Patent Publication Number: US-2022225661-A1

Title: Systems and methods for automated production of cigarettes

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a divisional application which claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/555,891, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED PRODUCTION OF CIGARETTES, filed on Aug. 29, 2019, (to be patented Ser. No. as 11,291,238 on Apr. 5, 2022) which claims priority to Provisional Patent Application No. 62/724,955, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATED PRODUCTION OF CIGARETTES, filed Aug. 30, 2018, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates, generally, to the automated preparation and rolling of cigarettes and, more particularly, to the simultaneous pinching and twisting of an open end of each cigarette. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the use of cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. Nevertheless, even in jurisdictions where cannabis has to some extent been legalized, the cultivation, testing, distribution, and consumption of cannabis products remain highly regulated. 
     Cannabis may be consumed in a variety of non-inhalable forms, such as tinctures, ingestible oils, and infused food products, but inhalable products such as cannabis cigarettes remain widely popular. Currently known methods for large-scale production of cannabis cigarettes are unsatisfactory in a number of respects, however. For example, known cigarette rolling machines require a significant amount of operator interaction, particularly with respect to handing the raw material, loading rolling papers, addressing filling inconsistencies, and the like. Furthermore, the inherent tackiness or stickiness of some material (such as cannabis) makes it difficult to dispense the material in a robust and continuous fashion due to clumping or “bridging” of the material during operation. 
     In addition, presently known systems lack the ability to replicate the look and feel of hand rolled cigarettes, particularly with regard to the familiar twisted end popularized in the 1960&#39;s. Furthermore, such systems are unable to track the raw material (e.g., cannabis material) and associate that material with individual cigarettes produced during the process. 
     Systems and methods are therefore needed that overcome these and other limitations of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Various embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for, inter alia: i) preparing, within an enclosed and automated system, finished tobacco, cannabis, and other cigarettes from pre-rolled cones and dried raw (e.g., cannabis) product; ii) feeding dry shake material into cones in a precise manner using an auger assembly with integrated follower gears and pins; iii) preventing clogs during dispensing of dry shake material using the intermittent injection of pressurized air; iv) grinding and collecting raw cannabis material to produce cannabis shake for metered dispensing within pre-rolled cones; v) tamping pre-rolled cones upon determining that the pre-rolled cones contain a predetermined amount of cannabis shake material; vi) simultaneously pinching and twisting a free end of the filled cigarette; vii) tracking and accounting for cannabis material by mapping input cannabis material to finished cannabis cigarettes using indicia printed on the pre-rolled cones; and viii) an automated subsystem configured to seal the open end of a pre-rolled cone using an anvil component having a threaded central bore configured to receive a motor-driven threaded rod, and first and second side blocks slideably engaging the anvil component and having pinching fingers rigidly coupled thereto. 
     Various other embodiments, aspects, and features are described in greater detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and: 
         FIG. 1  is a conceptual block diagram of an automated cigarette production system in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic illustration of the components of an automated cigarette production system in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates various pinch-twisted cigarette ends in accordance with example embodiments; 
         FIGS. 4A-4E  present examples of gripper finger configurations in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrates an automated cigarette production system in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a carousel for holding multiple empty cones in accordance with the automated cigarette production system of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C  are isometric and exploded views of a grinding/collection module in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are partial cut-away views of a feeder mechanism and auger assembly in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the feeder mechanism and auger assembly of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 10  is an isometric view of a feeder mechanism and associated funneling component; 
         FIG. 11  is an side view of a tamping module in accordance with various embodiments; 
         FIG. 12  is an isometric view of a cone stabilizing component in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a partial cut-away view illustrating a pinching module in accordance with one embodiment; 
         FIGS. 14A-14B  illustrated, conceptually, operation of the pinching module of  FIG. 13 ; and 
         FIG. 15  is a conceptual block diagram of the automated system of  FIG. 1  with additional components configured to track raw material to finished cigarettes using a bar code system. 
         FIGS. 16-23  present various display screens associated with a user interface in accordance with various embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     Various embodiments of the present invention relate to improved systems and methods for the automated production of rolled cigarettes, such as cannabis cigarettes. In that regard, the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the inventions or the application and uses of the inventions described herein. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description. 
       FIG. 1  is a conceptual block diagram of an automated cigarette production system in accordance with various embodiments. In general, cigarette production system (or simply “system”)  100  is configured to take, as inputs, raw material  101  (e.g., dry marijuana material or tobacco) as well as a set of empty pre-rolled cones  102  (e.g., paper or hemp cones) and produce as an output a set of completed, ready-to-smoke rolled cigarettes  180 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, system  100  generally includes a controller  103  and associated user interface  104  configured to control the various modules contained within system  100 , including indexing module  110  (and any associated motors in), collection module  120 , de-clogging module  125 , filling module  130 , tamping module  140 , pinching module  150 , and any other additional modules  160  (e.g. bar-code reading modules, material weighing modules, and the like). 
     The various modules may, as described in further detail below, be arranged in a sequence of “stations” through which the cones  102  pass (and stop temporarily) during processing. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , collection module  120  and filling module  130  may correspond to a station  191 , tamping module  140  might correspond to a station  192 , a station  193  might correspond to a pinching module  150 , and one or more other modules (such as a barcode reader module or the like) may correspond to a station  194 . Controller  103  may include various additional interfaces (e.g.,  105 ) for communicating with external systems, such as network components, databases, servers, and the like. 
     Raw material  101  may include any dry or substantially dry material of the type configured to be processed and packaged in a cigarette form. In one embodiment, for example, the raw material comprises cannabis in one or more forms, such as seeds, buds, leaves, and the like. In that regard, raw material  101  may be packaged in a variety of ways and may be characterized by a variety of attributes, such as weight, percentages of various components (e.g., flowers, leaves, etc.). 
     Pre-rolled cones  102  may include any conical or tubular structure (or other structure having one sealed end and one open end) manufactured from paper, hemp, or the like for holding raw material  101  during processing by system  100 . Cones  102  may be provided in a variety of lengths, such as 83 mm, 98 mm, 110 mm, 180 mm, or 280 mm. 
     While described in further detail below, collection module  120  is generally configured to prepare raw material  101  such that it can be dispensed into individual cones  102 , and toward this end may include a grinder or the like for further processing raw material  101 . Collection module will generally also include a hopper for storing the prepared dry material. 
     De-clogging module includes any component or set of components configured to prevent or mitigate the build-up or clumping of raw material and thereby avoid clogging the collection module  120  and/or filling module  130 . As described in further detail below, de-clogging module may include a pressurized air source and associated couplings configured to intermittently inject pressurized air into collection module  120  (e.g., the “hopper”) and/or filling module  130  to effectively dislodge any dry product that might aggregate together or otherwise impede the dispensing of material via filling module  130 . In other embodiments, a shaker or vibration source is mechanically coupled to collection module  120  and/or filling module  130  to break apart any such clumps of dry material. In some embodiments, the hopper or related components are chilled relative to room temperature in order to counteract the inherent stickiness or tackiness of the material. 
     Filling module  130  is generally configured to serially dispense, in a controlled and metered fashion (as commanded by controller  103 ), the prepared dry material (i.e., “cannabis shake”) into respective cones  102 . Tamping module  140  is generally configured to compress or “tamp down” the prepared dry material within each filled cone  102 . Finally, pinching module  150  is configured to pinch-twist the open ends of cones  102  to form the finished rolled cigarettes  180 . 
     In accordance with some embodiments, cones  102  are pre-processed prior to or during filling to enhance certain desirable characteristics of the finished cigarette. For example, a layer of kief (fine, crystalline dust), wax, oil, or other marijuana concentrate may be dispensed to form a thin layer on the inner surface of each cone. 
