CA1266634A - Slidable dispenser for solids having a plurality of apertures - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of solid objects such as, for example, pills or tablets, from a bulk supply into a receptacle containing a plurality of individual doses of such medication. More particularly, the apparatus of this invention includes a series of plates, one of which is movable with respect to the other two, whereby solid objects of predetermined shape and configuration are efficiently and automatically transferred from a bulk supply source to individual unit dose packages.

Description

~2~634 BACRGROUND OF T~IE INVENTION

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The present lnvention relates to an automatlc apparatus for transferring bulk guantities of solld ob~ects such as, for example, medication in the form of pllls, tablets, capsule3, etc., into individual unit dose packages for subsequent sealing and end u~e. The apparatus of this invention i8 characterlzed by its construction includlng a serles of three plates, the middle one of ~hich i5 movable and speciflcally designed and configured to receive indivldual ones of the solid ob~ects therein for transferring those ob~ects from the bulk supply to the unit dose j!, packages. Thus, depending upon size and shape characteristics chosen for the middle plate, or shuttle means, of the apparatus and the shuttle apertures formed therethrough, the apparatus of this invention 1B dedicated to automatic delivery of a particular size and shape ob~ect. Simple mechanical replacement of the shuttle mean3 will dedicate the apparatus for use ln automatic~lly packaging other objects. The apparatus is turther characterized by its incluslon of a mechanical stirring means, the action of which virtually guarantees that each unit dose receptacle will be properly filled. A second embodiment is disclosed and comprises the u3e of spacer means and riser means whereby different sized ob~ects may be delivered without changing the shuttle means.
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Within the medlcal service profession, it often occurs that a partlcular patient is to receive a unit dose of medication at regularly occurring intervals such as, for example, once a day.
~oth for purposes of insuring that medication is properly administered and taken, as well as for maintaining effective cost ~; control, it is quite common to administer such regularly repeating .. . . .

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doses of medication by packaglng the medication in blister cards containing individually sealed do~es for a week, a month, or j longer. Such card~ are commonly referred to withln the profession as ~blngo cards.~
Just as the use of bingo cards for packaglng unit doses of solid ~edication 18 qulte common, 80 is an lnherent difficulty associated with the preparatlon of such cards. Basically, two ; means are avallable today for filllng the open card blisters with medlcation. Accordlng to one method that is available, very sophisticated and expensive machinery is utilized for the purpose of filling and sealing cards in rapld succession. Such machlnes are well known ln the prlor art and are commonly used by pharmaceutical manufacturers. A second means of preparing the cards for end use 18 often employed by lndlvidual health care faclllties.
Thls second means is extremely labor-intensive, for lt involves hand-fllllng each bllster of a blngo card and then ., sealing the card wlth a rupturable materlal. Not surprlslngly, a search of prior att patent llterature reveals numerous examples of automatlc dispensing and fllllng devlce~ useful for depositlng solld ob~ects such as pills lnto multi cavlty cards and strlps.
~lowever, as can be seen upon reviewing the devices of such patents, the machlnes are relatively complex and are generally suitable for use ln dispensing one particular slzed and shaped object into one partlcular receptacle.

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For example, U. S. Patent No. 3,545,164 to Middleton teaches an apparatus for segregating, orienting and packaging capsules into an open bingo card. According to the disclosure of Middleton, the device was specifically designed and constructed to overcome orientation problems as60ciated with packaglng elongated items. No means are disclosed or suggested whereby the Middleton device could be modified for packaging items other than capsules.
U.S. Patent No. 3,628,694 to Nichols discloses a device useful for packaging medicaments in the form of tablets. The devlce of Nichols 18 disclosed as being useful for packaglng continuous sttips of tablets in spaced blisters formed in a thermoplastic muterial, and dellvery of the tablets to the strlps 18 controlled by the rotation of a plate through which the tablets fall. Yet another pertlnent prior art dlsclosure 18 found ln U.S. Patent No.
4,101,284 to Difigllo. Whlle the Dlfiglio dispenser is disclosed a8 being useful for dispensing beads u~ed in conducting immunologic aasayn, it does disclosQ the use of an apertured, sliding plate to regulate delivery of beads ln a predetecmined fashlon. The seed plater dlsclosed ln U.S. Patent No. 4,411,205 to Rogers 18 aluo deemed pertlnent ln that the planter of that lnvention also utilizes a slidlng plate to control and deliver seeds from a seed hopper into plantlng flats. The following U.S.
Letters Patent are lllustratlve of other assemblies used for countlng or segregating lndividual ltems by the use of either a }lidl=g o~ rotatlng pltte =rohanl~m ` -3-'` ~'`~i' 1~ ' '' ''., ` ' ' ,: , , ~; , ' ':

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null 964,782 Query1,597,246 Cookson2,801,025 Martell3,281,012 While it can thus be seen from the prior art cited and discussed above that various and sundry mechanisms are known for delivering and/or packaging a wide variety of solid objects, none specifically disclose means whereby the apparatus may be easlly and efficlently modified to accommodate objects of various sizes and conflgurations. Purthermore, whlle some of the prlor art patents do disclose means for stlrring or agitatlng the prlmary source of materlal being dispensed, 6uch means are quite item speclfic. Finally, and perhapa most slgnlficantly, in those prlor art devices utilizing a three plate mechanism to control the dispensing operation, all three plates are designed and constructed to accommod~te a single predetermined size and shape configuration for the artlcle being dispensed. If it were deslrable to modly the prlor art devlces 80 that they could be utlllzed for di~penslng a different sized and/or shaped product, replacement of all three plates would be requlred.
It 18 therefore clear that there la a great need in the art for a ~lmple, yet efflclent and economlc~l, means for dispensing solid objects into a receptacle placed downstream of the dlspensing apparatus. Such a device should be capable, with only mlnor modlfication, of dispensing ob~ects of widely dlfferlng size and sbape. Furthermore, such an apparatus should also be capable ,, ~

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of dispenslng a plurallty of llke ob~ects ln a varlety of predetermlned, ~p~ced arrays 80 as to permit fllling of a like ~arlety of receptacles, or cards.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing, in a single operation, a plurality of solid objects from a bulk supply to a receptacle for the solid objects. More specifically, without unnecessarily limiting the scope of this invention, the dispensing apparatus finds pa~ticular utility in automatically dispensing medications such as, for example, tablets, pills, capsules, etc., from a bulk supply into individual pockets or bubbles formed on a bingo card. Once each pocket of the card has been filled, the card is removed and sealed according to standard procedures and technology.
Broadly speaking, the present invention may be considered as providing in an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of solid objects, from a bulk supply to a receptacle for the solid objects, the apparatus having hopper means including a support frame for receiving the bulk supply of solid objects; separator means defining the bottom of the hopper means, the separator means including a plurality of separator apertures formed therethrough, shuttle means movably disposed in substantially parallel, juxtaposed relation to the separator means and downstream of the separator means with respect to the flow of solid objects from the hopper means to the receptacle, the shuttle means including a plurality of shuttle apertures formed therethrough; delivery means fixedly disposed in rn/

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substantially parallel, juxtaposed relation to the shuttle means and downstream of the shuttle means, the delivery means including a plurality of delivery apertures formed therein throuyh which the solid objects ultimately pass into a receptacle placed downstream of the apparatus; the improvement comprising: spacer means defined by a pair of replaceable spacer strips, each of the spacer strips being attached on opposing sides of the support frame in interposed relation between the shuttle means and the delivery means, each of the spacer strips defining a substantially L-shaped cross-section with the notch of each of the L-shaped facing the corresponding notch of the opposed spacer strip, the shuttle means being movably disposed across the spacer strips within the notches, when the spacer strips are replaced by ones having notches of different thickness the distance between the shuttle means and the delivery means being adjusted by the thickness of the notch in the spacer strips and, riser means defined by a pair of riser strips, one of the riser strips being attached on opposing sides of the support frame in interposed relation between the separator means and the shuttle means, whereby the distance between the separator means and the shuttle means may be adjusted.
As seen above, the dispensing apparatus of this invention utilizes a hopper means including a support frame, a collar mounted on the frame in receiving and retaining relation to the b~lk supply of solid objects, and a stirring rn/

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7 a mechanism also mounted on the frame whereby the bulk supply may be agitated within the collar.
The separator means comprises an apertured plate and is mounted on the support frame and substantially closes the bottom of the collar to define the bottom of the hopper -means. A bulk supply of materials such as, for example, tablets, may then be placed within the collar and agi-tated so that at least one of the tablets will pass through each one of the separator apertures.
Also mounted on the support frame immediately below the separator means is the shuttle means comprising a second apertured plate. The shuttle means is movably mounted for reciprocating movement between a first shuttle plate position and a second rn/

