Article counting device

• US 4,111,332 A
• Filed: 12/16/1974
• Issued: 09/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Baker Manufacturing Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kerney J. Hurst, Walter G. Pearson
• Inventors: Hurst, Kerney J., Pearson, Walter G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartuska, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/533,255
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 133/8, 221/2, 221/7, 221/13, 221/125, 221/129, 221/169, 221/182, 221/263, 221/265, 221/277, 221/186, 221/287, 194/10
• US Class Current: 221/7
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 7/00 Counting of objects carried by a conveyor

Abstract

A small-article receiving hopper is mounted on the upper surface of an inclined support and is rotated by connection with the drive shaft of a motor projecting through the support. The disk-like bottom of the hopper is undercut to form a circumferential series of radial and angularly spaced article receiving slots with the innermost end of the slots in overlying relation with respect to an outlet opening formed in the support. A centralized electrical control means controls operation of a selected motor hopper of a plurality of motors, each associated with a different hopper for dispensing different drugs. The motor of the selected hopper is rotated until a desired number of pills is dispensed and is then stopped.

Claims

1. In an article dispensing device having a support forming an inclined upper support surface, a drive shaft projection centrally upward through said upper support surface, means for rotating said drive shaft, said support having an article-passing opening therethrough, a switch having a switch arm mounted on the support adjacent the opening, and article counting means interconnecting a source of electrical energy with the means for rotating said drive shaft and said switch, the improvement comprising:

article dispensing hopper means overlying said upper surface,

first means connecting said article dispensing hopper means with said drive shaft for rotation therewith,

said support being movable axially of said drive shaft,

said hopper dispensing means including a disk and an upstanding wall surrounding and connected with said disk at its depending edge,

said disk forming the bottom of the hopper,

said disk having a plurality of slot means selecting and discharging a succession of hopper contained articles through the article passing opening, and

said first means connecting said article dispensing hopper means to said drive shaft for quick connect with and disconnect from said shaft, and

means for biasing said support such that said upper support surface is biased into contact with said disk.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said disk is characterized by a relatively thin peripheral edge portion having a thickness approximately the same as the smallest dimension of articles to be counted and thicker central portion spaced from said upstanding wall a distance at least as great as the greatest dimension of articles to be counted.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 in which the thickness of said thicker central portion of said disk is at least greater than the smallest dimension of articles to be counted, and in which the slot means includes a plurality of article receiving slots extending through said thin peripheral edge portion and under said thicker central portion in underlying downwardly open spaced relation with respect to the upper surface of said disk.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which each article receiving slot extends inward from the periphery of said disk opposite the direction of its rotation, the innermost end portion of each slot being turned angularly inward toward the axis of said disk a distance at least as great as the greatest dimension of an article to be counted and terminating in that portion of said disk overlying the path of travel across the article passing opening.

5. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which the longitudinal axis of a part of each article receiving slot extends inward from the periphery of said disk opposite the direction of its rotation substantially tangential to a circle of a radius approximately equal to the distance of said switch arm from the center of said disk,

the innermost end portion of each slot being further turned angularly inward toward the axis of said disk a distance at least as great as the greatest dimension of an article to be counted and intersecting said circle.

6. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which the longitudinal axis of a greater length portion of each article receiving slot extends inward from the periphery of said disk opposite the direction of its rotation on an acute angle with respect to a tangent to a circle of a radius approximately equal to the distance of said switch arm from the center of said disk,

the innermost end portion of each slot being further turned angularly inward toward the axis of said disk a distance at least as great as the greatest dimension of an article to be counted and intersecting said circle.

7. Structure as specified in claim 1 wherein said inclined upper support surface is inclined approximately 40°

with respect to the horizontal.

8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for connecting said hopper to said shaft comprises a key-like member formed adjacent the end of said shaft and wherein said disk includes a key engaging member formed in the surface of said disk intended to contact said support surface.

9. An article of commerce to be employed to dispense individually discrete objects comprising a circular flat disk having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface having a plurality of slots extending inwardly from adjacent the periphery of said disk and equally spaced from one another along said bottom surface, each said slot having a first and a second slot section, said first slot section lying closer to the center of said disk than said second slot section and having a length greater than half the length of the objects to be dispensed, said first slot section having a central axis lying at an acute angle with respect to a radius of said disk intersecting said axis, said slot extending outwardly in the direction in which said disk is to be rotated in use, said second slot section extending outwardly from said first slot section at a larger angle relative to said radius than said first slot section.

10. Structure as specified in claim 9 wherein said acute angle is approximately 20°

.

11. Structure as specified in claim 10 wherein said second slot section lies at an angle of approximately 55°

to 60°

relative to said first slot section.

12. Structure as specified in claim 11 wherein said slot further comprises a third slot section having an angle of approximately 10°

relative to said radius, said third slot section extending inwardly from the periphery of said disk opposite to the direction in which said disk is intended to be rotated.

13. Structure as specified in claim 11 wherein said slot further comprises a third slot section having an angle of approximately 10°

relative to said radius, said third slot section extending inwardly from the periphery of said disk in the direction in which said disk is intended to be rotated.

14. Structure as specified in claim 9 further comprising a slot forming an annulus intersection each of said first slot sections at a distance from their innermost ends by a distance slightly greater than half the length of the object to be dispensed by said disk.

