Pre-Rolled Cone Extruding Apparatus

This application, which discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior application Ser. No. 17/111,503, filed Dec. 3, 2020, is a divisional application for which the Applicant desires to claim the benefit of the filing date of the prior application under 35 U.S.C. 120.

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for making cigarettes, and more particularly, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for packing, finishing, and extruding pre-rolled cones into marijuana cigarettes.

In the past, there have been many ways smokable plant-based materials, the most common of which is tobacco, have been prepared for human consumption by way of smoking a cigarette. Due to a widespread consumption of tobacco as cigarettes, there have been many automated machines that mass produce cigarettes of various kinds, most of which are cylinder-shaped.

However, as marijuana use and production have become variously legalized in various states across the United States, and to a degree federally in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill, there has been an increased interest in preparation of marijuana plant materials for smoking. Thus, as more widespread interest in marijuana cigarettes has increased, there has been a need for quick and easy methods of marijuana cigarette production. Automated cigarette machines are not fit for this purpose, since marijuana has more resin and is therefore stickier than tobacco, and it cannot be produced by current automated machines that are designed to produce tobacco cigarettes.

Therefore, various inventions and methods have been proposed for preparing marijuana for consumption. For example, U.S. Patent U.S. Pat. No. 10,806,173 B2, Method and Apparatus for Custom Rolling a Smokable Product, to Tully, shows a system using a mandrill that assists in rolling smokable material that is subsequently removed into the rolled cylindrical cigarette. However, the Tully patent allows only for one at a time making of cylindrical cigarettes. To overcome this limitation and as pre-rolled cones have become popular, other methods and devices have been proposed for preparing different shaped and sized cigarettes.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 10,647,529 B2, Packing Device for Consumable Materials, to Busnardo, defines a portable packing device for consumable materials having an outer sleeve and a telescoping inner sleeve which is spring loaded, allowing the user to press the protruding upper portion of the inner sleeve, creating tension and vibration needed to compress the consumable materials into a pre-rolled cone. Similarly, published patent application US 2017/0119043, Apparatus for Filling and Packing Pre-Formed Conical Cigarette Wrappers, to Swanson, describes a conical cigarette wrapper along with a one-at-a-time holder with a tamping surface attached to a shaft. Further, published patent application US 2014/0182604, Device and Method for Manufacturing Tobacco Products, to Hutton, shows a primarily cylindrical plastic tube for use in manufacture of smoking products with various diameters and geometries, and with a removable-top funnel with a segmented cylinder for removal of the final product. There are also automated machines that are known in the art that prepare marijuana cigarettes either as cylindrical or conical cigarettes.

While the above-mentioned inventions have overcome the problem of stickiness of marijuana and the need for the ability to accommodate differently-shaped and differently-sized cigarettes, these devices are either expensive automated commercial machines or a device that may only accommodate and produce one cigarette at time. Therefore, a cheaper, single-operator machine that allows for all steps of filling, packing, crimping, closing, and extruding of multiple marijuana cigarettes at the same time is needed. Such a machine would ideally allow an individual to manufacture multiple marijuana cigarettes quickly and efficiently. Further, the size and the ease of use of such a machine apparatus would give advantage over other much larger mass production machines in the industry. Still further, such a machine would fill, pack, crimp, close and extrude one or more marijuana cigarettes using a single multi-part apparatus, allowing for quick and easy use at home and at low cost.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus (also referred to herein as a “cigarette manufacturing apparatus” or “the apparatus”) is adapted for making and extruding cigarettes such as marijuana cigarettes onto a catcher, such as a table, a floor, a bucket, or other catching device. The pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus comprises a plate having a working surface and a rim portion. The plate defines at least one tapered hole communicating with the working surface, and each tapered hole is wider where it communicates with the working surface of the plate than it is where it communicates with the final extrusion surface of the plate. The plate is adapted to receive and hold a pre-rolled cone into each tapered hole. A base is attached to the plate. The base is adapted for holding the plate sufficiently spaced from the catcher, such as a table surface. The sufficient space between the plate and the catcher allows each pre-rolled cone received by each tapered hole to be suspended above the catcher to allow for extruding of a finished cigarette. The pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus further comprises a packing and crimping device and a closing and extruding device. The packing and crimping device comprises a handle having at least one thin rod attached to the handle. The packing and crimping device is adapted to pack and crimp each pre-rolled cone within each tapered hole of the plate. The closing and extruding device comprises a handle having at least one tube having a concave tip attached to a shaft that is 1-2 millimeters shorter than the concave tube. Each tube is thicker (e.g., has a larger outside and inside diameter) than each thin rod of the packing and crimping device. The closing and extruding device is adapted to close each pre-rolled cone and extrude each finished cigarette from within a corresponding tapered hole of the plate.

