WO2014087372A1

WO2014087372A1 - Apparatus for packing products into bags

Info

Publication number: WO2014087372A1
Application number: PCT/IB2013/060675
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nigel Ervine Claxton
Original assignee: Nigel Ervine Claxton
Priority date: 2012-12-07
Filing date: 2013-12-05
Publication date: 2014-06-12

Abstract

(EN) A pill packing machine is disclosed in which the pills are stored in a hopper (14) and counted by a counting section (12) alternately into two tubes (54, 56) from which they fall into bags which have their mouths held open. Flaps are provided to direct counted pills alternately into the two tubes (54, 56).

Description

APPARATUS FOR PACKING PRODUCTS I NTO BAGS FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS I NVENTION relates to apparatus for packing products into bags.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Tablets have for many years been packed into bags for dispensing to patients. The bags are in web form and are fabricated from two plies of synthetic plastics material.

The bags are joined side-by-side by way of weld lines which are perforated to enable individual bags to be detached from the web. The bags are retained in their joined form throughout the filling procedure as a web of bags is easier to manipulate and control than individual bags. Each bag, at what becomes its upper end, is welded closed along its edge. Adjacent the weld there is a line of perforations which permits the strip of material along the edge of the bag, and which includes the weld, to be torn off to open the bag.

Adjacent the line of perforations there is a rib and groove releasable closure structure which enables the bag, after the weld has been torn off and after one or more tablets have been removed, to be sealed closed.

In a known apparatus each bag in the web is inverted during filling and what becomes its base is upwardly open during filling to form a mouth. Filling takes place through the open mouth.

During filling the web of bags is advanced, with the unsealed bases of the bags uppermost, to position the web below one, two or more side-by-side filling tubes. Suction nozzles are used to pull the two plies of sheet plastics material apart thereby to open the bag and provide a filling mouth. Tablets fall down the filling tube or tubes and into the bag or bags. A counting section counts out tablets and once the correct count is reached, filling ceases and the web is advanced to a sealing station. At the sealing station a weld is formed along the coincident upper edges of the plies of each bag to close the mouth of the bag.

Such apparatus can also be used for packing product in powder form and in liquid form into pouches. To achieve this it is necessary to replace the counting and filling section by means for weighing powders or by means for dispensing measured volumes of liquid.

Apparatus of this type is described in the specification of South African patent 93/7422. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved packing apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for packing product into bags which comprises a chamber, an upstanding partition dividing said chamber into two passages, a product directing means movable between a first position in which it directs product falling through the chamber into one of said passages and a second position in which it directs falling product into the other of said passages, flaps at the lower ends of said passages, and control means which closes said flap at the lower end of one passage whilst product is being directed by said means into said one passage, moves said product directing means so that it directs product into said other passage, opens said flap at the lower end of said one passage to allow product to drop from said one passage upon said means commencing to direct product to the other passage and then closes this flap, opens the flap of the other passage upon the directing means directing product to the other passage, and closes this flap upon the requisite product entering the other passage having exited from it.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating packing apparatus which packs product into bags which are in the form of a web and which apparatus comprises a chamber, an upstanding partition dividing said chamber into two passages, a product directing means movable between a first position in which it directs product falling through the chamber into one of said passages and a second position in which it directs falling product into the other of said passages, and flaps at the lower ends of said passages, the method comprising:-

1 . directing product into a first of said passages whilst the flap at the lower end of said first passage is closed; upon the requisite quantity of product having been directed into said first passage actuating said product directing means so that it directs product into the second passage the flap at the lower end of which is in the closed position; moving the flap at the lower end of the first passage to its open position to drop product into a bag and then closing said flap; moving the flap at the lower end of the second passage to permit accumulated product and product being directed into the first passage to fall into a further bag; moving the flap at the lower end of the second passage to its closed position upon the requisite amount of product having reached the further bag; and displacing the web of bags by closing sealer bars onto the web of bags and displacing the sealer bars to bring two further bags to positions below said passages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a pictorial view of packing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 illustrates the pill feeding section of the apparatus;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The apparatus 10 illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings comprises a tablet, pill or capsule counting section generally designated 12 and a filling section generally designated 14. Reference numeral 16 designates a bin which contains a web 18 of bags to be filled. Reference numeral 20 designates a tray for filled bags and reference numeral 22 generally designates a sealing section at which filled bags are closed.

