US20210339264A1 - Apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material - Google Patents
Apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material Download PDFInfo
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- US20210339264A1 US20210339264A1 US17/378,512 US202117378512A US2021339264A1 US 20210339264 A1 US20210339264 A1 US 20210339264A1 US 202117378512 A US202117378512 A US 202117378512A US 2021339264 A1 US2021339264 A1 US 2021339264A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cutting
- drum
- plant material
- rotatable drum
- enclosure
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
- B02C23/18—Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23N—MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS
- A23N15/00—Machines or apparatus for other treatment of fruits or vegetables for human purposes; Machines or apparatus for topping or skinning flower bulbs
- A23N15/02—Machines or apparatus for other treatment of fruits or vegetables for human purposes; Machines or apparatus for topping or skinning flower bulbs for stemming, piercing, or stripping fruit; Removing sprouts of potatoes
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C18/00—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments
- B02C18/06—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives
- B02C18/062—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives with rotor elements extending axially in close radial proximity of a concentrically arranged slotted or perforated ring
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C18/00—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments
- B02C18/06—Disintegrating by knives or other cutting or tearing members which chop material into fragments with rotating knives
- B02C18/16—Details
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C23/00—Auxiliary methods or auxiliary devices or accessories specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating not provided for in preceding groups or not specially adapted to apparatus covered by a single preceding group
- B02C23/18—Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy
- B02C23/20—Adding fluid, other than for crushing or disintegrating by fluid energy after crushing or disintegrating
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B02—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
- B02C—CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING IN GENERAL; MILLING GRAIN
- B02C25/00—Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating
Definitions
- This invention relates to removing extraneous plant matter from plant material and, in particular, to wet or dry processing of harvested plants such as herbs, berries, cannabis, and other medicinal or non-medicinal crops.
- Plant processors are used to process plants, such as cannabis, by removing extraneous plant matter, including dirt and debris, from harvested plant material.
- the plant processor of Hall also provides a slight tilt to one side relative to the surface the plant processor is placed on, so that plant material that is fed in to the rotating drum at a first, elevated side is drawn toward the opposite, lower side.
- the plant processor of Hall is limited to providing a fixed ratio of cutting reel rotational speed to drum rotational speed, a fixed distance between the drum and the cutting reel, cutting action along a single contact line between the drum and the cutting reel, cutting action at any given time at a single sharpness of cutting, movement of plant material through the slots by force of gravity only, removal of the cutting reel by unfastening it with tools from a frame of the plant processor, and limited to providing a fixed angle of tilt.
- cleaning internal components of the plant processor of Hall requires partial disassembly of the apparatus, which is time-consuming.
- Conventional plant processors can sequentially process different batches of plant material, in which the particular plant, or strain of a given plant, may vary from batch to batch. It is desirable to clean a plant processor between batches to remove gummy, fibrous buildup on components of the plant processor. Such cleaning conventionally involves at least partial disassembly of the plant processor and then hand cleaning by scrubbing and scraping internal components of the plant processor in the presence of harsh chemical-cleaning agents. Alternatively, conventional cleaning may proceed by partial disassembly of the plant processor and then subjecting the internal components of the plant processor to pressure washing by a hand-held pressure washer.
- an apparatus for processing plant material the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame.
- the apparatus includes: (a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more of the slots; and (c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- the apparatus may further include a controller having a processing unit and a memory, the memory containing instructions for directing the processing unit.
- the controller may be operable to selectably control operations of the rotatable drum, the cutting module, and the plurality of nozzles.
- the enclosure may include a shroud that is removably attachable to the frame by at least one shroud magnet of the apparatus.
- the plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid from within the rotatable drum.
- the plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid toward the rotatable drum from outside of the rotatable drum.
- the cutting module may include a plurality of cutting reels. The cutting module may be slidably attachable to the frame.
- the controller may be operable to independently energize the drum motor and the cutting-module motor.
- the controller may be operable to energize the drum motor to rotate the drum at a first speed in a first direction.
- the controller may be operable to energize the cutting-module motor to rotate the plurality of cutting members at the first or a second speed in the first or a second direction.
- the plurality of nozzles may be dimensioned to eject the liquid at high-pressure.
- the plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at high-pressure.
- the plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa).
- the nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at warm to hot temperatures.
- the nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
- the apparatus may include an inlet for receiving the liquid.
- the inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at high-pressure.
- the inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa).
- the inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at warm to hot temperatures.
- the inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
- a method of processing plant material by a plant processor having an enclosure attached to a frame may involve: (a) receiving the plant material into a rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) producing trimmed plant material by a cutting module cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more the slots; (c) removing the portions from the enclosure by vacuum suction; (d) after cutting the portions, removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum; and (e) after removing the portions and after removing the trimmed plant material, ejecting a liquid within the enclosure by a plurality of nozzles of the plant processor.
- Step (a) may involve receiving the plant material into the rotatable drum at a first end of the rotatable drum.
- Step (d) may involve removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum at a second end of the rotatable drum opposite the first end.
- Step (b) may involve cutting the portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels. Cutting the portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels, may involve operating the first set of cutting reels in reverse.
- Step (b) may involve setting a first vacuum suction associated with the first end and a second vacuum suction associated with the second end, such that the first vacuum suction is greater than the second vacuum suction for a first duration and then the second vacuum suction is greater than the first vacuum suction for a second duration.
- an apparatus for processing plant material having an enclosure attached to a frame.
- the apparatus includes: (a) cylindrical means for containing the plant material and rotating; (b) exit means for permitting a portion of the plant material to exit the cylindrical means; (c) cutting means for cutting the portion upon exiting via the exit means; and (d) nozzle means for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- the apparatus may further include vacuum means for facilitating the exiting of the portion via the exit means.
- the apparatus may further include feeding means for feeding the plant material into the cylindrical means.
- the apparatus may further include stabilization means for adjusting a tilt of the apparatus.
- the apparatus may further include control means for controlling operations of at least one of the cylindrical means, the cutting means, the nozzle means, the vacuum means, the feeding means, and the stabilization means.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for processing plant material according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing an infeed end and front side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system containing the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 viewed from a first perspective angle;
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the outfeed end and front side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the infeed end and front side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the rear side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cutting reel assembly shown in FIG. 9 , showing a rearward cutting reel and a forward cutting reel;
- FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing a drum bracket;
- FIG. 12 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing a mounting bracket and rail;
- FIG. 13 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing nozzles attached to a hollow axle inside a drum of the apparatus;
- FIG. 14 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing a spray tube positioned outside the drum;
- FIG. 15 is a close-up view of a portion of the cutting reel assembly shown in FIG. 9 , showing spray tubes located within the cutting reel assembly;
- FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 , showing an upper shroud and a portion of a lower shroud;
- FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a portion of the upper shroud shown in FIG. 16 , showing an upper connection of the upper shroud;
- FIG. 18 is a sectional view of a portion of the upper and lower shrouds shown in FIG. 16 , showing a lower connection of the upper shroud and an upper connection of the lower shroud;
- FIG. 19 is a sectional view the lower shroud partly shown in FIG. 16 , showing a lower connection of the lower shroud;
- FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a control system associated with the system shown in FIG. 3 , showing a CPU and memory of a controller of the control system;
- FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an apparatus for processing plant material according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing an infeed end of the apparatus;
- FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing an outfeed end of the apparatus;
- FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing a rear side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 24 is a perspective rear view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing internal components of the apparatus with its outer enclosure removed;
- FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from the infeed end and front side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from above the infeed end and front side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from the outfeed end and rear side of the apparatus;
- FIG. 28 is a side view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing a ring gap between a drum and a drum ring;
- FIG. 29 is a close-up cross section view along line A-A of a portion of the ring in FIG. 34 but also showing the drum and showing the magnet, blade and ring gap in close-up view;
- FIG. 30 is a close-up cross section view along line B-B of a portion of the ring in FIG. 34 but also showing the drum and showing the magnet, blade and ring gap in close-up view;
- FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a portion of the second-embodiment apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing a plurality of blades extending between a pair of drum rings;
- FIG. 32 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the portion shown in FIG. 30 , showing blades magnetically attached to rod magnets;
- FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 30 , showing the blades extending between positioning posts;
- FIG. 34 is a close-up perspective of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 24 , showing roller bearing cam followers, a ring gap between the drum and the blades;
- FIG. 35 is a flowchart of a method of processing plant material by the apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing processing for a first duration and then for a second duration;
- FIG. 36 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing nozzles attached to a hollow axle inside the drum of the apparatus;
- FIG. 37 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 21 , showing the spray tube positioned outside of the drum.
- An apparatus for processing plant material includes: (a) cylindrical means for containing the plant material and rotating; (b) exit means for permitting a portion of the plant material to exit the cylindrical means; (c) cutting means for cutting the portion upon exiting via the exit means; and (d) nozzle means for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- the apparatus may include vacuum means for facilitating the exiting of the portion via the exit means.
- the apparatus may include feeding means for feeding the plant material into the cylindrical means.
- the apparatus may include stabilization means for adjusting a tilt of the apparatus.
- the apparatus may include control means for controlling operations of at least one of the cylindrical means, the cutting means, the nozzle means, the vacuum means, the feeding means, and the stabilization means.
- the apparatus processes plant material to separate certain portions of the plant material from the remainder of the plant material.
- the apparatus 10 may be suitably employed to remove extraneous leaves, stems, dirt, debris or other extractable plant matter from cannabis buds.
- the apparatus 10 includes a frame 12 and an enclosure 14 attached to the frame 12 for housing internal components of the apparatus 10 .
- the wheels 16 at each corner of the apparatus 10 facilitate moving the apparatus 10 to a desired location, after which the stabilizers 18 are deployed by lowering the foot pads 20 until secure contact is made with the ground surface upon which the apparatus 10 rests.
- the height of each stabilizer 18 is adjusted by operation of its associated stabilizer motor 22 of a stabilizer sub-system 24 described further below.
- the stabilizer motor 22 may be an electromechanical motor, hydraulic motor, other type of motorized mechanism, or any combination thereof for example.
- the apparatus 10 can be given a tilt such that the apparatus 10 is higher at its infeed end 26 ( FIG. 1 ) than its outfeed end 28 ( FIG. 2 ). While FIGS. 1 and 2 show the infeed and outfeed ends 26 and 28 as being particularly identified ends of the apparatus 10 , in general the ends 26 and 28 are reversal and either end 26 or 28 can be used for either infeeding or outfeeding, including using the same end 26 or 28 for both infeeding and outfeeding.
- separated portions of the plant material exit the apparatus 10 via the outlet ducts 30 .
- processed plant material can be removed from the selected outfeed end 28 of the apparatus 10 .
- a container, conveyor or other equipment may be placed adjacent to the outfeed end 28 to receive processed plant material being pushed out of the apparatus 10 at the outfeed end 28 .
- the apparatus may be mounted in a larger immovable frame.
- the apparatus 10 may be employed within a system 32 for processing plant material.
- the apparatus 10 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 without its enclosure 14 .
- the system 32 includes a feeding sub-system 34 that includes a feed unit, such as the agitating hopper 36 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- the hopper 36 abuts the infeed end 26 of the apparatus 10 .
- the hopper 36 includes an open top 38 or other large opening for receiving harvested plant material (not shown), and a hopper outlet 40 for passing the plant material into the apparatus 10 .
- the hopper 36 has an agitation motor (not visible in the Figures) and has an inner bottom surface that is sloped toward its hopper outlet 40 .
- the rate of agitation may be variable, such as by having a variable-rate hopper motor, to effect a controllably variable rate of entry of the plant material into the apparatus 10 .
- the plant material is processed by a drum sub-system 42 and a cutting sub-system 44 operated in conjunction with a vacuum sub-system 46 .
- the processed plant material becomes available for removal at the outfeed end 28 , while the separated portions of the plant material exiting the apparatus 10 via the outlet ducts 30 enter one or more separators 48 of the vacuum sub-system 46 .
