US3741370A - Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules - Google Patents
Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules Download PDFInfo
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- US3741370A US3741370A US00230683A US3741370DA US3741370A US 3741370 A US3741370 A US 3741370A US 00230683 A US00230683 A US 00230683A US 3741370D A US3741370D A US 3741370DA US 3741370 A US3741370 A US 3741370A
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- cap
- capsule
- portions
- receiving means
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J3/00—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms
- A61J3/07—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use
- A61J3/071—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use into the form of telescopically engaged two-piece capsules
- A61J3/074—Filling capsules; Related operations
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
- B65B57/02—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages
- B65B57/04—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages
Definitions
- ABSTRACT Improvement to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules comprising a means for ejecting unmated cap and body sections from capsule receiving means after the cap and body portions of said receiving means have been forced into a misalignment to expose the body section to a liquid or particulate matter filling operation.
- these capsules comprise two pieces which are telescoped together to form an enclosed container.
- Empty capsules are manufactured by forming each of the two pieces on a molding pin, stripping the sections therefrom, trimming the pieces to a predetermined length and joining the two pieces by pushing (telescoping) the body section intothe cap section.
- the body section is longer than the cap section, so that when the two sections'are telescoped together the exposed body section length is about the same as the cap section.
- the joined empty capsules are usually introduced into the filling operationin a random pack.
- the randomly oriented empty capsules are rectified to arrange all of the capsules with the body section in the same direction and such rectified empty capsules are deposited in a receiving means, which can take many forms, and subsequently separated, filled and rejoined.
- U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,954 discloses an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules, and one of the many features of said apparatus is a capsule receiving means which is comprised of two cooperating portions.
- the two cooperating portions are in alignment to receive the empty capsule when the latter is deposited therein.
- the capsules are subsequently separated into two sections; a body section and a cap section, immediately after they are deposited in the receiving means. Later, the two portions of the receiving means are forced into a misalignment in order to expose the body section to a liquid or particulate matter filling operation which introduces the desired material into the body section.
- liquid or particulate matter is discharged into the chamber in the body portionof said receiving means and is recovered by a scavengering system designed for the purpose.
- the unmated cap section continues in the cap portion of said receiving means to the position where the rejoined closed capsule is removed from the capsule receiving means.
- the unmated capsulecap is ejected along with properly filled and closed capsules providing unwanted trash intermingled with good filled capsules adding to the burden of the sorting operation as such trash must be removed before the capsule polishing operation, and double-capped capsules, which sometimes result, are almost impossible to detect.
- an object of this invention to provide a mechanism for ejecting unmated capsule cap and body sections from the capsule receiving means in an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules before the rnated separated capsule cap and body sections arrive at the position where the filling of the capsule body takes place.
- an unmated capsule body section in the receiving means of an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules can be ejected, thus eliminating the problem caused by filling a capsule body section for which there is no mated cap section present.
- the unmated cap section can be ejected at a position where it will not become intermingled with closed filled capsules. This is accomplished by discharging pressurized fluid, either continuously or intermittently, directly into the chambers in the top of both the body and cap portions of the capsule receiving means and subsequently conducting such pressurized fluid via a communication means to the bottom of the corresponding cooperating body or cap portion of said receiving means, as the case may be.
- the improvement of this invention comprises a device which delivers the pressurized fluid at the appropriate position and provides the communication between thebottom apertures of the cap and body portions of the capsule receiving means and constitutes the apparatus with which the ejection of an unmated capsule cap or body section is effected.
- FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away perspective of the un mated capsule eject mechanism.
- FIG. 2 is a section of FIG. 1 showing the unmated capsule eject mechanism ejecting an unmated body portion.
- FIG. 3 is a section of FIG. 1 showing the unmated capsule eject mechanism ejecting an unmated cap portion.
- FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional montage of FIGS. 2 and 3 depicting the operation of the unmated capsule eject mechanism when both cap and body portions are present in the capsule conveying means.
- the unmated capsule eject mechanism constituting the improvement to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules is comprised of the following elements: (a) A pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold 1, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel. (b) A first hollow tube 4 having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold l and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein the capsule'cap portions 9 of the capsule receiving means travel after the former have been misaligned from the body portions 10 of said receiving means, when said manifold 1 is in its working position.
- a second hollow tube 5 having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold 1 and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein the capsule body portions of the capsule receiving means travel after the capsule cap portions 9 have been misaligned from said body portions 10, when said manifold I is inits working position.
- a third hollow tube 7 having one end (inlet) spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein the capsule cap portion 9 of the capsule receiving means travel after the former are misaligned from the capsule body portion 10 thereof and with the vertical center line of the inlet end coaxially and spatially positioned with the vertical center line of the discharge end of said first tube 4, and the other end (dischargeYspatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space whereinthe capsule body postions 10 travel after said misalignment.
- a fourth hollow tube 8 having one end (inlet) disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein the capsule body portions 10 of the capsule receiving means travel after the capsule cap portions 9 thereof have been misaligned therefrom, and with the vertical center line of said inlet end coaxially and spatially positioned with the vertical center line of the discharge end of said second tube 5 and the other end (discharge) disposed in the center line of and immediately below the of said body portion I0 when the corresponding cap portion 9 cooperating therewith is disposed immediately below the discharge end of said first hollow tube 4.
- a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold 1 is shown connected to stanchions 2 by rotatable arms 3 and disposed in the working position.
- Two distribtuion ports in manifold l are independently connected to hollow tubes 4 and 5.
- Hollow tube 4 is disposed so that the discharge end is mounted over the center line of the direction of travel of the capsule cap portions 9 of the capsule receiving means after said cap portion 9 has been misaligned with capsule body portion 10 of said receiving means.
- Hollow tube 5 is disposed so that the discharge end is mounted over the center line of the direction of travel of the body portion 10 of the receiving means after the cap portion 9 has been misaligned with said body portion 10 of said receiving means.
- Manifold 1 and the assemblage thereof can be pivoted out of its working position to facilitate access ,to capsule receiving means and the conveyor on which the latter move.
- the discharge ends of the hollow tubes 4 and 5 can be as close to the top opening of cap portions 9 and the face of cam 13, shown immediately above body portions 10, respectively, as about one-sixteenth of an inch or as far away therefrom as an inch or more.
- the discharge ends of hollow tubes 4 and 5 are within one-quarter inch or less of the respective openings in order to minimize the pressure required to establish the flow of fluid through the system.
- the apparatus can be, designed so that the discharge ends of hollow tubes 4 and 5 are disposed in such a relationship that the cap portion 9 of one capsule receiving means is directly under the discharge end of hollow tube 4 at the same moment that the body portion 10 of another one of the capsule receiving means is directly under the discharge end of hollow tube 5.
- the discharge of the pressurized fluid be continuous, and in such operation there is no need for the simultaneous application of a pressurized fluid to the respective cap and body portion of the receiving means.
- FIG. 1 A cut-away view of one capsule receiving means, comprised of a cap portion 9 and a body portion 10 is shown in FIG. 1 before the cap portion 9 is contacted by cam 13 and misaligned with body portion 10.
- Each of the independent capsule receiving means is pivotally connected with both a preceding and a following body portion 10 by a connecting bar 11.
- Each of the cap portions 9 of a capsule receiving means is pivotally connected to a preceding capsule body portion 10 by a connecting bar 12.
- Cap portions 9 are misaligned by cam 13 to the extent that each cap portion 9 is moved out of vertical alignment with its cooperating body portion 10, in order to expose the open top end of the capsule body to a subsequent filling operation.
- the capsule receiving means are traveling along an endless conveyor. And as the misaligned cap portion of the receiving means reaches a point immediately below the discharge end of hollow tube 4, pressurized fluid is discharged into the chamber of said cap portion 9. When a capsule cap is present in the chamber, nothing happens. The flow of pressurized fluid is interrupted by the capsule cap and no flow of pressurized fluid can be initiated in the systern.
- each capsule body portion 10 comes into a position directly below the discharge end of hollow tube 5.
- Concentric opening 15 in cam 13 provides access to the chamber in body portions 10.
