Cigarette paper twisting apparatus

A twisting apparatus for twisting a paper end of a filled cigarette paper, comprising:

• a twister head comprising:
• a cylindrical housing having a central axis;
• a rotor mounted by a bearing in the cylindrical housing, the rotor driven around the axis by a drive wheel at an upper end of the twisting apparatus;
• an electric motor driving the rotor;
• a microcontroller executing coded instructions controlling and driving the electric motor;
• three elastomeric balls at ends of three pivot arms mounted to a lower surface of the rotor at equal arcuate intervals, such that arms may pivot to move the elastomeric balls synchronously toward or away from the central axis;
• a clutch mechanism at a lower end of the twisting apparatus having a clutch plate with pins interacting with the pivot arms such that rotation of the rotor from a stopped position in one direction closes the elastomeric balls toward the central axis, and rotation of the rotor from a stopped position in the opposite direction retracts the elastomeric balls away from the central axis;
• and
• an electronic detection device positioned for detection of a cigarette end inserted along the central axis with the balls retracted and the rotor stopped, detection sending a trigger event to the micro-controller;
• wherein the trigger event firstly initiates rotation of the rotor for a specific number of rotations in the direction to close the elastomeric balls on the cigarette end, and the elastomeric balls closing on the cigarette end induce the clutch plate to rotate the balls to twist the cigarette end, and wherein, after the specific number of rotations twisting the cigarette end, the motor stops, then reverses, retracting the elastomeric balls, and stops with the elastomeric balls retracted, allowing the twisted cigarette end to be withdrawn.