The plate may preferably be of a thickness adapted to facilitate crimping of a pre-rolled cone when marijuana is introduced into each pre-rolled cone sitting in a corresponding tapered hole defined in the plate, and each pre-rolled cone having been filled, packed, and crimped, with a smokable material therein, is extruded through the plate. In other words, after each pre-rolled cone is filled, packed, and crimped, with a smokable material therein, it is pushed down the tapered hole until it pops out of the location where the tapered hole communicates with the, typically lower, extrusion surface of the plate. The plate may preferably be at least 1.5625 inches thick, and preferably no more than 1.6875 inches thick. The base may preferably have a plurality of legs, such as two or four legs, but other numbers of legs may be used without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

The handle of the packing and crimping device, and the handle of the finishing and extruding device, may each preferably be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Other materials, such as wood, may also be used. The plate may also preferably be comprised of HDPE.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, each of the at least one tubes of the closing and extruding device may be made of a hollow plastic tube with a concaved tip. Alternatively, each tube may be made of other materials, such as wood, metal, aluminum, or the like, suitable to the purpose of being sufficiently rigid to be used to push and compress (i.e., extrude) the filled pre-rolled cones out of the plate through its corresponding tapered hole. In this embodiment comprising tubes, each tube attaches to the handle by a shaft, such as a stainless-steel fastener inserted into each tube, and each tube is longer than each corresponding shaft. Each of the tubes may also be attached to the handle by other means suitable to the aforementioned purpose.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, each of the at least one thin rods of the packing and crimping device may preferably be made of a compressed stiff spring attached interposed and interconnecting between the handle and each thin rod. Each thin rod may be made of plastic and held by way of an integral collar (as part of the plastic rod) at the end of the compressed stiff spring. The aforementioned construction serves to allow some flexibility in action while working the packing and crimping device so as to align with the tapered holes in the plate and to allow a gentle circular motion to fold and crimp collapsed paper over an end of the cigarette as an initial, partial, closing. Accordingly, other materials suitable to this purpose and action may be used without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, each of the at least one tapered holes defined in the plate is adapted to correspond to the taper of a pre-rolled cone, whether of a 98 mm size, or a 109 mm size, such that when the packing and crimping device gently packs each pre-rolled cone with filling material such as marijuana, each pre-rolled cone is packed but is preferably not yet pushed further into the pre-rolled cones' respective tapered holes. This pushing, or extruding, ideally doesn't happen until a later step than the filling and packing steps are completed so that additional material may be filled into the pre-rolled cone before an upper edge of the paper of the cone gets crimped—which crimp would prevent further material (such as marijuana) from getting into the cones. Once each pre-rolled cone is completely filled and packed, it is ready to be finished and extruded. Thus, it will thus be appreciated that the packing and crimping/finishing device is first used gently to pack each pre-rolled cone with material without first crimping the upper edge of each pre-rolled cone, since doing so may prevent further filling of the cones if necessary. After filling and gentle packing is completed, some initial crimping may be imparted by the packing and crimping device since the stickiness of the marijuana being packed into the pre-rolled cone with the packing and crimping device causes some crimping. And this is why packing must be done gently to prevent too early of crimping. After completion using the packing and crimping/finishing device, the closing and extruding device is then applied to each tapered hole having a filled and packed pre-rolled cone therein, the closing and extruding device thus being used to push each pre-rolled, filled, and packed cone further into its respective tapered hole. This latter process, known as extruding, causes each pre-rolled cone to begin to crimp further in earnest—or further crimp as some initial crimping has already begun with the filling and packing process (due to the stickiness of the marijuana pulling the paper inwardly with use of the packing and crimping/finishing device). And as each filled and packed pre-rolled cone is pushed further into its respective tapered hole using the closing and extruding device, the upper edge of each pre-rolled cone is folded further inwardly. In other words, as each pre-rolled cone is pushed further into its tapered hole with the closing and extruding device, they further close, they are extruded (compacted) until each pre-rolled cone is simultaneously pushed further and further into its respective tapered hole, and they are still further extruded until each finished cigarette is finally pushed out onto, or into, the catcher.