Smokable paper cone closing system and related methods

Abstract

A system and method are provided for simultaneously crimping, sealing, and ejecting a plurality of pre-formed cones. The system includes a top plate, one or more carrier support members, and linear guides extending between them. A pressing assembly includes a pressing plate mounted on the guides, pressing rods extending from the pressing plate, and at least one actuator to drive the pressing plate. A crimping assembly includes a crimping body with apertures and one or more actuators to translate the crimping body. A modular carrier plate positioned below the assemblies including openings aligned with the pressing rods and apertures, each configured to receive a cone. The method includes positioning cones in the openings, translating the crimping body to deform upper portions of the cones to form crimps, retracting the crimping body, advancing the pressing plate to seal crimps, and ejecting the sealed cones through the openings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for simultaneously crimping, sealing, and ejecting a plurality of pre-formed cones, comprising:
 a top plate;   one or more carrier support members;   one or more linear guides extending between the top plate and the one or more carrier support members;   a pressing assembly, including:
 a pressing plate slidably mounted on the one or more linear guides for translational movement along the one or more linear guides; 
 a plurality of pressing rods affixed to a surface of the pressing plate and extending axially therefrom; 
 at least one pressing actuator operatively coupled to the pressing plate and configured to control translational movement of the pressing plate along the one or more linear guides; 
   a crimping assembly, including:
 a crimping body slidably mounted on the one or more linear guides for translational movement along the one or more linear guides, the crimping body having a plurality of crimping apertures aligned with the plurality of pressing rods; 
 one or more crimping actuators operatively coupled to the crimping body and configured to control translational movement of the crimping body along the one or more linear guides; 
   a modular carrier plate disposed below the crimping body and the pressing plate, the modular carrier plate having a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of crimping apertures and the plurality of pressing rods, each of the plurality of openings configured to receive a corresponding pre-formed cone and to support an upper portion of the pre-formed cone above an upper surface of the modular carrier plate;   wherein actuation of the one or more crimping actuators drives the crimping body toward the modular carrier plate to engage and deform the upper portions of the plurality of pre-formed cones, thereby forming crimps; and   wherein actuation of the at least one pressing actuator drives the pressing plate toward the modular carrier plate, causing the plurality of pressing rods to contact the crimps of the plurality of pre-formed cones with the plurality of pressing rods, thereby sealing the plurality of pre-formed cones and displacing the sealed plurality of pre-formed cones through the plurality of openings of the modular carrier plate.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the crimping body further comprises a translatable sliding blade array disposed on a lower surface of the crimping body and operatively coupled to one or more microactuators, the sliding blade array comprising a plurality of blades mechanically interconnected to move as a single unit between:
 (i) a first position, in which the plurality of blades are positioned to allow unobstructed passage of the plurality of pressing rods through the plurality of crimping apertures; and   (ii) a second position, in which the plurality of blades are laterally translated across the crimping body to partially overlap the plurality of crimping apertures and configured to apply inward radial pressure to the upper portions of the plurality of pre-formed cones when the crimping body is actuated toward the modular carrier plate.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the sliding blade array is configured to slide within one or more guide channels formed in the crimping body. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more microactuators are configured to drive the sliding blade array laterally between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more microactuators are selected from the group consisting of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, an electric linear actuator, a servo motor, a stepper motor, and a solenoid actuator. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressing actuator is selected from the group consisting of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, an electric linear actuator, a servo motor, a stepper motor, and a solenoid actuator. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more crimping actuators are selected from the group consisting of a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, an electric linear actuator, a servo motor, a stepper motor, and a solenoid actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein crimping body further includes a plurality of linear motion bearings configured to operatively engage with the one or more linear guides to facilitate guided linear movement of the pressing plate. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pressing plate further includes a plurality of linear motion bearings configured to operatively engage with the one or more linear guides to facilitate guided linear movement of the pressing plate. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more carrier support members further includes a plurality of alignment features configured to receive and position the modular carrier plate. 
     
     
         11 . A method for simultaneously crimping, sealing, and ejecting a plurality of pre-formed cones, comprising the steps of:
 (a) positioning a plurality of pre-formed cones within a modular carrier plate having a plurality of openings, such that an upper portion of each pre-formed cone extends above an upper surface of the modular carrier plate;   (b) aligning a crimping body having a plurality of crimping apertures with the plurality of openings in the modular carrier plate;   (c) actuating one or more crimping actuators to translate the crimping body along one or more linear guides toward the modular carrier plate to engage and deform the upper portions of the plurality of pre-formed cones to form crimps in the plurality of pre-formed cones;   (d) retracting the crimping body by actuating the one or more crimping actuators to translate the crimping body along the one or more linear guides away from the modular plate after the crimps are formed;   (e) aligning a pressing plate having a plurality of pressing rods with the crimps formed in the plurality of pre-formed cones;   (f) actuating at least one pressing actuator to translate the pressing plate along the one or more linear guides toward the modular carrier plate to cause the plurality of pressing rods to contact and seal the crimps of the plurality of pre-formed cones; and   (g) displacing the plurality of sealed pre-formed cones through the plurality of openings in the modular carrier plate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, prior to actuating the one or more crimping actuators, the step of actuating one or more microactuators to position a sliding blade array, having a plurality of blades and disposed on a lower surface of the crimping body, such that the plurality of blades partially overlap the plurality of crimping apertures, the plurality of blades being configured to apply inward radial pressure to deform the upper portions of the plurality of pre-formed cones when the crimping body is actuated toward the modular carrier plate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, prior to actuating the at least one pressing actuator, the step of actuating one or more microactuators to retract the sliding blade array disposed on a lower surface of the crimping body, such that the plurality of blades of the sliding blade array are disengaged and the plurality of crimping apertures are unobstructed to allow passage of the plurality of pressing rods.