CA2022591A1 - Rotary stoppering apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A system for placing stoppers in containers, such as those for pharmaceutical products where a first conveyor moves bottles along one path and a second conveyor moves the stoppers on a second path, and where the stoppers are placed in the bottles during continuous movement of the bottles along the path. There is an accumulator station where the stoppers accumulate in a single line and are moved to a discharge point where they are placed into a respective bottle. A rotary star wheel conveys the bottles in a circular path through a stopper application station.

Description

2022~91 Rl)rl'~RY S'l`()l'l'ERIN(~ ~I'I>ARA'I'US AND_ME'l'l~.

5~1EI.D_)~'1'111~ INVENTI()N

The present invention rclates to method and apparatlls for automatically assembling stoppers to vials for pharmaceutical products or the like.

~.r 2~22~91 13A(~'K(~R()UNl) ()1~ 'I'IIE INVLI`I'I`I(~N

Some pharlllacelltical prodllcts sucll as injectables are typically packaged in glass vials and maintained in a sterilc condilion by me~ s Or a closure assernbly applied to the container ullder aseptic condilions. 'T he closure typically comprises a rubber stopper of generally t-sbaped cross section which has a dependillg plug portion engaging in the neck of the bottle and a flange which rests and engages the outer end face of the bottle finish. An aluminum seal or over wrap normally seals and seats the rubber stopper firmly in place in the discharge end Or tlle boltle. ~)ne fl)rm of seal is of the type shown in The West Patent No. 0,000,000 which is solcl under West traden~ark FLIP OFF. This seal comprises an aluminum cap portion which crimps under the container finish having a removable central disk portion and a cover elemellt made of plastic connected to the disk portion wl-ich may be actuated to separate the central removable disk portion and expose the stopper so that a hypodermic syringe can be applied to remove the pharmaceutical product. These containers and closures are usually filled and sealed by aulon)atic handling equipment comprising a plurality of stations including a filling station, a stopper application station and a closure assembly station all connected by conveyor means. Typically tne bottles are stopper intermittently at the stopper application station ror insertion of the stopper. It has been found that tllis process is solllewllat time consumillg and lin~its the productioll rate of filling and sealing pharmaceuticals.

2~225~1 SlJl~M~KY_) r TIIE INVE'N'I`I()N

With the forcgoing in mill(l, it is an object of the prescllt invelItioll to provide an improved apparatlls and systeln for processin~, vials of tlIe above type whereby vials can be filled, stoppered alld sealed in n continuolls unillterlllpted manncr and thereby increase the productivity of processing vials considerably, Furlllermole, (he appara(us and system of tlle present invention are characterizcd by novci features of constructiolI and asrangement minimi~ing creation of parliclllate matter in han-lling alld assembly Or the stoppers and thereby eliminating this as an objection and hazard in the vial filling and handling operation.

Considering the broad details and operation of the stoppering system of the present invention, filled vials are delivered by suitable conveyor means in a continuous stream along a predetermined path throllgh a stoppering station including a continuously rotating stopper transfer workwbeel havilIg a plurality of circumferentially spaced bottle supporting pockets about its peripllery Stoppels nre delivered in a contilluolls row or line to a position adjacent the periphery of thc pickup or workwheel E~ach bottle pocket on the workwheel has an associated stopper pickup element disposed above each of the workwheel pockets. As the workwheel rotates each pick Up element captures a stopper from the stopper supply line positioned so tlIat tlle pl~, porlion of the stopper is aligned vertically with the discharge opening in tl-e neck of tl-e bottle. 'I`hen as the workwheel is rotated, the bottle is gradually elevated to engage the stopper in the discharge opening during the course of rotary movement of the workwheel to a predetermined discharge location at the discharge end of the path. A tamping mechanism engages each stopper as it discharges the workwheel to ensure complete assembly of the stopper in the mouth of the bottle.
Additionally, adjacent the terminal portion of the stopper applying cycle means is provided for rotating the container relative to the stopper to provide a threading action and ensure good final assembly and seating of the stopper in the bottle neck. This action also permits veDting of pressure in the head space so that when the bottle is discharged down stream 2022~91 for application of tl-e closure, tlle internill pressure is sucll that it does not ~lisplace the stopper ancl pop it outw;lrdly.

