Compaction apparatus and related methods
A method of compacting a smokeable product in a cone for production of smoking articles is disclosed. The method includes aligning a respective cone held in a cone pallet with a pin. The cone contains a volume of the smokeable product and has an open upper end. The method further includes advancing the pin into the volume of the smokeable product through the open upper end of the cone; and withdrawing the pin from the volume of the smokeable product. The volume of the smokeable product has an empty column formed therein when the pin is withdrawn. The method further includes vibrating the cone pallet to induce collapse of the smokeable product into the column.
1. A method of compacting a smokeable product in a cone for production of smoking articles, the method comprising:
a) aligning a respective cone held in a cone pallet with a pin, the cone containing a volume of the smokeable product and having an open upper end;
b) advancing the pin into the volume of the smokeable product through the open upper end of the cone;
c) withdrawing the pin from the volume of the smokeable product, the volume of the smokeable product having an empty column formed therein when the pin is withdrawn; and
d) vibrating the cone pallet to induce collapse of the smokeable product into the column.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pin is completely withdrawn from the volume of the smokeable product prior to performing (d).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein (d) includes vibrating the cone pallet horizontally.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: (e) repeating (b) to (d) to perform a plurality of successive compaction cycles.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein (b) includes inserting the pin into the cone to an insertion depth, wherein the insertion depth varies between two or more of the compaction cycles.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the insertion depth is less for each subsequent compaction cycle relative to an immediately preceding compaction cycle.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when the pin is in the volume of the smokeable product, vibrating the pin to induce settlement of the smokeable product in the cone.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising urging a tamping face downwardly against an upper surface of the smokeable product to exert a compressive force thereon.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the tamping face is urged downwardly after (d).
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising vibrating the tamping face at least when the tamping face is urged downwardly.
11. A compaction apparatus for compacting a smokeable product in production of smoking articles, comprising:
a) a frame for removably receiving a cone pallet, the cone pallet including a plurality of cavities, each cavity holding a respective cone filled with a volume of the smokeable product, each cone having an open upper end;
b) a compaction mechanism supported by the frame, the compaction mechanism including:
(i) at least one pin extending along a pin axis and alignable above the open upper end of a respective cone, and when aligned, the pin movable relative to the cone pallet from a pin retracted position, in which the pin is spaced apart from the smokeable product in the cone, toward a pin advanced position in which a lower portion of the pin is inserted into the volume of the smokeable product in the respective cone, the pin forming an empty column in the volume of the smokeable product when withdrawn; and
(ii) a pallet vibratory drive coupled to the cone pallet when the pallet is received in the frame for vibrating the cone pallet to induce collapse of the smokeable product into the column.
12. The compaction apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the pallet vibratory drive is operable to impart horizontal vibrations to the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame.
13. The compaction apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a platform supported by the frame, the platform for supporting the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame, and the pallet vibratory drive coupled to the platform for imparting vibrations thereto.
14. The compaction apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the compaction mechanism comprises a pin vibratory drive coupled to the pin, the pin vibratory drive operable to vibrate the pin at least when the pin is in the pin advanced position to induce settlement of the smokeable product in the respective cone.
15. A compaction apparatus for compacting a smokeable product in production of smoking articles, comprising:
a) a frame for removably receiving a cone pallet, the cone pallet including a plurality of cavities, each cavity holding a respective cone filled with a volume of the smokeable product, each cone having an open upper end;
b) a compaction mechanism supported by the frame, the compaction mechanism including:
i. at least one pin extending along a pin axis and alignable above the open upper end of a respective cone, and when aligned, the pin is movable relative to the cone pallet from a pin retracted position, in which the pin is spaced apart from the smokeable product in the cone, toward a pin advanced position in which a lower portion of the pin is inserted into the volume of the smokeable product in the respective cone; and
ii. at least one tamping rod separate from the pin and having a tamping face alignable above the open upper end of the respective cone, and when aligned, the tamping face is moveable relative to the cone pallet from a tamping retracted position in which the tamping face is spaced apart from the smokeable product in the cone, toward a tamping advanced position in which the tamping face is urged downwardly against an upper surface of the volume of smokeable product to exert a compressive force thereon.
16. The compaction apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the compaction mechanism includes a carriage movably supported by the frame, and one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod is mounted to the carriage.
17. The compaction apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the carriage is movable between a carriage retracted position and a carriage advanced position, wherein when the carriage is in the carriage retracted position, the one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod is horizontally clear of the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame, and when the carriage is in the carriage advanced position, the one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod is alignable with the respective cavity of the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame.
18. The compaction apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the other one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod is generally fixed relative to the frame and is above the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame.
19. The compaction apparatus of claim 17 , wherein when the carriage is in the carriage advanced position, the one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod is below and in alignment with the other one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod.
20. The compaction apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the compaction mechanism includes at least one horizontal carriage rail supported by the frame, and wherein the carriage is slidably mounted on the rail for translation along the rail between the carriage retracted position and the carriage advanced position.
21. The compaction apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the rail is at an elevation above the one of the at least one pin and the at least one tamping rod when the carriage is in the carriage advanced position.
22. The compaction apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the rail is at an elevation above a tip of the at least one pin when the at least one pin is in the pin advanced position, and above the tamping face when the tamping face is in the tamping advanced position.
23. The compaction apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising a pallet actuator supported by the frame and including a vertically translatable platform, the platform for supporting the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame, and the platform vertically translatable relative to the frame for translating the cone pallet among a lowered position, a first raised position above the lowered position, and a second raised position above the first raised position, the lowered position corresponding to the pin retracted position and the tamping retracted position, the first raised position corresponding to one of the pin advanced position and the tamping advanced position, and the second raised position corresponding to the other one of the pin advanced position and the tamping advanced position.
24. The compaction apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the rail is at an elevation above the cone pallet when the cone pallet is in the second raised position.
25. The compaction apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the compaction mechanism comprises a pin vibratory drive coupled to the pin for vibrating the pin at least when the pin is in the pin advanced position.
26. The compaction apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the compaction mechanism includes at least one tamping vibratory drive coupled to the tamping rod for vibrating the tamping face at least when the tamping face is in the tamping advanced position.
27. The compaction apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the compaction mechanism includes a pallet vibratory drive coupled to the cone pallet when the cone pallet is received in the frame for vibrating the cone pallet.
28. The compaction apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the pin tip has a pin tip diameter, and the tamping face has a tamping face diameter greater than the pin tip diameter.