WO2022213196A1

WO2022213196A1 - Apparatus and methods for manufacturing cannabis pre-rolls

Info

Publication number: WO2022213196A1
Application number: PCT/CA2022/050526
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lyndon WATT; Daniel Smith
Original assignee: Hexo Operations Inc.
Priority date: 2021-04-07
Filing date: 2022-04-06
Publication date: 2022-10-13

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for manufacturing pre-rolls, such as cannabis pre-rolls. A feeding device, which may be a vibratory feeding device, for plant material such as cannabis plant material, has a receptacle to receive plant material and a chute that is coupled to the receptacle to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area. The filling area is laterally offset from the receptacle. The plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll at the filling area. A flow path over which the plant material is to flow during feeding to the wrapper is substantially free from sharp edges. A machine may include one or more of such a device. A kit that includes one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of plant material through a feeding device is also disclosed, and example methods are disclosed as well.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING CANNABIS PRE-ROLLS

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is related to, and claims priority to, United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63/171 ,942, entitled “APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING CANNABIS PRE-ROLLS”, and filed on April 7, 2021 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to manufacturing cannabis products, and in particular to manufacturing cannabis pre-rolls. BACKGROUND

[0003] Increased demand for cannabis products, due to developments in legalization of cannabis for example, has created a need to transition from relatively low-volume, costly, and time consuming conventional manual or semi-manual procedures for manufacturing such products. For example, filling cannabis pre-rolls, which are also known as cannabis cigarettes, has largely been a manual process, and effectively ramping up to industrial scale cannabis pre-roll manufacturing remains a challenge.

SUMMARY

[0004] In accordance with various aspects, the present disclosure relates to machine-based manufacturing of cannabis pre-rolls. [0005] For example, in accordance with one aspect, there is provided a feeding device for plant material, the device comprising: a receptacle to receive plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll. A flow path over which the plant material is to flow during feeding to the wrapper is substantially free from sharp edges. [0006] The chute may provide an open channel or a closed channel between the receptacle and the filling area. [0007] The device may include an anti-adhesion coating on one or both of the receptacle and the chute.

[0008] The receptacle may include a base receptacle element and one or more receptacle inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base receptacle element.

[0009] The chute may include a base chute element and one or more chute inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base chute element.

[0010] The device may be a vibratory feeding device and further include a bracket coupled to the chute, to couple the device to a vibratory element of a pre-roll filling machine. [0011] One or both of the receptacle and the chute may made from a metal and/or a plastic.

[0012] The plant material may be or include cannabis plant material.

[0013] The device may include a feeder, in the filling area and coupled to the chute, to feed the plant material into the wrapper.

[0014] The feeder may include a base feeder element and one or more feeder inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base feeder element.

[0015] The feeder may be configured to accommodate a tamper to tamp the plant material in the wrapper.

[0016] The feeder may be made from a metal and/or a plastic. [0017] A machine for manufacturing pre-rolls may include such a feeding device and a dispensing device to dispense the plant material to the receptacle.

[0018] A multi-station machine for manufacturing pre-rolls may include, at each of multiple stations: a respective feeding device and a respective dispensing device to dispense the plant material to the receptacle of each feeding device. [0019] According to another aspect, a kit includes one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of plant material through a feeding device that includes: a receptacle to receive the plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll.

[0020] The one or more inserts may include one or both of: a receptacle insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the receptacle; and a chute insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the chute.

[0021] The one or more inserts may also or instead include a feeder insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in a feeder that is in the filling area and coupled to the chute, to feed the plant material into the wrapper.

[0022] An anti-adhesion coating may be provided on the one or more inserts.

[0023] A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method that involves providing a feeding device for plant material, the device comprising: a receptacle to receive plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area at which plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll. Such a method may also involve installing one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of the plant material through the feeding device.

[0024] The installing may involve coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device.

[0025] Coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device may involve coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener.

[0026] An anti-adhesion coating may be provided on the one or more inserts.

[0027] A method may involve providing an anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts.

[0028] Providing an anti-adhesion coating may involve forming the anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts. [0029] Providing an anti-adhesion coating may involve forming the anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts and on any one or more of the receptacle, a feeder, and the chute. [0030] The installing may involve any one or more of: installing a receptacle insert in the receptacle to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the receptacle; installing a feeder insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in a feeder that is in the filling area and coupled to the chute to feed the plant material into the wrapper; and installing a chute insert in the chute to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the chute.