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~huttle plate posltlon. In the normal, flrst plate position, each of the shuttle apertures i9 in reglstry wlth a separator aperture 80 that tablets wlll pass from the hopper, through the separator means and lnto a shuttle aperture formed ln the shuttle means. At this polnt it should be noted that both the thlcknes3 of the shuttle plate and the configuratlon of the shuttle apertures are predetermlned with regard to corresponding characteristics of the tablet, or other material, being dispensed.
The shuttle means is then moved to its second shuttle plate position by any convenient mechanism. For example, the shuttle mean~ could be moved from its first plate position to its second plate position manually or automatlcally. In either event, lt is preferred, though not required, that the shuttle means be normally biased lnto its first shuttle plate position. While the shuttle apertures are in registry with the separator apertures in the first shuttle plate position, the shuttle apertures are no longer 80 registered when the second shuttle plate position is obtained.
The next prlmary element of the dispensing apparatus of this invention is the delivery means, also deflned by a plate-type construction and lncluding delivery apertures formed therethrough, which is fixedly mounted to the support immediately below the shuttle means in substantially parallel, abutting relation thereto. When the shuttle means 18 moved to lts second piate position, each one of the shuttle apertures is aligned with a delivery aperture so that each one of the tablets may exit the appArltaa by paaslng through one of the dellvery apeltgrea. An ., - '' . ~ ' ': '' . . ~ ' 1~66~3~

empty bingo card is disposed below (downstream) of the delivery means such that one of the tablets will be deposited into each of the receptacles formed on the bingo card. Once filled, the bingo card i5 removed and sealed, and an empty card is then placed below the dispensing apparatus for filling as described above.
As will be discussed in greater detail below, because only the shuttle means is specifically designed and configured with regard to the material being dispensed, the dispensing apparatus of this invention may easily be adapted to dispense a wide variety of objects simply by changing the shuttle means.
A single shuttle plate may be used for accurately delivering objects of various thicknesses simply by selecting and installing appropriate spacer means and, if necessary, riser means. Though not claimed as part of the subject matter of this invention, a gauge is provided for use in determining the thlckness of the object to be dispensed, and a corresponding chart is provided to indicate what combina-tion of spacer means and riser means is necessary for dispen-sing that particular thickness. Proper use of both the gauge and the chart is discussed in greater detail hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features oE
construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts wiIl be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~E DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken ln connectlon wlth the accompanylng drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan vlew of the dispensing apparatus with portions of the stlrrlng means shown ln phantom, and with the separator means removed.
FIGURE 2 is a side elevatlon of the dlspensing apparatus, partlally in section to lllustrate lnterior detail.
FIGURE 3 18 A plan vlew of one embodlment for the separator means.
FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one embodlment for the shuttle means.
FIGURE 5 is a plan vlew of one embodiment for the dellvery means.
FIGURE 6 18 a plan view of one embodlment for a blngo cnrd-type receptacle usnble in combinatlon uith the apparatus of this invention.
FIGURE 7 15 a fragmentary slde elevatlon of a second embodiment of the dlspenslng apparatus, slmilar to that of Plg. 2, partlally ln sectlon to illustrate lnterlor detail.
- FIGURE 8 18 a sectlonal vlew tnken along llne 8-8 of Fig. 1.
FIGURE 9 18 a plan view of a spacer strip.
FIGURE 10 ls a sectlonal vlew of the spacer strlp.
FIGURE ll is a plan view of a rlser strlp.
FIGURE 12 18 a sectlonal vlew of the rlser strip.
FIGURE 13 is a plan view of the gauge whlch may be used ln comblnation wlth this second embodlment.

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FIGURE 14 i a front slde elevatlon of the gauge shown in Pig.
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Similar reference characters refer to slmllar part~ throughout the several views of the drawings.

