APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND LABELING CONTAINERS

• US 3,835,897 A
• Filed: 10/18/1971
• Issued: 09/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LC GESS Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Larry C. Gess
• Inventors: Gess, Larry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Jr., Wayne A.
• Application Number:
  US05/190,210
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 141/18,98,165,170,171,151 53/139.3
• US Class Current: 141/98
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/12 mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/08 to container bodies B65C3/065 takes precedence

Abstract

This invention relates to apparatus for filling and labeling medicinal syringes. The apparatus includes a pump arrangement for filling individual syringes automatically and includes a mechanical adjustment for easily changing the amount of medicinal liquid fed to each syringe. The individual syringes are then labeled with appropriate indicia showing the contents. The labels are printed at the same time with the same apparatus to assure that the proper labels are applied to the proper syringes. The labels are fed into the path of the syringes and wrap around the syringe barrels with the free ends of the labels then pressed together behind the syringes.

Claims

1. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes having narrow necks, said apparatus comprising a turntable having circumferentially spaced openings to hold the syringes with the narrow necks extending upwardly and to carry the syringes sequentially to additional stations from a first station at which the syringes are received, the additional stations including a station at which the syringes are filled with liquid and a station at which the syringes are labeled, means at the filling station comprising an elongate hollow member for supplying liquid through the narrow necks of the syringes, means for supplying predetermined quantities of liquid sequentially to the hollow member, said supplying means comprising a cylinder, a plunger in said cylinder, and means for incrementally advancing said plunger predetermined distances into said cylinder, and feed means at the labeling station for feeding labels to the labeling station.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by means for moving said elongate hollow member axially toward and away from the narrow necks, and means responsive to the existence of one of the syringes at the filling station to operate said moving means to move said member toward and into the neck of the syringe at the filling station.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 characterized by sensing means for actuating said supplying means to supply one predetermined quantity to said hollow member when said hollow member is in the neck of the syringe to be filled.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said turntable comprising an upper disc, a lower disc having a planar upper surface facing toward said upper disc, said upper and lower discs having aligned notches therein to receive spaced portions of barrels of the syringes, and resilient means associated with said lower disc for engaging flanges of the syringes and urging them against said planar surface of said lower disc.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized by said advancing means comprises a gear rack connected to said plunger, a pinion gear meshing with said gear rack, and means for rotating said pinion gear through a predetermined angle to incrementally advance said plunger a predetermined distance in said container.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by an arm rotatable with said pinion gear, and adjustable means for limiting the extent of angular movement of said arm to limit the rotatable movement of said pinion gear.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 characterized by a drive shaft, and a one-way clutch mounting said pinion gear on said drive shaft to enable said pinion gear to rotate with said shaft in only one direction effective to move said plunger into the supply container.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized by drive means including an electromagnetic clutch for rotating said shaft, and means for energizing said electromagnetic clutch for a predetermined period of time when one of the medicinal containers is to be filled.

9. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes having narrow necks, said apparatus comprising a turntable having circumferentially spaced openings to hold the syringes with the narrow necks extending upwardly and to carry the syringes sequentially to additional stations from a first station at which the syringes are received, the additional stations including a station at which the syringes are filled with liquid and a station at which the syringes are labeled, means at the filling station comprising an elongate, hollow member for supplying liquid through the narrow necks of the syringes, means for supplying predetermined quantities of liquid sequentially to the hollow member, said supplying means including a pump cylinder, a plunger in said pump cylinder, means for incrementally moving the pluNger into the pump cylinder, a supply container, valve means enabling said pump cylinder to alternately communicate with said supply container and said elongate, hollow member, and feed means at the labeling station for feeding labels to the labeling station.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 characterized by means for withdrawing said plunger from said pump cylinder when said pump cylinder is in communication with said supply container.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 characterized by means for printing the labels prior to the labels being fed by said feed means to the labeling station with indicia indicating the nature of the liquid in said supply container.

12. Apparatus for filling and labeling syringes comprising a turntable having circumferentially spaced openings to receive and hold the syringes and to carry them sequentially through additional stations from a first station at which the syringes are received, the additional stations including a station at which the syringes are filled with liquid and a station at which labels are applied to the syringes, feed means for feeding labels having adhesive surfaces into a position for contact with the syringes at the labeling station, said feed means including a pair of feed rollers, at least one of which is driven, one of said feed rollers being movably mounted for movement toward and away from the other of said feed rollers, means engageable by a syringe for moving said one roller away from the other when the syringe reaches the labeling station, means for directing the labels between said feed rollers, means for stopping rotation of said feed rollers while a portion of each label is at the labeling station and another portion is still engaged by said feed rollers, whereby the label is positioned by the feed rollers across the path established by the movement of the syringes from station to station with end portions of the labels extending outwardly beyond both sides of the path of the syringes, and means for imprinting indicia on the labels prior to feeding them into position for contact with the syringes.