[0031] Installing the receptacle insert may involve coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle.

[0032] Installing the feeder insert may involve coupling the feeder insert to the feeder. [0033] Installing the chute insert may involve coupling the chute insert to the chute.

[0034] Coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle may involve coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener.

[0035] Coupling the feeder insert to the feeder may involve coupling the feeder insert to the feeder using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener. [0036] Coupling the chute insert to the chute may involve coupling the chute insert to the chute using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener.

[0037] An anti-adhesion coating may be provided on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

[0038] A method may also involve providing an anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

[0039] Providing an anti-adhesion coating may involve forming the anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

[0040] Providing an anti-adhesion coating may involve forming the anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert, and on any one or more of the receptacle, the feeder, and the chute.

[0041] Providing a feeding device may involve providing a vibratory feeding device. [0042] The plant material may be or include cannabis plant material.

[0043] Other aspects and features of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0044] A detailed description of embodiments is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to drawings accompanying this description.

[0045] Figs. 1 to 7 are a top isometric view, opposite side plan views, opposite end plan views, and top and bottom plan views, respectively, of an example feeding device for plant material according to an embodiment. [0046] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an example receptacle with inserts according to another embodiment.

[0047] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an example chute with inserts according to a further embodiment.

[0048] Figs. 10 to 12 are top isometric, side plan, and top plan views, respectively, of another example feeding device for plant material according to a still further embodiment.

[0049] Fig. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method according to yet another embodiment.

[0050] It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for purposes of illustrating certain embodiments and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be and should not be limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] For illustrative purposes, specific example embodiments will be explained in greater detail below in conjunction with the figures. It should be appreciated, however, that the present disclosure provides many applicable concepts that can be embodied in any of a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. For example, other embodiments could include additional, different, and/or fewer features than those shown in the drawings. The figures are also not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0052] Some embodiments herein relate to manufacturing cannabis pre-rolls, which may also be referred to as cannabis cigarettes or joints, for example. Cannabis pre-rolls include cannabis plant material, which may include any part of the cannabis plant such as cannabis trim, cannabis flower (also called “cannabis bud”), cannabis kief, or any combination thereof. The plant material can be processed by removing any plant stems. The resulting cannabis material with stems removed can include both flower and trim, only cannabis trim or only cannabis flowers. Cannabis plant material is used herein to refer to content of cannabis pre-rolls, and is inclusive of mixtures of cannabis plant material with other smokable cannabis products, such as hashish, cannabis distillate, cannabis rosin (a solid form of resin produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene component), cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter (a translucent butane hash oil extract that looks like amber and has a consistency almost like hard candy butter) or other smokable materials, such as tobacco leaves. Optionally, the cannabis pre-rolls may contain fillers and/or additives that regulate burning. Among the fillers that can be used are calcium carbonate to influence the permeability and color, magnesium carbonate to improve ash color, or titanium oxide if a particularly white ash is required.

[0053] Cannabis plant material can be used for recreational and/or medicinal uses. For example, cannabis plant material can be used to achieve a desired effect in a user, such as a psychoactive effect, a physiological effect, or a treatment of a condition. By “psychoactive effect”, it is meant a substantial effect on mood, perception, consciousness, cognition, or behavior of a subject resulting from changes in the normal functioning of the nervous system. By “physiological effect”, it is meant an effect associated with a feeling of physical and/or emotional satisfaction. By “treatment of a condition”, it is meant the treatment or alleviation of a disease or condition by absorption of cannabinoid(s) at sufficient amounts to mediate therapeutic effects. In certain embodiments, the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of pain, anxiety, an inflammatory disorder, a neurological disorder, a psychiatric disorder, a malignancy, an immune disorder, a metabolic disorder, a nutritional deficiency, an infectious disease, a gastrointestinal disorder, and a cardiovascular disorder. Preferably the disease or condition is pain. In other embodiments, the disease or condition is associated with the feeling of physical and/or emotional satisfaction.