     Indexing module no is configured to move the cones  102  from station to station (e.g., sequentially through stations  191  to  194 ) to accomplish the above steps in sequence, preferably under the control of controller  103 . A suitable user interface  104  is provided to allow an operator to initially calibrate and/or dynamically configure various parameters of the automated process. That is, as detailed below, in one embodiment the raw material  101  and cones  102  are simply loaded within system  100  (which is enclosed and self-contained), and the automated process (initiated via user interface  104 ) continues until all of the cones  102  have been prepared as finished rolled cigarettes  180 . 
     In accordance with various embodiments, an array of sensors is provided to determine the state of selected system parameters with high precision. Such sensors may be configured, for example, to identify and report the position of the rotary table, the state of the feed mechanism, the state of the twisting, tamping, and fill sensor systems, and other such state information. A homing sensor allows the machine to determine, for example, the position of the rotary table and to continue filling at that location without requiring the operator to restart the fill sequence from the beginning. In accordance with one embodiment, the fill sensor allows the system to compensate for variations in fill speed, which will generally be a function of the physical characteristics of the dry material itself. 
     Referring now to the conceptual illustration shown in  FIG. 2  in conjunction with the block diagram of  FIG. 1 , the components of an automated cigarette production system  200  and method will now be described. 
     In general, empty cones  102  having a closed “bottom” end and open “top” end as illustrated move through the process from left to right as shown. The collection module  120  of  FIG. 1  is implemented as a grinder  201  and bottom hopper  202 , wherein grinder  201  is configured to convert bulk raw material  101  into more granular “shake” material for subsequent dispensing by the generally funnel-shaped hopper  202 . 
     Filling module  130  may be implemented as a feeder system  203  configured to dispense the shake material using, for example, an auger subassembly  204  and associated dispenser block  205 , into empty cones  102  to yield cones  252  filled with a predetermined quantity of un-tamped shake material. Pressurized air may be intermittently injected (via inlet  206 ) into hopper  202  (e.g., near the bottom) to thereby unsettle, disaggregate, or otherwise “de-clog” any dry material that has accumulated therein. 
     Tamping module  140  is implemented in this embodiment as two subsystems: a fill sensor  211  (e.g., an optical, capacitive, volume, or mass sensor) configured to determine whether a particular cone  102  has been sufficiently filled with prepared material, and a tamping component  212  configured (e.g., via a linear actuator) to compress the prepared material to form a packed cone  253 . As shown, fill sensor  211  may be positioned adjacent to (i.e., prior in sequence to) tamping component  212  such that tamping component  212  will only be actuated for cones that have been filled to some predetermined height or volume. In another embodiment, the fill sensor  211  (e.g., a capacitive sensor) is positioned orthogonal to cones  252  at the point of dispensing (e.g., adjacent to dispenser block  205 ) to thereby determine the fill level of each cone. 
     Pinching module  15 o is implemented, in the illustrated embodiment, as a pinch-twist system  221  configured to pinch close the open (top) ends of cones  102 , and then subsequently (or simultaneously) rotate by a predetermined amount (e.g., 360-1080 degrees) to effectively seal the open end and form the finished closed cigarette  262 . In this regard,  FIG. 3  illustrates various pinch-twisted cigarette ends in accordance with example embodiments, including, for example, a tightly coiled end  262 A and a larger, flower-like end  262 B. The particular end geometry will generally be a function of many factors, such as the number of rotations provided by pinch-twist system  221  and the geometry of the end-effector or gripper fingers used by system  221 . 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  present examples of gripper finger configurations in accordance with various embodiments. It will be understood that these are provided merely as examples, are not intended to be limiting, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Each of the figures shows, from top to bottom, the gripper fingers in their open position (relative to a cone-top  102 ), the gripper fingers in their substantially closed position, and the gripper fingers undergoing rotation. More particularly,  FIG. 4A  illustrates a gripping arrangement  410  including a pair of planar fingers  401 ;  FIG. 4B  illustrates a gripping arrangement  420  including four rectangular fingers  402  (in which their vertices meet in the center when closed);  FIG. 4C  illustrates a gripping arrangement  430  including three fingers  403 ; and  FIG. 4D  illustrates a gripping arrangement  440  including a pair of “Y”-shaped fingers  404  that can overlap or otherwise interlock as shown. 
