Systems and methods for a closing machine

A method of closing a plurality of prerolled cones containing a smokable product using a closing machine, the closing machine includes a cone loading/unloading station, a pick and place gripper, a holder assembly, a closing station, a cut station, a vacuum collector, a tamp station, and a collection station, the method comprises:

• receiving, with the cone loading/unloading station, a lower tube assembly and a tray including a plurality of cones from a separate measuring station and/or tamping station;
• grabbing at least one cone using the pick and place gripper;
• depositing the at least one cone into the holder assembly using the pick and place gripper;
• closing an end of each of the cones using the closing station;
• cutting excess material from an end of the cones using the cut station;
• tamping the cones using the tamp station;
• and
• releasing the cones in the collection station.

A method of manufacturing a plurality of prerolled cones using a system, the system comprising a measuring station, a tamping station, a closing machine, the closing machine includes a cone loading/unloading station, a pick and place gripper, a holder assembly, a closing station, a cut station, a vacuum collector, a tamp station, and a collection station, the method comprises:

• measuring a predetermined amount of smokable product using the measuring station;
• filling the predetermined amount of smokable product in at least one cone using the measuring station, wherein the at least one cone is positioned in a cavity of a lower tube assembly and a tray during filling;
• transporting the lower tube assembly, the tray, and the at least one cone to the tamping station;
• tamping the at least one cone using the tamping station;
• receiving the lower tube assembly, the tray, and the at least one cone into the closing machine from the tamping station;
• locking the lower tube assembly and the tray into the cone loading/unloading station using a locking mechanism;
• grabbing the at least one cone using the pick and place gripper;
• depositing the at least one cone into the holder assembly using the pick and place gripper;
• closing an end of each of the cones using the closing station;
• cutting excess material from an end of the at least one cone using the cut station;
• tamping the at least one cone using the tamp station;
• and
• releasing the at least one cone in the collection station.