[0054] Cannabis cigarettes have traditionally been manually filled by consumers. There have also more recently been developments in manufacturing cannabis pre-rolls using machines to fill pre- roll wrappers. Wrappers are also referred to as cones, and machines for filling cones and manufacturing cannabis pre-rolls may also be referred to as cone filling machines or pre-roll filling or manufacturing machines. Feeding or conveying cannabis plant material in such machines, from a supply of cannabis plant material to a wrapper for filling, can be a significant bottleneck and production challenge in current machines. According to embodiments herein, a plant material feeding device has features that facilitate better flow of such material, thereby potentially increasing production. Examples of such features include avoidance of sharp edges or corners along a flow path of the plant material and, in some embodiments, anti-adhesion coating(s). A vibratory cannabis plant material feeding device, also generally known as a feed tray, may be designed according to the present disclosure to have a rounded receptacle and/or rounded edges, for example in a chute or channel area and drop or intake area at which cannabis plant material is dispensed to the feed tray.

[0055] The present disclosure is based in part on a new recognition that properties of cannabis plant material can cause challenges for automated processing and manufacture. For example, resin content can cause cannabis plant material to stick together and/or to stick to parts of a processing machine, impeding flow of the material and thereby shortening machine operating cycles, increasing machine cleaning and/or maintenance time, reducing accuracy and consistency of pre-roll fill levels, and decreasing production.

[0056] Some conventional feed tray designs have square or rectangular angles or transitions in a drop area and chute along which cannabis plant material is to be conveyed or fed for cone filling, and it is postulated that a new design with rounded shapes or edges improves flow and passing of cannabis plant material through a feed tray all to the way to a cone filling or assembly area. Sharp, hard, abrupt, or creased edges, such as 90° angles as in some previous designs, may cause partial retention of cannabis plant material, and this accumulated material may be subjected to increased heat exposition, thereby releasing resin, further blocking the flow of cannabis plant material, and impacting the amount of resin that remains in cannabis plant material that is successfully fed to empty cones.

[0057] In some embodiments, less rejection of pre-rolls that do not satisfy desired criteria has been observed, and feed trays with rounded edges require less cleaning. Less cleaning also means less stopping of a machine to clean, thereby reducing time loss.

[0058] As an example, testing results of a feed tray as disclosed herein, consistent with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12 and coated with an anti-adhesion or non-stick coating (Lectrofluor™ 605) generated the following test results. See the “New tray” column in Table 1 below. Test results for comparative “Old tray” examples are also provided below. Machine 1 and Machine 2 refer to identical cone filling machines with two augers per machine to dispense cannabis plant material into vibrating feed trays. For test purposes, one feed tray in one machine was replaced with a feed tray consistent with the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 10 to 12. Test results are provided in units of number of pre-rolls unless otherwise indicated.

Table 1 - Example Test Results [0059] The numbers of underweight and overweight pre-rolls are significantly lower for the new tray than for the comparative examples, number of unsettled pre-rolls is significantly lower for the new tray than for two of the three comparative examples, the number of accepted pre-rolls is significantly higher for the new tray than for the comparative examples, the percentage of rejects (not meeting target criteria - in this example the total of underweight, overweight, and unsettled) relative to total number of pre-rolls is significantly higher for the new tray than for the comparative examples, and the run-rate is also significantly higher for the new tray than for the comparative examples. These test results illustrate substantial improvements in productivity of embodiments disclosed herein.

[0060] A feeding device incorporating features as disclosed herein may also or instead have additional benefits linked to the specifics of a filling machine, with respect to any of various aspects of machine operation. For example, improved feeding of plant material may enable software optimization, or more generally adjustment of operating parameters, to potentially achieve benefits such as even higher improvement in rejection rate (“Rejects %” in Table 1), longer operating cycles between cleaning, higher feed rate of plant material, and/or an even higher run-rate than indicated in Table 1.

[0061] In the present disclosure, a vibratory feeding device for cannabis plant material is used as an illustrative example of a feeding device, and other features may also or instead be referenced in the context of vibratory feeding and/or cannabis. There may be other ways, instead of or in addition to vibration, to convey plant material to an assembly or filling area. Features herein may also or instead apply to other types of plant material, such as tobacco for example, mixed or not mixed with cannabis plant material. Vibratory feeding and cannabis plant material are therefore illustrative examples of features that may be provided in some embodiments. The problems recognized by the present inventors may be more prevalent in vibratory feeding devices and/or specifically with cannabis plant material because of one or ore of its characteristics such as resin content, but there may be embodiments in which features disclosed herein are applied to other types of feeding devices and/or other types of plant material.

[0062] Figs. 1 to 7 are a top isometric view, opposite side plan views, opposite end plan views, and top and bottom plan views, respectively, of an example feeding device 10 for plant material, according to an embodiment. Various features of the example feeding device 10 are described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7.