15. Structure as specified in claim 9 wherein said second section lies at an angle of approximately 45°

relative to said first slot section.

16. Structure as specified in claim 9 wherein said slot further comprises a third slot section lying adjacent the periphery of said disk, said third slot section lying at an angle relative to said second slot section such that the angle of said third slot section to said radius is approximately 100°

.

17. Structure as specified in claim 9 wherein said upper surface includes a truncated conical section terminated toward the periphery of said disk at a distance from said bottom surface equal to the depth of said slot.

18. Structure as specified in claim 9 further comprising a generally semi-circular guard section intersecting said second slot section adjacent said first slot section and from the leading side of said second slot section relative to the intended direction of rotation of said disk.

19. Structure as specified in claim 18 wherein said acute angle is approximately 20°

.

20. Structure as specified in claim 19 wherein said second slot section lies at an angle of approximately 55°

relative to said first slot section.

21. Structure as specified in claim 9 wherein said slot further comprises a third slot section lying adjacent the periphery of said disk, said third slot section lying at an angle relative to said second slot section such that the angle of said third slot section to said radius is approximately 115°

.

22. Structure as specified in claim 21 wherein said first and second slot sections are arcuate and have reverse curvatures relative to one another.

23. Structure as specified in claim 22 wherein the center of curvature of both said first and second slot sections lie along a radius lying at approximately 25°

relative to a radius intersecting the centerline of said first slot section adjacent its inner end.

24. Structure as specified in claim 23 wherein the centerlines of said first and second slot sections are tangential at their point of intersection.

25. Structure as specified in claim 23 wherein the centerline of said third slot section is tangential to the outer edge of said second slot section at its inner end.

26. An apparatus for dispensing individually a predeterminable number of objects comprising a master control unit and a plurality of individual dispensing cells, each said dispensing cell including a disk having a plurality of slots for acquiring said objects and conveying them individually to a predetermined location, a platform upon which said disk is adapted to rest, said platform having an opening at said predetermined location whereby objects conveyed to said predetermined location may drop through said opening to said object delivery location, means for indicating when each object is delivered to said opening, a motor for rotating said disk to convey objects to said predetermined location, a starter circuit for selectively energizing said motor, and a motor holding circuit said master control unit including means for applying concurrently to said starter circuits of all said dispensing cells power for energizing said motors, each said dispensing cells including means responsive to actuation of said starter circuit for establishing said motor holding circuit for its associated motor and for generating a signal, and said master control unit further comprising means responsive to said signal from any one of said dispensing cells to remove power from said starter circuits of all of said dispensing cells and to apply power to all of said motor holding circuits.

27. Structure as specified in claim 26 wherein said master control unit further comprises means for predetermining a desired number of objects to be dispensed and means for deenergizing said motor when said desired number of objects has been dispensed.

28. Structure as specified in claim 27 wherein said means for deenergizing comprises means for counting the number of times said means for indicating is actuated and means responsive to an equality between said means for counting and said means for predetermining for deenergizing said motor and resetting said means for counting.

29. Structure as specified in claim 28 wherein said means for deenergizing said motor includes means for maintaining energization of said motor for a sufficient length of time to insure dropping of the last object to be dispensed through said opening in said platform.

30. Structure as specified in claim 28 wherein said master control unit further comprises means for preventing energization of any of said motors during resetting of said means for counting.

31. Structure as specified in claim 26 wherein said platform is inclined approximately 40°

relative to the horizontal.

32. The combination according to claim 26 further comprising means associated with each of said cells for totalizing the number of times said means for indicating is actuated when each said cell is energized.

33. The combination according to claim 28 wherein said means for deenergizing said motor includes single means for maintaining energization of any selected motor for a length of time approximate that required for causing the last object counted to be dispensed through said opening in said platform and individually adjustable means associated with each of said cells for selectively maintaining energization of its associated motor for a sufficient time to insure said last object is dispensed.

34. The combination according to claim 27 wherein said means for deenergizing comprises means for counting the number of times said means for indicating is actuated and comprising energizing means for concurrently applying energizing voltage to a selected cell and said means for counting and means responsive to actuation of said energizing means for actuating said motor and said counting means.

35. An article dispensing device comprising an inclined support surface having an article receiving aperture therein, an article dispensing hopper having a bottom surface, a plurality of inwardly extending circumferentially arranged slots formed in said bottom surface of said article dispensing hopper, said slots extending from adjacent the periphery of said bottom surface toward the center thereof, said slots communicating with the interior of said article dispensing hopper adjacent the periphery thereof, means for rotating said article dispensing hopper so that said slots may be presented to said article receiving aperture sequentially and successively and means for resiliently biasing said bottom surface and said inclined support surface into engagement with one another.

36. Structure as specified in claim 35 wherein said means for resiliently biasing comprises an inclined base member, means for supporting said support surface above said base member for movement relative thereto, springs located between said support surface and said base member for urging said support surface away from said base member and means for holding said hopper against said support surface such as to compress said springs.

37. Structure as specified in claim 36 wherein said means for rotating said hopper comprises a motor having a shaft extending through said base member and said support surface, a key like member formed on the end of said shaft and wherein said means for holding comprises a key engaging member formed in the bottom of said hopper.