- hollow tubes 7 and 8 are shown as borings in a single block 6. Such a configuration is not required. Individual tubes can be employed with equal facility.
- the block 6 is illustrated only for convenience.
- FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the assembly illustrating the ejection of an unmated capsule body section.
- Hollow tube 4 is shown with the discharge end situated a considerable distance from the top of capsule cap portion 9. No dimensions should be read from this cross-sectional view. In operation it is preferred that the discharge end of said tube 4 be no more than one quarter inch from the opening in the top of said cap portion 9.
- the aperture in the bottom of cap portion 9 is clearly shown and the manner in which such aperture communicates with one end of hollow tube 7 is clearly portrayed. Also, the orifice in body portion 10 is clearly depicted as well as the manner in which hollow tube 7 communicated with said orifice.
- FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of the useful improvement of this invention in ejecting an unmated capsule cap section.
- the hollow tube 5 is shown positioned above the center line of body portion 10 and from this position the discharge of pressurized fluid can enter the chamber in the top of said body portion 10 and be transported through the orifice in the bottom of said body portion 10 to the hollow tube 8.
- the flow of fluid set up by the discharge of pressurized fluid from hollow tube 5 travels through said hollow tube 8 and enters the aperture in the bottom of cap portion 9, resulting in the ejection of an unmated cap 17 from said cap portion 9.
- a body section (16 in FIGS. 2 and 4) is present in the annular space of body portion 10, the discharge of pressurized fluid from hollow tube 5 is interrupted and no fluid flow takes place through hollow tube 7.
- FIG. 4 is a montage used to show that the presence of mated body and cap sections in cooperating body and cap portions, 10 and 9 respectively, causes a deflection of the discharge of pressurized fluid from both hollow tubes 5 and 4, and consequently neither of the mated body nor cap sections is ejected.
- a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsulehaving a body section and a complementary cap section:
- each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamher,
- a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communieating with said chamber,
- a pressurized fluid distribution manifold having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel,
- a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and
- a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.
- the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and with thevertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
- the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperture in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
- the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion of said first capsule receiving means and the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion of said second capsule receiving means comprise a single block wherein two independent ducts are provided which communicate with said apertures and orifices respectively, said ducts being disposed in said block in such a manner that there is simultaneous communication between their respective cap portion apertures and the cooperating body portion orifices.
- each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section:
- each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,
- a corresponding cooperating cap portion movably connected to the preceding body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber;
- a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold having two exhaustports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel; r a
- a first hollow tube having one end connected to the first exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position;
- a second hollow tube having one end connected to the second exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working positon,
- a third hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube;
- a fourth hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opmeans for supplying pressurized fluid to said manifold.
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Abstract
Improvement to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules comprising a means for ejecting unmated cap and body sections from capsule receiving means after the cap and body portions of said receiving means have been forced into a misalignment to expose the body section to a liquid or particulate matter filling operation.
Description
United States Patent 1 Hostetler APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND FILLING CAPSULES [75] Inventor: Van B. Hostetler,lndianapolis,Ind.
[73] Assignee: Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis,
Ind.
22 Filed: Mar. 1, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 230,683
[52] US. Cl ..198/131, 53/167, 198/229 [51] Int. Cl B65g 17/16 [58] Field of Search 198/131, 229',
[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,436 1/1942 Lathrop 198/229 X June 26, 1973 3,527,015 9/1970 Aronson et a1. 198/131 X 3,534,526 10/1970 l-lostetler et al. 198/131 X 3,601,954 8/1971 Aronson 198/131 X Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Att0rneyEveret F. Smith and Ralph W. Ernsberger [57] ABSTRACT Improvement to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules comprising a means for ejecting unmated cap and body sections from capsule receiving means after the cap and body portions of said receiving means have been forced into a misalignment to expose the body section to a liquid or particulate matter filling operation.
'6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING AND FILLING CAPSULES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement to the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,954.
2. Description of the Prior Art Two-piece hard-shell capsules have been used in the pharmaceutical industry for decades to define and contain a unit dose of a drug or medicine. Hard-shell capsules prepared from gelatin are popular in the prescription drug business because such dosage forms are easily swallowed by both young and old. Gelatin is compatible with dyes which provide colors in all ranges of the spectrum, enabling the drug producer to choose a color to suit the mood of the drug and to distinguish one pharmceutical preparation from another by color codes.
Generally, these capsules comprise two pieces which are telescoped together to form an enclosed container. Empty capsules are manufactured by forming each of the two pieces on a molding pin, stripping the sections therefrom, trimming the pieces to a predetermined length and joining the two pieces by pushing (telescoping) the body section intothe cap section. As a rule, the body section is longer than the cap section, so that when the two sections'are telescoped together the exposed body section length is about the same as the cap section. v
The joined empty capsules are usually introduced into the filling operationin a random pack. The randomly oriented empty capsules are rectified to arrange all of the capsules with the body section in the same direction and such rectified empty capsules are deposited in a receiving means, which can take many forms, and subsequently separated, filled and rejoined.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,954 discloses an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules, and one of the many features of said apparatus is a capsule receiving means which is comprised of two cooperating portions. The two cooperating portions are in alignment to receive the empty capsule when the latter is deposited therein. The capsules are subsequently separated into two sections; a body section and a cap section, immediately after they are deposited in the receiving means. Later, the two portions of the receiving means are forced into a misalignment in order to expose the body section to a liquid or particulate matter filling operation which introduces the desired material into the body section.
Ordinarily the deposit of a complete capsule into the receiving means and the separation of such capsule into the two component parts proceed without event. However, there are occasions when an incomplete capsule, such being either the capsule body or the capsule cap, is deposited in the capsule receiving means. And there are sometimes unexpected events which cause either the separated cap section or separated body section from a complete capsule to be ejected from its respective portion of said receiving means after the latter has been forced into misalignment prior to the actual capsule filling operation. In any event, when the separated cooperating portions of said receiving means contains only either a capsule cap section'or a capsule body sec-' tion, subsequent operations are impaired.
When a capsule body section only is present in the two cooperating portions of the capsule receiving means, liquid or particulate matter is filled into the body section and at a later position in the operation there is no capsule cap in the cooperating cap portion of said receiving means and consequently there is no v way to close the capsule by pushing the filled body section into a cap section. The result is loose liquid or particulate matter spilled onto the machine creating soiled product and dirty operating conditions which are not only unsightly but costly as well.
When .a capsule cap section only is present in the two cooperating portions of the capsule receiving means, 7
liquid or particulate matter is discharged into the chamber in the body portionof said receiving means and is recovered by a scavengering system designed for the purpose. The unmated cap section, however, continues in the cap portion of said receiving means to the position where the rejoined closed capsule is removed from the capsule receiving means. There the unmated capsulecap is ejected along with properly filled and closed capsules providing unwanted trash intermingled with good filled capsules adding to the burden of the sorting operation as such trash must be removed before the capsule polishing operation, and double-capped capsules, which sometimes result, are almost impossible to detect.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a mechanism for ejecting unmated capsule cap and body sections from the capsule receiving means in an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules before the rnated separated capsule cap and body sections arrive at the position where the filling of the capsule body takes place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been discovered that an unmated capsule body section in the receiving means of an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules can be ejected, thus eliminating the problem caused by filling a capsule body section for which there is no mated cap section present. Also, the unmated cap section can be ejected at a position where it will not become intermingled with closed filled capsules. This is accomplished by discharging pressurized fluid, either continuously or intermittently, directly into the chambers in the top of both the body and cap portions of the capsule receiving means and subsequently conducting such pressurized fluid via a communication means to the bottom of the corresponding cooperating body or cap portion of said receiving means, as the case may be. When there is no cap in the cap portion of the receiving means, the pressurized fluid flows to the bottom of the body portion and the sudden surge of pressurized fluid ejects the unmated body section from the chamber of the body portion of the receiving means. The same process occurs when there is no capsule body section in the receiving means. The improvement of this invention comprises a device which delivers the pressurized fluid at the appropriate position and provides the communication between thebottom apertures of the cap and body portions of the capsule receiving means and constitutes the apparatus with which the ejection of an unmated capsule cap or body section is effected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away perspective of the un mated capsule eject mechanism.