[0063] The example feeding device 10 includes a receptacle 20 to receive plant material; a feeder 30, laterally offset from the receptacle, to feed the plant material into an open wrapper such as a cone for a pre-roll; and a chute 40, coupled to the receptacle and to the feeder, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to the feeder. The receptacle 20 may also be referred to as a bowl, trough, or (vibratory) feed hopper. The feeder 30 may also be referred to as a nozzle, funnel, feeding tube, or filling tube. The chute 40 may also be referred to as a channel or track.

[0064] A feeder 30 is shown in the example feeding device 10, but need not necessarily be part of a feeding device. For example, the feeder 30 may be a separate part, incorporated into or integrated with the chute 40, or not provided at all. More generally, a feeding device may include a receptacle and a chute that is coupled to the receptacle to convey plant material from the receptacle to a filling area. The filling area is laterally offset from the receptacle, and is an area at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll. A feeder may be provided in the filling area and coupled to the chute in some embodiments, to feed the plant material into the wrapper. A cone as referenced herein is an example of a wrapper, but embodiments are not in any way restricted to wrappers that are cone shaped, cylindrical, or any other shape.

[0065] As shown by way of example in Fig. 2, the receptacle 20 is configured to receive plant material 60 at 62, which is referenced above as a drop area, from a larger hopper or other supply element or component. In a vibratory feeding device embodiment, when the device 10 is vibrated, plant material that has been fed into the chute 40 from the receptacle 20 through an outlet 22 (Fig. 6) is fed along the chute toward the feeder 30. There may be other ways to move plant material through a receptacle and/or along a chute. The feeder 30 feeds an amount of plant material 66 into an open wrapper 68 as shown at 64. 62 and 64 illustrate a type of offset feed for plant material, in that an intake or inlet direction at 62 and a filling or outlet direction at 64 are laterally offset, and the chute 40 provides a lateral feed between the receptacle 20 and the feeder 30. The intake direction at 62 and/or the outlet direction at 64 may be parallel or substantially parallel, and be vertical or substantially vertical in some embodiments to enable gravity feed into the receptacle 20 and from the receptacle into the chute 40, and/or from the chute through the feeder 30 and into the open wrapper 68. The chute 40 may be oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to either or both of the receptacle 20 and the feeder 30, and is horizontal or substantially horizontal in some embodiments.

[0066] The receptacle 20 is rounded and has no sharp corners or edges to impede flow of plant material in some embodiments. A hemispherical or substantially hemispherical shape as shown has an interior surface that is free from sharp corners or edges. A frustoconical receptacle is similarly free from sharp interior corners or edges. An edge at an outlet 22 (Fig. 6) may also or instead be rounded, chamfered, or otherwise smoothed, softened, eased to reduce edge sharpness and facilitate flow of plant material along a flow path between the receptacle 20 and the feeder 30.

[0067] The feeder 30 has a substantially frustoconical shape in the example shown, with a slanted side wall 34 (Fig. 2), and a tip or end portion with a straight side wall 36. The rounded end wall 46 may be part of the feeder 30, or part of the chute 40 and coupled to the feeder at 32.

[0068] The end wall 48 (Fig. 2) of the chute 40 is shown as a straight wall to illustrate that a flow path of plant material may, but need not necessarily, be entirely free from sharp edges. It may be more difficult and/or costly to manufacture a chute with two rounded end walls, and rounding the corner or edge at 48 may be of relatively little benefit compared to rounding other edges such as the interior edges along the chute side walls 42, 44 which lie along a much larger extent of the chute 40. The inside bottom edge at 48 in the view shown in Fig. 2 could be rounded in some embodiments, but this has not been shown in Figs. 1 to 7. As perhaps best shown in Fig. 4, the chute 40 is u-shaped and has a rounded bottom, thereby avoiding sharp corners along most of its length. The chute 40 may therefore be referred to as a u-shaped channel.

[0069] In some embodiments, the receptacle 20 and/or the chute 40 include a connector or coupling to couple the receptacle and the chute together. Such a connector or coupling could be releasable or non-releasable. Any of various types of connectors or couplings may be used to couple the receptacle 20 and the chute 40 together, and examples include a threaded coupling, one or more fasteners, a welded coupling, an adhesive coupling, a friction-fit coupling, and a snap-fit coupling. Multiple different types of connectors or couplings may be used.

[0070] These and/or other types of connectors or couplings may also or instead be used to couple the chute 40 to the end wall 46 and/or to couple the chute 40 (and/or the end wall 46) to the feeder 30). A bracket 50 is also shown in Figs. 1 to 7, and may be coupled to the chute 40 in any various ways, including at least the above examples.

[0071] Thus, in some embodiments a feeding device may include a receptacle, a chute that is coupled to the receptacle, and a feeder coupled to the chute. As noted elsewhere herein, a feeder may be a separate part, or incorporated into or integrated with the chute. Releasable connectors or couplings such as a threaded coupling may enable parts to be disconnected or decoupled from each other for cleaning, changing, or replacing parts, for example. Non-releasable connectors or couplings between parts that are incorporated into or integrated with each other, for example, may provide a more continuous flow path or fewer joints or edges between parts, thereby potentially improving flow of plant material by reducing areas or regions in which plant material may be more likely to stick and build up.

[0072] In the example feeding device 10, a flow path over which plant material is to flow during feeding to the wrapper 68 is substantially free from sharp edges, and has no sharp corners or edges along a majority of its extent. The inside surface of the receptacle 20 has no sharp edges, the elongate chute 40 is free of sharp edges along its length, and although the feeder 30 may have an internal edge or corner between its slanted side wall 34 and its straight side wall 36, this edge or corner may be a high-angle corner that is not expected to significantly impede flow of plant material. Edges or corners at sharp angles, for example 90° or less, are expected to be most problematic, and in some embodiments at least a majority of corners or edges are transitions that have a radius and no 90° corners.

[0073] The feeding device 10 is an example, and variations are possible. For example, the chute 40 in the example device 10 is open at its top along its length. In other embodiments, the chute may be closed along party or substantially all of its length, to protect against debris or contaminants entering the chute and/or plant material spilling over the sides 42, 44 of the chute. Thus, a chute may provide an open channel or a closed channel between a receptacle and a feeder.

[0074] In some embodiments, there is an anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle, the feeder, and the chute. A food-grade anti-adhesion coating may be used, for example, and one example of such a coating is provided above.

[0075] The example device 10 includes elements or components 20, 30, 40 that are substantially free from sharp corners or edges. In other embodiments, base elements or components with sharp corners or edges may be retrofitted with inserts to soften or ease such corners or edges. For example, a receptacle may include a base receptacle element and one or more receptacle inserts to fill (at least partially) an inside sharp corner and/or cover (at least partially) an outside sharp corner along a flow path in or through the base receptacle element. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an example receptacle that includes a base receptacle element 80 with inserts 92, 94, 96, 98 according to another embodiment. 82 and 84 are examples of what are referred to herein as sharp inside corners or edges (e.g., a corner or edge of an angle that opens inward, toward a feeding device interior), and the upper edges at 86, 88 are examples of what are referred to herein as outside corners or edges (e.g., a corner or edge of an angle that opens outward, away from a feeding device interior). The receptacle inserts 92, 94 are provided to fill an inside sharp corner 82, 84 along a flow path of plant material from the top to the bottom in the view shown in Fig. 8, and the receptacle inserts 96, 98 cover (at least partially) an outside sharp corner along the flow path through the base receptacle element. Although labelled separately in Fig. 8, 92 and 94 may be provided as a single insert with an outside shape or profile that complements the shape of the base receptacle element 80. Similarly, 96 and 98 may be provided as a single insert with an outside shape or profile that complements the shape of the base receptacle element 80 at 86, 88.

[0076] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an example chute that includes a base chute element 1000 with inserts 1006, 1008 according to a further embodiment. In the example shown, the inserts 1006, 1008 are provided to fill an inside sharp corner 1002, 1004, but more generally one or more chute inserts may be provided to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in a base chute element. Although labelled separately in Fig. 9, 1006 and 1008 may be provided as a single insert with an outside shape or profile that complements the shape of the base receptacle element 80. Similarly, 96 and 98 may be provided as a single annular insert that complements the shape of the base receptacle element 80 at 86, 88.

[0077] A feeder may include a base feeder element and one or more feeder inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base feeder element. A feeder insert has an outside shape or profile that complements the shape of the base feeder element. Although not explicitly shown in the drawings, the example shown in Fig. 8 is also illustrative of a feeder and feeder inserts that may be provided in some embodiments.