Considering some of the element of the systcm more specifically, the stoppers are accumulated in a randol)l fashiol1 in an orientor feecler of conventional construction having a rotary conical internal member which delivers stoppers face down one at a time to an exit trackway. The e~it trackway aligns with a small belt conveyor which ~lelivers the stoppers in abutting end to end array to a stopper delivery stlltioll adjacellt the pick-off or workwheel. All interestillg feature of the machine is that from the exit ramp of the stopper feeder to the transfer wheel adjacent Ille workwheel, there is a predetermined controlled delivery force applied to the column or line of stoppers in that region. By this arrangement creation of unwanted particulate matter in the handling of the stoppers from the hopper to its application on a bottle is practically eliminated. The theory is based on the principle of n~inimizing the force between the stopper and any of the moving parts and thus, reduce friction and thereby recluce creatis)n of particulate mattcr.

At the discharge end of the main stopper delivery conveyor, there is a rotary transfer disk and an inverted confined trackway of ll-shaped configuration overlying a portion of the periphery of the disk. The trackw;ly Jelivers the stt)pl)ers to the periphery of the workwheel. ï`he upper porlil)ll of the arcuate trackway mollllts a plurality of roller which are designed to maintain the face of the stopper in contact with the transfer wheel and balance the forces so that the force required to deliver the stoppers to the delivery point in a minimum. ~lencc the friction is the lowest.

The workwheel comprises an upper plate member having a series of circumferentially equi-spaced pockets that during rotation of the wheel, capture filled bottles one at a time in the pockets and move them along a circular patll. The workwheel also includes a bottle advancing starwheel havin~ a series of pockets which are aligned witll the stopper pockets and advance the bottle one at a time into each station. The stopper pick up finger is 20~259~

associated with ~acll t)otlle pl)ckl:t. I he workwllcel nleclmllislll rurtller incllldes an "rcllate ramp on which the boltlcs are ~llpp~)rted dllring movement in tho circulnr path of the workwheel. Ttle ramp is inclino~l upwar~lly arollnd to a point approximately 180 from the inlet point alld during traYcrsillg this portion ol thc r.llllp, thc botlle is raised vcrtically into the stopper at abolll t8() oul thc stopper is allllost flllly inscrte(l. I~rom thcre to the discharge end of the cycle, the ramp is esscntially Icvel to the discllarge point. The discharge ramp in the present instance comprises a number of segments which are spring biased as a safety precaution to allow for tolerance variations in the height of the bottle.
Adjacent th;s portion of the cycle, there is a traction belt in the form of an O-ring mounted on a rail circumscribing the workwheel and defining a confined path for the bottles. Bottles engage tlle traction belt and rotates durillg part of thc cycle. Rotation of the bottles has the effect of relieving internal pressure, by a screwing action and by a relative rotation between the stopper and the bottle. This relative rotation action pro~ides a vent path to vent tlle bottle, to release any pressure build-lp in the head space above the liquid during the stopper application cycle. This minimizes the chance of popping a stopper when it is discharge(l from Ille workwheel.

Bottles filled at a station up stream of the stoppering station are delivered to the iufeed starwheel by a conventiollal screw mechamism whicll spaces the bottles a predetermined distance rehltive to one another to eagage in the pockets of the infeed starwheel. A ~ischarge starwheel of a similar configuration receives the stoppered bottles in its periphery and delivers them through a discharge station. Two arcuate guides cooperate with the infeed and the discharge starwheel to ens~lre positive feeding of the bottles in the desired path.

At the discharge station, a hold down mechanism engages the upper face of each stopper at the point of discharge of the bottle from the workwheel to the discharge starwheel. The hold down mechanism is in the form of a rotary wheel which has easy 2~22591 adjustability so t he operator can position it in the optimllm place for seating tlle slopper durillg the discllarge oper.llion.