The sealing section can comprise two sealer bars and means for moving the bars together to a clamping position and apart to a released position. Depending on the weld configuration required the bar or bars mount one or more resistance wires which are covered by non-stick tape of a material such as "Teflon". The wires heat up the tape and heat is transmitted through the tape to the material of the bags.

In addition, as described in the specification of patent no. 93/7422, there are suction heads for opening the bags that are to be filled. These operate by sucking the plies of the bags away from one another. It is possible to use a vacuum pump to create the necessary suction at the suction heads. It is also possible to provide a pump which forces air through a venturi. Pipes connected between the constricted throat of the venturi, where a suction effect is created by the air flowing through the venturi, and the suction heads enables suction to be applied when bags are to be opened and held open. The pressure pump is switched on and off at appropriate times.

Alternatively, the pump can run continuously and valves can be provided for connecting the suction heads to the throat when required.

The counting section 12 can be of any commercially available form. The tablets which are to be placed in the bags are stored in a hopper 24. For ease of description the items to be packed will hereinafter simply be referred to as "tablets" although they could if medicines are being packed be pills or capsules. Any small items in addition to medicines can be packed eg. nuts, bolts, washers etc. The construction of the feeding section 12 has not been illustrated in detail but in the preferred form comprises a vibrating chute leading downwardly from the hopper 24 and discharging a stream of tablets onto a rotating turntable 26. Centrifugal force causes the tablets to move outwardly on the turntable until they encounter a series of curved stationary guides 28 which are just above the top face of the turntable. The turntable and guides arrange the tablets in single file so that the tablets fall one at a time off the turntable into a chamber 30 of the section 14. Within the chamber 30 there is a light source and a photoelectric cell onto which the light source is directed. As each tablet falls between the light source and the cell it momentarily interrupts the passage of light to the cell. The cell is electrically connected to a counter. In some forms there are arrays of cells and light sources and not just one cell and light source. The counting section can alternatively be of a form that accumulates a counted number of tablets. The tablets can be swept over a plurality of sockets in a rotating table so that a tablet falls into each socket. Each socket is open at the bottom and there is a fixed base plate for preventing tablets falling through. As the table rotates the sockets come into register with an opening in the base plate whereupon the batch of tablets falls from the sockets.

The lower end of the chamber 30 which contains the light beam and the photoelectric cell connects to a chamber 32 (see also Figure 2) into which the counted tablets fall.

Within the chamber 32 there is a flap 34 the lower edge of which is mounted in bearings carried by the front and rear vertical walls of the chamber 32. Only the rear wall 36 can be seen in Figure 2. A pivot pin which mounts the flap 34 protrudes through the rear wall 36 of the chamber 32. Attached to the pivot pin is a mechanism for rotating the pivot pin, and hence the flap 34, through about ninety degrees. Such mechanism can be pneumatic and include an air cylinder or can be electrical and include a solenoid. A lever protruding radially from the pivot pin or a gear on the pivot pin forms the connection to the flap drive means. The chamber 32 further includes a wedge shaped guide 38 in the form of an inverted vee. The flap 34 is pivotally mounted at the apex 40 of the guide 38. This divides the chamber 32 into two vertically extending passages 42 and 44. The flap 34 directs counted tablets alternately to the chamber 42 and to the chamber 44.

Below the passages 42 and 44 there are two bulbous pill collection compartments 46 and 48 which are within an outer housing 50. The rear wall of the housing 50 is designated 52. The front wall of the housing 50 is not visible in Figure 2.

Leading downwardly from the bottom outlets of the compartments 46 and 48 are two discharge tubes designated 54 and 56. The tubes are preferably of transparent material such as transparent plastic. Below each tube, in operation, is the web 18, the inverted bags forming the web having their mouths held open as will be described.

At the bottom of each compartment 46, 48 there is a flap. The right hand flap is designated 58 and the left hand flap 60. The right hand edge of the flap 58 is pivotally mounted as is the left hand edge of the flap 60. The pivot pins which pivotally mount the flaps 58 and 60 pass through the wall 52. Pneumatic cylinders can be provided for rotating the pivot pins which mount the flaps 58 and 60. The rods of the cylinders can be connected to arms extending radially from the pivot pins of the flap. Alternatively there can be a gear on each pivot pin. Reciprocation of the rods of the cylinder cause rotation of the pivot pins and displaces the flaps between their horizontal closed positions and their its inclined open position.

The compartments 46, 48 form downward extensions of the passages 42, 44. These compartments constitute the lower parts of the passages through which the pills fall. The flaps 58, 60 are at the lower ends of the passages constituted by the passages 42, 44 and their downward extensions 46, 48.