       FIG. 4E  illustrates (in both top and inverted isometric views) an alternate gripper arrangement  411  including two matching gripper fingers  405  that contact each other (when closed) in a zig-zag pattern  416  having a central, circular cavity  415 . The face  435  of each finger  405  is characterized by three substantially planar regions that are parallel to the rotational axis of the assembly  411 : a first plane ( 441 ), a second plane ( 442 ,  443 ), and a third plane  444 . A central semi-cylindrical region  445  separates the two halves ( 442 ,  443 ) of the second plane, and corresponds to hole  415  in the top-down view. The central cavity  445  ends in a conical or flared opening  446 . This zig-zag configuration has been found to pull the material inward and the circular central cavity provides clearance for the twist to form. 
     While  FIGS. 4A-4D  illustrate rotation occurring after the respective gripper fingers have fully closed, the invention is not so limited. The gripper fingers may close and/or open gradually during rotation. That is, referring to  FIG. 4B  for example, the rate at which fingers  402  move radially inward and outward, and the rate at which rotation occurs (and the time at which each of those actions start and end) are fully controllable and configurable via controller  103  and user interface  104 . 
     In some embodiments, the pinch and twist action occurs in one continuous step. In other embodiments, the end of the cone is pinched, then allowed to relax before performing the final pinch and twist action. In one embodiment, for example the procedure includes: (1) closing the gripper on the paper; (2) applying two to three turns; (3) opening the gripper and allowing the twist to relax; (4) closing the gripper again; and (5) applying another 5 to 6 turns. 
     The various gripper fingers illustrated above may incorporate a variety of materials, including polymeric, rubber, or other compliant materials on their gripping surfaces. In some embodiments, a food-safe material is used, such as food-grade plastic, polyoxymethylene (e.g., Delrin), stainless steel, or the like. 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an automated cigarette production system  500  in accordance with one embodiment, the various components of which will be separately described in detail below. While not illustrated in  FIG. 5 , it will be understood that the moving parts of system  500  may be partially or wholly enclosed or shrouded, for example by a pair of transparent doors that articulate relative to base  530  such that the internal components are visible through clear side panels but are otherwise safely isolated to avoid inadvertent contact by an operator. 
     With continued reference to  FIG. 5A , system  500  generally includes a grinder mechanism  502  having a selectably lockable grinder lid  501 , a hopper  512 , a grinding motor  513 , feed motor  506 , auger assembly (or simply “auger”)  508 , funneling component  509 , feed mechanism  510 , tamping mechanism  514 , twisting mechanism  515 , lockable pivot joint  504  (allowing rotation of hopper  512  and grinder  502  to facilitate loading) and carousel  522  for holding cones  52 o in an upright position. Carousel  522  also includes a set of peripheral openings  525  that allow a cone stabilizing component to be inserted, as described in further detail below. 
     In some embodiments, grinder lid  501  is provided within an opening or aperture  530  (e.g., a 2-inch round opening) that allows raw material to be continuously provided (e.g., by a material handler, illustrated conceptually by block  560 ) to grinder  502 , removing the necessity for manually filling grinder  502  when its supply has been depleted. Furthermore, in some embodiments multiple systems  500  are configured to operate simultaneously and in parallel, receiving a supply of raw material from a common material handler  560 . 
     It will be appreciated that the user interface and controller components may be configured in a variety of ways, and that the overall footprint and form factor of system  500  may vary.  FIG. 5B , for example, shows an alternate embodiment of a system  550  that includes a separate (not physically integrated) human-machine-interface module  553 , which may be coupled to the functional components of system  550  through either a wired or wireless connection. System  550  further includes an enhanced control panel enclosure  551  and associated control system components coupled to a back portion of system  550 , as shown. 