FIG. 2 is a section of FIG. 1 showing the unmated capsule eject mechanism ejecting an unmated body portion.
FIG. 3 is a section of FIG. 1 showing the unmated capsule eject mechanism ejecting an unmated cap portion.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional montage of FIGS. 2 and 3 depicting the operation of the unmated capsule eject mechanism when both cap and body portions are present in the capsule conveying means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following detailed description of the embodiments of this invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings.
The unmated capsule eject mechanism constituting the improvement to an apparatus for conveying and filling capsules is comprised of the following elements: (a) A pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold 1, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel. (b) A first hollow tube 4 having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold l and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein the capsule'cap portions 9 of the capsule receiving means travel after the former have been misaligned from the body portions 10 of said receiving means, when said manifold 1 is in its working position. (c) A second hollow tube 5 having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold 1 and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein the capsule body portions of the capsule receiving means travel after the capsule cap portions 9 have been misaligned from said body portions 10, when said manifold I is inits working position. (d) A third hollow tube 7 having one end (inlet) spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein the capsule cap portion 9 of the capsule receiving means travel after the former are misaligned from the capsule body portion 10 thereof and with the vertical center line of the inlet end coaxially and spatially positioned with the vertical center line of the discharge end of said first tube 4, and the other end (dischargeYspatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space whereinthe capsule body postions 10 travel after said misalignment. (e) A fourth hollow tube 8 having one end (inlet) disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein the capsule body portions 10 of the capsule receiving means travel after the capsule cap portions 9 thereof have been misaligned therefrom, and with the vertical center line of said inlet end coaxially and spatially positioned with the vertical center line of the discharge end of said second tube 5 and the other end (discharge) disposed in the center line of and immediately below the of said body portion I0 when the corresponding cap portion 9 cooperating therewith is disposed immediately below the discharge end of said first hollow tube 4. (g) A concentric aperture 15 in said cam means 13 located in the center line of the line of travel of the body portions 10 of the capsule receiving means, with crossing center lines coaxially positioned with crossing center lines of the discharge end of the second hollow tube 5. (h) Means connected to said distribution manifold for supplying pressurized fluid.
The inlet and discharge ends of said third and fourth tubes 7 and 8 being positioned in a fixed space relationship to the mated cap 9 and body 10 portions respectively sothat when either the cap 9 or body 10 portion is situated immediately abovethe respective tube end, the corresponding body 10 or cap 9 portion is situated immediately above the other end of the respective tube.
The novel device which constitutes the improvement of this invention operates as described and illustrated hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 1, a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold 1 is shown connected to stanchions 2 by rotatable arms 3 and disposed in the working position. Two distribtuion ports in manifold l are independently connected to hollow tubes 4 and 5. Hollow tube 4 is disposed so that the discharge end is mounted over the center line of the direction of travel of the capsule cap portions 9 of the capsule receiving means after said cap portion 9 has been misaligned with capsule body portion 10 of said receiving means. Hollow tube 5 is disposed so that the discharge end is mounted over the center line of the direction of travel of the body portion 10 of the receiving means after the cap portion 9 has been misaligned with said body portion 10 of said receiving means.
Manifold 1 and the assemblage thereof can be pivoted out of its working position to facilitate access ,to capsule receiving means and the conveyor on which the latter move. The discharge ends of the hollow tubes 4 and 5 can be as close to the top opening of cap portions 9 and the face of cam 13, shown immediately above body portions 10, respectively, as about one-sixteenth of an inch or as far away therefrom as an inch or more. The only requirement being that the discharge of pressurized fluid from hollow tubes 4 and 5 enter the respective chambers of the body and cap portions of the capsule receiving means and set in motion a flow of fluid through the attendant parts of the device when either the cap or body sections of a capsule is missing. Preferably the discharge ends of hollow tubes 4 and 5 are within one-quarter inch or less of the respective openings in order to minimize the pressure required to establish the flow of fluid through the system.