An important feature of thc systenl ;s th.lt Ihe stopper plug in all of its phàses is not being driven or engagillg elemenls which again, eliminales the ri.sk of producing particulate ;n the important area of the stopper, that is, the portion that projects into the vial and could contaminate the contents. l'lle stations on the workwlleel can be increa~ed up to 36 and run at the same peripheral speed to prodllce a capacity of in excess of stoppering a thousand bottles a minute.

2~22~91 135~ 1; DQSCRIPl'ION 01~ Tlll~ DRAWI~

These and other objects of thc preseat invesllion and the variolls features and details of the operation an-l construclioll Iheleof are lloreinarler more fully set fortll wilh referellcc to Ihe accom~ yill~ dr;lwillgs wllcle:

l~ig. I is a schelllatic plan view showing the slopper system and method of the present inventioll;

Figs. 2a - 2e inclusive are views illustratillg the metllod at variolls points along the cont;nuous operation for applying the stopper to a boltle;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the stopper applying mechanism in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the stopper application part of the system;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines lS-lS of Fig. 4 through the stopper supply hopper;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on lines 16-lG showing ttle stoppers being deiivered in line to the transfer wheel;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view as viewed from lines 17-17 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing tlle path of travel of the containers and bottles through the stopper application machine;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 19-19 of Fig.8;

~ 202259~L

Fig. 10 is a side elev;~linn;ll view par~ly in sectioll of a modified form of stopper applying mechanism in accordancc wi~h the present invention;

Fig. Il is a plan view laker) on lines 21-2l of rig. Io;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the stopper pick off fingcr;

Fig. 13 is a s;de elevational view partly in section of a modified form of stopper applying mechanism in accordance with the present invention;

Fig 14 is a developed side elevational view of a portion of the stopper hopper assembly shown in the l)pper left portion of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a developed top plan view similar to Fig. 1'~;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 26-26 of Fig. 13;

Flg.17 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the stopper pick off station;

Figs. lB and 19 are enlarged views taken on lines 28-28 and 29-29 respectively of Fig. 13;

.

F;g. 20 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified version of the stopper pick off station;

Fig. 21 is an enlarged fsagmentary ylan view sllowing the modified assembly; aDd Fig. 22 is an enlargell fragmentary perspactive view of a pick off finger.

2~22~9~

DE'I`AILED~U~2~1iE l'RE,I~ RED_EM~ODIME;N'I' As noted abovc, the syslem nn-t metllocl of the present invention have particular application and usc in filling vials or bottles B witll a pharmaceIltical product. These bottles B are typical an~l as illuslr.lte~l in Figs. 2a - 2c inclusive an(l Pig. 3a havc a reduced neck finish to accept a stopper S of gcncrally t-shaped cross scction.

Considering the systcm for applying the stoppers S in terms of function and with particular refercncc to Fig.~, bottlcs B are delivercd to a stoppcr applying station SA in abutting side by side array by an inlet conveyor C where they engage a screw feed mechanism 10 which spaccs thc incoming bottles so they engage in pockets 12 of an infeed starwheel 14. The bottles are filled by higll-speed antomatic filling equipment down stream of the inlet conveyor C. A sensor S1 ma y be provided in the line to cnsure that only filled bottles are processed furtner. As illustrated, the bottles B are presented in predetcrmincd spacc rclation from thc infced starwheel 14 to a stopper workwheel 20 which is also in the nalllrc of a stnrwhccl in that it has a plurality of bottle rcceiving pockets 22 equi-spaced circumfercntially. Eacb bottlc pocket 22 on the workwheel has an associated stopper pickup mechanism 24 S~onsidering operation of thc systcm briefly, fillcd oottles B arc delivered continuously to fill cach pocket of thc rotating workwlleel ~1. Simllltaneously, the last stopper S in line whicll normally presses against the workwhecl pcriphery is plucked by a pick up finger during rotation of the workwheel to ovcrlie and be applied to an underlying filled bottle B
as it traverscs thc arcllate palll fro~ he stopper station Ss to the discllarge station SD.
Asserl1bly results from relative axial and rotational movement of each stopper S and bottle B

duriDg continuous movement through thc apparatus as explaincd in more detail below.