       FIG. 6  is an isometric overview of carousel (or rotary table)  522 , which includes a series of peripheral conical cups  601  configured to hold the cones  102  in place as they move through the various stations of the system. Cups  6 oi are of sufficient height (relative to the cones  102 ) that they hold the cones in place, but are not so large that they interfere with any other subsystem, such as the pinch-twist subsystem described below. In one embodiment, cups  6 oi are approximately ¾ the height of the cones that are being used. 
     Carousel  522  is preferably mechanically coupled to a motor (not illustrated) via a lock nut  603  that can be hand-manipulated, thereby allowing different carousels  522  to be easily removed and inserted. Carousel  522  also includes a series of openings corresponding to respective cups  6 oi which allow physical access to a bottom portion of each cone when they are placed in their respective cups. Such physical access allows, for example, a selectively extendable and retractable cone stabilizer (illustrated in  FIG. 12 ) to hold the cone in place during pinch-twisting (as described in detail below). Openings  602  also allow visual inspection of the cones, for example, to allow bar-codes printed on the exterior of the cones to be viewed by a bar code reader. 
     While  FIG. 6  illustrates a single circular carousel, the invention is not so limited. In one embodiment, a robotic component is configured to automatically change out carousels, and is used in connection with a system that fills each carousel with cones and removes the finished cigarettes after processing. In a further embodiment, the cones are presented in a continuous, linear sequence, so that there is no requirement for changing out individual carousels (e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIGS. 7A and 7B  are isometric and exploded views, respectively, of a grinding/collection module in accordance with the automated cigarette production system of  FIG. 5 . In general, the grinding portion includes an upper container  720  configured to house a rotating grinding cone  730  having a number of radial tines  732  extending therefrom. Grinding cone  730  is suitable coupled via a shaft to a motor (not illustrated). Also illustrated is a screen  710  and a hopper  702 . Hopper  702  has an inclined bottom surface  711  configured to channel the dry, prepared material (e.g., cannabis shake) that falls through screen  710  to a dispensing region  761 . 
     In one embodiment, the configuration of tines  732  is selected based on one or more attributes of the raw material  101  as discussed above. That is, the number of tines, placement of tines, mechanical properties of the tines, etc. may be varied based on the nature of raw material  101 . For example, multiple grinding cones  730  (with associated tine configurations) may be provided, each configured to be easily removed and replaced within the upper container  720  based on one or more attributes of raw material  101 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7C , in one embodiment hopper  702  is provided with one or more inlet fixtures  751  or “air blow-off” fixtures that allow air or some other gas to be intermittently or constantly injected within the chamber of hopper  702 . 
     In some embodiments, items  710 ,  720 , and  730  are integrated into a single unit that can be removeably attached to hopper  702  and the associated motor. See, for example,  FIG. 7C , which shows a latch  760  that can be actuated to remove the top portion of the system away from hopper  702 . While not shown in the drawings, in such an embodiment the motor shaft may be configured to releasably engage the grinder cone  730  in an easy-to-use manner—e.g., through the use of a pair of mating, interlocking fixtures as seen in food blenders and the like. 
     In some embodiments, the dry material held within upper container  720  and/or hopper  702  is further enhanced to impart certain advantageous properties to the material. For example, a coolant module may be provided for cooling the dry material using, for example, a constant or intermittent supply of CO 2 , N 2 , or other cryogenic gas (injected, for example, through inlet fixtures  751 ). Such cooling reduces the effective “stickiness” of the dry material during processing. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate, in partial cut-away and exploded views, a feeder mechanism  800  in accordance with one embodiment. In general, mechanism  800  includes a feeder motor  801  (e.g., a stepper motor having about 0.1 degree resolution) connected to a drive shaft  802  that is mechanically connected (via coupling mechanism  803 ) to an auger  804  and extends downward at approximately a 45-degree angle (relative to vertical). Auger  804  includes helical flighting  812  formed around shaft  810  such that auger  804  fits within an inner bore  813  of dispenser block  816 . When auger  804  rotates (while driven by motor  801 ) the dry material that has been funneled into inner chamber  82 o is driven downward toward opening  814  of block  816 , which is positioned just above the open end of the unfilled cones. The tolerance between the outer diameter of auger  804  and the inner diameter of inner bore  813  is preferably small enough that there is no significant leakage of dry material along flighting  812 . 