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one tapered hole comprises a plurality of tapered holes arranged in a pattern, preferably of aligned columns and rows in the overall plate working surface shape of a square or a rectangle. In this embodiment, the at least one thin rod of the packing and crimping device comprises a plurality of thin rods arranged in a corresponding pattern, such as corresponding with either one or more rows of tapered holes in the plate. The plurality of thin rods are adapted to be brought into alignment with the plurality of tapered holes. Furthermore, the at least one tube of the closing and extruding device comprises a plurality of tubes arranged in a similarly corresponding pattern. The plurality of tubes are also adapted to be brought into alignment with the plurality of tapered holes in at least one row. In this aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one tube of the closing and extruding device also comprises a plurality of tubes oriented in a corresponding pattern. Thus, the plurality of tubes is adapted to be brought into alignment with the plurality of tapered holes in at least one row, but optionally in a corresponding pattern comprising more than one row.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus, or cigarette manufacturing apparatus, is adapted for making and extruding cigarettes, such as marijuana cigarettes, onto a catcher (such as, for example, a table top or floor that is not part of the apparatus, or alternatively, a bucket onto which the plate and base are attached). The cigarette manufacturing apparatus has a plate having a working surface, a rim portion, and an extrusion surface (opposite the working surface). The plate defines at least one tapered hole communicating with the working surface. Each tapered hole is wider where it communicates with the working surface of the plate, and each tapered hole tapers to be narrower where it communicates with the (preferably lower) extrusion surface. The plate is adapted to receive and hold a pre-rolled cone into each tapered hole, wherein preferably each tapered hole is also tapered to correspond with (i.e., adapted to receive and hold) a given size, such as a 98 mm size, or a 109 mm size, of pre-rolled cone. A base is attached to the plate and adapted for holding the plate sufficiently spaced from the catcher. The sufficient space allows each pre-rolled cone, which is adapted to be held and received by each corresponding tapered hole, to be suspended relative to the catcher to allow for extruding of a finished cigarette onto the catcher. The cigarette manufacturing apparatus further comprises a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device having a handle with at least one thin rod extending from a spring from, and preferably within, the handle. Each rod is adapted to fill and crimp a pre-rolled cone retained within a corresponding tapered hole. The handle in accordance with this aspect and embodiment also has a tube corresponding to each thin rod. Each tube also extends from the handle, and each tube preferably has an outside diameter that is larger than each corresponding thin rod. Each thin rod is preferably adapted to reside partially within a corresponding tube. Each tube closes and extrudes a finished cigarette from within each corresponding tapered hole.

The base may preferably comprise a plurality of legs. The number of legs may be two, but other numbers of legs may be used. The handle of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device may preferably be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). However, the handle may be made of other materials known in the art, such as wood. The plate may also preferably be of HDPE.

Preferably, the plate thickness may preferably be at least 1.5625 inches thick and no more than 1.6875 inches thick, at least as pertaining to pre-rolled cones of the 98 mm size and the 109 mm size. Each tapered hole may preferably be adapted to correspond to the taper of a pre-rolled cone such that when the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device packs each pre-rolled cone with filling material, such as marijuana, each pre-rolled cone is pushed further into the plate. This pushing of pre-rolled cone crimps the upper edge of each pre-rolled cone inwardly. When the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device closes each pre-rolled cone, each pre-rolled cone is simultaneously pushed further into its corresponding tapered hole. Thus, the cigarette manufacturing apparatus as a whole is adapted for transforming the pre-rolled cone and filling material into a cigarette, until each finished cigarette extrudes onto, or into, the catcher.

