DISCRETE ARTICLE SEPARATING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS, PARTICULARLY FOR MEASURED COUNTS OF PILLS, CAPSULES AND THE LIKE

• US 3,722,740 A
• Filed: 11/11/1971
• Issued: 03/27/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hans List
• Original Assignee: Hans List
• Inventors: List, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Application Number:
  US05/198,007
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 221/7,6,2,169,265,81,10,167,168 53/57,78,154,166,51,52
• US Class Current: 221/7
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1428 rotating movement

Abstract

A discrete article separating and dispensing apparatus having a drum, sub-divided by row and column dividers to form receiving receptacles for articles, such as pills. Further included is a feeding grid having a plurality of feeding receptacles which are selectively in registration with the receiving receptacles which are selectively in registration with the receiving receptacles of the drum for receiving articles from interior of the drum and feeding the articles to the drum receptacles. The feeding grid extends over a lower portion of the drum and is located interior of the drum and is preferably vibrated to enhance the feeding of articles to the receiving receptacles in the drum.

Claims

1. In a discrete article separating and dispensing apparatus, particularly for dispensing of measured quantities of articles, such as pills, capsules, and the like, comprising a horizontal, rotatable drum having end walls and horizontally extending row dividers and circumferentially extending column dividers and defining article receiving receptacles therebetween, said receiving receptacles being located at the interior surface of the drum between said end walls;

article supply means, at least a portion thereof being located interior of the drum and supplying the articles to the lower part of the interior of the drum;

means forming a lower covering shell located beneath said drum and extending lengthwise thereof, and located close to said row and column dividers to prevent articles from falling through said receiving receptacles;

an upper shell part located inside of said drum, close to said row and column dividers and extending lengthwise of said drum, and covering at least a portion of the upper half of the drum from the interior thereof to prevent articles from falling out of said receiving receptacles; and

means receiving articles from the receiving receptacles of a row;

the improvement comprising a part-cylindrical feeding grid (62) located just above a lower portion of said drum and eXtending lengthwise of said drum, said feeding grid having horizontally extending row dividers and partly-circumferentially extending column dividers which define a plurality of guide receptacles (67) therebetween, said guide receptacles being selectively in registration with said receiving receptacles of said drum, at least one of the dividers of said feeding grid having inclined surfaces thereon to guide the articles into the receiving receptacles in a predetermined position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said feeding grid extends over the lower quadrant of the drum which corresponds to the quadrant in which the drum is upwardly moving during rotation thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the column dividers (65) of said feeding grid (62) are partly ring-shaped ribs having divergent, inclined guide surfaces and the row dividers are transversely extending members which include means for spacing adjacent column dividers from each other.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said column dividers (65) of said feeding grid (62) have a height such that the guide receptacles (67) always contain an article for guiding said article to an emptied receiving receptacle (68) located in registration with and below said guide receptacle.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said column dividers (65) have at least one inclined or tapered guide surface (60) for facilitating guiding said articles into said guide receptacles.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said feeding grid (62) is connected to a rigid holding means, and including means for imparting a shaking motion to said feeding grid to facilitate feeding said articles to said receiving receptacles.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said feeding grid (62) is pivotally mounted at its upper end to said rigid holder and said means for imparting said shaking motion is coupled to said feeding grid at its lower end.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said feeding grid extends over the lower quadrant of said drum which corresponds to the quadrant in which said drum is upwardly moving.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said feeding grid includes at least one cam at the lower end thereof adjacent said drum.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for imparting said shaking motion includes a ratchet (70) pivotally mounted at the lower end of said feeding grid, the ratchet having said at least one cam thereon, and pin-like means (74) extending from the circumference of said drum for engaging the cammed surface of said ratchet, said shaking motion being imparted to said feeding grid as said pin-like means engage and disengage said at least one cam during rotation of said drum relative to said feeding grid.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said upper shell part (76) extends to said feeding grid and a portion thereof adjacent said feeding grid is tapered towards said feeding grid.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said tapered portion of said upper shell part is a tapered extension member connected to said upper shell part.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a roll brush (78) engaging said feeding grid at the uppermost portion, with respect to the direction of movement of said drum, of said feeding grid, said roll brush rotating in an opposite direction to the direction of rotation of said drum for preventing articles for contacting said upper shell part.

14. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said feeding grid is formed of plastic column dividers which are connected together by means of pins arranged longitudinally with respect to said drum, said plastic column dividers projecting radially from said connecting members in a direction towards the center of the drum.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said longitudinally extending connecting members are rigidly connected to an end wall of said drum.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said longitudinally extending connecTing means includes spacer members located between said column dividers of said feeding grid to space adjacent column dividers from each other.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a toothed wheel (80) interior of said drum, the teeth of said wheel engaging successive receiving receptacles of said drum for pushing an article out of said drum;

a discharge duct located below said toothed wheel and receiving articles pushed out of said drum by said toothed wheel; and

a counter means arranged in the path of said article being pushed through said discharge duct and against which said article is pushed for counting the number of articles passing out of said drum and through said discharge duct.

