Pill-counting and containerdepositing machine

• US 3,193,196 A
• Filed: 10/29/1963
• Issued: 07/06/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles F. Bross, Leland H. Merrill
• Original Assignee: Charles F. Bross, Leland H. Merrill
• Inventors: Merrill, Leland H., Bross, Charles F.
• Application Number:
  US04/319,729
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• US Class Current: 235/98.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/10 by electric or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 3/02 for performing an operation at a predetermined value of the count, e.g. arresting a machine G06M3/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 7/04 Counting of piece goods, e.g. of boxes

Claims

9. A MACHINE FOR COUNTING AND DEPOSITING IN A CONTAINER A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF PILLS COMPRISING, (A) SUPORTING HOUSING (B) A VERTICALLY-ADJUSTABLE PEDESTAL FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT OF THE HOUSING ABOVE A PILL-RECEIVING CONTAINER, (C) A PILL MAGAZINE HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING THEREIN POSITIONED ADJACENT ONE END OF THE HOUSING, (D) A V-SHAPED TROUGH DISPOSED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG AND ON THE HOUSING TO RECEIVE PILLS FROM THE MAGAZINE FOR DISCHARGE AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE HOUSING INTO A SELECTED CONTAINER, (E) A MOTOR-DRIVEN VIBRATOR CONNECTED TO THE TROUGH TO EFFECT AN ACTION THEREOF FOR ADVANCING THE PILLS THEREALONG TO THE DISCHARGE END, (F) A DIGIT-COUNTING DEVICE MANUALLY SETTABLE FOR A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF SUCCESSIVE REVERSE MOVEMENTS FOR ARRESTING THE OPERATION OF THE VIBRATOR UPON DEPOSIT IN THE CONTAINER OF THE LAST OF THE PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF PILLS FOR WHICH THE DIGIT-COUNTING DEVICE WAS PRESET, (G) A PAIR OF PHOTOELECTRIC CELL UNITS, (H) A PAIR OF STUD SHAFTS MOUNTED ON THE RESPECTIVE UNITS AND SWIVELLED AT RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE SUPPORTING HOUSING FOR DISPOSING THE CELL UNITS IN OPPOSED HORIZONTALLY-SPACED RELATIONSHIP ADJACENT THE END OF THE TROUGH FOR ACTIVATION BY PILLS DISCHARGED FROM THE TROUGH INTO A CONTAINER,