[0078] A plant material feeding device as disclosed herein is intended for use in, or in conjunction with, a machine such as a cone filling machine or a pre-roll filling or manufacturing machine in some embodiments. Such a machine may provide other elements or features, such as a tamper to compact or tamp the plant material that has been fed into an open wrapper, for example. In an embodiment, a feeder is configured to accommodate a tamper. The central passage or aperture 38 (Fig. 6) in the example feeder 30, for example, may not only enable plant material to be fed into an open wrapper, but also enable a tamper rod or other element to pass through the feeder and into the open wrapper that has been at least partially filled.

[0079] The bracket 50 is illustrative of another component or element that enables the example feeding device 10 to be used with a machine. In an embodiment, the bracket 50 coupled to the chute 40, and is provided to couple the device 10 to a vibratory element such as a vibratory plate or block of a machine. This is illustrative of an embodiment in which the device 10 is a vibratory feeding device. Elongate apertures 52 in the bracket 50 enable adjustable coupling or mounting of the example device 10, and round apertures 54 may also or instead be used for coupling or mounting the device to a machine.

[0080] A machine for manufacturing pre-rolls such as cannabis pre-rolls may include a (vibratory) feeding device as disclosed herein, and a dispensing device to dispense plant material to the receptacle.

[0081] In another machine embodiment, a multi-station machine for manufacturing pre-rolls such as cannabis pre-rolls includes, at each of multiple stations: a respective (vibratory) feeding device and a respective dispensing device to dispense plant material to the receptacle of each feeding device.

[0082] Other processing or manufacturing stations or components may be provided in a cone filling machine or a pre-roll manufacturing line. The embodiments herein are not in any way dependent upon any particular machine or line implementation.

[0083] Sizes and/or other properties or characteristics of a plant material feeding device may vary between embodiments.

[0084] Regarding material composition for example, any one or more of a receptacle, a feeder, and a chute may be made from or include a metal such as stainless steel, and/or a plastic. Other materials, such as aluminum, may also or instead be used, but stainless steel may generally be preferred to protect consumer health and safety.

[0085] Regarding physical dimensions, the following provides an illustrative and non-limiting embodiment: receptacle diameter: 4 inches (approximately 102 mm); rounded end wall 46 diameter: 0.315 inches (approximately 8 mm); axial height of receptacle plus chute: 3.344 inches (approximately 85 mm); axial height of feeder plus chute: 2.66 inches (approximately 68 mm); overall height of feeding device in axial direction of receptacle and feeder: 5.25 inches (approximately 133 mm); distance from feed end of chute to bracket: 3.31 inches (approximately 84 mm); overall length of chute including rounded end wall 46: 13.625 inches (approximately 346 mm).

[0086] Variations are expected, and dimensions may be different in other embodiments.

[0087] As noted above, in some embodiments a feeding device or parts thereof may be retrofitted with one or more inserts. Features disclosed herein may therefore be embodied in a kit that includes one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of plant material through a (vibratory) feeding device. Such a device may include: a receptacle to receive the plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll. A feeder may be provided in the filling area in some embodiments, and be coupled to the chute to feed the plant material into an open pre-roll wrapper.

[0088] A kit may include any one or more of: a receptacle insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the receptacle (as shown by way of example in Fig 8); a feeder insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the feeder; and a chute insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the chute (as shown by way of example in Fig 9).

[0089] An anti-adhesion coating may be provided on any, some, or all of the inserts that are provided in a kit.

[0090] Other embodiments may include other features or variations. Figs. 10 to 12 are top isometric, side plan, and top plan views, respectively, of another example feeding device for plant material according to a still further embodiment. The example device 1010 is substantially similar in structure to the example device 10, and includes a receptacle 1020, a chute 1040, a bracket 1050, and a feeder 1030. On a comparison of Figs. 1 and 10, it will be apparent that the example device 1010 includes additional components 1062, 1064 between the receptacle 1020 and the chute 1040. As shown in Fig. 11, the receptacle 1020 of example device 1010 also has an outlet 1022 that is different in shape from the outlet 22 shown in Fig. 6.

[0091] The components 1062, 1064 may be brackets or structural elements that are coupled to both the receptacle 1020 and the chute 1040, to provide more material to couple the receptacle to the chute. The components 1062, 1064 may also or instead be provided as spill guards or elements to help reduce or avoid spills of plant material that is dropped or otherwise dispensed into the receptacle 1020 and through the outlet 1022 into the chute 1040.

