Positive count rotary slat packaging apparatus and related methods
First Claim
1. An automated packaging apparatus for depositing a predetermined number of pills into a series of containers, comprising:
- a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of pills and defining at least one opening adjacent a lower portion thereof;
a plurality of rotary slats each having a peripheral edge portion rotatable into the opening in said reservoir, said peripheral edge portions of said rotary slats each defining a plurality of pill receptacles configured to capture an individual pill at a first position in said reservoir and release the pill at a second position outside of said reservoir;
a conveyor configured to move a plurality of open containers along a predetermined path of travel and position each container adjacent a respective rotary slat to define a delivery path extending between the second position of said rotary slat and the container such that the pills are released from said slat and fall along said delivery path into the corresponding container;
a plurality of drive motors each in driving engagement with one of said rotary slats for rotating the respective slat; and
a controller connected to each of said drive motors for independently controlling said drive motors such that said slats can be rotated for different durations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated positive count rotary slat packaging apparatus and related methods include independently rotatable rotary slats. In one embodiment, the apparatus also includes a positive count mechanism disposed in the pill delivery path adjacent the containers and a controller which is capable of generating an alarm or determining when a bottle is filled incorrectly. Accordingly, underfilled containers can be independently filled by further rotating only the respective rotary slat. A drive device for each rotary slat is also provided having frustoconical drive wheels connected to the ends of counterrotating drive shafts. The drive wheels, which are driven by a motor, engage corresponding frustoconical drive surfaces of the rotary slats to thereby rotate the slats.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An automated packaging apparatus for depositing a predetermined number of pills into a series of containers, comprising:
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a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of pills and defining at least one opening adjacent a lower portion thereof;
a plurality of rotary slats each having a peripheral edge portion rotatable into the opening in said reservoir, said peripheral edge portions of said rotary slats each defining a plurality of pill receptacles configured to capture an individual pill at a first position in said reservoir and release the pill at a second position outside of said reservoir;
a conveyor configured to move a plurality of open containers along a predetermined path of travel and position each container adjacent a respective rotary slat to define a delivery path extending between the second position of said rotary slat and the container such that the pills are released from said slat and fall along said delivery path into the corresponding container;
a plurality of drive motors each in driving engagement with one of said rotary slats for rotating the respective slat; and
a controller connected to each of said drive motors for independently controlling said drive motors such that said slats can be rotated for different durations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 8)
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- 5. A packaging apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a common support shaft on which said rotary slats are mounted.
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9. An automated packaging apparatus for depositing a predetermined number of pills into a series of containers, comprising:
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a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of pills and defining at least one opening adjacent a lower portion thereof;
a plurality of rotary slats each having a peripheral edge portion rotatable into the opening in said reservoir, said peripheral edge portions of said rotary slats each defining a plurality of pill receptacles configured to capture an individual pill at a first position in said reservoir and release the pill at a second position outside of said reservoir;
a conveyor configured to move a plurality of open containers along a predetermined path of travel and position each container adjacent a respective rotary slat to define a delivery path extending between the second position of said rotary slat and the container such that the pills are released from the slat and fall along said delivery path into the corresponding container; and
a counting device disposed along each of said delivery paths for counting pills delivered along the path such that the number of pills passing into each container can be positively determined. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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14. An automated packaging apparatus for depositing a predetermined number of pills into a series of containers, comprising:
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a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of pills and defining at least one opening adjacent a lower portion thereof;
a plurality of rotary slats each having a peripheral edge portion rotatable into the opening in said reservoir, said peripheral edge portions of said rotary slats each defining a plurality of pill receptacles configured to capture an individual pill at a first position in said reservoir and release the pill at a second position outside of said reservoir;
a conveyor configured to move a plurality of open containers along a predetermined path of travel and position each container adjacent a respective rotary slat to define a delivery path extending between the second position of said rotary slat and the container such that the pills are released from the slat and fall along said delivery path into the corresponding container;
a plurality of drive motors each in driving engagement with one of said rotary slats for rotating the respective slat;
a controller connected to each of said drive motors for independently controlling said drive motors; and
a counting device disposed along each of said delivery paths for counting pills delivered along the path, said counting devices being in operative communication with said controller such that the number of pills passing into each container can be positively determined and the rotary slats can be individually rotated until a predetermined number of pills has been deposited into the respective container.
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16. An automated packaging apparatus for depositing a predetermined number of pills into a container, comprising:
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a reservoir configured to hold a plurality of pills and defining at least one opening adjacent a lower portion thereof;
a rotary slat having a peripheral edge portion rotatable into the opening in said reservoir, said peripheral edge portion defining a plurality of pill receptacles configured to capture an individual pill at a first position in said reservoir and release the pill at a second position outside of said reservoir after rotation of the slat, said rotary slat defining a frustoconical drive surface;
a rotatable drive motor;
a drive shaft connected to the drive motor; and
a drive wheel connected to the drive shaft and having a frustoconical drive surface in engagement with the drive surface of the rotary slat such that rotation of the drive motor causes a corresponding rotation of the rotary slat.
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26. A drive device for driving a rotary slat of a pill packaging apparatus, said drive device comprising:
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a rotatable drive motor;
a first drive shaft connected to the drive motor;
a second drive shaft connected to the drive motor for rotation in a direction opposite the direction of the first drive shaft; and
first and second drive wheels connected to the respective drive shafts and being spaced apart by a predetermined distance for engagement on opposing sides of the rotary slat, such that rotation of the drive motor causes a corresponding rotation of the rotary slat.
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31. An automated method of depositing a predetermined number of pills into a series of containers comprising the steps of:
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capturing a plurality of pills in individual pill receptacles formed on a plurality of rotary slats;
rotating the rotary slats to a position where the pills are released from the receptacles thereby allowing the pills to fall from the receptacles into the containers and define a delivery path; and
counting each pill which falls along the delivery path of a rotary slat to positively determine to the number of pills deposited into the respective container. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification