Apparatus for ordering and feeding a small item like a tablet, capsule, pill or dragee in a packaging machine

• US 4,693,057 A
• Filed: 11/24/1986
• Issued: 09/15/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Josef Uhlmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Josef Uhlmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Rapp, Karlheinz, Rittinger, Herbert, Eberle, Bernd, Gertitschke, Detlev H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Culver, Horace M.
• Application Number:
  US06/934,251
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 53/158, 53/539, 53/543, 53/246, 53/247, 53/251, 53/503, 53/504
• US Class Current: 53/539
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/08 using pocketed conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/30 Arranging and feeding articles in groups
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/045 for single articles, e.g. tablets

Abstract

The apparatus for feeding and depositing small items, such as a tablet, capsule, pill or the like, in a deep drawn foil strip comprises a feed slider and a distributing slider. Above the foil strip the two sliders are positioned over each other. The upper slider movable transverse to the foil strip direction is the feed slider with a plurality of openings formed to receive and pass small items and positioned in the same pattern as the cups. The lower slider movable along the foil strip direction is the distributing slider with a plurality of holes allowing the passage of the small items from the openings into the cups. The sliders are slidable between a delivering position in which the openings cover the holes and the cups and a closed position in which the distributing slider secures the bottoms of the openings against a passage of the small items. The feed slider forms the base of a loading box fillable with the small items in no particular order provided adjacent the foil stirp in the motion direction and is movable back and forth from the delivery position with all its openings until in the loading box. The loading box is closed in the direction of the foil strip by a skimmer strip for the small items. Below the feed slider a lower base is positioned which secures the openings from below against the falling through of the small items and forms the sliding path for the samll items in the sliding motion. The feed slider is moved in rapid alternation with its openings inside of the loading box for uniform filling of the openings with small items.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for feeding and depositing a small item to be packaged like a tablet, capsule, pill or the like in a packaging machine into a plurality of upwardly open cups in a foil strip to package said small item, especially in a deep drawn foil strip, said apparatus comprising a feed slider and a distributing slider movable substantailly parallel to said foil strip positioned above said foil strip over each other, of which the upper one of said sliders movable transverse to the feed direction of said foil strip is said feed slider and is provided with a plurality of openings each dimensioned for receiving and passing only one of said small items and arranged in a pattern like said cups and of which the lower one of said sliders movable parallel to said feed direction of said foil strip is said distributing slider and is provided with a plurality of holes for the passage of said small items from said openings into said cups, wherein said sliders are slidable into a delivery position in which said openings coincide with said holes and with said cups and at least one of said sliders is slidable into a closed position in which said distributing slider secures said openings in said feed slider underneath against said passage of said small items, the improvement wherein said distributing slider is movable into said closed position and said holes are interrupted in the sliding direction of said distributing slider by a plurality of cross members which are oriented longitudinally in the sliding direction of said feed slider and in said closed postion of said distributing slider are under said openings of said feed slider movable into said delivery position, said feed slider forming the bottom of a loading box filled with said small items in no particular order provided laterally adjacent said foil strip in said motion direction of said foil strip and being movable back from and into said delivery position with all of said openings into said loading box, further said loading box being closed in the direction of said foil strip on the top side of said feed slider for said small items by a skimmer strip and being provided with a lower base under said feed slider which extends under said loading box to said distributing slider and secures said openings of said feed slider from said distributing slider from below against said passage of said small items as well as aligns with said cross members of said distributing slider and forms a sliding path for said small pieces with said openings of said feed slider during motion of said feed slider, said small pieces in said openings on said lower base being substantially completely shut off with said upper side of said feed slider and said feed slider being movable in a quickly alternating fashion, namely vibrating, shaking or the like, in position with said openings inside said loading box for uniform filling of said openings with said small items and said loading box in comparison to said feed motion is of such a size that in said sliding motion none of said openings reach a position under said skimmer strip or a rear wall opposing said skimmer strip.

2. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein said skimmer strip is a brush strip with a plurality of downwardly directed elastically flexible bristles reaching to said upper side of said feed slider.

3. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein a rear retaining strip for said small items extending over the width of said loading box and positioned approximately centrally in said loading box is provided which defines a gap with said upper side of said feed slider of at least the height of said small items on said upper side of said feed slider.