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121lSfi634 DETAI~ED DESCRIPTION
The dispensing apparatus of this inventlon ls generally indlcated as 10 in the view of Fig. 2. Throughout the remainder of this detailed description, lt iB to be understood that while dispensing apparatus 10 will be described with particular regard to the dispensing of round tablet-type medication, the scope of thls invention is not to be limlted thereto. The dispensing apparatus 10 is imminently useful for dispensing a plurality of solld objects of vlrtually any size and/or shape from a bulk supply to a receptacle for solld objects. Furthermore, while the detailed description of this preferred embodiment for dispensing apparatus 10 will be set forth as being semi-automatic, that also ls not to be interpreted as a limltation upon the scope of the inventlon. As wlll become apparent to one 3kllled in the art from the detailed descripticn, apparatus 10 could be modlfied quite easily for fully automatic operation.
Referrlng to the vlew of Flg. 2, dispensing apparatus 10 comprlses a hopper means including a support frame 12, a collar 14 mounted on frame 12, and a ~tlrrlng means generally lndlcated as 16 al80 mounted on frame 12 whereby a bulk supply of tablet3 (not ~hown) may be agltated wlthin the confines of collhr 14. As cle~rly seen ln the vlews of Flgs. 1 and 2, coll~r 14 comprises a cylinder havlng open flrst end 18 and open second end 20.
Obviously, then, a bulk supply of tablets may be placed within collar 14 simply by pourlng the tablets through first end 18. It ~hould also be noted that collar 14 need not be restrlcted to a :1 .

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i34 cylindrical conflguration. However, a cyllndrical configuration 18 preEerred for the purpose of preventlng the undesirable accumulation of tablets within corners, thereby permitting efflcient agitation by stirring means 16.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated ln Fig. 2, stirring means 16 is movably mounted on the support frame 12 by post 22 and pivoting arm 24 which extends in transverse relation to top end 26 of post 22. A motor means 28 18 attached to dlstal end 30 of arm 24, and motor means 28 18 normally electrically powered. A shaft 32 extends downwardly from motor means 28 into operatlve, drlving relation with stirrLng head 34 and lts stlrring arms 36 through gear 38. i3rushe~ 40 are disposed at each end of the stirring arms 36, and it 18 the brushes 40 which actually serve to agitate tablets placed withln collar 14 of the hopper means.
In the preferred embodlment, not only do the stirring arms 36 rotate as a unlt, but also each of the brushes 40 may rotate.
i Accordlngly, the stlrring motlon provlded by the stirrlng means 16 i8 planetary. It is to be understood, however, that stirrlng means 16 18 not to be llmlted to a planetary actlon.
The operatlve bottom of the hopper means 18 deflned by separator means 42, a plan vlew of whlch 1~ presented of Fig. 3.
As shown in the views oE Flgs. 2 and 3, separator means 42 18 a relatively thln plate mounted across second end 20 of collar 14 and having a plurallty of separator apertures 44 formed therethrough. As stated abo~e, it is to be remembered that separator means 42 has been omitted fro- the plan view of Flg. 1 ", ~ ;

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Ei6634 for the purpose of lllustratlng further ~tructural detalls of the apparatus lO hereinafter. Nevertheless, as a result of the ~tlrrlng action of stlrring means 16 on the bulk supply oE tablets placed wlthin collar 14, at least one tablet will be deposited withln each of the separator apertures 44.
! Referrlng to the vlews of Flgs. 2 and 4, the dlspensing apparatus 10 further comprises a shuttle means 46. Shuttle means 46 is movably mounted on frame 12 and ln substantially parallel, abutting relatlon to separator means 42 and immedlately downstream therefrom As clearly seen ln the vlew of Flg. 4, a plurallty of shuttle apertures 48 are formed through shuttle mcans 46. As will be described in greater detall below, shuttle means 46 is mounted for reclprocating movement, as indicated by the arrow ln the vlew of Flg. 2, between a flrst shuttle plate posltlon and a second shuttle plate po~ltlon. The vlew of Plg. 2 lllustrates shuttle means 46 ln its 1rst shuttle plate positlon whereby each of the shuttle apertures 48 i8 ln reglstry, and therefore tablet-receiving relatlon, to a ~eparator aperture 4~. The sectlonal vlew of Flg. 2 further shows that ln thls preferred embodlment the upper perlmeter of ench of the shuttle apertures 48 ls chamfered. The chamfered entry lnto each of the shuttle apertures 48 18 provlded for the purpose of easlng the flow of tablets from the bulk supply wlthln collar 14, through the separator apertures 44 and into shuttle npertures 48. Inasmuch as the shuttle means 46 ls normally urged into the 1rst shuttle plate posltion shown ln Fig. 2, tablets placed wlthin each of the . ' :