- the separators 48 employ a vacuum source, such as the suction air pumps 50 shown in FIGS.
- the system 32 also includes a high-pressure water source 56 for use in a self-cleaning sub-system 58 described further below.
- the system 32 also includes a controller 60 for controlling operations of the various sub-systems of the system 32 , as described further below.
- the apparatus 10 includes a cylindrically shaped drum 62 having slots 64 in a main body 66 of the drum 62 .
- the drum 62 can be made any suitable size, including having any suitable diameter, length, and thickness.
- the diameter of the drum 62 can be as large as 4′ (1.22 m), or as small as 6′′ (15.2 cm), for example.
- the length of the drum 62 can be anywhere in the range from 2′ (61.0 cm) to 12′ (3.66 m), for example.
- the thickness of the drum 62 material can be anywhere in the range from 0.03125′′ (0.794 mm) to 0.125′′ (3.18 mm).
- the diameter of the drum 62 is typically 18′′ (45.7 cm)
- the drum 62 length is typically 6′ (1.83 m)
- its material thickness is typically 0.0625′′ (1.59 mm).
- a drum motor 68 drives its output shaft 70 having attached thereto a drum-motor pulley 72 , which in turn drives a drum belt 74 connected to a drum pulley 76 .
- the drum pulley 76 is rotatably coupled to a central drum axle 78 via a drum hub 79 .
- the drum pulley 76 is also attached via the drum hub 79 to the main body 66 via drum spokes 80 , such that the drum motor 68 is operable to rotate the drum 62 about a drum axle 78 axis.
- each hub 79 is journaled for rotation about the stationary drum axle 78 by roller bearings or other bearings (not shown) within the hub 79 .
- drum spokes 80 are disposed at opposing ends of the drum 62 .
- Any suitable number of drum spokes 80 may be employed at each drum 62 end, such as a number in the range of four to eight spokes 80 per drum 62 end for example.
- the use of drum spokes 80 advantageously maintain consistent roundness of the drum 62 .
- FIGS. 5 to 8 show a belt-drive mechanism for the drum 62
- any suitable driving mechanism for the drum 62 may be employed.
- the drum 62 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), directly attached to the output shaft 70 of the drum motor 68 , integrally motorized such as by the drum axle 78 forming the output shaft 70 , driven by another mechanism, or any combination thereof for example.
- the drum motor 68 is operable to rotate the drum 62 in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds.
- the drum 62 can rotate as slowly as a few revolutions per minute (RPM) or as much as several hundred RPM.
- RPM revolutions per minute
- the drum 62 typically rotates in the range of 10 RPM to 75 RPM, for example.
- the exact rotation speed of the drum 62 is preferably set to the particular strain or type of plant material being processed and the desired trimming effect.
- the apparatus 10 includes a cutting module, such as the cutting reel assembly 82 disposed beneath the drum 62 according to the first embodiment.
- the cutting reel assembly 82 includes a plurality of cutting reels 84 as shown in FIG. 10 , including one pair of rearward cutting reels 86 and one pair of forward cutting reels 88 .
- each rearward cutting reel 86 is positioned lower than its corresponding forward cutting reel 88 , so as to maintain a specifiable gap between each cutting reel 84 and the drum 62 , while accommodating the cylindrical shape of the drum 62 .
- each cutting reel 84 defines a helical blade 90 that cooperates in scissor-fashion with a cutting blade 92 to cut portions of plant material exiting the drum 62 through one or more slots 64 .
- Employing a plurality of cutting reels 84 advantageously provides greater cutting area in comparison to a single cutting reel 84 . While the first embodiment includes the pair of cutting reels 84 , in general the cutting reel assembly 82 may include any number of cutting reels 84 .
- the apparatus 10 includes a drum slot scrubber, such as the pair of longitudinal brushes 93 particularly visible in FIGS. 5 and 8 .
- the brushes 93 advantageously clears each drum slot 64 of plant material or debris between passes of the slot 64 against the cutting reel assembly 82 .
- Pressure from each brush 93 against corresponding drum slots 64 advantageously urges the plant material or debris back into the interior of the drum 62 .
- the gap between the drum 62 and each cutting reel 84 at the cutting interface of each cutting reel 84 can be varied, such as by raising or lowering the drum 62 and/or the cutting reel assembly 82 relative to each other.
- the brushes 93 is spring biased toward the drum 62 within a range of motion to enable height adjustment of the drum 62 with respect to the cutting reel 84 while maintaining contact between the brushes 93 and the drum 62 .
- each drum bracket 94 includes a bracket slot 96 through which the drum axle 78 passes and is clamped by an axle clamp 98 .
- the axle clamp 98 is threadedly coupled via a threaded rod 100 to a bracket mount 102 attached to the drum bracket 94 .
- FIG. 1 shows a manual adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the drum 62 relative to the cutting reel assembly 82
- an automatic adjustment mechanism is employed.
- a linear actuator, stepper motor, or other electro-mechanical mechanism may be employed to automatically adjust the drum 62 height in response to user input, computation, or other causes, for example.
- Adjusting the gap between the drum 62 and the cutting reels 84 advantageously facilitates separating or trimming plant material at a desired closeness of trim. For example, a relatively wider gap can be initially employed to remove extraneous outer leaf portions of plant material, which can be discarded, and then the gap can be narrowed to separately remove the more valuable sugar leaf portion of the plant material, which can be collected. Other arrangements of sequential processing at different gap distances may be employed.
- the cutting reel assembly 82 includes a pair of cutting-reel motors 104 disposed at opposing ends of the cutting reel assembly 82 .
- Each cutting-reel motor 104 drives its output shaft 106 having attached thereto a cutter-motor pulley 108 , which in turn drives a cutting-reel belt 110 connected to a pair of cutting-reel pulleys 112 .
- Each cutting-reel pulley 112 is rotatably coupled to one cutting reel 84 .
- the pair of cutting-reel motors 104 are cooperatively operable to rotate the plurality of cutting reels 84 .
- each cutting reel 84 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), directly attached to the output shaft 106 of the cutting-reel motor 104 , integrally motorized such as by a portion of the cutting reel 84 forming the output shaft 106 , driven by another mechanism, or any combination thereof for example.
- the cutting-reel motor 104 is operable to rotate the cutting reels 84 in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds.
- the controller 60 in the first embodiment is operable to cause one or more cutting reels 84 located adjacent the infeed end 26 of the drum 62 to rotate in reverse, such that duller edges of the helical blade(s) 90 at the infeed end 26 become leading edges of the helical blade(s) 90 reverse rotation.
- the controller 60 is operable to cause one or more cutting reels 84 located adjacent the outfeed end 28 of the drum 62 to rotate forwardly, such that sharper edges of the helical blade(s) 90 at the outfeed end 28 become leading edges of such helical blade(s) 90 forward rotation. In this manner, larger portions (e.g. large leaves) of the plant material are pulled away from the plant material being trimmed at the infeed end 26 of the drum 62 , while finer trimming of the plant material occurs at the outfeed end 28 of the drum 62 .
- the cutting reel assembly 82 in the first embodiment includes a pair of mounting brackets 114 that are slidably mounted on a pair of rails 116 attached to the frame 12 .
- Rail mounting advantageously facilitates removal and maintenance of the cutting reel assembly 82 .
- any suitable attachment technique may be employed.
- a vacuum source such as the suction air pumps 50 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ), of the vacuum sub-system 46 is employed to urge movement of wet or dry plant matter within or through the apparatus 10 , such as by pulling plant matter through the slots 64 to exit the drum 62 , facilitating the movement of plant matter from the infeed end 26 toward the outfeed end 28 of the apparatus 10 , removing cut plant matter away from the cutting reels 84 , removing plant matter from the apparatus 10 via one or more of the outlet ducts 30 , other movements, or any combination thereof for example.
- the vacuum source forms part of the apparatus 10 . In some embodiments, however, the vacuum source is detachably attachable to the apparatus 10 .
- the apparatus 10 may include any combination of hoses, pipes, enclosures, shrouds, guides, or other hardware to guide and/or control the effect of air flow and suction created by the suction air pump(s) 50 .
- the vacuum sub-system 46 is operable to advantageously increase the speed at which plant material and removed plant matter moves through the apparatus 10 . Also, the vacuum sub-system 46 advantageously facilitates a closer trimming of the plant material being trimmed, by forcing the plant material against the slots 64 of the drum 62 with greater force than generated by gravity alone.
- the apparatus 10 in the first embodiment includes the self-cleaning sub-system 58 that is operable to receive a liquid from a liquid source, such as the high-pressure water source 56 , and apply the liquid to various internal components of the apparatus 10 .
- the liquid is water or water-based, such as being a mixture of water and a cleaning agent.
- a hot water tank 118 may be employed for electrically heating water, and a water pump 120 for pressurizing the water.
- Additives, such as a cleaning agent or a water conditioning agent may be added to the water either before or after heating and either before or after pressurizing.
- High-pressure hot water is then received by the apparatus 10 , such as at the water inlets 122 .
- the water can be at any desired pressure and temperature.
- the water may be received by the apparatus 10 at the water inlets 122 when it is at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa) and at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
- conduits such as the hoses 124 best seen in FIG. 6 , transport the high-pressure hot water mixture from the water inlets 122 to various components of the apparatus 10 .
- the self-cleaning sub-system 58 advantageously reduces or eliminates the need for hand scrubbing or other manual or partially automatic methods of cleaning to clean internal components of the apparatus 10 .
- One hose 124 is connected to the drum axle 78 , which is hollow and acts as a water pipe for transporting water received from the water source 56 .
- the hollow drum axle 78 includes a number of pores (not visible in the drawings) and nozzles 126 for ejecting water toward the inside surface of the drum 62 .
- a second water pipe or hose 124 may extend from the water inlet 122 to the other end of the drum axle 78 .
- a second hose 124 is connected between one water inlet 122 to a spray tube 128 having nozzles 126 positioned to eject toward the outside surface of the drum 62 .
- the drum 62 is typically rotated while the hot water mixture is sprayed toward the drum 62 at its inside and outside surfaces. After being sprayed, the water may be turned off and the drum 62 spun, such as at a faster rate, to dry the drum 62 .
- two more hoses 124 are connected to spray tubes 128 positioned adjacent each of the cutting reels 86 and 88 , respectively.
- Nozzles 126 attached to each cutting reel spray tubes 128 are positioned to eject water or water mixture toward each of the cutting reels 86 and 88 , respectively.
- Guides 130 direct the sprayed water for more effective cleaning of the cutting reels 86 and 88 .
- the nozzles 126 can eject the water when it is at any desired pressure and temperature.
- the water may be ejected by the apparatus 10 at the nozzles 126 when it is at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa) and at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
- nozzles may also be strategically located to expose selected internal components of the apparatus 10 to high-pressure, hot water streams or sprays.
- nozzles may include nozzle solenoids (not shown) to open and close, including possibly opening to a selectable degree, nozzle valves (not shown).
- nozzle solenoids may be electrically controlled, although other control methods are possible.
- one or more solenoids perform the function of a nozzle valve.
- the catch basin 132 has a drain (not shown) for draining waste water from the catch basin 132 .
- the drain includes a filter, such as cone-shaped filter, for catching debris and the like.
- the cutting reel assembly 82 includes lower outlets 134 dimensioned to direct water of the self-cleaning sub-system 58 downward away from the cutting reel assembly 82 and toward the catch basin 132 .
- the sub-system 58 is operable to apply a liquid, such as water at any desired temperature and pressure, to various internal components of the apparatus 10 so as to provide wet processing of plant material.
- a liquid such as water at any desired temperature and pressure
- FIGS. 16 and 17 also show that the brushes 93 ( FIGS. 5 and 8 ) are attached to the frame 12 so as to be biased towards the drum 62 , such as by being spring-mounted to the frame 12 by use of the springs 147 .
- the biasing of the brushes 93 towards the drum 62 advantageously facilitates maintaining uniform pressure of the brushes 93 at each drum slot 64 , despite height adjustments ( FIG. 11 ) of the drum 62 , thereby advantageously avoiding impeding rotation of the drum 62 while simultaneously effectively clearing the drum slots 64 of plant material and debris.
- Any suitable number of springs 147 may be employed for spring-mounting the brushes 93 , and typically, one set of spring(s) 147 is employed at each end of each brush 93 .
- any suitable number of brushes 93 may be employed.
- resilience of the sheet material of the lower shroud 138 permits its lower connection 150 to be placed on an inner side of a lower frame member 152 of the frame 12 , thereby directing water downward and inwardly toward the catch basin 132 .
- the upper and lower shrouds 136 and 138 are magnetically attachable to the frame 12 , such as by including magnetic material in the frame 12 or in the lower connections 142 and 150 , or both in the frame 12 and in either or both of the lower connections 142 and 150 .
- magnetic material is included in the upper and lower shrouds 136 and 138 at their upper connections 140 and 148 , respectively.
- the enclosure 14 includes handles at the outer side of the enclosure 14 to facilitate installation and removal of the enclosure 14 components such as the upper and lower shrouds 136 and 138 .
- the controller 60 may be any computing device such as a general purpose computer, industrial-grade computer, microcomputer, minicomputer, mainframe computer, distributed network for computing, functionally equivalent discrete hardware components, etc. and any combination thereof, for example.
- the controller 60 is implemented as an industrial-grade computer in the form of a programmable logic controller (PLC).
- PLC programmable logic controller
- PLR programmable logic relay
- any form of control system may be suitably employed.
- the controller 60 is operable to control the operations of the stabilizer sub-system 24 , feeding sub-system 34 , drum sub-system 42 , cutting sub-system 44 , vacuum sub-system 46 , and the self-cleaning sub-system 58 .
- the controller 60 is operable to control operations of nozzle 126 solenoids to turn on water flow and ejection while controlling the drum motor 68 to effect a desired drum 62 speed during self-cleaning.
- the controller 60 is operable to control operations of the nozzle 126 solenoids to turn on water ejection while controlling the cutting-reel motor 104 of the cutting sub-system 44 to effect a desired cutting reel 84 speed during self-cleaning.
- one or more nozzle 126 solenoids may be operated during processing of plant material for a wet trim process. Additionally, the nozzle 126 solenoids may be closed by the controller 60 , the drum motor 68 and/or the cutting-reel motor 104 operated briefly to remove moisture from the drum 62 and the helical blades 90 , and then the apparatus 10 can receive plant material and be operated for a dry trim process.
- the controller 60 is operable to control the direction and speed of rotation of the drum 62 and the direction and speed of rotation of each of the cutting reels 84 in accordance with pre-determined parameters specific to each different strain of plant material, thereby optimizing the processing of each different strain of plant material.
- the controller 60 is operable in the first embodiment to control the stabilizer motors 22 between batches of different plant material to optimize the amount of tilt of the apparatus 10 to each different type of plant material that is processed by the apparatus 10 . Furthermore, the controller 60 in the first embodiment is operable to control the stabilizer motors 22 to effect a desired tilt, or lack thereof, for self-cleaning between batches of plant material.
- the controller 60 is additionally or alternatively operable to control operations of the suction air pumps 50 ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) of the vacuum sub-system 46 .
- increasing the amount of vacuum suction increases the pressure pulling plant material through the drum slots 64 , thereby affecting the extent of trimming applied to the plant material.
- the controller 60 is operable, after a self-cleaning operation is completed, to control the stabilizer sub-system 24 so as to tilt the apparatus 10 and its catch basin 132 such that liquid collected in the catch basin 132 is directed toward a drain (not shown) located at one corner of the catch basin 132 so as to more effectively drain the catch basin 132 when the drain is opened.
- the controller 60 is also operable to re-stabilize the apparatus 10 , after draining is completed, for further plant material processing.
- the controller 60 is additionally or alternatively operable to adjust the height of the drum 62 , such as to adjust the gap between the drum 62 and the cutting reels 84 .
- the position of the threaded rod 100 or similar may be adjustable in response to commands issued by the controller 60 .
- the apparatus 10 is modified according to a second embodiment.
- the apparatus 10 of the second embodiment typically does not include the cutting reel assembly 82 ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) of the first embodiment.
- the apparatus 10 in the second embodiment includes the frame 12 , enclosure 14 , wheels 16 , stabilizers 18 , foot pads 20 , and stabilizer motors 22 , each of which is similar, if not identical, to the same-number components of the first embodiment.
- the infeed end 26 and the outfeed end 28 of the second embodiment correspond to those of the first embodiment, respectively.
- the apertures 158 of the second embodiment serve the same or analogous function as the outlet ducts 30 of the first embodiment.
- the apparatus 10 of the second embodiment typically includes outlet ducts 30 .
- the drum 62 , slots 64 , main body 66 , drum motor 68 , output shaft 70 of the drum motor 68 , drum-motor pulley 72 , drum belt 74 , drum pulley 76 , drum axle 78 , drum hub 79 , drum spokes 80 , drum bracket 94 , bracket slot 96 , axle clamp 98 , threaded rod 100 , and bracket mount 102 of the second embodiment are each similar, if not identical, to the same-numbered components of the first embodiment, respectively.
- the range of possible sizes, including material thickness, and speeds of rotation of the drum 62 of the second embodiment is similar, if not identical, to that of the first embodiment.
- a pair of parallel, spaced-apart drum rings 160 are disposed at opposing ends of the drum 62 .
- the diameter of the drum rings 160 is slightly larger than that of the drum 62 itself, and the drum rings 160 circumscribe the drum 62 .
- a ring gap 162 between the drum 62 and the drum rings 160 permits the drum rings 160 to rotate independently of the drum 62 .
- annular bearing 164 may be disposed in the ring gap 162 between the drum 62 and each of the drum rings 160 , thereby advantageously minimizing friction between the drum 62 and the drum ring 160 (as shown for example in FIGS. 28, 36, and 37 ).
- the annular bearing 164 is preferably made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), but in variations may be made of other self-lubricating plastic material or other composite materials.
- roller bearing cam followers 206 are used instead of an annular bearing.
- the roller bearing cam followers 206 are connected to the drum rings 160 so as to roll upon the outer surface of the drum 62 to maintain the ring gap 162 between the drum ring 160 and the drum 62 .
- Other roller-type bearings (not shown), or other bearings (not shown) may likewise be used to maintain the ring gap 162 .
- Such bearings 164 may be attached to the drum ring 160 or the drum 62 , for example.
- the drum rings 160 are rotationally driven by a ring motor 166 that drives a ring-motor belt 168 that in turn drives a ring-shaft pulley 170 attached to a ring shaft 172 .
- a ring motor 166 that drives a ring-motor belt 168 that in turn drives a ring-shaft pulley 170 attached to a ring shaft 172 .
- Also attached to the ring shaft 172 are a pair of ring pulleys 174 aligned with the drum rings 160 , respectively, at opposing ends of the drum 62 .
- the ring pulleys 174 drive a pair of ring belts 176 that drive the drum rings 160 .
- FIGS. 21 to 37 show one exemplary mechanism for driving the drum rings 160
- the drum rings 160 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), integrally motorized (such as the drum 62 and the drum ring 160 forming together a rotor and stator, in either order, of an electric motor), driven otherwise, or any combination thereof for example.
- the drum rings 160 can be rotated in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds.
- the drum rings 160 can rotate as slowly as a few revolutions per minute (RPM) or as much as several hundred RPM.
- RPM revolutions per minute
- the drum rings 160 typically rotate in the range of 5 RPM to 200 RPM, for example.
- the exact rotation speed of the drum rings 160 in conjunction with setting the rotation speed of the drum 62 itself, is preferably set to the particular strain or type of plant material being processed and the desired trimming effect.
- the controller 60 is operable to cause the drum 62 and the drum rings 160 to rotate in the same or opposite directions.
- a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart elongate blades 178 extend between each of the drum rings 160 .
- the blades 178 are distributed uniformly around circumference of the main body 66 of the drum 62 , although other distributions are within the scope contemplated by the present invention.
- the apparatus 10 includes one or more bars or rods 180 , such as may be made of a rigid metallic material, extending between the drum rings 160 .
- the rods 180 are mounted to the drum rings 160 , such as at the outer surface of the drum rings 160 .
- each blade 178 is sharp-edged.
- each blade 178 is sharp-edged fully along one edge and dull-edged fully along the opposing edge of the blade 178 .
- a portion of one edge of each blade 178 is dull-edged while another portion of the one edge of each blade 178 is sharp-edged.
- Variability in blade 178 sharpness advantageously provides multiple trimming effects.
- the drum rings 160 may be initially rotated in a direction such that the dull edges of the blades 178 are the leading edges, thereby initially trapping and removing larger plant matter (e.g. leaves) from the plant material. Thereafter, the direction of rotation of the drum rings 160 may be reversed such that the sharp edges become the leading edges, thereby providing a cleaner trim and a better finished appearance to the plant material exiting the drum 62 .
- plant material is inserted into the apparatus 10 at the infeed end 26 .
- the apparatus 10 is then operated such that the variable sharpness edges of the blades 178 are leading edges.
- the inserted plant material is initially subjected to a coarser trim near the infeed end 26 , and then the coarsely trimmed plant material is subjected to a finer trim near the outfeed end 28 before exiting the apparatus 10 fully trimmed.
- the sharpness of the edges along one or both edges of the blades 178 is varied continuously or in multiple steps, such as from maximally dull at the infeed end 26 to being maximally sharp at the outfeed end 28 .
- At least a portion of one or more blades 178 is coated to produce a dull edge.
- the coating may be made of a material that facilitates trapping plant matter between the blades 178 and the outer, slotted surface of the main body 66 of the drum 62 .
- the portions of the blade 178 edges that are dull are a different distance from the main body 66 of the drum 62 than the blade 178 edges that are sharp.
- duller edges may be further from the drum 62 than sharper edges, advantageously providing a greater variation of trimming effects.
- Such different distances may be achieved by employing twisted blades 178 , blades 178 having twisted portions, angling of the blades 178 relative to the drum rings 160 , other techniques, or any combination thereof for example.
- a coarser initial trim advantageously better preserves the removed plant matter for other uses.
- drum rings 160 any number of drum rings 160 , and corresponding ring pulleys 174 may be employed.
- the blades 178 are made of metal but could conceivably be made from other suitable material or combination thereof.
- rod magnets 182 are attached to the rods 180 to facilitate holding the blades 178 in place adjacent to, but preferably not contacting, the drum 62 .
- the rod magnets include threaded rods 184 dimensioned to extend through corresponding apertures in the rods 180 .
- Adjustment nuts 186 on the threaded rods 184 permit adjustment of the distance that the rod magnets 182 project from the rods 180 toward the drum 62 , thereby adjusting the blade gap 188 (best seen in FIG. 33 ) between the blades and the drum 62 .
- each blade 178 When the blades 178 are being held in place by the rod magnets 182 , each blade 178 extends beneath the drum rings 160 between a pair of positioning posts 190 and are further secured to the drum rings 160 by ring magnets 192 that each extend through the drum rings 160 between a corresponding pair of positioning posts 190 .
- the apparatus 10 of the second embodiment is advantageously operable to removably attach the blades 178 to the drum rings 160 .
- each blade 178 is removable simply by pulling it away from one or more rod magnets 182 so as to slide the blade 178 away from the ring magnet 192 at each end of the drum 62 . Inserting the blade 178 is simply a matter of positioning it within the magnetic field of the rod magnets 182 and ring magnets 192 associated with one rod 180 .
- FIGS. 30 to 33 show one method of removably attaching the blades 178 to the drum rings 160 , in general any suitable method may be employed.
- the blades 178 can be permanently, indefinitely or removably attached to the drum rings 160 by fasteners, snap positioning, magnetism, friction, other attachment techniques, or any combination thereof for example.
- the apparatus 10 includes the adjustment mechanism, described herein above in respect of the first embodiment, for adjusting the height of the drum 62 , such as by including the drum brackets 94 and their associated components 96 to 102 .
- the apparatus 10 in accordance with the second embodiment includes the vacuum sub-system 46 described herein above in respect of the first embodiment.
- the vacuum sub-system 46 may be suitably employed to urge the movement of plant matter past the blades 178 and/or urge the exit of removed plant matter via the apertures 158 , for example.
- the apparatus 10 according to a variation of the second embodiment includes an internal shroud (not shown) enclosing all or a portion of the drum 62 , the drum rings 160 and the blades 178 , thereby facilitating the exit of plant material from the drum 62 via the slots 64 . Plant matter that is removed by the blades 178 would continue to experience suction from the vacuum sub-system 46 until being separated from the vacuum-induced air flow (typically prior to or otherwise without reaching the vacuum source itself) and collected into a collector such as the separator bin 52 .
- the apparatus 10 includes the controller 60 , and its CPU 154 and memory 156 , generally as described above in respect of the first embodiment. Controlling the respective operations of the feeding sub-system 34 , drum sub-system 42 , the cutting sub-system 44 , and the vacuum sub-system 46 by the controller 60 advantageously facilitates additional trimming effects. For example, a traveling wave effect may be created.
- the memory 156 in accordance with embodiments of the invention contains blocks of code comprising computer executable instructions for directing the CPU 154 to perform the steps of a method shown generally at 194 . Additionally or alternatively, such blocks of code may form part of a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a signal bearing medium, which may be a recordable computer readable medium or a signal transmission type medium, for example.
- Block 196 directs the CPU 154 to control the vacuum sub-system 46 so as to set the vacuum suction occurring at the infeed end 26 portion of the drum 62 to high suction, and to set the vacuum suction occurring at the outfeed end 28 portion of the drum 62 to low suction.
- the vacuum suction at the infeed end 26 becomes higher than that at the outfeed end 28 .
- the vacuum suction at the infeed end 26 may be maximized and the vacuum suction at the outfeed end 28 is not maximized, minimized or turned off completely.
- Executing block 196 advantageously facilitates drawing in new plant material from the feeding sub-system 34 into the infeed end 26 portion of the drum 62 .
- the lower vacuum suction at the outfeed end 28 portion of the drum 62 advantageously facilitates maintaining the newly entered plant material near the infeed end 26 .
- Executing block 196 is particularly advantageous for embodiments in which the blades 178 at the infeed end 26 are relatively dull to give a pulling effect that removes large leaves from the plant material.
- block 198 then directs the CPU 154 to process plant material (e.g. for large-leaf removal at the infeed end 26 ) for a first specifiable duration of time, such as several minutes.
- Processing plant material typically involves setting and maintaining the state of the drum sub-system 42 to rotate the drum 62 at a specifiable speed, setting and maintaining the state of the cutting sub-system 44 to rotate the blades 178 at a specifiable speed, and maintaining the state of the vacuum sub-system 46 as set by block 196 .
- block 200 directs the CPU 154 to control the vacuum sub-system 46 so as to set the vacuum suction occurring at the infeed end 26 portion of the drum 62 to low suction, and to set the vacuum suction occurring at the outfeed end 28 portion of the drum 62 to high suction.
- the vacuum suction at the infeed end 26 becomes lower than that at the outfeed end 28 .
- the vacuum suction at the infeed end 26 may be reduced from maximum, minimized or turned off completely and the vacuum suction at the outfeed end 28 can be increased and in some cases even maximized.
- Executing block 200 advantageously facilitates moving plant material from the infeed end 26 portion of the drum 62 toward the outfeed end 28 portion of the drum 62 .
- Executing block 200 is particularly advantageous for embodiments in which the blades 178 at the outfeed end 28 are relatively sharpened to give a sharp cutting effect that finely cuts away small portions of the plant material.
- block 202 then directs the CPU 154 to process plant material (e.g. for sharp cutting at the outfeed end 28 ) for a second specifiable duration of time, such as several minutes.
- Processing plant material typically involves setting and maintaining the state of the drum sub-system 42 to rotate the drum 62 at a specifiable speed equal to or different from that employed by block 198 , setting and maintaining the state of the cutting sub-system 44 to rotate the blades 178 at a specifiable speed equal to or different from that employed by block 198 , and maintaining the state of the vacuum sub-system 46 as set by block 200 .
- Block 204 directs the CPU 154 to determine whether to continue the process of method 194 by returning to execute block 196 , in which case further new plant material would be encouraged to enter into the drum 62 at the infeed end 26 in response to the higher vacuum suction at the infeed end 26 , while not preventing or facilitating the exit of fully processed plant material from the drum 62 at the outfeed end 28 in response to lower vacuum suction at the outfeed end 28 .
- Determining whether to continue may involve receiving a signal from the feeding sub-system 34 , measuring a quantity of plant material remaining in the hopper 36 , determining whether the hopper 36 is currently activated, receiving user input, not receiving new user input, retrieving a stored user input value from the memory 156 , other steps for determining whether to continue processing plant material, or any combination thereof for example.
- Ending method 194 may involve lowering or eliminating vacuum suction at both the infeed and outfeed ends 26 and 28 so as to facilitate any processed plant material remaining in the drum 62 to exit the drum 62 via its outfeed end 28 .
- the block 204 is optional and blocks 196 to 202 are continually repeated as long as electrical power is supplied to the CPU 154 and the memory 156 for example.
- receiving user input to end the method 194 immediately interrupts the process and ends the method 194 .
- the apparatus 10 includes the self-cleaning sub-system 58 .
- the apparatus 10 of the second embodiment includes the hollow drum axle 78 having nozzles 126 ( FIGS. 13 and 35 ) and the spray tube 128 ( FIGS. 14 and 36 ) having nozzles 126 .
- various components of the apparatus 10 are advantageously certified as food grade or otherwise in compliance with food grade specifications.
- the food grade components may include any components coming into contact with the plant material, such as the drum 62 , cutting reels 84 , blades 178 , self-cleaning sub-system 58 components, inside surface of the enclosure 14 , other components, or any combination thereof for example.
Abstract
An apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material is provided. The apparatus has an enclosure attached to a frame. The apparatus includes: (a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more said slots; and (c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.The apparatus may further include a controller having a processing unit and a memory, the memory containing instructions for directing the processing unit. The controller may be operable to selectably control operations of the rotatable drum, the cutting module, and the plurality of nozzles.The cutting module may include a plurality of cutting reels.The cutting module and the rotatable drum may be coaxial. The cutting module may include a plurality of blades rotatable about the drum.
Description
- This invention relates to removing extraneous plant matter from plant material and, in particular, to wet or dry processing of harvested plants such as herbs, berries, cannabis, and other medicinal or non-medicinal crops.
- Plant processors are used to process plants, such as cannabis, by removing extraneous plant matter, including dirt and debris, from harvested plant material.
- U.S. Pat. No. 9,161,566 to Hall discloses a plant processor having: (a) a rotatable drum for receiving plant matter, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a rotatable cutting reel positioned below the rotatable drum; (c) a cutting knife horizontally positioned below the top of the cutting reel; and (d) a motor to rotate a shaft secured to the cutting reel, the shaft having a groove to frictionally engage a ring that supports the drum, whereby rotation of the cutting reel rotates the drum in the opposite direction.
- The plant processor of Hall also provides a slight tilt to one side relative to the surface the plant processor is placed on, so that plant material that is fed in to the rotating drum at a first, elevated side is drawn toward the opposite, lower side.
- However, the plant processor of Hall is limited to providing a fixed ratio of cutting reel rotational speed to drum rotational speed, a fixed distance between the drum and the cutting reel, cutting action along a single contact line between the drum and the cutting reel, cutting action at any given time at a single sharpness of cutting, movement of plant material through the slots by force of gravity only, removal of the cutting reel by unfastening it with tools from a frame of the plant processor, and limited to providing a fixed angle of tilt. Furthermore, cleaning internal components of the plant processor of Hall requires partial disassembly of the apparatus, which is time-consuming.
- Conventional plant processors can sequentially process different batches of plant material, in which the particular plant, or strain of a given plant, may vary from batch to batch. It is desirable to clean a plant processor between batches to remove gummy, fibrous buildup on components of the plant processor. Such cleaning conventionally involves at least partial disassembly of the plant processor and then hand cleaning by scrubbing and scraping internal components of the plant processor in the presence of harsh chemical-cleaning agents. Alternatively, conventional cleaning may proceed by partial disassembly of the plant processor and then subjecting the internal components of the plant processor to pressure washing by a hand-held pressure washer.
- However, such conventional cleaning methods involve strenuous manual labor and necessitate the shutdown of plant processing, such as between batches, for significant lengths of time.
- An object of the invention is to address the above shortcomings.
- The above shortcomings may be addressed by providing, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, an apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame. The apparatus includes: (a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more of the slots; and (c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- The apparatus may further include a controller having a processing unit and a memory, the memory containing instructions for directing the processing unit. The controller may be operable to selectably control operations of the rotatable drum, the cutting module, and the plurality of nozzles. The enclosure may include a shroud that is removably attachable to the frame by at least one shroud magnet of the apparatus. The plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid from within the rotatable drum. The plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid toward the rotatable drum from outside of the rotatable drum. The cutting module may include a plurality of cutting reels. The cutting module may be slidably attachable to the frame. The distance between the rotatable drum and the cutting module may be adjustable by adjusting a height of the rotatable drum. The cutting module and the rotatable drum may be coaxial. The cutting module may include a plurality of blades rotatable about the drum. The apparatus may further include a pair of parallel, spaced-apart rings circumscribing the rotatable drum. The plurality of blades may be removably attachable to the pair of rings by a plurality of ring magnets. The apparatus may further include a plurality of rods extending between the pair of rings. Each of the blades may be removably attachable to a corresponding one of the rods by at least one rod magnet. The cutting module may include a plurality of cutting members. The cutting module may include a cutting-module motor for moving the plurality of cutting members. The plurality of cutting reels may define a plurality of cutting interfaces between the cutting reels and the drum. The cutting interfaces may extend along a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart axes. Each of the axes may extend between first and second ends of the drum. The cutting-module motor may be a cutting-reel motor for rotating one or more of the cutting reels. The cutting module and the rotatable drum may be coaxial. The cutting module may include a plurality of rings circumscribing the drum. The cutting-module motor may be a ring motor for rotating the plurality of rings. The blades may extend between a pair of the rings parallel and spaced-apart. The apparatus may include a drum motor for rotating the drum. The drum motor may include an output shaft rotatably coupled to the drum.
- The controller may be operable to independently energize the drum motor and the cutting-module motor. The controller may be operable to energize the drum motor to rotate the drum at a first speed in a first direction. The controller may be operable to energize the cutting-module motor to rotate the plurality of cutting members at the first or a second speed in the first or a second direction. The plurality of nozzles may be dimensioned to eject the liquid at high-pressure. The plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at high-pressure. The plurality of nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa). The nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at warm to hot temperatures. The nozzles may be operable to eject the liquid at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). The apparatus may include an inlet for receiving the liquid. The inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at high-pressure. The inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa). The inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at warm to hot temperatures. The inlet may be operable to receive the liquid at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius).
- In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing plant material by a plant processor having an enclosure attached to a frame. The method may involve: (a) receiving the plant material into a rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) producing trimmed plant material by a cutting module cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more the slots; (c) removing the portions from the enclosure by vacuum suction; (d) after cutting the portions, removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum; and (e) after removing the portions and after removing the trimmed plant material, ejecting a liquid within the enclosure by a plurality of nozzles of the plant processor.
- Step (a) may involve receiving the plant material into the rotatable drum at a first end of the rotatable drum. Step (d) may involve removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum at a second end of the rotatable drum opposite the first end. Step (b) may involve cutting the portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels. Cutting the portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels, may involve operating the first set of cutting reels in reverse. Step (b) may involve setting a first vacuum suction associated with the first end and a second vacuum suction associated with the second end, such that the first vacuum suction is greater than the second vacuum suction for a first duration and then the second vacuum suction is greater than the first vacuum suction for a second duration.
- In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame. The apparatus includes: (a) cylindrical means for containing the plant material and rotating; (b) exit means for permitting a portion of the plant material to exit the cylindrical means; (c) cutting means for cutting the portion upon exiting via the exit means; and (d) nozzle means for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- The apparatus may further include vacuum means for facilitating the exiting of the portion via the exit means. The apparatus may further include feeding means for feeding the plant material into the cylindrical means. The apparatus may further include stabilization means for adjusting a tilt of the apparatus. The apparatus may further include control means for controlling operations of at least one of the cylindrical means, the cutting means, the nozzle means, the vacuum means, the feeding means, and the stabilization means.
- Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures and claims.
- In drawings which illustrate by way of example only embodiments of the invention:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for processing plant material according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing an infeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing an outfeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a system containing the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 viewed from a first perspective angle; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the system shown inFIG. 3 , showing the system from a second perspective angle; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective front view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing internal components of the apparatus with its outer enclosure removed; -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the outfeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the infeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing internal components viewed from the rear side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing a cutting reel assembly; -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cutting reel assembly shown inFIG. 9 , showing a rearward cutting reel and a forward cutting reel; -
FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing a drum bracket; -
FIG. 12 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing a mounting bracket and rail; -
FIG. 13 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing nozzles attached to a hollow axle inside a drum of the apparatus; -
FIG. 14 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing a spray tube positioned outside the drum; -
FIG. 15 is a close-up view of a portion of the cutting reel assembly shown inFIG. 9 , showing spray tubes located within the cutting reel assembly; -
FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 1 , showing an upper shroud and a portion of a lower shroud; -
FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a portion of the upper shroud shown inFIG. 16 , showing an upper connection of the upper shroud; -
FIG. 18 is a sectional view of a portion of the upper and lower shrouds shown inFIG. 16 , showing a lower connection of the upper shroud and an upper connection of the lower shroud; -
FIG. 19 is a sectional view the lower shroud partly shown inFIG. 16 , showing a lower connection of the lower shroud; -
FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a control system associated with the system shown inFIG. 3 , showing a CPU and memory of a controller of the control system; -
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of an apparatus for processing plant material according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing an infeed end of the apparatus; -
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing an outfeed end of the apparatus; -
FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing a rear side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 24 is a perspective rear view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing internal components of the apparatus with its outer enclosure removed; -
FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from the infeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from above the infeed end and front side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing internal components viewed from the outfeed end and rear side of the apparatus; -
FIG. 28 is a side view of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing a ring gap between a drum and a drum ring; -
FIG. 29 is a close-up cross section view along line A-A of a portion of the ring inFIG. 34 but also showing the drum and showing the magnet, blade and ring gap in close-up view; -
FIG. 30 is a close-up cross section view along line B-B of a portion of the ring inFIG. 34 but also showing the drum and showing the magnet, blade and ring gap in close-up view; -
FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a portion of the second-embodiment apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing a plurality of blades extending between a pair of drum rings; -
FIG. 32 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the portion shown inFIG. 30 , showing blades magnetically attached to rod magnets; -
FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the portion shown inFIG. 30 , showing the blades extending between positioning posts; -
FIG. 34 is a close-up perspective of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 24 , showing roller bearing cam followers, a ring gap between the drum and the blades; -
FIG. 35 is a flowchart of a method of processing plant material by the apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing processing for a first duration and then for a second duration; -
FIG. 36 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing nozzles attached to a hollow axle inside the drum of the apparatus; and -
FIG. 37 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown inFIG. 21 , showing the spray tube positioned outside of the drum. - An apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame, includes: (a) cylindrical means for containing the plant material and rotating; (b) exit means for permitting a portion of the plant material to exit the cylindrical means; (c) cutting means for cutting the portion upon exiting via the exit means; and (d) nozzle means for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure. The apparatus may include vacuum means for facilitating the exiting of the portion via the exit means. The apparatus may include feeding means for feeding the plant material into the cylindrical means. The apparatus may include stabilization means for adjusting a tilt of the apparatus. The apparatus may include control means for controlling operations of at least one of the cylindrical means, the cutting means, the nozzle means, the vacuum means, the feeding means, and the stabilization means.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , the apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 10. Theapparatus 10 processes plant material to separate certain portions of the plant material from the remainder of the plant material. For example, theapparatus 10 may be suitably employed to remove extraneous leaves, stems, dirt, debris or other extractable plant matter from cannabis buds. - The
apparatus 10 includes aframe 12 and anenclosure 14 attached to theframe 12 for housing internal components of theapparatus 10. Thewheels 16 at each corner of theapparatus 10 facilitate moving theapparatus 10 to a desired location, after which thestabilizers 18 are deployed by lowering thefoot pads 20 until secure contact is made with the ground surface upon which theapparatus 10 rests. In the first embodiment, the height of eachstabilizer 18 is adjusted by operation of its associatedstabilizer motor 22 of astabilizer sub-system 24 described further below. Thestabilizer motor 22 may be an electromechanical motor, hydraulic motor, other type of motorized mechanism, or any combination thereof for example. - By adjusting the heights of the
stabilizers 18, theapparatus 10 can be given a tilt such that theapparatus 10 is higher at its infeed end 26 (FIG. 1 ) than its outfeed end 28 (FIG. 2 ). WhileFIGS. 1 and 2 show the infeed and outfeed ends 26 and 28 as being particularly identified ends of theapparatus 10, in general the ends 26 and 28 are reversal and either end 26 or 28 can be used for either infeeding or outfeeding, including using thesame end apparatus 10 via theoutlet ducts 30. After processing the plant material, or continuously while processing the plant material, processed plant material can be removed from the selectedoutfeed end 28 of theapparatus 10. For example, a container, conveyor or other equipment (not shown) may be placed adjacent to theoutfeed end 28 to receive processed plant material being pushed out of theapparatus 10 at theoutfeed end 28. - While moveable embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, in some embodiments the apparatus may be mounted in a larger immovable frame.
- Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4 , theapparatus 10 may be employed within asystem 32 for processing plant material. For clarity of illustration, theapparatus 10 is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 without itsenclosure 14. - The
system 32 includes afeeding sub-system 34 that includes a feed unit, such as the agitatinghopper 36 shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 . Thehopper 36 abuts theinfeed end 26 of theapparatus 10. Thehopper 36 includes an open top 38 or other large opening for receiving harvested plant material (not shown), and ahopper outlet 40 for passing the plant material into theapparatus 10. Typically, thehopper 36 has an agitation motor (not visible in the Figures) and has an inner bottom surface that is sloped toward itshopper outlet 40. The rate of agitation may be variable, such as by having a variable-rate hopper motor, to effect a controllably variable rate of entry of the plant material into theapparatus 10. - After the
apparatus 10 receives the plant material from thehopper 36, the plant material is processed by adrum sub-system 42 and acutting sub-system 44 operated in conjunction with avacuum sub-system 46. The processed plant material becomes available for removal at theoutfeed end 28, while the separated portions of the plant material exiting theapparatus 10 via theoutlet ducts 30 enter one ormore separators 48 of thevacuum sub-system 46. Theseparators 48 employ a vacuum source, such as thesuction air pumps 50 shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , for cyclonic vacuum suction to circulate air, debris and the separated portions of the plant material and to deposit the separated portions of plant material of a sufficient size in theseparator bins 52 while permitting the air and possibly fine debris to exit theseparators 48 at theirrespective separator outlets 54, such as into a filtering bag (not shown). - The
system 32 also includes a high-pressure water source 56 for use in a self-cleaningsub-system 58 described further below. - The
system 32 also includes acontroller 60 for controlling operations of the various sub-systems of thesystem 32, as described further below. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 to 8 , theapparatus 10 includes a cylindrically shapeddrum 62 havingslots 64 in amain body 66 of thedrum 62. Thedrum 62 can be made any suitable size, including having any suitable diameter, length, and thickness. In some embodiments, the diameter of thedrum 62 can be as large as 4′ (1.22 m), or as small as 6″ (15.2 cm), for example. In variations, the length of thedrum 62 can be anywhere in the range from 2′ (61.0 cm) to 12′ (3.66 m), for example. The thickness of thedrum 62 material can be anywhere in the range from 0.03125″ (0.794 mm) to 0.125″ (3.18 mm). In the first embodiment, the diameter of thedrum 62 is typically 18″ (45.7 cm), thedrum 62 length is typically 6′ (1.83 m), and its material thickness is typically 0.0625″ (1.59 mm). - A
drum motor 68 drives itsoutput shaft 70 having attached thereto a drum-motor pulley 72, which in turn drives adrum belt 74 connected to adrum pulley 76. Thedrum pulley 76 is rotatably coupled to acentral drum axle 78 via adrum hub 79. Thedrum pulley 76 is also attached via thedrum hub 79 to themain body 66 viadrum spokes 80, such that thedrum motor 68 is operable to rotate thedrum 62 about adrum axle 78 axis. Preferably, eachhub 79 is journaled for rotation about thestationary drum axle 78 by roller bearings or other bearings (not shown) within thehub 79. Preferably, two sets ofdrum spokes 80 are disposed at opposing ends of thedrum 62. Any suitable number ofdrum spokes 80 may be employed at eachdrum 62 end, such as a number in the range of four to eightspokes 80 perdrum 62 end for example. The use ofdrum spokes 80 advantageously maintain consistent roundness of thedrum 62. - While
FIGS. 5 to 8 show a belt-drive mechanism for thedrum 62, in general any suitable driving mechanism for thedrum 62 may be employed. In variations, thedrum 62 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), directly attached to theoutput shaft 70 of thedrum motor 68, integrally motorized such as by thedrum axle 78 forming theoutput shaft 70, driven by another mechanism, or any combination thereof for example. - In the first embodiment, the
