Patent Publication Number: US-2022211093-A1

Title: Systems and Methods for Improved Bucker Insertion

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/133,316 filed Jan. 2, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to systems and methods for medicinal and recreational cannabis harvesting. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods for improved bucker insertion. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cannabis plants are now commonly grown to facilitate the increasing demand for medicinal and recreational cannabis products. The legalization of cannabis has increased the demand for higher quality cannabis products at regulated prices. Therefore, farmers and growers are seeking solutions to increase harvest efficiency while maintaining quality. The growing and harvesting of cannabis plants is a multi-step process that was traditionally performed entirely by hand. 
     Cannabis plants grow in a bush-like configuration, including a plurality of intertwined stems with leaves and buds. The stems of the plant contain less than desirable amounts of the cannabis components. Therefore, one of the primary steps in harvesting cannabis plants is separating the desirable leaves and buds from the undesirable stems. Conventional manual processes for the separation step include holding the stem with one hand while simultaneously pulling off the leaves and buds with the opposite hand, or cutting the buds from the stem with scissors. There are many challenges in removing the leaves and buds from the stems. For example, cannabis stems may include a wide variety of diameters, depending on the size of the plant and proximity of the stem to the roots. Likewise, different types or strains of cannabis may include different strengths such as stem deformation, leaf bonding, bud bonding, etc. 
     Large scale cannabis growers have increasingly utilized machines known as buckers (also known as destemmers and debudders) to efficiently remove the buds from the stems. Bucker machines are operated by one or more feeders who selectively insert cannabis plants into the machine for the automatic separation of the buds from the stems, a process referred to as bucking. To prevent injury to the feeders, commercial bucking machines are usually encased in a housing that includes one or more feeding or input holes, commonly referred to as die. The die holes are located on a die plate or insertion plate positioned on a front portion of the bucker machine, while a separate output hole for the stems is located on a different side. As the bunches are pulled through the die holes, the buds are stripped off and fall into some type of bin or conveyor belt positioned below the die plate. This configuration allows the feeders to safely insert the plant through one of the die holes for automatic processing without risking injury. To facilitate different sized stems, the die plate often includes a plurality of circular die holes of varying diameter. The feeder will then insert the stem side of the plant into the appropriately sized die hole. 
     One of the known problems or limitations of conventional buckers is the limited size of cannabis plant bunches that can be properly processed/bucked. It is well known that larger cannabis stems or bunches cannot be fed into the machine without clogging or impeding the process. Therefore, additional preparation and cutting of larger cannabis plants is necessary before inserting into the bucking machine, thereby decreasing the efficiency of the overall process. 
     Therefore, there is a need in the industry for systems and methods of improved bucking insertion that expand the size and shape range of cannabis plants or bunches that may be inserted into a bucking system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods for medicinal and recreational cannabis harvesting. One embodiment of the present invention relates to an insertion plate disposed on an external surface of a cannabis bucking machine configured to receive cannabis plants containing stems and buds. The insertion plate generally includes a top surface, a first angled surface, a second angled surface, and a bottom surface. One or more additional angled surfaces may also be included. The first angled surface includes a plurality of insertion recesses and the second angled surface includes a plurality of insertion channels. The insertion recesses and channels are aligned, and together they are substantially conically shaped to function as a funnel for receiving larger cannabis bunches. The unique correspondence between the angle of the surfaces and the shape of the recesses allows feeders to efficiently insert larger cannabis bunches and continue to feed as the bunches are levered down from the insertion recesses on the first angled surface to the insertion channels on the second angle surface. A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of inserting cannabis bunches into a bucker at an initial elevated incident angle into the insertion recesses and lowering the bunches down into the insertion channels as the bunch is received and reduced into the machine. 
     Embodiments of the present invention represent a significant advance in the field of cannabis bucking. Conventional cannabis buckers include a single-dimension (flat) die plate with a plurality of hole diameters. However, the die plate maintains a fixed distance to the choke point of the bucking machine; therefore, if a large bunch is inserted into the bucker, it will likely clog or obstruct the machine because a longer distance to the choke point is necessary. Embodiments of the present invention provide a unique system of dynamically increasing the distance to the choke point by allowing feeders to insert cannabis bunches at an elevated angle through a recess, and then lower the bunch as the machine grabs the bunch and begins processing. The distance to the choke point is initially increased by the elevated incident angle at which the cannabis bunch is inserted and then subsequently decreased as the bunch is lowered. The unique combination of surface angles and recess shapes of the insertion plate provides a significant advance in cannabis harvesting efficiency. 
