Patents by Inventor Benjamin K. Stephens

Benjamin K. Stephens has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220153717
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 11242329
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Apeks, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20210214331
    Abstract: Cannabinoids can be separated or extracted from plant material. Versions can include a process for separating trichomes from plant material, including mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing trichomes from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the plant material to form an interim mixture; and then second filtering the interim mixture and removing other plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture comprising other trichomes and fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Apeks LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20210214330
    Abstract: Cannabinoids can be separated or extracted from plant material. Versions can include a process for separating trichomes from plant material, including mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing trichomes from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the plant material to form an interim mixture; and then second filtering the interim mixture and removing other plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture comprising other trichomes and fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: Apeks LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20210178286
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20210178285
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20210139448
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10968194
    Abstract: Cannabinoids can be separated or extracted from plant material. Versions can include a process for separating trichomes from plant material, including mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing trichomes from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the plant material to form an interim mixture; and then second filtering the interim mixture and removing other plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture comprising other trichomes and fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: DELTA SEPARATIONS, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10933347
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Separations, LLC
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10933348
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Separations, LLC
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10899728
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Delta Separations, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20200308133
    Abstract: Cannabinoids can be separated or extracted from plant material. Versions can include a process for separating trichomes from plant material, including mixing plant material with a fluid in a metered feed system and forming a slurry; pumping the slurry into a turbulent processor, agitating the slurry between rotating and static teeth and shearing trichomes from the plant material to form a mixture of fluid, trichomes and plant material; coarse filtering the mixture and removing portions of the plant material to form an interim mixture; and then second filtering the interim mixture and removing other plant material and some trichomes to form a resulting mixture comprising other trichomes and fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20200308134
    Abstract: A system for processing cannabinoids and recovering solvent has a vessel for a mixture of cannabinoids and solvent. A pump forms a vacuum in the system to draw the mixture into a first heat exchanger to pre-heat the mixture. A falling film evaporator receives the mixture from the first heat exchanger, and boils the mixture to form a solvent vapor. The falling film evaporator collects the cannabinoids from the mixture as a crude oil. The first heat exchanger receives the solvent vapor. Heat is transferred to incoming mixture of the system, and cools and condenses the solvent vapor to form solvent condensate and vapor. A second heat exchanger receives and further cools the solvent condensate and vapor to form further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor. The pump receives the further condensed solvent and some solvent vapor and increases pressure to form solvent liquid and recovers solvent liquid for reuse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20200282328
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Applicant: Delta Separations LLC
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20190054393
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating trichome heads containing resin from cannabis plants using a double vortex liquid flow to remove the trichome heads without macerating the plant material and a multi-tiered filtration process to isolate the resin product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Didier Camilleri, Benjamin K. Stephens