     While a variety of auger configurations may be used, in accordance with one embodiment the outer diameter (OD) of shaft  810  is between 0.450 and 0.495 cm (preferably 0.476 cm), the pitch of flighting  812  is between 1.325 and 1.375 cm (preferably 1.350 cm), and the strip width of flighting  812  is between 0.219 and 0.241 cm (preferably 0.228 cm). Thus, the outer diameter of flighting  812  is given by  2  * strip width+shaft OD. In accordance with one embodiment, the inner diameter of bore  813  is approximately 0.980 cm, and the outer diameter of flighting  812  is approximately 0.933 cm. 
     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the distal end of auger  804  is substantially flush with the opening  814  of block  816 . In other embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 8B , the distal end of auger  804  is separated by a small distance  830  from opening  814  (e.g., about 1.0-10.0 mm from opening  814 ). 
     Also shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9  are pair of follower gears (or “auger gears”)  851  and  852  whose sprockets loosely engage with the flighting  812  of auger  804  such that gears  851  and  852  rotate in response to the rotation of auger  804 , thereby agitating and preventing the clogging of material in and around auger flighting  812 . In addition, as shown in  FIG. 9 , a set of pins  861  (e.g., three pins per gear) are provided at varying radii relative to the centers of each gear, and extend parallel to the rotational axis of the gears. These pins  861  further assist in breaking up any clumps of dry material within chamber  820 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, each gear  851 ,  852  rotates freely on respective axles  902  and  903 , which are inserted through respective openings  912  and  913  of block  916  and are accepted within openings/spacers  932 ,  933  of block  816 . A pair of spacers  922 ,  923  is provided to correctly position gears  851 ,  852  laterally such that the gears properly engage the flighting  812  of auger  804 . The number of gears used and the dimensions of each gear may vary, but in one embodiment gears  851  and  852  are substantially the same, and are characterized by 10 sprockets, an outer diameter of 1.25 inches, a thickness of 0.125 inches, a sprocket depth of about 0.172 inches, and a sprocket opening angle of about 56 degrees. 
     In accordance with various embodiments, one or more coatings are applied to the inner surfaces of blocks  916  and  816  (and/or any other surface that is in contact with the dry material) to prevent sticking or “bridging” of the material during dispensing. In one embodiment, for example, an oleophobic and/or hydrophobic coating is applied to the internal components (e.g., outside surface of the auger and inside surface of the hopper). 
       FIG. 10  is an isometric view of a feeder mechanism and associated funneling component as seen from the back (i.e., relative to the overview shown in  FIG. 5 ). More particularly, the funneling component  509  is shown with an inlet fixture or fitting  1001  having an inlet port  1002  for accepting pressurized air (or other inert gas) from, for example, an air-line leading from a compressor and regulator controlled via a solenoid or the like (e.g., via controller  103  of  FIG. 1 ). In accordance with one embodiment, a brief (e.g., less than one second) puff of pressurized air is injected near the lower apex of funneling component  509  to thereby prevent the clogging of the material that has accumulated therein. In one embodiment, the air is injected for approximately 0.5-1.0 seconds at the beginning of each fill cycle (e.g., just prior to actuating the auger assembly). 
     Also shown in  FIG. 10  is a sensor device  1005  (e.g., a capacitive sensor device) that is configured to determine whether an adjacent cone has been sufficiently filled with dry material. 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of a tamping module in accordance with various embodiments. As discussed above, the tamping module may include a fill sensor  1102  (e.g., a capacitive or optical sensor) configured to determine whether a cone  1121  contains a predetermined amount of dried material, along with a tamping device  1104  (e.g., a linear actuator) configured to selectively move a tamper  1103  vertically to suitably compress the prepared material in cone  1122 . As shown, fill sensor  1102  and tamping device  1104  may be adjacent to each other (e.g., one index position apart). The invention is not so limited, however. In an embodiment, controller  103  monitors and records which cones at which positions contain a threshold quantity of prepared material. In one embodiment, tamper  1103  is pneumatically actuated, but might also be implemented as a solenoid or the like. 