The apparatus can be, designed so that the discharge ends of hollow tubes 4 and 5 are disposed in such a relationship that the cap portion 9 of one capsule receiving means is directly under the discharge end of hollow tube 4 at the same moment that the body portion 10 of another one of the capsule receiving means is directly under the discharge end of hollow tube 5. However,
such design is not required and is beneficial only when the discharge of pressurized fluid is pulsed intermittently and synchronized with the coming into position of the respective portions of the capsule receiving means immediately under the discharge ends of hollow tubes 4 and 5.
For economy of installation it is preferred that the discharge of the pressurized fluid be continuous, and in such operation there is no need for the simultaneous application of a pressurized fluid to the respective cap and body portion of the receiving means.
A cut-away view of one capsule receiving means, comprised of a cap portion 9 and a body portion 10 is shown in FIG. 1 before the cap portion 9 is contacted by cam 13 and misaligned with body portion 10. Each of the independent capsule receiving means is pivotally connected with both a preceding and a following body portion 10 by a connecting bar 11. Each of the cap portions 9 of a capsule receiving means is pivotally connected to a preceding capsule body portion 10 by a connecting bar 12.
When there is no capsule cap present in cap portion 9, the discharge of pressurized fluid enters the chamber of said cap portion 9, and is transported through spatially cooperating hollow tube 7 to the bottom of the cooperating body portion 10 of the' capsule receiving means. The flow of pressurized fluid being uninterrupted flows into the orifice in the bottom of said body portion 10 and an unmated capsule body section is ejected at once. The elongated opening 14 in cam 13, disposed directly over the body portions 10 of the receiving means provides egress for the unmated capsule body section. Thusly, an unmated capsule body section is eliminated from the capsule receiving means.
As the capsule receiving means move along the endless conveyor, each capsule body portion 10 comes into a position directly below the discharge end of hollow tube 5. Concentric opening 15 in cam 13 provides access to the chamber in body portions 10. When there is a capsule body section present in body portion 10, the discharge of pressurized fluid is interrupted by such body section and no fluid flow is initiated through the system.
However, when there is no capsule body section present in the chamber of body portion 10, the discharge of pressurized fluid is transported through hollow tube 8 to' the aperture in the bottom of the cap portion 9 of the cooperating receiving means and an unmated capsule cap section is immediately ejected from such cap portion. Thusly, an unmated capsule cap section is eliminated from the capsule receiving means.
In FIG. 1, hollow tubes 7 and 8 are shown as borings in a single block 6. Such a configuration is not required. Individual tubes can be employed with equal facility. The block 6 is illustrated only for convenience.
FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the assembly illustrating the ejection of an unmated capsule body section. Hollow tube 4 is shown with the discharge end situated a considerable distance from the top of capsule cap portion 9. No dimensions should be read from this cross-sectional view. In operation it is preferred that the discharge end of said tube 4 be no more than one quarter inch from the opening in the top of said cap portion 9. The aperture in the bottom of cap portion 9 is clearly shown and the manner in which such aperture communicates with one end of hollow tube 7 is clearly portrayed. Also, the orifice in body portion 10 is clearly depicted as well as the manner in which hollow tube 7 communicated with said orifice.
FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of the useful improvement of this invention in ejecting an unmated capsule cap section. The hollow tube 5 is shown positioned above the center line of body portion 10 and from this position the discharge of pressurized fluid can enter the chamber in the top of said body portion 10 and be transported through the orifice in the bottom of said body portion 10 to the hollow tube 8. The flow of fluid set up by the discharge of pressurized fluid from hollow tube 5 travels through said hollow tube 8 and enters the aperture in the bottom of cap portion 9, resulting in the ejection of an unmated cap 17 from said cap portion 9. When a body section (16 in FIGS. 2 and 4) is present in the annular space of body portion 10, the discharge of pressurized fluid from hollow tube 5 is interrupted and no fluid flow takes place through hollow tube 7.
FIG. 4 is a montage used to show that the presence of mated body and cap sections in cooperating body and cap portions, 10 and 9 respectively, causes a deflection of the discharge of pressurized fluid from both hollow tubes 5 and 4, and consequently neither of the mated body nor cap sections is ejected. I
What is claimed is:
1. In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsulehaving a body section and a complementary cap section:
1. an endless conveyor,
2. first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor,
3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamher,
4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communieating with said chamber,
5. means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and
6. a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion;
the improvement comprising:
a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively,
b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and
0. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.