Considcring the various elemeots and stations in more specific detail ancl turning first to thc system and apparatus for conveying the stoppers S to the stoppcr assembly station 2022~9~

SA, an elevator and delivery syslcm of the ~ype showll in Figs. l - l1 inclusive broadly referenced by tbe nlllllertll 25 may be utili~cd to dclivcr stoppers on a continuing basis to tlle stoppcr orientor 26. The details of this conveyor are lhe subject of a pending applicatioll S.N. 07/(176,777, cnlilled ~SI'OrPen ELEVAT()R (~`ONVEYOR, filed July 7, 1987, owned by Ihe Assignec Or Ihc prcsl:nt ;~ licalioll an(l are incorl)or;llc(l by referellce hereill.
Stoppers S are accumulated in a ralldo~ll fasllioll in an orientor/feeder 26 of convelltional construction having a rotary conical member 27 operable to deliver stoppers S face down one at a time to an exit tsackway 30. The exit trackway 30 aligns witll a small belt conveyor 32 which delivers the stoppers S in a row end to end to a stopper delivery station SD adjacent the pick-off or workwhcel 20. An interesting feature of the system is that from the exit ramp of the stopper feeder to the transfer wheel adjacent the workwheel, there is a predetermilled controlled delivery force applied to tlle coluuln or line of stoppers in that region. An important function of the entire system is to minimize creation af particulate matter in the handling of the stoppers from the hopper to its application OD a bottle. The theory is based on the principle of minimi~ing the force between the stopper and any of the moving parts and tblls, reduce friction and thereby reduce creation of particulate matter. The orientor 26 as best illustrated in l~ig. 5 ineludes a central rotalable dome elemellt 41 and various trackways 42 so that when stoppers are placed in the central portion and the dome rotates, they are directed in a predetermined oriented array, that is, top face down to the exit, or discharge ramp of the orientor. ~rom here the stoppers are delivered to a conveyor mechanism 32 comprisiag an endless belt 44 and two rails 46 spaced above the belt and spaced apart to define a gap C of a width through whicb the plug portion of the stopper S projects. In this fashion, the stoppers are aligned and retained on the conveyor in a row in end to end fashion. A sensor S2 provided along the length of the conveyor senses stoppers in the trackway and is operatively associated with the rest of the system so that to signal slemand for stoppers in the orientor when the supply is exhausted. This ensures continuous high-speed operation. As best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, a horse shoe shaped channel member S0 is disposed adjacent the loweJ run of the stopper conveyor 32 which overlies a continuously rotating transfer wheel 52. By 2022~91 this arrangeMent stoppers are stripped from tho maill conveyor and divertod throllgll the horse shape~l chnnnel to a point adj.lcelll thc peripllery of the pickoff or workwheel in tbc manner described in more detail below. The channel 50 bas a series of rollers 54 which bear ligbtly agaillst the iop face of the stopper to ensllre good movctnent of the stoppers tllrough the systcm and mitlitllizc abrasive contracts wllich coukl generate particulate matter.

The transfer wheel 52 rotatcs in a direction to rotate the outermost stopper in the column adjacent Ille pickup wheel to a point where it is aligned with and normally engages the outer peripheral surface of the wheel or rail between the circulllferentially spaced pickup pockets on the workwheel 20. (SEE FIO. 7).

At the discharge end of the stopper delivery conveyor 32 there is a conveyor belt sheave 34. Overlying a portion of the periphery of tlle conveyor belt sheave 34 is an inverted confined trackway 36 of U-shaped configuration. The trackway 36 guides the stoppers to the periphery of the workwheel 52. The upper portion of the arcuate trackway 36 mounts a plurality of rollers 38 which are designe(l to maintain the face of the stopper ;D contact witb tbe conveyor belt on the wheel 34 and balance the forces so that the force required to drive the stoppers to the delivery point in a minimurn. Hence the friction is the lowest.