In accordance with this aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one tapered hole may preferably be a plurality of tapered holes. In such embodiment, the at least one thin rod of the combination filling, crimping, closing, and extruding device preferably comprises a plurality of thin rods that are adapted to align with the plurality of tapered holes, and the at least one tube of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device preferably comprises a plurality of tubes that are adapted to align with the plurality of tapered holes.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one tapered hole comprises a plurality of tapered holes oriented in a pattern of rows. In such embodiment, the at least one thin rod of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device comprises a plurality of thin rods that align with a plurality of tapered holes in at least one row, and the at least one tube of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device comprises a plurality of tubes that align with a plurality of tapered holes in at least one row.

In accordance with an aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, a pre-rolled cone finishing and extruding method for filling, packing, finishing, and extruding cigarettes, such as marijuana cigarettes, onto, or into, a catcher, is comprised of:

In accordance with another aspect and embodiment of the disclosure, a pre-rolled cone finishing and extruding method for filling, packing, finishing, and extruding cigarettes, such as marijuana cigarettes, onto a catcher, is comprised of the following steps:

The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following descriptions taken in connection with accompanying drawings.

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus (hereafter referred to also as a “cigarette manufacturing apparatus” or “the apparatus”), use applications thereof, and related methods of filling, packing, finishing, and extruding cigarettes, such as marijuana cigarettes, onto a catcher.

Referring generally to, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of a portionof a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, crimping, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure. The apparatus portioncomprises a plate, having a working surfaceand a rim portion. The platemay preferably be of a thickness adapted to facilitate crimping of a pre-rolled cone, and preferably a plurality of cones, as filling material, such as marijuana, is introduced into the cone. After, filling, packing, crimping, and finishing, the pre-rolled conesare extruded through the plateand onto a catcher, such as a floor, a tabletop, or a basin. The preferred thickness for the plateis at least 1.5625 inches thick and no more than 1.6875 inches thick when adapted for size 98 mm and 109 mm pre-rolled cones. The platemay be made of known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials.

The platedefines at least one tapered hole. The tapered holesare preferably a plurality of tapered holesfor this embodiment and the tapered holesare oriented in a pattern of 10 rows. The rows may be offset as shown, they may be arranged into columns, or the tapered holesmay be arranged into any other desirable pattern. The tapered holesare wider where they communicate with the working surfaceand narrows as they extend further away from the working surface. The tapered holesreceive and hold pre-rolled conesand are preferably designed to hold 98 mm and 109 mm pre-rolled cones. Each of the tapered holescorrespond to the taper of a pre-rolled coneto facilitate crimping of the pre-rolled coneas the pre-rolled coneis pushed down into the tapered hole.

The baseattached to the platemay be two legsas illustrated, but another number of legs may be used. The two legsin this embodiment are attached to the plateusing screws, but other means of attachment known in the art, such as glue, may be used. The embodiment portion shown inalso has handlesattached to the legsfor easy portability of the apparatus. The baseholds the plateup in a position sufficiently spaced from the catcherto allow the pre-rolled conesto partially hang out of the corresponding tapered holeswhile the tapered holeshold the pre-rolled cones. The catchermay be any surface that may be used to catch and gather extruded cigarettes, such as a table, a floor, a bin, or a basin. There should be enough space for the extruded cigarette to fall onto, or into, the catcher.

The filling materials, such as marijuana, from a container meansmay be poured onto the working surfaceas illustrated. The rimprevents the filling materialfrom spilling off the platewhile the plateis tilted and shaken sideways so the filling materialenters into the tapered holesand falls into the pre-rolled conesheld within the tapered holes. Packing and crimping devices, and closing and extruding devices are not shown in, but will be detailed below inand later FIGS.