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be set forth or will become more fully apparent in the description that follows and in the appended claims. The features and advantages may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Furthermore, the features and advantages of the invention may be learned by the practice of the invention or will be obvious from the description, as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following description of the invention can be understood in light of the Figures, which illustrate specific aspects of the invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the Figures demonstrate and explain the principles of the invention. In the Figures, the physical dimensions may be exaggerated for clarity. The same reference numerals in different drawings represent the same element, and thus their descriptions will be omitted. 
         FIGS. 1A-D  illustrates a plurality of views of a cannabis bucker insertion plate in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A-B  illustrates a plurality of views of an alternative design of a cannabis bucker insertion plate; 
         FIG. 3A-B  illustrates a plurality of views of an alternative design of a cannabis bucker insertion plate; 
         FIGS. 4A-D  illustrates a plurality of schematic drawings of contemplated embodiments of cannabis bucker insertion plates accordance with embodiments of the present invention illustrating relative angles between surfaces; and 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cannabis bucker insertion plate of  FIG. 1B  disposed in relation to a cannabis bucker machine. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods for medicinal and recreational cannabis harvesting. One embodiment of the present invention relates to an insertion plate disposed on an external surface of a cannabis bucking machine configured to receive cannabis plants containing stems and buds. The insertion plate generally includes a top surface, a first angled surface, a second angled surface, and a bottom surface. One or more additional angled surfaces may also be included. The first angled surface includes a plurality of insertion recesses, and the second angled surface includes a plurality of insertion channels. The insertion recesses and channels are aligned, and together they are substantially conically shaped to function as a funnel for receiving larger cannabis bunches. The unique correspondence between the angle of the surfaces and the shape of the recesses allows feeders to efficiently insert larger cannabis bunches and continue to feed as the bunches are levered down from the insertion recesses on the first angled surface to the insertion channels on the second angle surface. A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a method of inserting cannabis bunches into a bucker at an initial elevated incident angle into the insertion recesses and lowering the bunches down into the insertion channels as the bunch is received and reduced into the machine. Also, while embodiments are described in reference to a cannabis bucker die plate, it will be appreciated that the teachings of the present invention are applicable to other areas. 
     Reference is initially made to  FIGS. 1A-D , which illustrates various views of a novel insertion plate system to be disposed on an external surface of a cannabis bucking machine configured to receive cannabis plants containing stems and buds, designated generally at  100 . The illustrated insertion plate is configured to be used on a cannabis bucker machine, which receives cannabis bunches and then pulls the bunches between two rollers, tracks, belts or through another stem traction system. As the bunches are pulled into the machine, the buds are stripped from the stem and fall into a receptacle below the insertion plate  100 . The stems are pulled through the machine and disposed in a separate receptacle. The insertion plate  100  is a critical component of the bucking system, allowing feeders to both safely feed the bunches (stems and buds) into the machine but also strip the buds from the stem as the bunch is pulled. 
     The insertion plate  100  includes a top surface  120 , a first angled surface  140 , a second angled surface  160 , and a bottom surface  180 . The insertion plate may be composed of any material preferably having rigid properties such as metal to prevent deformation during use. It is also well known in the industry that the material used on the insertion plate should also include a sufficiently sharp internal edge to trim the plant material from the stem during operation. The top surface  120  and bottom surface  180  are fixably coupled to the cannabis bucking system and may include a plurality of top coupling recesses  122  and bottom coupling recesses  182 . The top and bottom coupling recesses  122 ,  182  may be used to rivet, bolt, or otherwise attach the insertion plate  100  to the cannabis bucking system. The top surface  120  is generally flat and/or orthogonal to a direction of pulling of the cannabis bucking machine (shown in  FIG. 5 ). The direction of pulling is an angle at which bunches are pulled through the cannabis bucking machine. The direction of pulling may also correspond to a set of rollers, tracks, or belts through which the bunches are pulled. For example, the direction of pulling may be orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the rollers, tracks, or belts through which the bunches are pulled. 
     The first angled surface is coupled directly to a portion of the top surface. Although described as coupled, it will be appreciated that the surfaces may be formed by bending adjacent sections of material rather than coupling independent sections to one another. The first angled surface  140  is directly coupled to the top surface  120  at an external angle  144  between 90 and 180 degrees. The external angle  144  is defined as the angle between the top surface  120  and the first angled surface  140  opposite the cannabis bucking system or facing outward, as shown in  FIG. 1D . The nature of the external angle  144  therefore orients the surface of the first angle surface  140  up towards the user. This orientation has the effect of increasing the distance to the choke point of the cannabis bucking system. The first angled surface  140  further includes plurality of insertion recesses  142 . The illustrated insertion recesses  142  are substantially rectangular but include a tapered region at the bottom. The illustrated insertion recesses  142  are equidistantly spaced apart, disposed vertically in the center, and substantially centered horizontally on of the first angled surface  140 . The illustrated insertion recesses  142  extend down to the bottom edge of the first angled surface  140  to align with the insertion channels  162  described below. The individual insertion recesses  142  may include different sizing to facilitate different sized bunches of material. 
