating prerolls in the bottoms of their respective fill chambers when the tamper accessory is applied to the pod; and 
   an ejector accessory comprising:
 an ejector base; 
 an ejector keying segment, coupled to the ejector base and perpendicular to the ejector base, configured to align with and slide into the keying groove of the pod; and 
 an ejector pedestal, coupled to the ejector base, that is configured to fill the foot space enclosed by the support flange, thereby applying a force to any protruding tips of prerolls in the pod when the pod is pressed into the ejector accessory. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein each fill chamber in the plurality of fill chambers is configured to accept a preroll for filling such that, when the preroll is fully seated within the fill chamber, a topmost edge of the preroll, a wall of the fill chamber, and a mouth of the fill chamber define a headspace volume of the fill chamber that defines a fill volume for the preroll. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a fill restrictor, the fill restrictor comprising a fill restriction pedestal that is configured to occupy a portion of the foot space such that, when prerolls are tamped into the fill chambers, the tips of the prerolls come into contact with the fill restriction pedestal prior to the prerolls being fully seated within the fill chamber, resulting in a reduction in the headspace volume of the fill chamber. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the pod comprises a colored material, wherein a color of the colored material corresponds to a configuration of the pod. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the tamper accessory comprises the colored material and the color of the colored material corresponds to a configuration of the tamper accessory. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the ejector accessory comprises the colored material and the color of the colored material corresponds to a configuration of the ejector accessory. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 forming a pod body, the pod body comprising:
 a keying groove that traverses a side of the pod parallel to an insertion axis of the pod, the keying groove being configured to align with keying segments of pod accessories; 
 a support flange that encloses a foot space around a base of the pod; and 
 a plurality of fill chambers aligned with the insertion axis of the pod, each fill chamber comprising an elongated space within the pod that is configured to accept a preroll for filling such that, when the preroll is fully seated within the fill chamber, an end of the preroll protrudes from a base of the fill chamber into the foot space of the pod.