The operating sequence of the packaging apparatus is as follows:-

1. The desired count of pills is entered in the counter controls.

2. The flap 34 is positioned as shown in Figure 2 and both the flaps 58, 60 are in the closed position. The bag opening suction heads are in their retracted position, the sealer bars are in their open position adjacent the filling station. The jaws of the clamping unit are also open.

3. The hopper has pills poured into it and the web of bags 18 is pulled through so that the leading end hangs down into the tray 20. Two bags are positioned below the tubes 54, 56.

4. On switching on, the sealer bars clamp onto a pair of bags and the suction heads move in and then out to open the pair of bags below the tubes 54, 56.

5. Pills fall into the chamber 32 being counted as they do so. The flap 34 directs the pills into the right hand passage 44. As the flap 60 is closed the pills accumulate in the compartment 48. When the requisite number of pills has been counted into the passage 44, the flap 34 moves clockwise so that pills are now directed into the left hand passage 42. Because the flap 58 is in the closed position, pills accumulate in the compartment 46. The flap 60 moves to its open position and the accumulated pills fall into one of the open bags. The flap 58 moves to its open position. The pills that have accumulated in the compartment 46 fall through into the other bag of the pair and pills continue to drop through compartment 46 until the requisite count is reached. Whilst pills are falling through compartment 46 and tube 54, the flap 60 closes. When the requisite number of pills has been counted into the left hand passage 42 the following actions occur simultaneously:-

10.1 The flap 58 moves to its closed position.

10.2 The flap 34 moves anti-clockwise to direct pills into the right hand passage 44.

10.3 Suction to the suction heads is switched off and they retract.

10.4 The sealer bars; which have previously closed onto the pair of empty bags that are between them, move to the right in Figure 1 dragging the web of bags with them. Power is supplied to the sealing wires and the empty bags are sealed. The movement of the sealer bars is equal to the width of two bags. 1 1. The clamping unit then closes, the sealer bars move apart and the sealing unit moves back to its left hand position as viewed in Figure 1 . The clamping unit prevents the web of bags being dragged back by the sealing unit. 12. As movement of the web of bags to the right in Figure 1 ceases, the suction heads move in, suction is applied and then they move out to open the pair of bags that are now below the tubes 54, 56.

13. The clamping unit opens as soon as the sealing unit reaches its left hand position in Figure 1 .

14. Immediately after the bag mouths have been opened, the flap 60 moves to its open position. Pills that have accumulated fall into the bag below the tube 56 and pills continue to fall into through that tube until the count is completed.

15. Upon the count being completed three actions occur simultaneously. The flap 34 moves clockwise to direct pills into the passage 42, the flap 58 opens so that pills fall into the other open bag and the flap 60 closes.

The cycle then continues on from point 10 above. It is now the bags filled in the previous cycle which are sealed closed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for packing products into bags which comprises a chamber, an

upstanding partition dividing said chamber into two passages, a product directing means movable between a first position in which it directs product falling through the chamber into one of said passages and a second position in which it directs falling product into the other of said passages, flaps at the lower ends of said passages, and control means which closes said flap at the lower end of one passage whilst product is being directed by said means into said one passage, moves said product directing means so that it directs product into said other passage, opens said flap at the lower end of said one passage to allow product to drop from said one passage upon said means commencing to direct product to the other passage and then closes this flap, opens the flap of the other passage upon the directing means directing product to the other passage, and closes this flap upon the requisite product entering the other passage having exited from it.

2. A method of operating packing apparatus which packs product into bags which are in the form of a web and which apparatus comprises a chamber, an upstanding partition dividing said chamber into two passages, a product directing means movable between a first position in which it directs product falling through the chamber into one of said passages and a second position in which it directs falling product into the other of said passages, and flaps at the lower ends of said passages, the method comprising:- i. directing product into a first of said passages whilst the flap at the lower end of said first passage is closed; ii. upon the requisite quantity of product having been directed into said first passage actuating said product directing means so that it directs product into the second passage the flap at the lower end of which is in the closed position; iii. moving the flap at the lower end of the first passage to its open position to drop product into a bag and then closing said flap; iv. moving the flap at the lower end of the second passage to permit accumulated product and product being directed into the first passage to fall into a further bag; moving the flap at the lower end of the second passage to its closed position upon the requisite amount of product having reached the further bag; and

displacing the web of bags by closing sealer bars onto the web of bags and displacing the sealer bars to bring two further bags to positions below said passages.