Pill counter

• US 4,013,192 A
• Filed: 02/18/1976
• Issued: 03/22/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pactec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ITL Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Pillon, Austin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Application Number:
  US05/658,984
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/7, 221/12, 221/186, 221/209, 221/258, 221/277, 221/312 R, 53/59, 53/78, 133/8 R, 193/31 R, 193/31 A
• US Class Current: 221/7
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1428 rotating movement

Abstract

A pharmaceutical pill counter incorporating a rotating pill bowl and a stationary guide that cooperatively guide pills in single file to an exposed slide having a main portion that feeds prescription and stock bottle slide portions under the control of a gate. Each slide portion has a downwardly inclined orientation with an exposed channel shape to guide the pills downwardly while permitting the slide portions to be easily cleaned. The slide is preferably integrally defined by an upper housing portion of molded plastic and is located at a corner of the housing so that the prescription and stock bottle slide portions direct the pills to opposite sides of the corner. The gate includes a lower end pivotally mounted at a lower extremity of a common junction of the slide portions and an upper end that is moved along an upper extremity of this junction to direct the pills in the proper direction. The gate initially directs the pills to the prescription bottle slide portion until a photoelectric sensor along the main slide portion has sensed a programmed number of pills and then directs the remaining pills to the stock bottle slide portion. The rotating bowl and stationary guide are preferably molded from plastic and the guide includes a central hole that receives a removable upper end of a bowl drive shaft. A portion of the guide projects into the main slide portion to prevent rotation of the guide as the drive shaft rotates the bowl. A removable plastic shield is positioned over the slide and includes lower deflector portions that control the trajectory of pills as they leave the slide.

Claims

1. Apparatus for counting and dispensing pills and the like comprising:

a housing;

a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said housing;

a pill bowl fixedly mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith;

said bowl having a lower portion for receiving pills from a stock bottle, an intermediate annular ledge above the lower bowl portion, and an upper annular edge above the annular ledge;

means for selectively rotating said bowl;

a stationary guide received within the bowl to guide the pills from the lower bowl portion upwardly to the annular ledge during bowl rotation and then along the ledge in single file and upwardly over the upper annular edge, said stationary guide having a central hub rotatably receiving said vertical shaft;

a head detachably mounted in said shaft at the upper end thereof for engaging said hub and preventing axial displacement of said guide from said shaft, an exposed, generally Y-shaped slide on the housing including a main slide portion of the receiving the pills guided over the bowl edge and a pair of branch slide portions constituting prescription bottle and stock bottle slide portions;

said branch slide portions having a common junction with the main slide portions so as to receive pills therefrom and to guide the pills to prescription or stock bottles, respectively;

each of said slide portions having an exposed channel shape with a bottom wall and a pair of side walls with the bottom walls of said branch portions being continuous with the bottom wall of the main slide portion from said common junction to permit the slide portions to be cleaned with a continuous wiping motion;

each of said slide portions having a downwardly inclined orientation with an exposed channel shape so pills slide downwardly therethrough in a guided manner during use of the apparatus;

means defining a stop edge at the inlet end of said main slide portion;

said guide having a tongue portion that projects over the edge of said bowl into engagement with said stop portion to prevent rotation of said guide during rotation of said bowl and vertical shaft;

a gate mounted at the common junction of the main slide portion with the prescription and stock bottle slide portions so as to selectively guide the pills from the main slide portion to either the stock or prescription bottle said portion; and

control means for sensing the number of pills that have passed through the main slide portion and for positioning the gate to guide the pills to the prescription bottle slide portion until a predetermined number of pills have been sensed and then to the stock bottle slide portion.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bowl and the guide are each molded from plastic.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing includes a lower apertured portion and the rotating means includes an electric motor and a fan received within the lower housing portion so the fan draws air through the lower apertured housing portion to cool the motor.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the housing includes an upper portion of molded plastic that integrally defines the slide.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the upper housing portion includes a corner at which the slide is located, the prescription bottle slide portion directing pills downwardly at one side of the corner, and the stock bottle slide portion directing pills downwardly at the other side of the corner.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the junction of the slide portions includes a lower extremity where the prescription and stock bottle slide portions meet each other and an upper extremity where the main side portion meets the prescription and stock bottle slide portions, the gate having a lower end pivotally mounted at the lower extremity of the junction of the slide portions and an upper end movable along the upper extremity of said junction so as to direct the pills to either the prescription or stock bottle slide portions, and the control means including a photoelectric sensor for counting the pills sliding along the main slide portion above the upper end of the gate.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the housing includes a readout display for the pills being sensed upon passage through the main slide portion.