[0092] As shown in Fig. 11, the outlet 1022 is extended or elongated along a flow direction in which plant material is to be conveyed and is also widened in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction. Either or both of these outlet features may be used to provide a larger outlet, which may in turn reduce the likelihood of plant material coming into contact with and/or remaining in the receptacle 1020 instead of being fed along the chute 1040 to the feeder 1030. In the view shown in Fig. 11, it can be seen that the elements 1062, 1064 may redirect or deflect plant material that might otherwise be dropped or fed through the outlet 1022 and outside the chute 1040 (toward the top and bottom of the outlet 1022 in the view in Fig. 11) into the chute. [0093] Figs. 10 to 12 also illustrate a variation in mounting bracket structure. The bracket 50 of the example device 10 is coupled to the example device at a bottom of the chute. In the example device 1010, the bracket 1050 is a two-piece bracket that is coupled to opposite side walls of the chute 1040.

[0094] Other variations may be or become apparent to those skilled in the art. [0095] Method embodiments are also possible, and Fig. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method according to yet another embodiment.

[0096] The method 1310 involves providing a feeding device at 1312. The feeding device referenced at 1312 is a feeding device for plant , and may include a receptacle to receive plant material; optionally a feeder to feed the plant material into an open wrapper for a pre-roll; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle (and to the feeder if provided), to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into an open wrapper for a pre-roll. The method 1310 relates to retrofitting such a feeding device, and involves installing, at 1314, one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of the plant material through the feeding device. [0097] The feeding device at 1312 need not necessarily be manufactured or supplied by the same entity as the insert(s) installed at 1314. A feeding device and one or more inserts may be purchased from different suppliers, for example. An entity that installs the insert(s) may or may not be the entity by which the feeding device is manufactured. Either or both of a feeding device and insert(s) may be provided by manufacture or by purchase. In general, a feeding device and insert(s) may be manufactured by and/or purchased from different entities, and the insert(s) may be installed by an entity that may or may not have manufactured the feeding device or the insert(s).

[0098] The installing at 1314 may involve coupling the one or more inserts to a feeding device, using one or more of an adhesive, a fastener, and/or other types of connectors or couplings. An insert may be manufactured with an adhesive backing, for example, to facilitate retrofit of a feeding device. [0099] As disclosed elsewhere herein, an anti-adhesion coating may be provided on the one or more inserts. Such a coating may be pre-installed on an insert, or a method may involve providing an anti-adhesion coating on the insert(s). By way of example, Fig. 13 illustrates an optional feature of providing an anti-adhesion coating by forming the anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts at 1316.

[0100] A coating may be formed on the insert(s), or on both the insert(s) and any one or more of the receptacle, the feeder, and the chute. For example, an insert may be installed, and then an antiadhesion coating may be formed on the insert and one or more feeding device components.

[0101] As noted elsewhere herein, any of several different types of inserts may be provided. A method may therefore include, for example, any one or more of: installing a receptacle insert in a receptacle to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path in the receptacle; installing a feeder insert in a feeder to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path in the feeder; and installing a chute insert in a chute to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path in the chute. Installing the receptacle insert may involve coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle, installing the feeder insert may involve coupling the feeder insert to the feeder, and similarly installing the chute insert may involve coupling the chute insert to the chute. In any of these examples, the coupling the insert to the receptacle, to the feeder, or to the chute using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener and/or another type of connector or coupling. [0102] An anti-adhesion coating may be provided on any one or more of a receptacle insert, a feeder insert, and a chute insert, and on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert in some embodiments. Such an anti-adhesion coating may be provided by forming the anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert, and in some embodiments also on any one or more of the receptacle, the feeder, and the chute.

[0103] Certain additional elements that may be involved in operation of some embodiments may not have been described or illustrated herein as they are assumed to be within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain embodiments may be free of, may lack and/or may function without any element that is not specifically disclosed herein. [0104] Any feature of any embodiment discussed herein may be combined with any feature of any other embodiment discussed herein in some examples of implementation.

[0105] Although various embodiments and examples have been presented, this was for purposes of describing, but should not be limiting. Various modifications and enhancements will become apparent to those of ordinary skill and are within a scope of this disclosure.

