WO2006027793A1

WO2006027793A1 - An improved system for orientation and feeding articles for sealing and/or pharmaceutical machineries

Info

Publication number: WO2006027793A1
Application number: PCT/IN2005/000233
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jasjit Singh; Prakash Deshmukh
Original assignee: Scitech Centre
Priority date: 2004-07-07
Filing date: 2005-07-06
Publication date: 2006-03-16
Also published as: WO2006027793B1

Abstract

The present invention provides a drum assembly and a system for achieving orientation and delivery of articles such as capsules and the like in a single step. The drum assembly for delivering articles to blister band comprising a drum having slots for receiving articles to be oriented and delivered, an inner guide member having a tapering groove and being placed within the drum for moving said articles in one direction and an outer guide member for holding the articles in horizontal position, and being placed outside said drum. The tapering groove on the inner guide member and the slanting portion on the outer guide member orients and delivers the received article on a horizontal position by rotating the drum.

Description

TITLE

AN IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR ORIENTATION AND FEEDING ARTICLES FOR SEALING AND / OR PHARMACEUTICAL MACHINERIES.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to orientation and delivering of articles such as capsules, and the like for band sealing machines, capsule filling machines, capsules sorting machines, capsule inspection machines and the other pharmaceutical machineries.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Capsules are usually made in two sections, a body and a cap which is used for containing pharmaceutical or nutraceutical product in solid form or in a liquid form. However, when liquid products such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and the like are to be filled, it is known in the art to seal for the purpose of avoiding leak of the contents and ensuring tamper proof product. Conventionally employed methods for sealing the body and cap of the capsules wherein each capsule body is formed with either one of a radially outwardly extending circumferential projection and recess so that, when the capsule cap is mounted on the capsule body to provide the complete capsule, the circumferential projection can be received in the circumferential recess; the application of gelatin or any other solution to the overlapping joint of each closed capsule to permit the open end of each capsule cap to stick to the capsule body upon drying; and the application of gelatin or any other solution to form a binder layer at the overlapping joint of each closed capsule. For applying such a band seal or for other purposes such as for example packaging, printing etc, the closed capsules are required to be oriented at a predetermined posture and are successively supplied for applying band seal or for packaging etc.

US4266477 describes an apparatus and process for transporting and orienting materials that have dissimilar ends, like capsules, to and in a predetermined orientation and position. The apparatus includes two rotatable drums a feeding drum and a transferring drum in tangential arrangement. Each drum includes a plurality of peripherally spaced pockets sized and shaped to receive and carry individual capsules. Each drum is provided with an air jet which orients certain preselected capsules from a radial to a longitudinal position with a selected end trailing, and the capsules are then delivered to a conveyor for further processing, like printing, such as spin-printing.

However, in the existing apparatus and methods the capsules are to be oriented first and then delivered which is time consuming.

US Patent No. 5, 802, 804 discloses an a system for feeding articles to blisters of a blister band for automatic packaging of articles such as capsules, pills, tablets including at least one magazine formed by basically vertical channel with open bottom containing a pile of articles to be introduced into relative blisters of blister band that is located under this magazine and driven in a straight direction; the said system being characterized in that it also includes a placement means for taking cyclically at least one article from the bottom of said magazine and for introducing it into a respective blister; said placement means being located between the magazine and the blister band and rotated in a direction that is in accordance with movement direction of said band and in phase relation therewith; plurality of depressions made on an outer surface of said placement means, a motor controlled by an electronic control unit for driving said placement means into rotation; feedback control means, electronically connected with said control unit for detecting the position of the blisters and for operating said motor to carry out a precise introduction of the articles into respective blisters.

Although the US Patent 5802804 uses a simple placement means for feeding articles, the capsules should be oriented prior to the delivery of the capsules to the placement means for delivering to the blister band.

Further, the articles have to be fed horizontally to fit into the depression of the placement means. The mechanism involves two drums, the first drum tilts the capsules having body in upward position and the second drum tilts the capsules having body in downward position in order while capsules are loaded in second drum where capsule body get upward position and gets tilted. The orientation of the capsules is done is two steps before delivering the capsule.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to simplify the system and method for orienting and delivering the capsules.

It is another object of the present invention to orient and deliver the capsules simultaneously to reduce the time of orienting and delivering the capsules.