Referring specifically to, there is shown a perspective view of a portionof an embodiment of the pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus ofand showing a broken platesegment to show how pre-rolled conesmay be received by the tapered holes. The left most corner of the plate, including some of the rimand the working surface, is illustrated as broken to show two tapered holesbroken into halves and shown as solid lines within the plate. Four of the tapered holesare shown in dotted lines to represent the outline of the tapered holesdefined within the plate. As described in, the tapered holeis wider where it communicates with the working surfaceof the plate. Each of the tapered holescorrespond to the taper of a pre-rolled coneto facilitate crimping of the pre-rolled coneas the pre-rolled coneis pushed down the tapered hole. Two pre-rolled conesare present in two outlined tapered holesto show how each tapered holewould receive and hold a pre-rolled cone. As illustrated, each tapered holeis slightly bigger than a pre-rolled coneto allow downward movement of the pre-rolled coneas it is filled, packed, crimped, closed, and extruded from the plate. The pre-rolled conesmay preferably be of 98 mm size and 109 mm size. Two of the dotted tapered holesare left empty as comparison. A handleattached to the baseand the baseas two legsattached to the plateare also illustrated to allow easy shaking of this portionof the apparatus to allow better filling of materialson the working surfaceand into the pre-rolled cones.

Referring specifically to, there is shown atop view of the portionof the embodiment of the pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus of. The portionof the apparatus ofhas a plate, a working surface, and a rim portion. A base, comprising two legsin this embodiment, is attached to the plate, using screws. However, other means of attachment, such as glue, may be used. The two legsare shown each with a handlefor easy positioning and moving of the portionof the apparatus, but it will be appreciated that handles could also be attached directly to the plate. As discussed in connection with, the platedefines 100 tapered holesin a pattern oriented in 10 rows for this embodiment. As shown in, the leftmost two columns of tapered holeseach receives and holds a pre-rolled conefilled with the filling material(shaded gray), which preferably may be marijuana. The next four columns of tapered holesto the right are each shown having received and holding a pre-rolled coneto illustrate how pre-rolled conesmay be received and held in the tapered holes. The four rightmost columns of tapered holesare empty to illustrate the tapering of the tapered holes.

Referring to, there is shown a side view of an embodiment of a packing and crimping deviceof a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure. The packing and crimping devicecomprises a handleattached to at least one thin rod, which is a plurality of thin rodsfor this embodiment. The thin rodsmay be attached to the handleby inserting the thin rodinto hollowed out areas of the handleand securing by fastener meansas shown in. However, other means of attachment known in the art, such as glue or force fit, may be used. The embodiment shown inhas 20 thin rodsoriented in a pattern of two rows, and it is meant to be used with a platehaving tapered holesoriented in a pattern of at least two rows. For example, this embodiment of the packing and crimping devicemay be used with the 10-row plateof. Thin rodsmay preferably be made of metal, but other materials, such as plastic, may be used. The handlemay be made of known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, HDPE, plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials.

is a side view of another embodiment of a packing and crimping device′ portion of a cigarette manufacturing apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure. The packing and crimping device comprises a handle′ attached to at least one thin rod′ that are a plurality of thin rods′ oriented in a pattern of a row for this embodiment. The handle′ may be made of known materials in the art, such as known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, HDPE, plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials. The plurality of thin rods′ in this embodiment are 10 thin rods′ that are each comprised of a spring′ and a plastic tip′. Each spring′ attaches interposed and interconnecting between the handle′ and the plastic tip′. The spring′ may be attached to the handle′ by attachment means known in the art, such as glue or embedding the end of the spring′ into the handle′. The spring′ may preferably be of diameter big enough for the plastic tip′ to be inserted and held secure within the spring′. Other means of attaching the plastic tip′ to the spring′ known in the art, such as glue, may be used. The spring′ portion of the thin rod′ allows more delicate placement of the thin rod′ within a tapered hole (not shown) and within a pre-rolled cone (not shown). The spring′ also allows for flexibility in action for the plastic tip′ of the thin rod′ to easily move in a circular pattern when the packing and crimping device′ fills and crimps a pre-rolled cone. It will be appreciated the handle′ and thin rods′ will be constructed, for example possibly with a plurality of pieces combined in such a way as to partially enclose the thin rods, and for example bolts similar to boltsof, and in a way that will lend structural strength to the device needed in order to withstand pressures of tamping, packing, and crimping as contemplated herein. The packing and crimping device′ is adapted for use with the apparatusof. However, the packing and crimping device′ may be used with any other embodiment of the apparatusthat has at least 10 tapered holes (not shown) in a row, such as the apparatus′ of.