drum motor 68 is operable to rotate thedrum 62 in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds. For example, thedrum 62 can rotate as slowly as a few revolutions per minute (RPM) or as much as several hundred RPM. In the first embodiment, thedrum 62 typically rotates in the range of 10 RPM to 75 RPM, for example. The exact rotation speed of thedrum 62 is preferably set to the particular strain or type of plant material being processed and the desired trimming effect. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 to 10 , theapparatus 10 includes a cutting module, such as the cuttingreel assembly 82 disposed beneath thedrum 62 according to the first embodiment. The cuttingreel assembly 82 includes a plurality of cuttingreels 84 as shown inFIG. 10 , including one pair of rearward cuttingreels 86 and one pair of forward cuttingreels 88. In the first embodiment, each rearward cuttingreel 86 is positioned lower than its corresponding forward cuttingreel 88, so as to maintain a specifiable gap between each cuttingreel 84 and thedrum 62, while accommodating the cylindrical shape of thedrum 62. - In the first embodiment, each cutting
reel 84 defines ahelical blade 90 that cooperates in scissor-fashion with acutting blade 92 to cut portions of plant material exiting thedrum 62 through one ormore slots 64. - Employing a plurality of cutting
reels 84 advantageously provides greater cutting area in comparison to asingle cutting reel 84. While the first embodiment includes the pair of cuttingreels 84, in general the cuttingreel assembly 82 may include any number of cuttingreels 84. - The
apparatus 10 includes a drum slot scrubber, such as the pair oflongitudinal brushes 93 particularly visible inFIGS. 5 and 8 . Thebrushes 93 advantageously clears eachdrum slot 64 of plant material or debris between passes of theslot 64 against the cuttingreel assembly 82. Pressure from eachbrush 93 againstcorresponding drum slots 64 advantageously urges the plant material or debris back into the interior of thedrum 62. - In some embodiments, the gap between the
drum 62 and each cuttingreel 84 at the cutting interface of each cuttingreel 84 can be varied, such as by raising or lowering thedrum 62 and/or the cuttingreel assembly 82 relative to each other. Preferably thebrushes 93 is spring biased toward thedrum 62 within a range of motion to enable height adjustment of thedrum 62 with respect to the cuttingreel 84 while maintaining contact between thebrushes 93 and thedrum 62. - Referring to
FIGS. 6 and 7 , thedrum 62 in the first embodiment is rotatably and slidably coupled to theframe 12 at a pair of slotteddrum brackets 94 disposed at opposing ends of theframe 12. Referring to the close-up ofFIG. 11 , eachdrum bracket 94 includes abracket slot 96 through which thedrum axle 78 passes and is clamped by anaxle clamp 98. Thus, thedrum axle 78 is fixed to theframe 12 via thedrum bracket 94 such that thedrum axle 78 is stationary relative to therotatable drum 62. Theaxle clamp 98 is threadedly coupled via a threadedrod 100 to abracket mount 102 attached to thedrum bracket 94. By manually adjusting the threadedrod 100 distance between theaxle clamp 98 and thebracket mount 102, the height of thedrum 62 is adjusted and, in particular, is adjusted relative to the cuttingreel assembly 82. - While the Figures show a manual adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the
drum 62 relative to the cuttingreel assembly 82, in some embodiments an automatic adjustment mechanism is employed. In such embodiments, a linear actuator, stepper motor, or other electro-mechanical mechanism may be employed to automatically adjust thedrum 62 height in response to user input, computation, or other causes, for example. - Adjusting the gap between the
drum 62 and the cuttingreels 84 advantageously facilitates separating or trimming plant material at a desired closeness of trim. For example, a relatively wider gap can be initially employed to remove extraneous outer leaf portions of plant material, which can be discarded, and then the gap can be narrowed to separately remove the more valuable sugar leaf portion of the plant material, which can be collected. Other arrangements of sequential processing at different gap distances may be employed. - Referring back to
FIGS. 5 to 9 , the cuttingreel assembly 82 includes a pair of cutting-reel motors 104 disposed at opposing ends of the cuttingreel assembly 82. Each cutting-reel motor 104 drives itsoutput shaft 106 having attached thereto a cutter-motor pulley 108, which in turn drives a cutting-reel belt 110 connected to a pair of cutting-reel pulleys 112. Each cutting-reel pulley 112 is rotatably coupled to one cuttingreel 84. Thus, the pair of cutting-reel motors 104 are cooperatively operable to rotate the plurality of cuttingreels 84. While a pair of cutting-reel motors 104 are cooperatively employed in the exemplary embodiment ofFIGS. 5 to 9 , in a variation only one cutting-reel motor 104 is employed. In some embodiments, one cutting-reel motor 104 is employed for cuttingreel 84. Other variations are possible. - While
FIGS. 5 to 9 show a belt-drive mechanism for the cuttingreels 84, in general any suitable driving mechanism for the cuttingreels 84 may be employed. In variations, each cuttingreel 84 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), directly attached to theoutput shaft 106 of the cutting-reel motor 104, integrally motorized such as by a portion of the cuttingreel 84 forming theoutput shaft 106, driven by another mechanism, or any combination thereof for example. - In the first embodiment, the cutting-
reel motor 104 is operable to rotate the cuttingreels 84 in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds. For example, thecontroller 60 in the first embodiment is operable to cause one ormore cutting reels 84 located adjacent theinfeed end 26 of thedrum 62 to rotate in reverse, such that duller edges of the helical blade(s) 90 at theinfeed end 26 become leading edges of the helical blade(s) 90 reverse rotation. Also, thecontroller 60 is operable to cause one ormore cutting reels 84 located adjacent theoutfeed end 28 of thedrum 62 to rotate forwardly, such that sharper edges of the helical blade(s) 90 at theoutfeed end 28 become leading edges of such helical blade(s) 90 forward rotation. In this manner, larger portions (e.g. large leaves) of the plant material are pulled away from the plant material being trimmed at theinfeed end 26 of thedrum 62, while finer trimming of the plant material occurs at theoutfeed end 28 of thedrum 62. - For some batches of plant material processing, however, a user of the
apparatus 10 may prefer to have all cuttingreels 84 rotate in the same direction (e.g. reverse or forward), for example. The speed of rotation of the cuttingreels 84 can be varied by thecontroller 60 to achieve different trimming effects for different strains or types of plant material. For example, the speed of rotation of the cuttingreels 84 in the first embodiment can be as slow as 50 RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) and as quick as 1750 RPM, for example. - Referring to
FIGS. 5 to 8 andFIG. 12 , the cuttingreel assembly 82 in the first embodiment includes a pair of mountingbrackets 114 that are slidably mounted on a pair ofrails 116 attached to theframe 12. Rail mounting advantageously facilitates removal and maintenance of the cuttingreel assembly 82. However, in general any suitable attachment technique may be employed. - In some embodiments, a vacuum source, such as the suction air pumps 50 (
FIGS. 3 and 4 ), of thevacuum sub-system 46 is employed to urge movement of wet or dry plant matter within or through theapparatus 10, such as by pulling plant matter through theslots 64 to exit thedrum 62, facilitating the movement of plant matter from theinfeed end 26 toward theoutfeed end 28 of theapparatus 10, removing cut plant matter away from the cuttingreels 84, removing plant matter from theapparatus 10 via one or more of theoutlet ducts 30, other movements, or any combination thereof for example. - In some embodiments, the vacuum source forms part of the
apparatus 10. In some embodiments, however, the vacuum source is detachably attachable to theapparatus 10. In embodiments employing the suction air pump(s) 50, theapparatus 10 may include any combination of hoses, pipes, enclosures, shrouds, guides, or other hardware to guide and/or control the effect of air flow and suction created by the suction air pump(s) 50. - The
vacuum sub-system 46 is operable to advantageously increase the speed at which plant material and removed plant matter moves through theapparatus 10. Also, thevacuum sub-system 46 advantageously facilitates a closer trimming of the plant material being trimmed, by forcing the plant material against theslots 64 of thedrum 62 with greater force than generated by gravity alone. - Referring to
FIGS. 3 to 8 andFIGS. 13 and 14 , theapparatus 10 in the first embodiment includes the self-cleaningsub-system 58 that is operable to receive a liquid from a liquid source, such as the high-pressure water source 56, and apply the liquid to various internal components of theapparatus 10. Typically, the liquid is water or water-based, such as being a mixture of water and a cleaning agent. Ahot water tank 118 may be employed for electrically heating water, and awater pump 120 for pressurizing the water. Additives, such as a cleaning agent or a water conditioning agent may be added to the water either before or after heating and either before or after pressurizing. High-pressure hot water is then received by theapparatus 10, such as at thewater inlets 122. The water can be at any desired pressure and temperature. For example, the water may be received by theapparatus 10 at thewater inlets 122 when it is at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa) and at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). - From the
water inlets 122, conduits, such as thehoses 124 best seen inFIG. 6 , transport the high-pressure hot water mixture from thewater inlets 122 to various components of theapparatus 10. The self-cleaningsub-system 58 advantageously reduces or eliminates the need for hand scrubbing or other manual or partially automatic methods of cleaning to clean internal components of theapparatus 10. - One
hose 124 is connected to thedrum axle 78, which is hollow and acts as a water pipe for transporting water received from thewater source 56. Thehollow drum axle 78 includes a number of pores (not visible in the drawings) andnozzles 126 for ejecting water toward the inside surface of thedrum 62. In some embodiments, a second water pipe or hose 124 (not shown) may extend from thewater inlet 122 to the other end of thedrum axle 78. - In the first embodiment with particular reference to
FIG. 14 , asecond hose 124 is connected between onewater inlet 122 to aspray tube 128 havingnozzles 126 positioned to eject toward the outside surface of thedrum 62. - The
drum 62 is typically rotated while the hot water mixture is sprayed toward thedrum 62 at its inside and outside surfaces. After being sprayed, the water may be turned off and thedrum 62 spun, such as at a faster rate, to dry thedrum 62. - Referring to
FIG. 15 , twomore hoses 124 are connected to spraytubes 128 positioned adjacent each of the cuttingreels Nozzles 126 attached to each cuttingreel spray tubes 128 are positioned to eject water or water mixture toward each of the cuttingreels Guides 130 direct the sprayed water for more effective cleaning of the cuttingreels - The
nozzles 126 can eject the water when it is at any desired pressure and temperature. For example, the water may be ejected by theapparatus 10 at thenozzles 126 when it is at a pressure in the range of 1750 PSI (12066 kPa) to 2500 PSI (17237 kPa) and at a temperature in the range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93 degrees Celsius). - Other water pipes and/or hoses (not shown) within the enclosure terminate in other nozzles (not shown) may also be strategically located to expose selected internal components of the
apparatus 10 to high-pressure, hot water streams or sprays. Such nozzles may include nozzle solenoids (not shown) to open and close, including possibly opening to a selectable degree, nozzle valves (not shown). Such nozzle solenoids may be electrically controlled, although other control methods are possible. In some embodiments, one or more solenoids perform the function of a nozzle valve. - The
enclosure 14 at its inner surface guides overspray and waste water including debris downward to acatch basin 132. In variations of embodiments, a variety of water guides, plates, curved surfaces, or combinations thereof (not shown) guide overspray, waste water and debris downward toward thecatch basin 132. Preferably, such water guiding components of theapparatus 10 are dimensioned and disposed to advantageously minimize overspray and the effects of overspray. - In some embodiments, the
catch basin 132 has a drain (not shown) for draining waste water from thecatch basin 132. In some embodiments, the drain includes a filter, such as cone-shaped filter, for catching debris and the like. - Referring again to
FIG. 9 , the cuttingreel assembly 82 includeslower outlets 134 dimensioned to direct water of the self-cleaningsub-system 58 downward away from the cuttingreel assembly 82 and toward thecatch basin 132. - Additionally or alternatively to the self-cleaning aspect of the
sub-system 58, thesub-system 58 is operable to apply a liquid, such as water at any desired temperature and pressure, to various internal components of theapparatus 10 so as to provide wet processing of plant material. - Referring to
FIGS. 16 to 19 , theenclosure 14 includes on each of its front and rear sides anupper shroud 136 and alower shroud 138 for directing overspray toward thecatch basin 132. Theupper shroud 136 is attached at itsupper connection 140 and itslower connection 142. - Referring to
FIG. 17 , theupper connection 140 of theupper shroud 136 inserts into a channel 144 attached to theframe 12. Preferably, the sheet material of theupper shroud 136 is sufficiently flexible and resilient to permit placement of the lower connection 142 (of the upper shroud 136) on an inner side of aframe member 146 of theframe 12 as shown inFIGS. 16 and 18 . -
