Apparatus and process for extracting oil from plant material

An apparatus for forming a cake of compressed plant material, said apparatus comprising:

• a) a bottom die having a cylindrical upper portion, an inverted conical lower portion and a post extending vertically upwardly from a small-diameter region of said lower portion, wherein plant material is introducible into a cavity of said bottom die surrounding said post;
• b) a top die designed and configured to conform to said cylindrical upper portion and said post and having an inverted conical lower portion with a narrower diameter than a corresponding portion in the bottom die;
• and
• c) a power train operable to drive said top die into said bottom die so as to be in pressing relation with the plant material interposed between said top and bottom dies for a sufficient duration to produce a cake of compressed plant material.

An apparatus for extracting oil from plant material, comprising:

• a) a capsule comprising a compressed cake of plant material;
• b) a lower die sized and configured to hold said capsule;
• c) an upper die;
• and
• d) a power train configured to drive said upper die into said lower die so as to be in pressing relation with said capsule between said upper and lower dies for a sufficient duration to cause deformation of said capsule and to apply sufficient force onto said plant material that initiates oil extraction,
• wherein said extracted oil is discharged to a single discharge port.