2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions comprises:
a. a pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel,
b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and
c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.
3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and with thevertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperture in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion of said first capsule receiving means and the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion of said second capsule receiving means comprise a single block wherein two independent ducts are provided which communicate with said apertures and orifices respectively, said ducts being disposed in said block in such a manner that there is simultaneous communication between their respective cap portion apertures and the cooperating body portion orifices.
6. In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section:
1. a single, unitary, flexible endless conveyor;
2. a plurality of capsule receiving means spaced along said conveyor;
3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,
4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion movably connected to the preceding body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber;
5. means for separating the body section from the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and j 6. a cam means for misaligning said second portion from said first portion;
the improvement comprising:
a. a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having two exhaustports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel; r a
. a first hollow tube having one end connected to the first exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position; and
c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to the second exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working positon,
d. a third hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube;
. a fourth hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opmeans for supplying pressurized fluid to said manifold.
Claims (17)
1. In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section: 1. an endless conveyor, 2. first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor, 3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber, 4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cAp section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber, 5. means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and 6. a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion; the improvement comprising: a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively, b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and c. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.
2. a plurality of capsule receiving means spaced along said conveyor;
2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions comprises: a. a pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel, b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.
2. first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor,
2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions comprises: a. a pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel, b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.
3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,
3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,
4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion movably connected to the preceding body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber;
4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperture in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.
4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cAp section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber,
5. means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and
5. The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion of said first capsule receiving means and the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion of said second capsule receiving means comprise a single block wherein two independent ducts are provided which communicate with said apertures and orifices respectively, said ducts being disposed in said block in such a manner that there is simultaneous communication between their respective cap portion apertures and the cooperating body portion orifices.
5. means for separating the body section from the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and
6. a cam means for misaligning said second portion from said first portion; the improvement comprising: a. a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel; b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to the first exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position; and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to the second exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working positon, d. a third hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; e. a fourth hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperTure in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; and f. means for supplying pressurized fluid to said manifold.
6. In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section:
6. a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion; the improvement comprising: a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively, b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and c. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US23068372A | 1972-03-01 | 1972-03-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US3741370A true US3741370A (en) | 1973-06-26 |
Family
ID=22866173
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US00230683A Expired - Lifetime US3741370A (en) | 1972-03-01 | 1972-03-01 | Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US3741370A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4823929A (en) * | 1988-02-01 | 1989-04-25 | Hunter Industries | Multi-station assembly machine |
| US20210137791A1 (en) * | 2019-11-11 | 2021-05-13 | Joey R. Gonzales | Capsule filler |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2271436A (en) * | 1940-04-12 | 1942-01-27 | Lathrop Paulson Co | Chain cleaning apparatus |
| US3527015A (en) * | 1968-10-07 | 1970-09-08 | Lilly Co Eli | Method and apparatus for filling capsules |
| US3534526A (en) * | 1968-09-30 | 1970-10-20 | Lilly Co Eli | Apparatus for filling capsules |
| US3601954A (en) * | 1968-11-15 | 1971-08-31 | Lilly Co Eli | Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules |
-
1972
- 1972-03-01 US US00230683A patent/US3741370A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2271436A (en) * | 1940-04-12 | 1942-01-27 | Lathrop Paulson Co | Chain cleaning apparatus |
| US3534526A (en) * | 1968-09-30 | 1970-10-20 | Lilly Co Eli | Apparatus for filling capsules |
| US3527015A (en) * | 1968-10-07 | 1970-09-08 | Lilly Co Eli | Method and apparatus for filling capsules |
| US3601954A (en) * | 1968-11-15 | 1971-08-31 | Lilly Co Eli | Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4823929A (en) * | 1988-02-01 | 1989-04-25 | Hunter Industries | Multi-station assembly machine |
| US20210137791A1 (en) * | 2019-11-11 | 2021-05-13 | Joey R. Gonzales | Capsule filler |
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