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~L266634 shuttle apertures 48 are held there by the blocklng actlon of dellvery means 50 as set forth hereinafter.
Again with reference to the views of Figs. 2 and 4, and remembering that this detalled description oE a preferred embodiment is being made with regard to deliverlng tablets, it can be seen that the configuratlon of each of the shuttle apertures 48 is predetermined to recelve an lndlvidual tablet therein.
Slmilarly, the relatlve thlckness of shuttle means 46 18 such that one, and only one, tablet may flt vertlcally wlthln each of the shuttle apertures 48. Should lt be deslred to utlllze apparatus 10 for dispenslng ob~ects of other than a substantlally clrcular, tablet-shaped con1guratlon, all that would be requlred would be to replace the shuttle means 46 wlth another embodlment havlng a dlfferent shape or the shuttle apertures and/or different tbickness or the shuttle means ltself.
The flnal structurafl element o dlspenslng apparatus 10 comprlses the dellvery means 50, one embodlment of whlch 18 shown in the plan vlew of Flg. 5 and ln sectlonf ln the vlew of Flg. 2.
The dellvery means 50 18 flxedly mounted wlthln frame 12 in substantlally parallel, abuttlng relatlon to f~fhuttle meafns 46 and downstream thereof. The dellvery means 50 comprlses ~ plurallty of dellvery ape~tures 52 formed therethrough whereby tafblets may ultlmately pass through dellvery apertures 52 lnto a receptacle, generally indicated as 54 placed downstream of the apparatus 10.
As f~ieen ln the plan vlew of Plg. 5, one embodlment for deliverlng apertures 52 may comprlse elongated ovals, and lt is to be .

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understood that no limitation iB lntended with regard to a specific conflguratlon for the dellvery aperture~ 52. All that is required i8 that they be of sufficient size to permit passage of the tablets therethrough into receptacle 54.
Referring once again to the sectional view of Fig. 2, it can be seen that upon moving the shuttle means 46 into its seconi shuttle plate position, the shuttle apertures 48 will vertically register with a corresponding one of the dellvery apertures 52, permitting passage o the tablet lnto receptacle 54.
In fact, other than being sufficiently sized to permit the tablet, or other ob~ect, to pas~ therethrough, the shnpe and placement of delivery apertures 52 are primarily determined with regnrd to the configuration of individual blisters 56 formed on the receptacle 54 which, as seen ln the vlew of Pig. 6, i9 a thlrty-one day bingo card. As suggested above, and though not forming part of the clalmed lnvention, lt 18 contemplated that automatic or semi-automatic means could be provided for inserting empty receptacle~ 5~ beneath the apparatus 10 and sequentially I removlng the filled card and providing nnother empty card in succe~sion. For e~ample, a form oE conveyor means could be i utilized, timlng the movement oE the conveyor means with the reclprocating actlon of shuttle means 46.
Having thus set folth a prefer~ed embodiment for the dispensing apparatus 10 oE thls lnvention, one skllled in tha art may fully appreciate its relatlve slmplicity and lts great utility. While the structural elements oE apparatus 10 may be :

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formed from any suitable materlal, lnasmuch as the device will find great utillty ln packaglng unlt dose solld medlcatlons, those elements which will come into contact with the medlcatlon must be susceptible of belng sterllized. Such elements may be formed from stainless steel or from plastics or other synthetic materials.
Turning now to the vlews of Figs. 7-14, a second embodimant - for the dlspen31ng apparatus of this lnventlon i8 illustrated. As already indlcated in the summary of the invention, above, one of the unique features of the second embodiment is the inclu~ion of spacer means and riser means whereby a single shuttle means 46 may be used for delivering tablets of various sizes. Of course, ln the vlews of Figs. 7 and 8 those structural elements corresponding to ones already described are identified with simllar reference numerals, Referrlng to the vlew of Fig. 7, lt can be seen that a pair of posts 58 extend upwardly from the support frame 12. Of courl3e, in the view of Fig. 7, the two posts 58 on the other side of dispensing apparatus 10 are not visible. Posts 58 provide mounting means for attachlng not only the separator meAns 42 to the apparatus 10, but also for the new structural elements of this second embodlment as described hereinafter. The delivery means 50 is inserted lnto ~upport frame 12 as previously described and as illustrated ln the vlew of Fig. 8.
Appropriate spacer means comprislng a palr of spacer strlps 60 are then attached on opposlng sldes of the support frame 12 by passing posts 58 through correspondlng ones of the spacer apertures 62. A plurality of apertures 62 are provided through eacb of the spacer strips 60 so that either of the strlps 60 may be lnstalled on either slde of apparatus 10, but the rpacer apertures 62 are arranged so that the spacer strlps 60 will only ' :' ~; .. ..... . ................... .. .