According to one embodiment of the present invention provides a drum assembly for delivering articles to blister band comprising a drum having slots for receiving articles to be oriented and delivered; an inner guide member having a tapering groove and being placed within the drum for moving said articles in one direction; an outer guide member for holding the articles in horizontal position, and being placed outside said drum; wherein the tapering groove on the inner guide member and the slanting portion on the outer guide member orients and delivers the received article on a horizontal position by rotating the drum. The inner guide member and the outer guide member are stationary for orienting said articles received on the slots of said drum. The diameter of the slots on the drum is bigger than the diameter of the body of the capsule and smaller than the diameter of the cap thereby receiving the article in vertical position.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system for orienting and delivering articles comprising a hopper for holding articles; a reciprocating magazine for transferring the articles from said hopper to a drum assembly; the drum assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for orienting and delivering the articles to blister band; said assembly being located between the reciprocating magazine and the blister band; said blister band being located under the drum assembly; wherein the articles are simultaneously oriented and delivered to the blister band on rotating said drum.

The present invention provides a drum assembly and a system for achieving orientation and delivery of articles such as capsules and the like in a single step. The drum assembly of the present invention is a single drum assembly for orienting and delivering the articles. As the orientation and delivering of the articles are done simultaneously, it saves a lot of time and labor involved in the process. The drum assembly according to the present invention is of a simple construction involving fewer components and shall be incorporated into the existing system with little modification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows the perspective view of the drum.

Figure 2 shows the perspective view of the inner guide member.

Figure 3 shows the cross-sectional view of the drum assembly.

Figure 3(a) shows the front view of the drum assembly.

Figure 4 shows the orientation of capsule in the drum assembly.

Figure 5 shows the reciprocating magazine.

Figure 6 shows the system according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drum assembly according to the present invention as shown in Figures 1 ,2,3 comprises an drum (20) having slots (21) for receiving articles such as capsules (11); an an inner guide member (22) having a groove (23) that is tapering towards one end for orienting the capsule (11); an outer guide member (24) having slanting portions (25) for holding the capsules (11) in horizontal position. The slots (21) on the drum and the tapering groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) are aligned in such a manner that the tapering groove (23) and the slanting portions (25) on the outer guide member tilts the cap.sule (11) received on the slot of the drum in a vertical position to a horizontal position as shown in Figure 4. The tapering groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) has a head portion (30), which is broad, and a tail portion (32), which is narrower. The tapering groove (23) is positioned perpendicular to the slots on the groove. The inner guide member (22) and the outer guide member are stationary that is they are fixed to a shaft. The drum (20) is a rotating drum that is driven by a motor and a shaft. The drum (20) rotates in a direction opposite to the direction the blister band moves. Preferably, the drum (20) rotates in anticlockwise direction.

The capsules (11) are received in vertical position on the slots (21) provided on the drum (20) due to the diameter and alignment of the slots (21) and grooves (23) on the inner guide member (22) with respect to the diameter of the body (11A) and cap (11B) of the capsule (11). When the capsules (11) are fed to the drum assembly randomly, the capsules (11) are received in a vertical position as mentioned above either with the body (11A) of the capsule (11) down or with the body (11A) of the capsule (11) up. When the capsules (11) are received with the body (11A) of the capsule (11) down, the body (11A) of the capsule (11) passes through the slots of drum as the diameter of the slot is bigger than the body diameter of the capsules (11) and reaches the tapering groove (23) of the inner guide member (22). Therefore, when the drum is rotated, the tapering groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) tilts the body (11A) of the capsule (11) towards the slot (21) and the capsules (11) turn horizontally in the slot (21) of the drum (20) as shown in Figure 4. Such oriented capsules (11) are further held on a horizontal position by the guide member (24).

When the capsules (11) are received on the slots with the body (11A) of the capsule (11) up and the cap (11 B) of the capsule (11) down as shown in Figure 4, the diameter of the slots being smaller than the diameter of the cap (11B) of the capsule (11), the capsule (11) remains in upward position and may not reach the tapering groove (23) of the inner guide member (22). Therefore, when the drum is rotated, the outer guide member (24) tilts the capsule (11) to an axial direction thereby orienting the capsule (11) and simultaneously delivering the same.