4. The improvement according to claim 3 wherein said rear retaining strip is a brush strip with a plurality of elastic flexible bristles, said bristles reaching downwardly to the top of said gap.

5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein in the front portion of said loading box adjacent said skimmer strip a sensor controlling the filling state of said small items is provided in said loading box and said filling of said loading box with said small items is controllable with a signal from said sensor.

6. The improvement according to claim 5 wherein said lower base has a plurality of perforations not preventing the sliding of said small items on said lower base and forming a cover for a suction housing connected to a vacuum source and between the underside of said feed slider and the upper side of said lower base a free space smaller than the height of said small items in said openings exists.

7. The improvement according to claim 6 wherein said feed slider and said distributing slider are guided in a frame which is supported pivotable to and from said foil strip and at least partially supports a slider drive and said loading box and said lower base with said suction housing.

8. The improvement according to claim 7 wherein said sliders are easily interchangable in said frame, are releasably coupled with said slider drive and are withdrawable from a plurality of guide members in a guiding direction into an uncoupled state.

9. The improvement according to claim 7 wherein said lower base is attached detachably with said suction housing and said suction housing and said lower base are attached detachably with said frame.

10. The improvement according to claim 7 wherein the walls of said loading box bounding laterally said loading box between said skimmer strip and said rear wall are guidable slidably transverse to said rear wall and said rear wall and said walls of said loading box are adjustable in height to fit the thickness of said feed slider.

11. The improvement according to claim 10 wherein said skimmer strip on said frame and said rear retaining strip on said lateral walls of said loading box are kept easily interchangable.

12. The improvement according to claim 11 wherein said frame is supported and held on said base member which is movable parallel to said base member in said feed direction of said foil strip and is held fixed in position.

13. The improvement according to claim 12 wherein said foil strip runs over a lifting table provided under said distributing strip which raises and lowers said foil strip to and from said distributing slider.

14. An apparatus for feeding and depositing a small item to be packaged like a tablet, a capsule, a pill or the like in a packaging machine into a plurality of upwardly open cups in a foil strip to package said small item comprising:

a frame for said apparatus for support pivotable to and from said foil strip;

a feed slider positioned over said foil strip movable transverse to the feed direction of said foil strip being provided with a plurality of openings each dimensioned for receiving and passing only one of said small items and arranged in a pattern like said cups;

a distributing slider positioned over said foil strip movable parallel to said feed direction of said foil strip but positioned under said feed slider and movable transverse thereto being provided with a plurality of holes for the passage of said small items from said openings into said cups, said feed slider and said distributing slider being guided in said frame, being easily releasably coupled with a slider drive mounted in said frame and being easily interchangable and withdrawable from a plurality of guide members in said frame, said sliders being slidable into a delivery position in which said openings coincide with said holes and with said cups and at least one of said sliders including said distributing slider is slidable into a closed position in which said distributing slider secures said openings in said feed slider underneath against said passage of said small items, said distributing slider having a plurality of cross members oriented longitudinally in said sliding direction of said feed slider interrupting said holes in said sliding direction and in said closed position of said distributing slider said cross members are under said openings of said feed slider;

a loading box provided laterally adjacent said foil strip having a bottom which is a portion of said feed slider and including a skimmer strip closing said loading box in the direction of said foil strip, a lower base provided under said feed slider which extends under said loading box to said delivery slider and secures the openings of said feed slider from said distributing slider from below against said passage of said small items as well as aligns with said cross members of said distributing slider and a rear retaining strip comprising a brush strip with a plurality of elastic flexible bristles for said small items extending over the width of said loading box and positioned approximately centrally in said loading box which defines a gap with said upper side of said feed slider of at least the height of said small items on said upper side of said feed slider, said lower base having a plurality of perforations not preventing the sliding of said small items on said lower base and forming a cover for a suction housing connected to a vacuum source and between the underside of said feed slider and the upper side of said lower base a free space smaller than the height of said small items in said openings exists;

a sensor mounted in the front portion of said loading box adjacent said skimmer strip and controlling the filling state of said small items and said filling of said loading box with said small items is controllable with a signal from said sensor; and

a lifting table provided under said distributing strip which raises and lowers said foil strip to and from said distributing slider.