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^~2fif~ff~f~4 flt properly when spacer notch 64 of each strip 60 faces the corresponding notch 64 on the opposlng strlp 60. The shuttle means 46 ls then movably dlsposed wlthin the dispenslng apparatus 10 and i9 supported along lts sides by opposing notches 64 of the two spacer strlps 60. As indicated by the double headed arrow in the view of Fig. 7, and as previously described above, shuttle mean8 46 may be moved back and forth between a first shuttle plate position and a second shuttle plate position to accomplish delivery of the tablets or other solid materlal.
The shuttle means 46 18 normally urged lnto its flrst shuttle plate posltion as shown in the view of Flg. 7 by the actlon of shuttle biasing means generally indicated as 66 ln the view of Flg. 7. Shuttle biasing means 66 comprlses a housing 68 attached to support frame 12 by any suitable fastening means 70. A 8prlng 72 lg mounted wlthln houslng 68 and includes a tip 74 attached at one end thereof ln abutting relation to the back edge of the shuttle means 46. Spring 72 and its tip 74 normally urge shuttle mean8 46 into the first shuttle plate positicn illustrated in Fig.
7. Upon pushing the shuttle means 46 rearwardly, its shuttle apertures ~not shown) will register with the corresponding delivery apertures ~not shown) formed through delivery means 50 to permit dispen3ing of tablets. Then upon releasing shuttle means 46, shuttle biasing means 66 wlll return the shuttle means 46 from its second shuttle plate position to the illustrated first shuttle plate posltion.
The second embodiment for the dispensing apparatus 10 may further comprise riser means deflned by a pair oE riser strlps 76, with one of each of the riser strlps 76 being mounted in opposing relation to the other along each slde of dispensing apparatUs 10.

