Method and apparatus for preparing a conically shaped smoking shell with blocking tip

A method of making a custom made cigar comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an apparatus which forms conically shaped smoking shells having blocking tips, the apparatus including:
• (i) a conical form mandrel having an exterior surface, an interior section, and a vacuum opening fluidly connecting the interior section with the exterior surface;
• (ii) a motor operably connected to the conical form mandrel which can rotate the conical form mandrel;
• (iii) a conical form mandrel vacuum system operably connected to the interior section of the conical form mandrel;
• (iv) a vacuum table having an upper surface, a vertical elevation system operably connected to the upper surface, which vertical elevation system vertically positions the upper surface, and a table vacuum system operably connected to the upper surface;
• (v) a garage system located next to the conical form mandrel, the garage system including a base and a garage carriage slidingly connected to the base, the garage carriage including first and second ends with an internal opening extending from the first to the second end, an a squeeze lock connected to the garage carriage;
• (b) providing a plurality of sheets of smokable material;
• (c) providing a plurality of blocking tips;
• (d) selecting one of the sheets of step “b” and placing the selected sheet on the upper surface of the vacuum table;
• (e) the table vacuum system pulling a partial vacuum on at least part of the upper surface of the vacuum table which partial vacuum on at least part of the upper surface of the vacuum table tends to hold in place the selected sheet on the upper surface of the vacuum table;
• (f) the motor rotating the conical form mandrel;
• (g) the conical form mandrel vacuum system pulling a partial vacuum on at least part of the external surface of the conical form mandrel;
• (h) the partial vacuum on the external surface of the conical form mandrel connecting the selected sheet of step “d” to the conical form mandrel, wherein rotation of the conical form mandrel causing the selected sheet to be wrapped about the conical form mandrel and forming a conical shell having first and second open ends and a shell interior spanning between the first and second open ends of the conical shell;
• (i) after step “h”, sliding the garage in a first direction over the conical form mandrel and the conical sheet thereby causing the conical form mandrel and conical shell to at least partly enter the interior opening of the garage carriage;
• (j) after step “i”, while the conical shell remains at least partly located in the interior opening of the garage carriage, sliding the garage in a second direction, which second direction is generally the opposite of the first direction, thereby causing the conical shell to be separated from the conical form mandrel;
• (k) after step “j”, selecting one of the blocking tips from step “c”, and placing the selected blocking tip inside the shell interior and, while the conical shell remains at least partly located in the interior opening of the garage carriage, sliding the garage carriage in the first direction such that the conical form mandrel enters the interior of the conical shell causing the selected tip to move towards the second end of the conical shell;
• and
• (l) after step “k”, while the conical shell remains at least partly located in the interior opening of the garage carriage, sliding the garage in the second direction thereby causing the selected tip to become aligned with the second end of the conical shell.