FIGS. 16 and 17 also show that the brushes 93 (FIGS. 5 and 8 ) are attached to theframe 12 so as to be biased towards thedrum 62, such as by being spring-mounted to theframe 12 by use of thesprings 147. The biasing of thebrushes 93 towards thedrum 62 advantageously facilitates maintaining uniform pressure of thebrushes 93 at eachdrum slot 64, despite height adjustments (FIG. 11 ) of thedrum 62, thereby advantageously avoiding impeding rotation of thedrum 62 while simultaneously effectively clearing thedrum slots 64 of plant material and debris. Any suitable number ofsprings 147 may be employed for spring-mounting thebrushes 93, and typically, one set of spring(s) 147 is employed at each end of eachbrush 93. Furthermore, any suitable number ofbrushes 93 may be employed. - Referring to
FIG. 18 , anupper connection 148 of thelower shroud 138 is also positioned on the inner side of theframe member 146. Positioning thelower connection 142 of theupper shroud 136 inwardly of theupper connection 148 of thelower shroud 138, with theupper connection 148 in turn being inward of theframe member 146, advantageously facilitates directing overspray downward toward thecatch basin 132. - Referring to
FIG. 19 , resilience of the sheet material of thelower shroud 138 permits itslower connection 150 to be placed on an inner side of a lower frame member 152 of theframe 12, thereby directing water downward and inwardly toward thecatch basin 132. - In the first embodiment, the upper and
lower shrouds frame 12, such as by including magnetic material in theframe 12 or in thelower connections frame 12 and in either or both of thelower connections lower shrouds upper connections - In the first embodiment, the
enclosure 14 includes handles at the outer side of theenclosure 14 to facilitate installation and removal of theenclosure 14 components such as the upper andlower shrouds - Referring back to
FIGS. 3 and 4 and toFIG. 20 , thecontroller 60 includes a central processing unit, such as the CPU 154 shown inFIG. 20 , for performing computations and amemory 156 for storing data and instruction codes for directing operations of the central processing unit. - The
controller 60 may be any computing device such as a general purpose computer, industrial-grade computer, microcomputer, minicomputer, mainframe computer, distributed network for computing, functionally equivalent discrete hardware components, etc. and any combination thereof, for example. In the first embodiment, thecontroller 60 is implemented as an industrial-grade computer in the form of a programmable logic controller (PLC). In some embodiments, thecontroller 60 is implemented in the form of a programmable logic relay (PLR). In general, any form of control system may be suitably employed. - In the first embodiment, the
controller 60 is operable to control the operations of thestabilizer sub-system 24,feeding sub-system 34,drum sub-system 42, cuttingsub-system 44,vacuum sub-system 46, and the self-cleaningsub-system 58. By way of example, thecontroller 60 is operable to control operations ofnozzle 126 solenoids to turn on water flow and ejection while controlling thedrum motor 68 to effect a desireddrum 62 speed during self-cleaning. By way of further example, thecontroller 60 is operable to control operations of thenozzle 126 solenoids to turn on water ejection while controlling the cutting-reel motor 104 of thecutting sub-system 44 to effect a desired cuttingreel 84 speed during self-cleaning. As another example, one ormore nozzle 126 solenoids may be operated during processing of plant material for a wet trim process. Additionally, thenozzle 126 solenoids may be closed by thecontroller 60, thedrum motor 68 and/or the cutting-reel motor 104 operated briefly to remove moisture from thedrum 62 and thehelical blades 90, and then theapparatus 10 can receive plant material and be operated for a dry trim process. In general, thecontroller 60 is operable to control the direction and speed of rotation of thedrum 62 and the direction and speed of rotation of each of the cuttingreels 84 in accordance with pre-determined parameters specific to each different strain of plant material, thereby optimizing the processing of each different strain of plant material. As a further example, thecontroller 60 is operable in the first embodiment to control thestabilizer motors 22 between batches of different plant material to optimize the amount of tilt of theapparatus 10 to each different type of plant material that is processed by theapparatus 10. Furthermore, thecontroller 60 in the first embodiment is operable to control thestabilizer motors 22 to effect a desired tilt, or lack thereof, for self-cleaning between batches of plant material. - In some embodiments, the
controller 60 is additionally or alternatively operable to control operations of the suction air pumps 50 (FIGS. 3 and 4 ) of thevacuum sub-system 46. For example, increasing the amount of vacuum suction increases the pressure pulling plant material through thedrum slots 64, thereby affecting the extent of trimming applied to the plant material. - In the first embodiment, the
controller 60 is operable, after a self-cleaning operation is completed, to control thestabilizer sub-system 24 so as to tilt theapparatus 10 and itscatch basin 132 such that liquid collected in thecatch basin 132 is directed toward a drain (not shown) located at one corner of thecatch basin 132 so as to more effectively drain thecatch basin 132 when the drain is opened. Thecontroller 60 is also operable to re-stabilize theapparatus 10, after draining is completed, for further plant material processing. - In some embodiments, the
controller 60 is additionally or alternatively operable to adjust the height of thedrum 62, such as to adjust the gap between thedrum 62 and the cuttingreels 84. In such embodiments, the position of the threadedrod 100 or similar may be adjustable in response to commands issued by thecontroller 60. - Referring to
FIGS. 21 to 36 , theapparatus 10 is modified according to a second embodiment. For example, theapparatus 10 of the second embodiment typically does not include the cutting reel assembly 82 (FIGS. 9 and 10 ) of the first embodiment. - The
apparatus 10 in the second embodiment includes theframe 12,enclosure 14,wheels 16,stabilizers 18,foot pads 20, andstabilizer motors 22, each of which is similar, if not identical, to the same-number components of the first embodiment. - The
infeed end 26 and theoutfeed end 28 of the second embodiment correspond to those of the first embodiment, respectively. - The
apertures 158 of the second embodiment serve the same or analogous function as theoutlet ducts 30 of the first embodiment. Although not shown inFIGS. 21 to 23 for ease of illustration, theapparatus 10 of the second embodiment typically includesoutlet ducts 30. - Referring to
FIGS. 24 to 27 , thedrum 62,slots 64,main body 66,drum motor 68,output shaft 70 of thedrum motor 68, drum-motor pulley 72,drum belt 74,drum pulley 76,drum axle 78,drum hub 79,drum spokes 80,drum bracket 94,bracket slot 96,axle clamp 98, threadedrod 100, andbracket mount 102 of the second embodiment are each similar, if not identical, to the same-numbered components of the first embodiment, respectively. The range of possible sizes, including material thickness, and speeds of rotation of thedrum 62 of the second embodiment is similar, if not identical, to that of the first embodiment. - Referring to
FIGS. 24 to 33 , a pair of parallel, spaced-apart drum rings 160 are disposed at opposing ends of thedrum 62. The diameter of the drum rings 160 is slightly larger than that of thedrum 62 itself, and the drum rings 160 circumscribe thedrum 62. As best seen inFIGS. 28 and 29 , aring gap 162 between thedrum 62 and the drum rings 160 permits the drum rings 160 to rotate independently of thedrum 62. - In the second embodiment, an
annular bearing 164 may be disposed in thering gap 162 between thedrum 62 and each of the drum rings 160, thereby advantageously minimizing friction between thedrum 62 and the drum ring 160 (as shown for example inFIGS. 28, 36, and 37 ). Theannular bearing 164 is preferably made of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), but in variations may be made of other self-lubricating plastic material or other composite materials. - In preferred embodiments of the second embodiment of the present invention, one or more roller bearing cam followers 206 (as shown for example in
FIGS. 24, 25, 27, 29 and 34 ) are used instead of an annular bearing. The rollerbearing cam followers 206 are connected to the drum rings 160 so as to roll upon the outer surface of thedrum 62 to maintain thering gap 162 between thedrum ring 160 and thedrum 62. Other roller-type bearings (not shown), or other bearings (not shown) may likewise be used to maintain thering gap 162.Such bearings 164 may be attached to thedrum ring 160 or thedrum 62, for example. - As best seen in
FIGS. 24 to 26 according to the second embodiment, the drum rings 160 are rotationally driven by aring motor 166 that drives a ring-motor belt 168 that in turn drives a ring-shaft pulley 170 attached to aring shaft 172. Also attached to thering shaft 172 are a pair of ring pulleys 174 aligned with the drum rings 160, respectively, at opposing ends of thedrum 62. The ring pulleys 174 drive a pair ofring belts 176 that drive the drum rings 160. - While
FIGS. 21 to 37 show one exemplary mechanism for driving the drum rings 160, variations thereof and other mechanisms for driving the drum rings 160 are possible. In variations of embodiments, the drum rings 160 may be roller-driven, gear-driven or otherwise driven by a cogged device (not shown), integrally motorized (such as thedrum 62 and thedrum ring 160 forming together a rotor and stator, in either order, of an electric motor), driven otherwise, or any combination thereof for example. Advantageously, the drum rings 160 can be rotated in either direction (e.g. either clockwise or counterclockwise) and at variable speeds. For example, the drum rings 160 can rotate as slowly as a few revolutions per minute (RPM) or as much as several hundred RPM. In the second embodiment, the drum rings 160 typically rotate in the range of 5 RPM to 200 RPM, for example. The exact rotation speed of the drum rings 160, in conjunction with setting the rotation speed of thedrum 62 itself, is preferably set to the particular strain or type of plant material being processed and the desired trimming effect. In variations of uses, thecontroller 60 is operable to cause thedrum 62 and the drum rings 160 to rotate in the same or opposite directions. - Referring particularly to
FIG. 30 , a plurality of parallel, spaced-apartelongate blades 178 extend between each of the drum rings 160. In the second embodiment, theblades 178 are distributed uniformly around circumference of themain body 66 of thedrum 62, although other distributions are within the scope contemplated by the present invention. - The
apparatus 10 includes one or more bars orrods 180, such as may be made of a rigid metallic material, extending between the drum rings 160. Therods 180 are mounted to the drum rings 160, such as at the outer surface of the drum rings 160. - Referring to
FIGS. 29 to 30 , at least a portion of at least one edge of eachblade 178 is sharp-edged. In the second embodiment, eachblade 178 is sharp-edged fully along one edge and dull-edged fully along the opposing edge of theblade 178. In other embodiments, a portion of one edge of eachblade 178 is dull-edged while another portion of the one edge of eachblade 178 is sharp-edged. - Variability in
blade 178 sharpness advantageously provides multiple trimming effects. - For embodiments in which the
blades 178 are sharp on one edge and dull on the other edge, the drum rings 160 may be initially rotated in a direction such that the dull edges of theblades 178 are the leading edges, thereby initially trapping and removing larger plant matter (e.g. leaves) from the plant material. Thereafter, the direction of rotation of the drum rings 160 may be reversed such that the sharp edges become the leading edges, thereby providing a cleaner trim and a better finished appearance to the plant material exiting thedrum 62. - For embodiments in which the
blade 178 portions that are proximate to theinfeed end 26 of theapparatus 10 are dull and theblade 178 portions proximate theoutfeed end 28 are sharp, plant material is inserted into theapparatus 10 at theinfeed end 26. Theapparatus 10 is then operated such that the variable sharpness edges of theblades 178 are leading edges. The inserted plant material is initially subjected to a coarser trim near theinfeed end 26, and then the coarsely trimmed plant material is subjected to a finer trim near theoutfeed end 28 before exiting theapparatus 10 fully trimmed. In some embodiments, the sharpness of the edges along one or both edges of theblades 178 is varied continuously or in multiple steps, such as from maximally dull at theinfeed end 26 to being maximally sharp at theoutfeed end 28. - In some embodiments, at least a portion of one or
more blades 178 is coated to produce a dull edge. In such embodiments, the coating may be made of a material that facilitates trapping plant matter between theblades 178 and the outer, slotted surface of themain body 66 of thedrum 62. - In some embodiments, the portions of the
blade 178 edges that are dull are a different distance from themain body 66 of thedrum 62 than theblade 178 edges that are sharp. For example, duller edges may be further from thedrum 62 than sharper edges, advantageously providing a greater variation of trimming effects. Such different distances may be achieved by employingtwisted blades 178,blades 178 having twisted portions, angling of theblades 178 relative to the drum rings 160, other techniques, or any combination thereof for example. - A coarser initial trim advantageously better preserves the removed plant matter for other uses.
- In variations of embodiments, any number of drum rings 160, and corresponding ring pulleys 174 may be employed.