18. In a discrete article separating and dispensing apparatus, particularly for dispensing of measured quantities of articles, such as pills, capsules, and the like, comprising a horizontal, rotatable drum having end walls and horizontally extending row dividers and circumferentially extending column dividers and defining article receiving receptacles therebetween, said receiving receptacles being located at the interior surface of the drum between said end walls;

article supply means, at least a portion thereof being located interior of the drum and supplying the articles to the lower part of the interior of the drum;

means forming a lower covering shell located beneath said drum and extending lengthwise thereof, and located close to said row and column dividers to prevent articles from falling through said receiving receptacles;

an upper shell part located inside of said drum, close to said row and column dividers and extending lengthwise of said drum, and covering at least a portion of the upper half of the drum from the interior thereof to prevent articles from falling out of said receiving receptacles; and

means receiving articles from the receiving receptacles of a row;

the improvement comprising a discharge duct located underneath said drum;

a toothed wheel (80) located interior of said drum and having teeth which engage respective successive receiving receptacles of said drum during rotation of said drum to push articles out of said receiving receptacles into said discharge duct; and

a counter means arranged in the path of article discharge of said drum and against which said articles are pushed by said toothed wheel for counting the number of articles pushed out of said drum and into said discharge duct.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control device coupled to at least one side of said drum and including counter pins (84) coupled to a circumferential series of said receiving receptacles (68), photoelectric means for detecting the presence of an article in a receptacle, and means responsive to said photoelectric means for moving the counter pin corresponding to a given receiving receptacle when said photoelectric means detects the absence of an article in said given receiving receptacle.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19, including counter wheels (85) coupled to said counter pins, said counter pins causing said counter wheels to move in a step-wise manner, each step corresponding to a counter pin passing a given location.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said counter wheels are toothed wheels which engage said counter pins for said step-wise movement.

22. Apparatus according to claim 19, including a diverter (87) rigidly mounted in the path of movement of said counter pins for restoring said counter pins to their operational position from a non-operational position caused by absence of an article in a given receiving receptacle.

23. Apparatus according to claim 1, including control means sensing the presence or absence of articles in receiving receptacles of said drum and controlling the emptying of complete circumferential columns of articles into said means for receiving articles, and controlling completion of a non-completely charged column prior to emptying of same into said means for receiving articles from said receptacles.

24. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a filling drum (98) having radially subdivided compartments (99), each of said compartments receiving the articles of at least one circumferential series of receiving receptacles.

25. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said upper shell part, said feeding grid and said article supply means are coupled together to form an integral unit which is removable from said drum.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25, including track means engaging said integral unit to facilitate removal thereof.

27. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drum is comprised of a plurality of sections (103) which are removably coupled together, said drum sections being generally in the form of cylindrical sectors removably connected together.

28. Apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said drum comprises holder rings (105) at both ends thereof and means for removably attaching said drum sections (103) to said holder rings (105).

29. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drum is removably mounted to said apparatus.

30. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one transparent cover surrounding at least a portion of said drum.

31. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a pair of barrel rings (125, 126) coupled to said drum and engaged by support and drive rolls.

32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said drum includes pins (128) extending from both sides thereof and engaging bores (127) of respective barrel rings.

33. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein at least one of said barrel rings together with its support roll is axially displaceable, and including a threaded screw means threadably engaged with said displaceable barrel ring and support roll for axially displacing said barrel ring and support roll by rotation of said threaded screw.

34. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drum has a pulley at each end thereof, and including drive means having a belt engaging at least one of said pulleys.

35. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said article supply means includes a detecting means providing a pair of vertically spaced light beams (122, 123) and means responsive to said light beams for causing introduction of new articles to said drum when the level of said articles falls below the lowermost of said light beams and for stopping the introduction of new articles to said drum when the level of articles reaches the level of the uppermost of said light beams and interrupts said uppermost light beam.

36. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said article receiving means includes a table which is upwardly and downwardly displaceable relative to said drum on which a plurality of containers are arranged, said containers receiving said articles from said drum.

37. Apparatus according to claim 6, including a threaded member rigidly mounted with respect to a drum-support means and arranged beneath said table, a threaded screw means threadably engaged in said rigidly mounted threaded member and engaging the lower surface of said table, said table height being adjusted by turning of said threaded screw means relative to said fixed threaded member.

38. Apparatus according to claim 37, including rod means coupled to the support means for said drum and projecting through bores in said table, said threaded member being fixedly coupled to the lower portion of said rod means, said table being slidable on said rods in response to turning of said threaded screw means.