     The second angled surface  160  is directly coupled to the first angled surface  140  on a region opposite the top surface  120 . Therefore, the second angled surface  160  is on an opposite side or portion of the first angled surface  140  as the top surface  120 . The second angled surface  160  is directly coupled to the first angled surface  140  at an internal angle  164  between 90 and 180 degrees. The internal angle  164  is defined as the angle between the first angled surface  140  and the second angled surface  160  toward the cannabis bucking system or facing inward, as shown in  FIG. 1D . The nature of the internal angle  144  therefore orients the surface of the second angle surface  160  down away from the user. This orientation has the effect of decreasing the distance to the choke point of the cannabis bucking system. The second angled surface  160  includes a plurality of insertion channels  162  aligned with the insertion recesses  142  of the first angled surface  140 . In particular, the insertion recesses  142  are in communication with the insertion channels  162  such that the opening of the insertion recesses  142  connects with the opening of the insertion channels  162 . The illustrated insertion channels  162  are substantially rectangular shaped and smaller in width with respect to the insertion recesses  142 . The illustrated insertion channels  162  are equidistantly spaced apart, disposed vertically in the center, and substantially centered horizontally on the second angled surface  160 . The insertion recesses  162  extend up to the top edge of the second angled surface  160  to align with the insertion recesses  142  described above. The individual insertion channels  162  may include different sizing to facilitate different sized bunches of material. The shapes of the insertion recesses  142  and insertion channels  162  function together to form a substantially conical shape which has a specific beneficial effect on the operation of the plate  100 . The second angled surface  160  is further coupled to the bottom surface  180 . However, additional angled surfaces may be disposed between the second angled surface  160  and the bottom surface  180  as described below in reference to  FIGS. 3A-B . 
     Reference is next made to  FIGS. 2A-B  which illustrate an alternative embodiment of an insertion plate, designated generally at  200 . The insertion plate  200  includes a top surface  220 , first angled surface  240 , second angled surface  260 , and bottom surface  280 . The first angled surface  240  includes circular insertion recesses and the second angled surface  260  includes circular insertion channels. The circular shape was determined to be less effective than rectangular shapes through extensive testing. 
     Reference is next made to  FIGS. 3A-B  which illustrate and alternative embodiment of an insertion plate, designated generally at  300 . The insertion plate  300  includes a top surface  320 , first angled surface  340 , second angled surface  360 , a third angled surface  370 , and bottom surface  380 . As discussed above, additional angled surfaces may be disposed between the second angled surface  340  and the bottom surface  380  to facilitate alternative angle combinations. 
     Reference is next made to  FIG. 4A-D  which illustrates schematic angle drawings of four primary contemplated embodiments of a multi-angle insertion plate in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.  FIG. 4A  illustrates the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-D  showing the relative angles.  FIG. 4B  illustrates an alternative embodiment with a smaller external angle between the top surface and first angled surface.  FIG. 4C  illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the first angled surface is angled inward (concave) and the second angled surface is angled outward.  FIG. 4C  represents an alternative embodiment in which the angle between the top surface and the first angled surface is an internal angle between 90 and 180 rather than an external angle. And likewise, the angle between the first angled surface and the second angled surface is an external angle between 90 and 180 degrees rather than an internal angle. This configuration creates an insertion plate which is recessed inward toward the cannabis bucking machine.  FIG. 4D  illustrates an embodiment with a third angled surface between the second angled surface and the bottom surface as described above with respect to  FIGS. 3A-B . 
     It will be appreciated that a housing plate which may be disposed between the insertion plate and the bucker machine to further orient the insertions of cannabis bunches and facilitate the coupling of the insertion plate. 
     A contemplated non-illustrated embodiment included an open slot rather than a first angled surface with a plurality of first recesses. Experimentation determined that the risk of injury to the feeder/operator with the open slot was too high to warrant implementation. 
     Embodiments of the present invention also include a method of inserting a cannabis bunch into a bucker. The method includes the acts of initially inserting the cannabis bunch at an elevated incident angle and then lowering it as the bunch is pulled into the bucker. 
     Reference is next made to  FIG. 5  to illustrate a cannabis bucker insertion plate  550  disposed on an external surface of a cannabis bucker machine  500 . The insertion plate  550  is disposed on an external surface that facilitates the insertion of cannabis bunches to be inserted into the cannabis bucker machine  500 . 
     It should be noted that various alternative system designs may be practiced in accordance with the present invention, including one or more portions or concepts of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1  or described above. Various other embodiments have been contemplated, including combinations in whole or in part of the embodiments described above.