- The
blades 178 are made of metal but could conceivably be made from other suitable material or combination thereof. - Still referring to
FIGS. 29 to 33 ,rod magnets 182 are attached to therods 180 to facilitate holding theblades 178 in place adjacent to, but preferably not contacting, thedrum 62. In the second embodiment, the rod magnets include threadedrods 184 dimensioned to extend through corresponding apertures in therods 180.Adjustment nuts 186 on the threadedrods 184 permit adjustment of the distance that therod magnets 182 project from therods 180 toward thedrum 62, thereby adjusting the blade gap 188 (best seen inFIG. 33 ) between the blades and thedrum 62. When theblades 178 are being held in place by therod magnets 182, eachblade 178 extends beneath the drum rings 160 between a pair of positioningposts 190 and are further secured to the drum rings 160 byring magnets 192 that each extend through the drum rings 160 between a corresponding pair of positioning posts 190. Thus, theapparatus 10 of the second embodiment is advantageously operable to removably attach theblades 178 to the drum rings 160. In the second embodiment, eachblade 178 is removable simply by pulling it away from one ormore rod magnets 182 so as to slide theblade 178 away from thering magnet 192 at each end of thedrum 62. Inserting theblade 178 is simply a matter of positioning it within the magnetic field of therod magnets 182 andring magnets 192 associated with onerod 180. - While
FIGS. 30 to 33 show one method of removably attaching theblades 178 to the drum rings 160, in general any suitable method may be employed. In variations, theblades 178 can be permanently, indefinitely or removably attached to the drum rings 160 by fasteners, snap positioning, magnetism, friction, other attachment techniques, or any combination thereof for example. - Referring back to
FIG. 28 , theapparatus 10 according to the second embodiment includes the adjustment mechanism, described herein above in respect of the first embodiment, for adjusting the height of thedrum 62, such as by including thedrum brackets 94 and their associatedcomponents 96 to 102. - The
apparatus 10 in accordance with the second embodiment includes thevacuum sub-system 46 described herein above in respect of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, thevacuum sub-system 46 may be suitably employed to urge the movement of plant matter past theblades 178 and/or urge the exit of removed plant matter via theapertures 158, for example. Theapparatus 10 according to a variation of the second embodiment includes an internal shroud (not shown) enclosing all or a portion of thedrum 62, the drum rings 160 and theblades 178, thereby facilitating the exit of plant material from thedrum 62 via theslots 64. Plant matter that is removed by theblades 178 would continue to experience suction from thevacuum sub-system 46 until being separated from the vacuum-induced air flow (typically prior to or otherwise without reaching the vacuum source itself) and collected into a collector such as theseparator bin 52. - Referring back to
FIG. 20 , theapparatus 10 according to the second embodiment includes thecontroller 60, and its CPU 154 andmemory 156, generally as described above in respect of the first embodiment. Controlling the respective operations of thefeeding sub-system 34,drum sub-system 42, the cuttingsub-system 44, and thevacuum sub-system 46 by thecontroller 60 advantageously facilitates additional trimming effects. For example, a traveling wave effect may be created. - Referring to
FIG. 34 , thememory 156 in accordance with embodiments of the invention contains blocks of code comprising computer executable instructions for directing the CPU 154 to perform the steps of a method shown generally at 194. Additionally or alternatively, such blocks of code may form part of a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a signal bearing medium, which may be a recordable computer readable medium or a signal transmission type medium, for example. - When electrical power is being supplied to the CPU 154 and the
memory 156, the CPU 154 is directed to begin executing the instructions ofblock 196.Block 196 then directs the CPU 154 to control thevacuum sub-system 46 so as to set the vacuum suction occurring at theinfeed end 26 portion of thedrum 62 to high suction, and to set the vacuum suction occurring at theoutfeed end 28 portion of thedrum 62 to low suction. Thus, the vacuum suction at theinfeed end 26 becomes higher than that at theoutfeed end 28. For example, the vacuum suction at theinfeed end 26 may be maximized and the vacuum suction at theoutfeed end 28 is not maximized, minimized or turned off completely. Executingblock 196 advantageously facilitates drawing in new plant material from thefeeding sub-system 34 into theinfeed end 26 portion of thedrum 62. During this first phase, the lower vacuum suction at theoutfeed end 28 portion of thedrum 62 advantageously facilitates maintaining the newly entered plant material near theinfeed end 26. Executingblock 196 is particularly advantageous for embodiments in which theblades 178 at theinfeed end 26 are relatively dull to give a pulling effect that removes large leaves from the plant material. - After
block 196 has been executed, block 198 then directs the CPU 154 to process plant material (e.g. for large-leaf removal at the infeed end 26) for a first specifiable duration of time, such as several minutes. Processing plant material typically involves setting and maintaining the state of thedrum sub-system 42 to rotate thedrum 62 at a specifiable speed, setting and maintaining the state of thecutting sub-system 44 to rotate theblades 178 at a specifiable speed, and maintaining the state of thevacuum sub-system 46 as set byblock 196. - At the conclusion of the first duration, block 200 directs the CPU 154 to control the
vacuum sub-system 46 so as to set the vacuum suction occurring at theinfeed end 26 portion of thedrum 62 to low suction, and to set the vacuum suction occurring at theoutfeed end 28 portion of thedrum 62 to high suction. Thus, the vacuum suction at theinfeed end 26 becomes lower than that at theoutfeed end 28. For example, the vacuum suction at theinfeed end 26 may be reduced from maximum, minimized or turned off completely and the vacuum suction at theoutfeed end 28 can be increased and in some cases even maximized. Executingblock 200 advantageously facilitates moving plant material from theinfeed end 26 portion of thedrum 62 toward theoutfeed end 28 portion of thedrum 62. Executingblock 200 is particularly advantageous for embodiments in which theblades 178 at theoutfeed end 28 are relatively sharpened to give a sharp cutting effect that finely cuts away small portions of the plant material. - After
block 200 has been executed, block 202 then directs the CPU 154 to process plant material (e.g. for sharp cutting at the outfeed end 28) for a second specifiable duration of time, such as several minutes. Processing plant material typically involves setting and maintaining the state of thedrum sub-system 42 to rotate thedrum 62 at a specifiable speed equal to or different from that employed byblock 198, setting and maintaining the state of thecutting sub-system 44 to rotate theblades 178 at a specifiable speed equal to or different from that employed byblock 198, and maintaining the state of thevacuum sub-system 46 as set byblock 200. -
Block 204 directs the CPU 154 to determine whether to continue the process ofmethod 194 by returning to executeblock 196, in which case further new plant material would be encouraged to enter into thedrum 62 at theinfeed end 26 in response to the higher vacuum suction at theinfeed end 26, while not preventing or facilitating the exit of fully processed plant material from thedrum 62 at theoutfeed end 28 in response to lower vacuum suction at theoutfeed end 28. - If it is determined by the CPU 154 to continue, then the process returns to block 196. Determining whether to continue may involve receiving a signal from the
feeding sub-system 34, measuring a quantity of plant material remaining in thehopper 36, determining whether thehopper 36 is currently activated, receiving user input, not receiving new user input, retrieving a stored user input value from thememory 156, other steps for determining whether to continue processing plant material, or any combination thereof for example. - If by
block 204 the CPU 154 determines to not continue, thenmethod 194 ends. Endingmethod 194 may involve lowering or eliminating vacuum suction at both the infeed and outfeed ends 26 and 28 so as to facilitate any processed plant material remaining in thedrum 62 to exit thedrum 62 via itsoutfeed end 28. - In some embodiments, the
block 204 is optional and blocks 196 to 202 are continually repeated as long as electrical power is supplied to the CPU 154 and thememory 156 for example. In some embodiments, receiving user input to end themethod 194 immediately interrupts the process and ends themethod 194. - Referring to
FIG. 20 andFIGS. 35 to 36 , theapparatus 10 according to the second embodiment includes the self-cleaningsub-system 58. Theapparatus 10 of the second embodiment includes thehollow drum axle 78 having nozzles 126 (FIGS. 13 and 35 ) and the spray tube 128 (FIGS. 14 and 36 ) havingnozzles 126. - In some embodiments, including possibly the first and/or second embodiments, various components of the
apparatus 10 are advantageously certified as food grade or otherwise in compliance with food grade specifications. In such embodiments, the food grade components may include any components coming into contact with the plant material, such as thedrum 62, cuttingreels 84,blades 178, self-cleaningsub-system 58 components, inside surface of theenclosure 14, other components, or any combination thereof for example. - Thus, there is provided an apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame, the apparatus comprising: (a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots; (b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more of the slots; and (c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
- While embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only. The invention may include variants not described or illustrated herein in detail. Thus, the embodiments described and illustrated herein should not be considered to limit the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.
Claims (16)
1. An apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame, the apparatus comprising:
(a) a cylindrical rotatable drum for receiving the plant material, the rotatable drum having a plurality of slots;
(b) a cutting module for cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more said slots; and
(c) a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller comprising a processing unit and a memory, the memory containing instructions for directing the processing unit, the controller being operable to selectably control operations of the rotatable drum, the cutting module, and the plurality of nozzles.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises a shroud that is removably attachable to the frame by at least one shroud magnet of the apparatus.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of nozzles are operable to eject the liquid from within the rotatable drum.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the plurality of nozzles are further operable to eject the liquid toward the rotatable drum from outside of the rotatable drum.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cutting module is slidably attachable to the frame.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the distance between the rotatable drum and the cutting module is adjustable by adjusting a height of the rotatable drum.
8. A method of processing plant material by a plant processor having an enclosure attached to a frame, the method comprising:
(a) receiving the plant material into a rotatable drum having a plurality of slots;
(b) producing trimmed plant material by a cutting module cutting portions of the plant material that pass through one or more said slots;
(c) removing said portions from the enclosure by vacuum suction;
(d) after cutting said portions, removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum; and
(e) after removing said portions and after removing said trimmed plant material, ejecting a liquid within the enclosure by a plurality of nozzles of the plant processor.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein step (a) comprises receiving the plant material into the rotatable drum at a first end of the rotatable drum, and wherein step (d) comprises removing the trimmed plant material from the rotatable drum at a second end of the rotatable drum opposite the first end.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (b) comprises cutting said portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein cutting said portions by a first set of cutting reels associated with the first end and by a second set of cutting reels associated with the second end, the first set of cutting reels cutting less sharply than the second set of cutting reels, comprises operating said first set of cutting reels in reverse.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein step (b) comprises setting a first vacuum suction associated with the first end and a second vacuum suction associated with the second end, such that the first vacuum suction is greater than the second vacuum suction for a first duration and then the second vacuum suction is greater than the first vacuum suction for a second duration.
13. An apparatus for processing plant material, the apparatus having an enclosure attached to a frame, the apparatus comprising:
(a) cylindrical means for containing the plant material and rotating;
(b) exit means for permitting a portion of the plant material to exit the cylindrical means;
(c) cutting means for cutting the portion upon exiting via the exit means; and
(d) nozzle means for ejecting a liquid within the enclosure.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising vacuum means for facilitating the exiting of the portion via the exit means, and feeding means for feeding the plant material into the cylindrical means.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising stabilization means for adjusting a tilt of the apparatus.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising control means for controlling operations of at least one of the cylindrical means, the cutting means, the nozzle means, the vacuum means, the feeding means, and the stabilization means.
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US17/378,512 US20210339264A1 (en) | 2018-06-22 | 2021-07-16 | Apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material |
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US17/378,512 US20210339264A1 (en) | 2018-06-22 | 2021-07-16 | Apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material |
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US20160153159A1 (en) * | 2013-07-19 | 2016-06-02 | Compagnie Maritime D'expertises | Device and process of snow removal |
US10857542B2 (en) * | 2016-07-11 | 2020-12-08 | Keirton Inc. | Bearing block assembly for a plant trimming machine |
US11097282B2 (en) * | 2018-06-22 | 2021-08-24 | 1167586 B.C. Ltd. | Apparatus, method and system for wet or dry processing of plant material |
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US11766674B2 (en) * | 2020-11-20 | 2023-09-26 | Thomas Bruggemann | Open system cryo tumble trimmer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CA3047464A1 (en) | 2019-12-22 |
US20190388902A1 (en) | 2019-12-26 |
US11097282B2 (en) | 2021-08-24 |
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