is a partially-exploded side view of an embodiment of a closing and extruding devicein accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, with a portion of the handleshown broken out, as well as with dotted lines, to show how the plurality of tubesattach to the handle. It will be appreciated that the handlemay be comprised of a plurality of pieces combined in such as a way to partially enclose boltsand portions of the tubes. The closing and extruding devicecomprises a handleattached to at least one tube, which may preferably be a plurality of tubes. In this embodiment, the plurality of tubesare 10 tubes. Each of the tubesis attached to the handleby a boltwith a shaftthat is inserted within the tubein order to give the device structural strength to withstand pressing and extruding pressures. The length of the shaftof the boltmay preferably be 1-2 millimeters shorter than the length of the tube. The boltmay be made of metal, such as stainless steel, but other materials known in the art, such as plastic or acrylic, may be used. The boltmay attach to the handleby inserting the boltand tubecombination into a hollowwithin the sleeve that fits tightly around the boltand the tubecombination. Other means of attachment known in the art, such as glue, may be used.

Each of the tubesare designed to be of a larger diameter than the thin rods (shown in) and has a concaved tip, which allows for catching and closing of crimped upper edges of pre-rolled cones (not shown). The tubemay preferably be made of plastic, such as Nylon, or any other material such as wood, metal, aluminum, or the like, suitable to the purpose of being sufficiently rigid to be used to push and compress the filled pre-rolled cones out of the plate, as shown in, and through the tapered hole as shown in. The handlemay be made of known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, HDPE, plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials.

is a close-up longitudinal cross-section side view of a tapered holein a plateof an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure. The tapered holeis wider where the tapered holecommunicates with the working surfaceof the plate. The tapered holeis shown holding a pre-rolled conefilled with filling material, marijuanain this illustration, within the plate. The circular dotted line within the pre-rolled conerepresents the top of the filling materialthat has filled the pre-rolled cone. The portion of the pre-rolled coneabove the circular dotted line is the upper edgeof the pre-rolled cone that will be crimped as shown in. A thin rodof a packing and crimping deviceis shown inserted into the pre-rolled coneand standing above the top of the filling material, in a position ready to start the packing and crimping process once the pre-rolled cone has been filled. The thin rodis attached to a handle.

A thin rod of a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device,″ (shown inand) of an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus,′,″ (shown in) in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure would work the same as the thin rodof the packing and crimping deviceshown inat this stage of filling, packing, and finishing (crimping).

is a close-up longitudinal cross-section side view of a tapered holeof an embodiment of a plateof a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, and represents a continuation of the filling, packing, closing, and extruding apparatus (and associated method as described hereinafter) started in. The tapered holeis wider where the tapered holecommunicates with the working surfaceof the plate. The tapered holeis shown holding a pre-rolled conefilled with filling material, marijuana, within the plate. The circular dotted line within the pre-rolled conerepresents the top of the filling materialthat has filled the pre-rolled cone. The portion of the pre-rolled coneabove the circular dotted line is the upper edgeof the pre-rolled cone.

In, a thin rodof a packing and crimping deviceis shown inserted into the pre-rolled cone. The thin rodis attached to a handle. As an operator moves the handleand pushes and moves the thin rodin a circular pattern repeatedly within the pre-rolled cone, marijuanawill begin to pack. As marijuanais pushed down the body of the pre-rolled cone by the motion, marijuanawill stick to the side and the upper edgeof the pre-rolled cone and will tend to pull the upper edge down towards the top of the material represented by the dotted circular line. Thus this portion of the process must be gently repeated in a circular up and down motion away from the sides of the paper at first to avoid too early of crimping of the pre-rolled cone. As the repeated circular pattern motion and the pressure from the operator starts to push the pre-rolled conedown into the tapered hole(after filling has been completed and initial crimping of the pre-rolled cone is now desired), the gradual narrowing of the tapered holewill cause the upper edgeof the pre-rolled cone to come closer together. As the pre-rolled conecontinues to move down the tapered hole, the stickiness of the marijuanawill cause the ever-closer upper edgeto crimp into a crimped edge.

