Cannabis Feeding Apparatus

Abstract

A cannabis joints filling system includes a cannabis joint filling apparatus for receiving and holding a paper cone along a longitudinal axis and for receiving and pre-compacting a predetermined quantity of cannabis into the paper cone; and a cannabis feeding system including i) a weighing scale, ii) a cannabis feeding apparatus adjacent the weighing scale for receiving cannabis in bulk and for controllably outputting a predetermined portion of the cannabis in bulk onto the weighing scale, and iii) a single portion cannabis distributing device, including two cups that are sequentially movable between a) a cannabis weighing position, wherein one of the two cups cooperates with the weighing scale to measure the predetermined portion of the cannabis, and b) a cannabis distributing position, where the predetermined portion of the cannabis is fed to the cannabis joint filling apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cannabis feeding apparatus comprising:
 a support frame;   a feeding cone defining a large inlet and a narrow outlet and that is mounted to the support frame for rotation about a rotational axis that is so angled relative to a horizontal axis that the inlet is higher than the outlet; the feeding cone having an inner surface and including a spiral shaped protrusion on the inner surface; and
 an actuating mechanism secured to the frame and operatively coupled to the feeding cone for selectively causing the rotation of the feeding cone; 
   
       whereby, in operation, cannabis fed in bulk into the inlet of the feeding cone is gradually moved to the outlet thereof by the spiral shaped protrusion when the feeding cone is caused to rotate by the actuating mechanism. 
     
     
         2 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a chute secured to the support frame adjacent the narrow outlet of the feeding cone, so as to be in fluid communication therewith. 
     
     
         3 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the chute includes a V-shaped channel. 
     
     
         4 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the chute further including a vibrator secured to the V-shaped channel to induce vibrations thereon. 
     
     
         5 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the vibrator is controllable to induce first regular vibrations and then second vibrations that gradually diminish relative to the first regular vibrations. 
     
     
         6 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the chute is mounted to the support frame via an adjustable mounting bracket which allows adjusting an angle of the chute relative to the horizontal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a controllable gate downstream from the narrow outlet of the feeding cone for limiting a flow of the cannabis gradually exiting therefrom. 
     
     
         8 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a cone extension extending from the feeding cone at the inlet thereof so as to be in fluid communication therewith and defining a recipient to receive cannabis in bulk;
 whereby, in operation, cannabis fed in bulk into the cone extension is brought by gravity and rotation to the inlet of the feeding cone.   
     
     
         9 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the cone extension is removably mounted to the feeding cone. 
     
     
         10 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the support frame includes a plate having a circular opening that receives the feeding cone therein for the rotation about the rotational axis. 
     
     
         11 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the actuating mechanism includes a rotary actuator secured to the plate and a transmission secured to the plate that operatively couples the actuating mechanism and the feeding cone. 
     
     
         12 . The cannabis feeding apparatus as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the transmission includes a gear assembly.