An apparatus includes a fixed assembly and a reciprocating assembly. The fixed assembly includes a hopper, a first gas manifold, and a dispensing chamber, and the reciprocating assembly includes a channel assembly defining a channel conduit, a shield plate vertically aligned therewith, and a second gas manifold. The reciprocating assembly may move, in relation to the fixed assembly, to a first position to enable the channel conduit to be filled with bulk compressible material from the hopper, a second position to enable compressible material to be pushed from the channel conduit to the dispensing conduit and to be compressed in the dispensing chamber according to a first gas directed through the channel conduit by the first gas manifold, and a third position to enable the compressed material to be pushed out of the dispensing conduit according to a second gas directed through the dispensing conduit by the second gas manifold.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems of preparing containment vessels which contain a precise volume of fluid. An auger filler, comprising a rotor and a stator, may dispense this precise volume of fluid into a containment vessel when the rotor is rotated relative to the stator in a first direction, causing fluid contained the auger filler to be dispensed into the containment vessel, until the precise volume of fluid is dispensed. The rotor may then be rotated relative to the stator in a second direction to prevent more fluid from being dispensed, ensuring that the containment vessel is not significantly overfilled past this precise volume of fluid. The containment vessel may then be sealed to define a prepared containment vessel. The methods and systems herein may allow for a continuous process flow that continuously produces prepared containment vessels, with each being near identical to one another.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems of preparing containment vessels which contain a precise volume of fluid. An auger filler, comprising a rotor and a stator, may dispense this precise volume of fluid into a containment vessel when the rotor is rotated relative to the stator in a first direction, causing fluid contained the auger filler to be dispensed into the containment vessel, until the precise volume of fluid is dispensed. The rotor may then be rotated relative to the stator in a second direction to prevent more fluid from being dispensed, ensuring that the containment vessel is not significantly overfilled past this precise volume of fluid. The containment vessel may then be sealed to define a prepared containment vessel. The methods and systems herein may allow for a continuous process flow that continuously produces prepared containment vessels, with each being near identical to one another.

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

A distribution assembly for product delivers and deposits a precise quantity of product on a support. The assembly includes a cylinder, a piston, displaced in the cylinder by an actuator, a route for taking in the product, an ejection head with a slide valve movable between a first closed position and a second open position, and an outlet nozzle, a preparation chamber, a transfer passage, connecting, selectively the preparation chamber with the outlet nozzle. When the cylinder comes towards the support, the physical contact with the support moves the slide valve from the first position to the second position and triggers delivery of the product, pushed by the piston, via the transfer passage. When the piston arrives at the forward end of range, the piston moves the slide valve from the second to the first position, closing the passage for the product via the transfer passage.

A distribution assembly for product delivers and deposits a precise quantity of product on a support. The assembly includes a cylinder, a piston, displaced in the cylinder by an actuator, a route for taking in the product, an ejection head with a slide valve movable between a first closed position and a second open position, and an outlet nozzle, a preparation chamber, a transfer passage, connecting, selectively the preparation chamber with the outlet nozzle. When the cylinder comes towards the support, the physical contact with the support moves the slide valve from the first position to the second position and triggers delivery of the product, pushed by the piston, via the transfer passage. When the piston arrives at the forward end of range, the piston moves the slide valve from the second to the first position, closing the passage for the product via the transfer passage.

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

An apparatus configured to provide portioned instances of a compressible material includes a channel assembly, a gas source, a cutting assembly, and a discharge assembly. The channel assembly holds a bulk instance of the material extending through upper and lower channels of a continuous channel. The gas source supplies gas to compress the bulk instance. The cutting assembly moves in relation to the channel assembly to isolate the upper and lower channels, severing upper and lower material portions of the bulk instance. The discharge assembly directs gas to impinge on a lower face of the cutting assembly to discharge the lower material portion as a portioned instance. The channel assembly may be moveable, where operation of the gas source, cutting assembly, and/or discharge assembly are based on moving the channel assembly between various positions. The gas supply may be controlled based on a determined property of the portioned instance.

An apparatus for the automated filling of cartridges of e-vapor devices may include a filling drum configured to receive at least one cartridge of an e-vapor device. The apparatus may additionally include a needle assembly including at least one hypodermic needle. The needle assembly is configured to transition between a lowered state and a raised state. The lowered state is where the hypodermic needle is moved down into the cartridge, while the raised state is where the hypodermic needle is lifted up and away from the cartridge. The apparatus may further include a pump assembly configured to pump a pre-vapor formulation into the cartridge when the needle assembly is in the lowered state. The pump assembly may include a variable amplitude cam system configured to adjust an amount of the pre-vapor formulation for pumping to the cartridge without changing start and stop times for the pumping.