[0106] While the present disclosure refers to specific features and embodiments, various modifications and combinations can be made thereto. The description and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded simply as an illustration of some embodiments of the invention as defined by the appended claims, and are contemplated to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents that fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, although embodiments and potential advantages have been described in detail, various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments of any process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufactures, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A feeding device for plant material, the device comprising: a receptacle to receive plant material; a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll; wherein a flow path over which the plant material is to flow during feeding to the wrapper is substantially free from sharp edges

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the chute provides an open channel or a closed channel between the receptacle and the filling area.

3. The device of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an anti-adhesion coating on one or both of the receptacle and the chute.

4. The device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the receptacle comprises a base receptacle element and one or more receptacle inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base receptacle element.

5. The device of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the chute comprises a base chute element and one or more chute inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base chute element.

6. The device of any one of claims 1 to 5, the device comprising a vibratory feeding device and further comprising: a bracket coupled to the chute, to couple the device to a vibratory element of a pre-roll filling machine.

7. The device of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one or both of the receptacle and the chute is made from a metal.

8. The device of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein one or both of the receptacle and the chute is made from a plastic.

9. The device of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plant material comprises cannabis plant material.

10. The device of any one of claim 1 to 9, further comprising: a feeder, in the filling area and coupled to the chute, to feed the plant material into the wrapper.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the feeder comprises a base feeder element and one or more feeder inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the base feeder element.

12. The device of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the feeder is configured to accommodate a tamper to tamp the plant material in the wrapper.

13. The device of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the feeder is made from a metal.

14. The device of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the feeder is made from a plastic.

15. A machine for manufacturing pre-rolls, the machine comprising: a feeding device of any one of claims 1 to 14; a dispensing device to dispense the plant material to the receptacle.

16. A multi-station machine for manufacturing pre-rolls, the machine comprising at each of multiple stations: a respective feeding device of any one of claims 1 to 14; a respective dispensing device to dispense the plant material to the receptacle of each feeding device.

17. A kit comprising one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of plant material through a feeding device that includes: a receptacle to receive the plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area, laterally offset from the receptacle, at which the plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll.

18. The kit of claim 17, wherein the one or more inserts comprise one or both of: a receptacle insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the receptacle; a chute insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the chute.

19. The kit of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the one or more inserts comprise: a feeder insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in a feeder that is in the filling area and coupled to the chute, to feed the plant material into the wrapper.

20. The kit of any one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising an anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts.

21. A method comprising: providing a feeding device for plant material, the device comprising: a receptacle to receive plant material; and a chute, coupled to the receptacle, to convey the plant material from the receptacle to a filling area at which plant material is to be fed into a wrapper for a pre-roll; installing one or more inserts to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along a flow path of the plant material through the feeding device.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the installing comprises coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device comprises coupling the one or more inserts to the feeding device using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener.

24. The method of any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein an anti-adhesion coating is provided on the one or more inserts.

25. The method of any one of claims 21 to 23, further comprising: providing an anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein providing an anti-adhesion coating comprises forming the anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein providing an anti-adhesion coating comprises forming the anti-adhesion coating on the one or more inserts and on any one or more of the receptacle, a feeder, and the chute.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the installing comprises any one or more of: installing a receptacle insert in the receptacle to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the receptacle; installing a feeder insert to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in a feeder that is in the filling area and coupled to the chute to feed the plant material into the wrapper; installing a chute insert in the chute to fill an inside sharp corner and/or cover an outside sharp corner along the flow path in the chute.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein installing the receptacle insert comprises coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle; wherein installing the feeder insert comprises coupling the feeder insert to the feeder; wherein installing the chute insert comprises coupling the chute insert to the chute.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle comprises coupling the receptacle insert to the receptacle using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener; wherein coupling the feeder insert to the feeder comprises coupling the feeder insert to the feeder using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener; wherein coupling the chute insert to the chute comprises coupling the chute insert to the chute using one or both of an adhesive and a fastener.

31. The method of any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein an anti-adhesion coating is provided on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

32. The method of any one of claims 28 to 30, further comprising: providing an anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein providing an anti-adhesion coating comprises forming the anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein providing an anti-adhesion coating comprises forming the anti-adhesion coating on any one or more of the receptacle insert, the feeder insert, and the chute insert, and on any one or more of the receptacle, the feeder, and the chute.

35. The method of any one of claims 21 to 34, wherein providing a feeding device comprises providing a vibratory feeding device.

36. The method of any one of claims 21 to 35, wherein the plant material comprises cannabis plant material.