Thus, on rotating the drum, the received capsules (11) are oriented and delivered in a single step i.e. simultaneously to the blister band (17) or for any other purpose such as for example packaging, printing etc.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a system (1) for orienting and delivering articles as shown in Figure 6 comprising a hopper (10) for holding articles; a reciprocating magazine (12) for transferring the articles from said hopper to a drum assembly (14); the drum assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention for orienting and delivering the articles to blister band as shown in Figures 1 ,2,3, or 4; said assembly (14) being located between the reciprocating magazine (12) and the blister band (17); said blister band (17) being located under the drum assembly (14); wherein the articles are simultaneously oriented and delivered to the. blister band on rotating the drum. The reciprocating magazine (12) is fitted with capsule (11) guiding springs (16) having channels (18) for collecting and transferring the capsules (11) at a time into an each row of a drum assembly (14) as shown in Figure 5.

The system (1) having the drum assembly (14) as shown in Figures 1 ,2, or

3 according to present invention comprises an drum (20) having slots (21) for receiving articles such as capsules (11); an inner guide member (22) having a groove (23) that is tapering towards one end for orienting the capsule (11); an outer guide member (24) having slanting portions (25) for orienting and holding the capsules (11) in horizontal position. The tapering groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) and the slanting portions (25) on the outer guide member (24) are aligned in such a manner that tilts the capsule (11) received on the slot in a vertical position to a horizontal position on the slot of the drum as shown in Figure 4.

The drum (20) is a rotating drum being driven by a motor and a shaft. The inner guide member (22) and the outer guide member (24) are stationary and are fixed to the shaft (not shown in figure) by using bearings and brackets and clamping to the shaft or by known methods to a person skilled in the art.

The reciprocating magazine (12) transfers the capsules (11) from the hopper (10) to the drum assembly (14) in a manner known to a person skilled in the art. The capsules (11) are transferred randomly either in a horizontal position or on a vertical position. However, the slots (21) on the drum (20) of the drum assembly (14) are aligned in such a manner to receive the capsules (11) in vertical position due to the difference in the diameter of the slots (21), groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) and the diameter of the capsule (11). The capsules (11) are received with body (11A) of the capsule (11) down or up. The capsules (11) are oriented by the tapering groove (23) on the inner guide member (22) and the slanting portion (25) on the outer guide member (24) delivering the received capsule (11) on a horizontal position by rotating the drum (20) as described in the specification. The other advantages of the invention shall well be understood from the accompanying drawings. The description or the drawings does not in any way limit the scope of the invention as described.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A drum assembly for delivering articles to blister band comprising:

a drum having slots for receiving articles to be oriented and delivered;

an inner guide member having a tapering groove and being placed within the drum for moving said articles in one direction;

an outer guide member having slanting portions for holding the articles in horizontal position, and being placed outside said drum;

wherein the tapering groove on the inner guide member and the slanting portion on the outer guide member orient and delivers the received article on a horizontal position by rotating the drum.

2. The drum assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner guide member and the outer guide member are stationary for orienting said articles received on the slots of said drum.

3. The drum assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the slots is bigger than the diameter of the body of the capsule thereby receiving the article in vertical position.

4. The drum assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diameter of the slots is smaller than the diameter of the cap of the capsule thereby receiving the article in vertical position.

5. The drum assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the inner and outer guide members are fixed to a shaft.

6. The drum assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drum is driven by a motor and a shaft.

7. The drum assembly as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the articles are capsules.

8. A system for orienting and delivering articles comprising:

a hopper for holding articles;

a reciprocating magazine for transferring the articles from said hopper to a drum assembly;

the drum assembly as claimed in claims 1 to 6 for orienting and delivering the articles to band sealing apparatus; said assembly being located between the reciprocating magazine and the blister band;

said blister band being located under the drum assembly;

wherein the articles are simultaneously oriented and delivered to the blister band by rotating the drum.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the reciprocating magazine comprises guiding spring having channels to collect and transfer the articles to the drum assembly.

10. The system as claimed in claims 7 to 9 wherein the drum receives the article in vertical position.

11. The system as claimed in claims 7 to 10 wherein the drum delivers the articles in a horizontal position.

12. The system as claimed in claims 7 to 9 wherein the reciprocating magazine is driven by a motor and a shaft.

13. The system as claimed in claims 7 to 10 wherein the drum is driven by a motor and a shaft.

14. The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the article is a capsule.