8. Apparatus for counting and dispensing pills and the like comprising:

a housing;

a pill bowl mounted on the housing for rotation about a generally vertical axis;

said bowl having a lower portion for receiving pills from a stock bottle, an intermediate annular ledge above the lower bowl portion, and an upper annular edge above the annular ledge;

means for selectively rotating said bowl;

a stationary guide received within the bowl to guide the pills from the lower bowl portion upwardly to the annular ledge during bowl rotation and then along the ledge in single file and upwardly over the upper annular edge;

an exposed slide on the housing including a main slide portion for receiving the pills guided over the bowl edge and prescription bottle and stock bottle slide portions having a common junction with the main slide portion so as to receive pills therefrom and to guide the pills to prescription to stock bottles, respectively;

each of said slide portions having a downwardly inclined orientation with an exposed channel shape so pills slide downwardly therethrough in a guided manner during use of the apparatus while permitting the slide portions to be easily cleaned;

a gate mounted at the common junction of the main slide portion with the prescription and stock bottle slide portions so as to selectively guide the pills from the main slide portion to either the stock or prescription bottle slide portion;

control means for sensing the number of pills that have passed through the main slide portion and for positioning the gate to guide the pills to the prescription bottle slide portion until a predetermined number of pills have been sensed and then to the stock bottle slide portion;

said stationary guide including a portion that projects over the upper bowl edge into the main slide portion;

the housing including an upper portion of molded plastic that integrally defines the slide;

the upper housing portion including a corner at which the slide is located, the prescription bottle slide portion directing pills downwardly at one side of the corner, and the stock bottle slide portion directing pills downwardly at the other side of the corner; and

a manually removable molded plastic shield for the slide, said shield having deflector portions for controlling the trajectory of the pills upon leaving the prescription bottle and stock bottle slide portions.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 which includes movable brackets for mounting funnels below the prescription bottle and stock bottle slide portions.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 which includes a magnet for holding the shield in position on the corner of the upper housing portion.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 which also includes a removable molded plastic cover for the bowl.

12. Apparatus for counting and dispensing pills and the like comprising:

a housing including a lower upwardly opening portion of molded plastic, an upper portion of molded plastic mounted on top of the lower portion and including an upwardly opening bowl depression, and a support plate located between the upper and lower housing portions;

a pill bowl mounted within the depression of the upper housing portion and including a lower portion for receiving pills from a stock bottle and having a central opening, an intermediate annular ledge above the lower bowl portion, and an upper annular edge above the annular ledge;

an electric motor drive assembly suspended from the housing support plate and including a generally vertical output shaft received within the central opening of the bowl and rotatably fixed to the bowl so as to provide bowl rotation upon energization of the drive assembly, said output shaft including a threaded bolt secured thereto to provide an upper end thereof that projects upwardly into the bowl;

a molded plastic stationary guide including a central hole receiving the bolt, spiral guiding portions for guiding pills upwardly to the annular ledge during bowl rotation so as to move on the ledge in single file and for guiding the pills from the ledge upwardly over the bowl edge, and a positioning portion extending outwardly over the bowl edge;

said upper housing portion having a corner defining an exposed slide including a main slide portion for receiving the pills guided over the bowl edge and for receiving the positioning portion of the guide to prevent rotation of the guide, and prescription bottle and stock bottle slide portions having a common junction with the main slide portion and respectively directing pills to opposite sides of said corner;

each of said slide portions having a downwardly inclined orientation with an exposed channel shape so pills slide downwardly therethrough in a guided manner during use of the apparatus while permitting the slide portions to be easily cleaned;

said junction of the slide portions having a lower extremity where the prescription and stock bottle slide portions meet each other and an upper extremity where the main slide portion meets the prescription and stock bottle slide portions;

a gate having a lower end that is pivotally mounted at the lower extremity of the slide portion junction and an upper end that moves along the upper extremity of the slide portion junction to direct pills from the main slide portion to either the prescription bottle or stock bottle slide portion;

control means for sensing the number of pills that have passed through the main slide portion and for positioning the gate to guide the pills to the prescription bottle slide portion until a predetermined number of pills have been sensed and then to the stock bottle slide portion;

a removable shield for mounting on the upper housing portion corner defining the slide and including lower deflector portions for controlling the trajectory of the pills upon leaving the prescription and stock bottle slide portions; and

a removable cover that covers the bowl depression of the upper housing portion and the bowl received within the depression.

13. Apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the guide includes a limiting portion for limiting movement of pills upwardly onto the annular ledge of the bowl.