The workwbeel 20 comprises an upper plate ulember 60 having a series of circumferentially equi-spaced pick up fingers 64 which during rotation of the wheel capture stoppers one at a time and 1nove them along a predetermined arcuate path. The workwheel also includes a bottle advancillg starwheel 66 llaYing a series of pockets 68 which are aligned with the slopper pockets and advance the botlle one at a time into each statioD.

The workwheel mecl-allism further includes an arcuate ramp 70 on which the bottles are supported during movelllent in the circular path of the workwheel. The ramp 70 is inclined upwardly around to a point approximately 180 from the inlet point in the workwheel cycle.
During traversing this portion of the ramp the bottle is raised vertically into the stopper 2o22~9l and at about l80 out tbe stopl)er S is almost r~lly inscrted. Prom thele to the discllarge end of the cycl~, the ra-np returns to ~he level al tlle conveyor bclt C. I be discllarg~ ramp 72 in the present inst~nce comprises a nllmber of ~cgmellls 74 whicll are sprin~ biased as a safety precaution to allow for tolerance variations in the heigllt of the bottle. Adjacent this cycle of the operation, there is n traction belt 7C in the naturs of an O-ring 78 against which the bottles engage ancl rotate dllring this latter part of tbe cycle. Rotation of the bottles relieves internal pressure, by a screwing action whicll is desirable to relieve any pressure buildup in the head space aboYe the liquid during tbe stopper application cycle. This minimizes the chance of popping a stopper when it is discllarged from the workwheel.

Bottles filled at a statioll upstream of the stoppcling station are delivered to th~
infced starwheel 14 by a conventional screw mechanism 10 which spaces the bottles B a predetermined distance relative to one another to engage in the pockets 12 of the infeed starwheel 14. The discl-arge starwheel 86 is a similar configuration and received the stoppered bottles in its peripbery and dclivers thelll to a disc1large station SD. Two arcuate guides 88 and 90 cooperate with the infeed and the discllarge starwheels to ensure positive feeding of the bottles iu the desired path.

A bold down mechanism 90 at the discharge station engages the upper face of each stopper at the point of discharge of the bottle from the workwheel 20 to the discharge starwheel 86. The bold down mechanism 90 is in the form of a rotary wheel 92 which has easy adjustability so thé operator can position it in the optimum place for seating the stopper during the discharge operation.

Considering now operation of the apparatus described above. The cycle of operation is very simple. The operators simply turns the power on wl-ich automatically initiates the various mechanisms for feeding stoppers and bottle to be assembled. In other words, filled bottles are moved in a spaced relation by the feed screw blank to the infeed starwheel to 2~D~2~

be presented to IhC workwbeel pockcts one at a time in a continuous fashion.
Simultaneously, stoppers deiivered fron~ ~he stoppcr accumulator station move to the periphery of the workwheel in a continuous fashion ancl upon rotation of the workwheel assembled to the filled boltles in the manner descril)ed above. Movement of bottles and stoppers to ancl throllgll the workwheel in this fasllioll commences an~l continues automatically. There are a number of sensors strategically located to sense stopper and bottle supply an effect shutdown of the apparatus under certain conditions. ~or example, the sensor blank adjacent the exit trackway for the stoppers will effect shutdown of the entire unit when the continuous flow of stoppers has been interrupted. Likewise, the sensor S1 at the infeed starwheel senses the absence of fillecl bottles and shuts the system down.
The workwheel assembly is adjustable vertically as a unit to provide a means for adjusting the sarne Yertically aod thereby the system can accommodate bottles of various sizes and heigbts. This also permits fine tuning of the apparatus to ensure the proper relative position of the stoppers and bottles particularly in the initial stages of the cycle as at blaDk. Furthermore, the inlet conveyor has a degree of adjustabilitv to allow positioning of the transfer wheel accurately relative to the worlcwheel.

There is illustrated in Figs. 21 and 22 a modified form of stopper assembly system and apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Tlle overall system is similar to that described above except that in the present instance tlle ~ransfer \vlleel associated with the stopper conveyor is eliminated and instead the stoppers are delivered to a trarJsfer station adjacent the periphery of the workwheel directly from the lower run of tbe transfer conveyor as shown in Fig. 10.