A thin rod,″ (shown inand) of a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device,″ (shown inand) of a portion of an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus (portions of which are shown in, and the entire apparatus of which is shown in) in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure would work the same as the thin rodof the packing and crimping deviceshown inat this stage of the filling, packing, and finishing operation. However, as the pre-rolled coneis pushed further into the tapered hole,,′,″ of the apparatus portion,′,″ and an operator puts more pressure into the handle,″, of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device,″, the springabove the thin rod will start to compress and portions of the thin rod,″ will be pulled up into the tube,″ until the spring is maximally compressed and the tube is engaged.

is a close-up longitudinal cross-section side view of a tapered holeof a plateof an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, and an extruding portion continuation of the filling, packing, and closing, portions illustrated in. The tapered holeis wider where the tapered holecommunicates with the working surfaceof the plate. The tapered holeis shown holding a pre-rolled conefilled with filling material, marijuana, within the plate. The circular dotted line within the pre-rolled conerepresents the top of the filling materialthat has filled the pre-rolled cone. The portion of the pre-rolled coneabove the circular dotted line is the upper edgeof the pre-rolled cone.

A tubeof a closing and extruding deviceis shown pressing against the now packed pre-rolled cone. The tubeis attached to a handle. The tubeis thicker in diameter than the diameter of the thin rod(shown in) and has a concaved tip, thereby easily catching onto the crimped edgeof the pre-rolled cone. Pushing of the tubeinto the tapered holecauses the crimped edgeof the pre-rolled coneto catch and fold down. As the operator continues to push the tubeonto the pre-rolled conewithin the tapered hole, the motion causes all the folds of the crimped edgeto close and compacted into a closed top. The pushing of the tubeagainst the pre-rolled conealso moves the pre-rolled cone further down into the tapered hole, getting it ready for an extrusion phase.

A tube,″ of a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device,″ (shown inand) of an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus (a portion of which is shown in, and the entire apparatus of which is shown in) in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure would work the same as the tubeof the closing and extruding deviceshown inat this extruding stage of the operation. As discussed, the springshould be maximally compressed, sliding the thin rod,″ upwardly such that the tube should be engaged and ready for usage at this extruding phase of the operation.

is a close-up longitudinal cross-section side view of a tapered holeof a plateof an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, and there is shown an apparatus portion for continuation in an extruding method portion of the filling, packing, and closing method portions illustrated in. The tapered holeis wider where the tapered holecommunicates with the working surfaceof the plate. A closing and extruding deviceand its handleand a tubeare shown. As the concaved tipof the tubepushes against the now closed pre-rolled cone(not yet extruded as shown in), until the finished cigaretteis pushed further down into the tapered holewhere finally it is extruded from the tapered holeand the plateonto, or into, the catcher. In, the tubehas been pushed all the way into the tapered holewith sufficient force to push and extrude the finished cigaretteonto the catcher, which may preferably be a flat surface such as a tabletop. The finished cigarettethus extruded is ready for immediate user consumption by smoking.

A tube,″ (shown inand) of a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device,″ (shown inand) of an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus (a portion of which is shown in, and the entire apparatus of which is shown in) in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure would work the same as the tubeof the closing and extruding deviceshown in.

is a side view of a combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding devicehaving at least one thin rodof a plurality of thin rods, and having at least one tubeof a plurality of tubesin accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure. The plurality of thin rodsand the plurality of tubesare 10 thin rodsand 10 tubesoriented in a row for this embodiment. The combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding deviceis shown partially broken out at the leftmost portion of the handleto show the internal structure and workings of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding device.