       FIG. 12  is an isometric view of a cone stabilizing component in accordance with one embodiment. As shown, stabilizer  1202  includes a linear actuator (e.g., a pneumatically actuated component) for selectively causing end  1203  (which may be provided with a rubber or other tip configured to frictionally engage a cone) to enter the corresponding opening  1204  in cup  1205  and impinge upon the bottom of the cone residing in the cup (not shown in  FIG. 12 ). The position and/or radial compression provided by stabilizer  1202  is preferably sufficient to prevent rotation of the cone during pinch-twisting but not so great that it causes deformation of the cone during the process. 
       FIG. 13  is a partial cut-away view illustrating a pinching module in accordance with one embodiment. An anvil  1305  is slideably coupled, via angled interlocking tracks, to opposing side blocks  1303  and  1304 . Side blocks  1303  and  1304  are mechanically coupled to pinch fingers  1301  and  1302  to form an end effector as shown. A threaded rod  1306  is threadedly coupled to a central bore within anvil  1305 , and is driven by a motor  1308  provided in the upper housing to actuate pinch fingers  1301  and  1302 . 
     Anvil  1305 , as well as side blocks  1303  and  1304 , are contained within a lower housing  1307  that is configured to rotate relative to the upper housing. That is, lower housing  1307  is coupled to a gear  1314  that mates with a corresponding gear  1310  driven by a motor  1312 . In this way, motor  1312  controls rotation of fingers  1301  and  1302  about an axis that corresponds to the axis of central threaded rod  1306 , while motor  1308  effectively controls the opening and closing of pinch fingers  1301  and  1302 . 
     By way of non-limiting example,  FIGS. 14A and 14B  illustrate, conceptually, operation of the pinching module of  FIG. 13 .  FIG. 14A  depicts the components in the “closed” position, in which pinch fingers  1301  and  1302  are in contact with each other. As shown in  FIG. 14B , however, when threaded rod  1306  is rotated, anvil  1305  is forced downward. As a result, side blocks  1303  and  1304 —which are slideably coupled to anvil  1305  through, for example, 45-degree slots—are forced radially outward, causing pinch fingers  1301  and  1302  to open. 
       FIG. 15  is a conceptual block diagram of the automated system of  FIG. 1  with additional components configured to track raw material to finished cigarettes using a bar code system. That is, systems in accordance with various embodiments are able to track, with a high degree of granularity, how raw material  101  is packaged (i.e., in cigarette form) and distributed. 
     As illustrated, cones  102  are provided with individual identification indicia (e.g., bar codes)  1502 . These bar codes  1502 , while illustrated as two-dimensional QR codes in the figure, may be any form of 1-D or 2-D bar code known now or later developed. The bar codes  1502  may be unique to each cone  102 , or may be unique to particular lots or packages of cones. Similarly, raw material  101  might include a bar code  1502  or other form of identifier that uniquely characterizes the source and/or nature of the material and which can be read and stored by controller  103 . 
     As illustrated, station  194  includes a barcode reader module  160  that is configured to read the bar codes  1502 . This may be performed, for example, by a bar code reading device configured to observe the barcode through the openings  602  of carousel  522  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Accordingly, controller  103  is able to determine, and store, the unique identity of each cone at each index position during processing, and will also be able to store that data for later processing. 
     For example, the cone-tracking data may be transmitted over an external network  1590  to a server  1504  where it is stored in a database  1506 . Database  1506  may then be interrogated by an individual or entity with proper credentials to determine the source of cones  102  and raw material  101  for a given finished cigarette  180 . In one embodiment, for example, the cone-tracking data is stored within a blockchain  1510 —i.e., a distributed and immutable ledger that might be public, private, or permissioned (e.g., Ethereum, EOS, or the like). 