The transfer station includes a spring biased pivotal stop member 100 and an arcuate abutment ledge 102 which yositions the last stopper in the line on tbe conveyor in a predetermined position relative to the periphery of the pickup wheel so it can be properly engaged during rotation of the pickup wheel in tlle manner indicated. The pickup finger as best illust~ated in ~igs. ll and 12 is generally designatcd by the numeral 110 and includes a 2~22~93.

pocket 112 bavirlg an elongated side ledge 119 wllicll cngages under a porlion of the top of the stopper and an arcunle rear scction 116 whicll likewise is sized to engaKe un~ler tlle top of the stopper whcn the pickup finger 110 rotates to a position wbere it is aligned with the last most stopper in the line as illustrated in l~ig. Il. The pocket traverses an arcuate patll and the transfer seat 102 is aligne~l on that arcuate path so that as the finger passes the stopper pOsitiOIl tberein the finger engages the stopper and carries the stopper. At this point, the stopper overlies and is spaced axially above a filled bottle. As the wheel continues to rotates, Ihe bottle B is moved axially upwardly to affect engagement s)f the stopper and the discharge opelIing in the manner described previously. Note that the pickup wheei 20 has a central manifold 122 connected to a suitable air source to apply a vacuum to the seat 112 in the pickup finger to assist in retaining the stopper on the finger as it passes throllgll the pickup station. Note tllat the spring biased retaining finger pivots outwardly to release the stopper when the pickup finger nloves through the pickup station.

Tbere is illustrated in Figs. 13-19 inclusive a modified embodiment of the apparatus and method for assembling and applying sloppers and closures to filled vials. In accordance with this en~bodiment, the hopper 200 for the vials is llocated closely adjacent the turntable incorporating the nnechanism for assembling the stoppers S to the filled bottles B. In this instance, the stoppers S move on to an elongated linear conveyor 201. The upper run 202 o~' the con~eyor overlies the rotary turntable 20 ~lld terminates in an arcuate downwardly extending exit ramp 204 to deliver the stoppers to a pick off station 206 (SEE ~IG. 16~.
The pick off wheel 208 as best illustrated in Fig. 17 has a series of circumferentially equi-spaced pockets 210 in its outer periphery of generally the same configuration as in the previously described embodiment. The pockets 210 extend inwardly from the outer arcuate peripheral surface 212 of the wheel which is interrupted by tlle pockets 210 in the manner shown in ~ig. 17. The pick off wheel 208 as illustrated has a lower plate member 214 having peripheral arcuate edge 2J6 aligned with the edge 212 of the wheel and spaced slightly radially inwardly therefrom as best shown in Fig. 17. These elements form the pocket within whicil the flange of the stoppers nest as the wheel traverses the pick off 2022~91 station. Stoppers move(l in a continuolls in line fnshiol- lo tlle pick off station ride on the arcuate edge 21fi until a pocket 210 is aligm:d witll the row of stoppers S at tlle pick off station. As a stopper is picked np by tlle rotating wheel 208 at tbe pick off station, the stopper picked as the wheel rotates in the direction of the arrow engages a snubber wheel 209 to cnsure retention of the stopper j~lSt picked llp at the pick off station in its respective pocket. Tlle snubber wheel 209 as best illustrate(l in l;ig. 17 is freely rotating and as illustrated has a portion 211 of its outer peripheral edge overlapping tlle outer peripheral trace of the stopper flange FS to gently press the stopper in the seat. This action as best illustrated ir~ tlle fragmentary view of Fig. 17 Another feature of this embodiment on tlle invention resides in means for adjusting the stopper conveyor 201 relative to the pick off wheel. This relationsllip is rather critical and must be precise in order to ensure proper positioning of the stoppers at the picic off station for easy and free delivery by the pick up wheel to the next assembly operation. To this end, the adjusting mecllanism broadly designated by the numeral 222 comprises a screw n~echanism 224 supportëd on the frame Or the transfer mechanism as frame 226 of the conveyor mechanism (SEE l;IC 13). As illustrated the elongated stopper conveyor has an arDIl extension 23û normally sits on the adjusting screw mechanism so that turning of tbe screw adjusts tlle conveyor vertically relative to the pick off wheel. In this manner the precise discharge location of the stopper at the pickllp stati~n may be vernally calibrated.