Each of the thin rodsis thinner than each of the corresponding tubes, and each thin rodis adapted to reside partially within a corresponding tube. The handlehas a hollow spacefor each of the thin rodand tubecombination. A springresides within the hollow spaceand connects with a headof a thin rod. The springallows the thin rodto slide upwards and into the corresponding tubeas the springis compressed, as described in. This compressing and sliding of the thin rodallows for exposure of the concaved tipof the corresponding tubefor usage. The springmay attach to the headof the thin rodand the handleby force fit, welding, glue or any other attachment means known in the art. The springmay also be freely held within the hollow spacewithout any attachment to either the headof the thin rodor the handle, such as would be the case if a union nut and threaded collarwere to hold the assembly in the hollow space. A tubemay preferably be attached to the handleby a union nut. The tubemay be glued, threaded, welded, or otherwise fitted into the union nutto be held in place. Other methods of attaching the tubeto the union nutknown in the art may be used. The union nutmay be stainless steel, but other materials known in the art may be used. The thin rodsmay preferably be made of metal, but other materials, such as plastic, may be used. The tubesmay preferably be made of plastic, such as Nylon, or any other material such as wood, metal, aluminum, or the like, suitable to the purpose of being sufficiently rigid to be used to push and compress the filled pre-rolled conesout of the platethrough the tapered holes. The handlemay be made of known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, HDPE, plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials.

As illustrated, the leftmost portion of the handleis broken out to show the hollowwithin the handleand to illustrate how a spring, a thin rod, union nut, and a tubeare attached to the handle. The second leftmost hollow, spring, head portion of the thin rod, and a portion of the union nutare shown in dotted lines to outline how these parts would be held internally within the handle. The third leftmost is a broken apart exploded view of the spring, the thin rod, the union nut, and the tubeto illustrate how different parts are assembled.

The embodiment of combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding deviceinhas 10 thin rodsand its corresponding tubesoriented in a pattern of one row, meant to be used with a platehaving tapered holesoriented in a pattern of at least one row. For example, this embodiment of the combination packing, crimping, closing, and extruding devicemay be used with the 10 row plateof. The dotted lines are to show how the handleattaches the tubes, the thin rods, and the springs.

is a perspective view of a portionan embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, with at least one tapered holepreferably being a plurality of tapered holes. The portionof the pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus comprises a plate, a working surface, an extrusion surface, and a rim portion. The platemay preferably be of a thickness adapted to facilitate crimping of a pre-rolled coneas filling material, such as marijuana, is introduced into the pre-rolled cone and the pre-rolled cone is extruded through the plate. The preferred thickness for the plateis at least 1.5625 inches thick and no more than 1.6875 inches thick. The platemay be made of known materials in the art, such as wood, metal, HDPE, plastic, acrylic, and other moldable and machinable materials. At least one tapered holeis preferably comprised of a plurality of tapered holes, as shown in this embodiment, which are oriented in a pattern of 10 rows. The tapered holesare widest where they communicate with the working surfaceand narrowest where they communicate with the extrusion surface. The tapered holesreceive and hold pre-rolled conesand are preferably designed to hold 98 mm and 109 mm pre-rolled cones. Each of the tapered holescorrespond to the taper of a pre-rolled coneto facilitate crimping of the pre-rolled cone as the pre-rolled cone is pushed down the tapered hole.

The baseattached to the platemay be two legsas illustrated, but other number of legs may be used. The two legsdiffer in shape from the baseshown into show how different types of base,may be used for the embodiments of the apparatus,. The baseshould hold the plateup in a position sufficiently spaced from the catcherto allow pre-rolled conesto partially hang out of the tapered holeswhile the tapered holeshold the pre-rolled cones. The catchermay be any surface that may be used to catch and gather extruded cigarettes, such as a tabletop, a floor, or other catch basin. There should be enough space for the extruded cigaretteto fall onto the catcher. In this embodiment, the two legsare attached to the plateby screws, but other means of attachment known in the art, such as for example welding, may be used.

is a perspective view of a portion′ of an embodiment of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus in accordance with one or more aspects of the disclosure, with at least one tapered hole′ being a plurality of tapered holes′ oriented in a pattern of 10 rows and a base′ comprised of four legs′. The portion′ of a pre-rolled cone filling, packing, finishing, and extruding apparatus comprises a plate′, a working surface′, an extrusion surface′, and a rim′. The portion′ is the same in every aspect as the portionofexcept for the number of legs′. The four legs′ are attached to the plate′ using screws′, but other means of attachment known in the art, such as glue or welding, may be used.