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~LX~i6634 A8 perhaps best seen in the view of Flg. 8, attachment Oe each of the riser strips 76 19 similar to that for the attachment of each of the spacer strlps 60 ln that the rlser strip3 76 are mounted by lnsertlng a correspondlng one of the posts 58 through correspondlng ones of the rlser apertures 78 formed through each of the strips 76. Flnally, the separator means 42 i8 mounted ais shown in the view of Fig. 8, and collar 14 is placed thereover.
The purpose of the spacer strips 6~ and the riser strips 76 is to permit utili~iatlon of a slngle shuttle means 46 for dispenslng objects of varylng alzea. ~s best seen in the-view of Fig. 8, utilization of spacer strips 60 will create a dellvery vold 80 between shuttle means 46 and delivery means 50. Should even greater depth be requlred for the object belng dellvered, utllization of rlser strips 76 wlll create a separator void 82 between separator means 42 and shuttle meians 46. By providing a plurallty of spacer strips 60 and rlser strlps 76 of diEferlng thicknesses, wlth 'ithlckness~ of these elements belng measured wlth regard to the axlal length of their correspondlng apertures 62 and 78, a slngle shuttle means 46 may be used to dellver objects of various thlcknesses.
For the purpose of determlning what alze and comblnatlon of spacec ~trlps 60 and rlser strlps 76 are to be utllized for a partlcular object, a gauge 84 ls provlded as clearly seen ln the ; vlews of ~198. 13 and 14, gauge 84 basically comprlses a block having a plurallty of slot~ 86, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100 and 102 formed along top 104 of gauge 84. As seen in the slde vlew of Flg. 14, each of the slots 86-102 is of a dlfferent depth. The object to be dlspensed ls placed ln varlous ones of the slots until the appropriate size is determlned. Approprlate slze may be . i : !
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~ 26~i~34 vlsually observed by selecting the flrst of the slots ln which the object can be placed and yet not be vislble along the line o~
sight taken across gauge top 104.
A gauge chart will be provided to the end user of this second embodiment for dispensing apparatus 10, and that gauge chart will instruct the user as to the proper selection of spacer strip~ 60 and riser strips 76, as necessary, to set up apparatus 10 for dellvery of an obJect of the indicated slze. Though not to be limited thereto, utilizing three sizes and configurations for the shuttle means 46, five sizes of spacer strips 60, and two sizes of riser strips 76, at least 30 different slzes of objects such as tablets or capsules, for example, may be efflclently and accurately dispensed.
It will thus be seen that the objects 3et forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding descrlptlon, are efflclently attained and, since certain changes may be made ln the above constructlon wlthout departlng from the scope of the inventlon, lt 18 intended that all matter contalned ln the above descrlption are shown in the accompanying draw1ngs shall be lnterpreted a8 lllustratlve and not ln a llmlting sense.
It is also to be understood that the followlng clalms are lntended to cover all Oe the generlc and speclflc features of the lnventlon hereln descrlbed, and all statements of the scope of the lnventlon whlch, as a matter of language, mlght be sald to fall therebetween.
Now that the lnventlon has been descrlbed, '''.
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Claims (12)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1 . In an apparatus for dispensing a plurality of solid objects, from a bulk supply to a receptacle for the solid objects, said apparatus having hopper means including a support frame for receiving the bulk supply of solid objects;
separator means defining the bottom of said hopper means, said separator means including a plurality of separator apertures formed therethrough, shuttle means movably disposed in substantially parallel, juxtaposed relation to said separator means and downstream of said separator means with respect to the flow of solid objects from said hopper means to the receptacle, said shuttle means including a plurality of shuttle apertures formed therethrough; delivery means fixedly disposed in substantially parallel, juxtaposed relation to said shuttle means and downstream of said shuttle means, said delivery means including a plurality of delivery apertures formed therein through which the solid objects ultimately pass into a receptacle placed downstream of said apparatus; the improvement comprising: spacer means defined by a pair of replaceable spacer strips, each of said spacer strips being attached on opposing sides of said support frame in interposed relation between said shuttle means and said delivery means, each of said spacer strips defining a substantially L-shaped cross-section with the notch of each of said L-shapes facing the corresponding notch of the opposed spacer strip, said shuttle means being movably disposed across said spacer strips within said notches, when the spacer strips are replaced by ones having notches of different thickness the distance between said shuttle means and said delivery means being adjusted by the thickness of the notch in said spacer strips and, riser means defined by a pair of riser strips, one of said riser strips being attached on opposing sides of said support frame in interposed relation between said separator means and said shuttle means, whereby the distance between said separator means and said shuttle means may be adjusted.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said hopper means comprises a collar mounted on said frame in receiving and retaining relation to the bulk supply of solid objects, and a stirring means mounted on said frame whereby the bulk supply of solid objects may be agitated within said collar.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said collar comprises a cylinder having open first and second ends.

4. An apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said stirring means is movably mounted on said support frame, said stirring means comprising a plurality of stirring arms and motor means operatively connected to said arms, whereby said arms may agitate the bulk supply within said collar.

5. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said separator means substantially closes said second end of said collar to define the bottom of said hopper means.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said separator apertures are each dimensioned and configured to receive at least one of the solid objects therein.

7. An apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said shuttle means comprises a shuttle plate, said shuttle plate being movably mounted on said frame for reciprocating movement between a first shuttle plate position and a second shuttle plate position.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said reciprocating movement is substantially transverse to the central axis of each one of said plurality of separator apertures, said shuttle apertures and said delivery apertures.

9. An apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said first shuttle plate position is defined by vertical registry of the central axis of each one of said separator apertures with the central axis of a corresponding one of said shuttle apertures.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said second shuttle plate position is defined by vertical registry of the central axis of each one of said shuttle apertures with the central axis of a corresponding one of said delivery apertures.

11. An apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said delivery means comprises a delivery plate attached to said support frame and wherein the central axis of each of said delivery apertures is in non-registering relation to the central axis of a corresponding one of said separator apertures.

12. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising shuttle biasing means attached to said support frame in engaging relation to a portion of said shuttle means, whereby said shuttle means is normally urged to a first shuttle plate position and, upon overcoming the normal force of said shuttle biasing means, may be moved to a second shuttle plate position.