At the discharge end of the stopper conveyor there is a bracket 240 having an arm extension 242 defilling the seat against which the stoppers abut at tbe pick off station.
This bracket is adjustable vertically to accornmodate stoppers of different vertical heights and again, to ensure correct positioning for engagement and pickup by the rotary pickup wheel 208.

~22~9~

Tbere is illustratioll in ~:igs. 2() - 22 inclllsive, a fllrtller embo liment of pickup n ethod, system and apparaîlls in i~ccorclance with tlle prescnt invention. In tllis installce tlle stopper discharge station 330 terminates adjaccnt the peripllery of tile wheel an l the outormost stopper S abuts a fixe I stop acljacent the end of the lischarge cllllte aod a sprin~ biased pickup finger 332 normnlly prevellts release in a circumferenlial ctirection. lhe pickup finger as illustrated in ~ig. 22 inclu les an X-sbaped rail 33O and a tllin plate member 338 spaced below the rail 336 having an arcuate pocket or cut out 340 which engages the stoppers S below the flange in the manner illustratecl in Pigs. 20 and 21. Note the end of the discharge chute has a throllgb operJing 342 to pern it passage of the X-shaped rail aad the pickup finger 332. In this jnstance, the outermost stopper S in the line is engaged by a pickup finger 332 on the periphery of the workwheel. Tlle spring biased finger 332 pivots outwardly to release the outermost stopper in line. Immediately upon release of the outermost stopper, the next one in line is movecl to a fingcr engaging position automatically.

While particular emobiclments of tlle present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not inlended t o limit tlle invention and changes and modifications may be macle thelein within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (8)

1. In a system for assembling stoppers to containers such as bottles for a pharmaceutical product, first conveyor means for moving bottles along a first predetermined path, second conveyor means for moving stoppers along a second predetermined path and a means for assembling a stopper in a discharge opening of each container at a stopper application station during continuous movement of bottles along said path.

2. In a system as claimed in Claim 1 including an accumulator station for a plurality of stoppers having means for orienting the stoppers in a single line and moving them to a discharge point where they are assembled to a bottle.

3. In a system as claimed in Claim 1 including a rotatory star wheel located along said second conveyor means for conveying the bottles in a circular path through said stopper application station.

4. In a system as claimed in Claim I including a stopper work wheel having a plurality of circumferentially spaced pick-up-fingers which upon rotation register sequentially with a stopper at a stopper discharge station to remove a given stopper and assemble it into the discharge opening of the container.

5. A method for assembling stoppers in the discharge opening of containers such as bottles for pharmaceutical products consisting of the steps of moving bottles along a first predetermined path, moving stoppers continuously in an in line orientation along a second predetermined path and automatically assembling a stopper to each of the containers at an assembly station.

6. Apparatus for assembling stoppers to containers in the discharge opening of containers comprising of first conveyor means for moving containers along a predetermined first path, a second conveyor for moving stoppers along a predetermined second path and a star wheel mechanism including means for position a stopper and bottle and actuating them to assemble stopper.

7. Apparatus claimed as in Claim 6 wherein said star wheel mechanism includes a plurality of a circumferentially spaced pick-up-fingers which are adapted to engage and retain a stopper and position it over a discharge opening in a container aligned with a pick-up-finger and including means for actuating the container and stopper axially relative to one another to thereby assemble the stopper in the discharge opening in the container.

8. An orientor for orienting elements in a predetermined position comprising a central rotatable dome element defining a open chamber for the elements where they are positioned in random fashion, a plurality of trackways communicating with the rotatable dome element and deflector mean along said trackways is cooperatively associated therewith which upon rotation of the dome element, causes the elements to move along said trackways and to said discharge station in a predetermined in line position to a discharge station.