     In one embodiment, system  100  further includes a weighing module mechanically coupled to collection module  120  for determining the weight of raw material  101  within the collection/grinding subsystem prior to processing. This information can also be transmitted via network  1590  to server  1504  and database  1506 . 
     In accordance with some embodiments, system  500  is configured to communicate over a network with a mobile device or other remote application that allows an operator to control, monitor, and troubleshoot system  500  remotely. In a further embodiment, a third party is provided access to system  500  for producing cigarettes on demand or on a subscription basis. That is, the third party is charged through an online payment system for the number of finished cigarettes produced, much in the same way remote postage printing systems (e.g., the Pitney Bowes SendPro® system) monetize remote shipping labels and postage. 
       FIGS. 16-23  present various display screens associated with a user interface in accordance with various embodiments, and which may be implemented using software code executed by controller  103  ( FIG. 1 ) and any displays and user interface components provided by UI  528  of  FIG. 5 . It will be appreciated that a wide range of user interfaces may be used in connection with the present system, and that  FIGS. 16-23  merely present one non-limiting example of a set of user interface screens. The operation and purpose of the various user buttons, indicators, text blocks, and labels will be apparent in the context of the present invention to a person of ordinary skill in the art. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates a primary or Main screen, and displays the status of the entire machine with an array of indicators lights on the left side of the screen. More particularly, this screen displays the progress and elapsed time of the current lot and includes a text box that provides a description of the current fault (or error) code that occurred while the machine was running. This screen also includes the main start and stop buttons and other buttons that will direct the user to the rest of the screens described below. 
       FIG. 17  illustrates a Fill Station screen. This screen shows the status of the auger motor using indicator lights in the center of the screen. It also allows the user to adjust certain parameters of the fill station using the input fields and it includes a text field that displays a description of any fault that has occurred for this station. 
       FIG. 18  illustrates a Tamping Station screen that includes indicator lights that show the status of the tamping actuator. It allows the user to set parameters of the tamping station such as: tamp speed, the number of tamps, and how far down the tamp mechanism extends. This interface also allows the user to jog the tamp mechanism up or down manually and includes a text field that displays a description of the fault that occurred for this station. 
       FIG. 19  illustrates a Twist Station screen. This screen allows the user to set gripper parameters such as: gripper velocity, gripper closed position, the number of twists to apply to the cigarette, and which direction to twist. This screen also has a text field that displays a description of the fault that occurred for this station. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates a Dial screen. This screen allows the user to set the velocity of the dial indexer. It gives the user the ability to command the indexer to go to a certain position and the ability to jog the indexer either backward or forward. This screen also has a text field that displays a description of the fault that occurred for this station. 
       FIG. 21  illustrates a Grinder screen. This screen allows the user to set the length of time for grinding the product and the length of time that the air nozzles are turned on to help move the product from the hopper and into the funnel. This screen also includes a text field that displays a description of the fault that occurred for this station. 
       FIG. 22  is the Status screen. This screen displays various cycle time numbers as well as the total number of cones filled. 
       FIG. 23  illustrates a Fault screen. This screen displays a description of the fault that occurred on a specific station along with the fault code and an indicator light to show the active fault. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components and various processing steps. It should be appreciated that such block components may be realized by any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. 
     In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in conjunction with any number of systems, and that the systems described herein are merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     As used herein, the terms “module” or “controller” refer to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic, and/or processor device, individually or in any combination, including without limitation: application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate-arrays (FPGAs), dedicated neural network devices (e.g., Google Tensor Processing Units), electronic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated, or group) configured to execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality. 
     As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations, nor is it intended to be construed as a model that must be literally duplicated. 
     While the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing various embodiments of the invention, it should be appreciated that the particular embodiments described above are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. To the contrary, various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described without departing from the scope of the invention.