Tablet printing machine with roll cleaning system

• US 4,781,115 A
• Filed: 12/05/1986
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Astellas Pharma Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Astellas Pharma Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Yoshiaki, Nishimura, Kenichi, Shiba, Eiji, Honda, Takayoshi, Ueda, Yoshio, Ohike, Atsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Crowder, Clifford D.
• Application Number:
  US06/938,467
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 101/425, 101/40, 101/423, 101/424, 101/416 R, 101/167, 101/162, 101/166, 101/156, 101/35, 15/256.51, 15/256.52, 118/691, 118/690, 118/688, 118/712, 118/713, 250/562, 250/563
• US Class Current: 101/425
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 17/36 for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/00 Indicating, counting, warning, control or safety devices arrangements of counting devices in platen presses B41F1/00 , B41F1/58; arrangements of counting devices in cylinder presses B41F3/84; ink supply or metering devices B41F31/02
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 35/00 Cleaning arrangements or devices in manifolding apparatus or the like B41L41/00

Abstract

A tablet printing machine provided with a roll soiling detecting unit for optically detecting soiling of the surface of a roll of its printing unit. The machine is further provided with a roll cleaning unit including a cleaner to be impregnated with a cleaning liquid and adapted for pressing contact with the transfer roll of the printing unit during the rotation of the roll.

Claims

1. A tablet printing machine comprising:

a roll cleaning unit comprising a cleaner to be impregnated with a cleaning liquid and adapted for pressing contact with a transfer roll of the printing unit thereof during the rotation of the transfer roll,

a cleaning roll having a plurality of furrows formed in its outer periphery and dividing the outer periphery into a plurality of ridges circumferentially thereof,

drive means for intermittently rotating the cleaning roll by one or at least two ridge pitches at a time,

the cleaner being wound around the outer periphery of the cleaning roll along the ridges and the furrows, and

means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaner at the portions thereof over the ridge surfaces along the outer periphery of the cleaning roll.

2. A tablet printing machine comprising:

a roll soiling detecting unit for optically detecting soiling of the surface of a roll of the printing unit of the machine, and a roll cleaning unit including a cleaner to be impregnated with a cleaning liquid and adapted for pressing contact with a transfer roll in rotation of the printing unit;

wherein the roll cleaning unit comprises a cleaning roll having a plurality of furrows formed in its outer periphery and dividing the outer periphery into a plurality of ridges circumferentially thereof, drive means for intermittently rotating the cleaning roll by one or at least two ridge pitches at a time, the cleaner being wound around the outer periphery of the cleaning roll along the ridges and the furrows, and means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaner at the portions thereof over the ridge surfaces along the outer periphery of the cleaning roll.

3. A tablet printing machine employing a roll printer comprising:

a photoelectric detector means positioned opposed to said roll of the printing unit;

first signal processing circuit coupled to the output of said photoelectric detector means for removing from said outputted signal the component frequencies lower than a predetermined frequency which is indicative of ink soiling or roll eccentricities;

first comparing means for comparing the resultant signal, from said first signal processing circuit with reference signals to detect soiling of said roll by broken tablets;

second signal processing circuit coupled to the output of said photoelectric detector means for removing from said outputted signal the component frequencies higher than a predetermined frequency which is indicative of soiling of the roll surface by tablets or surface irregularities; and

second comparing means for comparing the resultant signal from said second signal processing circuit with reference signals to detect soiling in the ink.

4. A tablet printing machine employing a roll printer comprising:

a photoelectric detector means positioned opposed to said roll of the printing unit;

first signal processing circuit coupled to the output of said photoelectric detector means for removing from said outputted signal the component frequencies lower than a predetermined frequency which is indicative of ink soiling or roll eccentricities;

first comparing means for comparing the resultant signals, from said first signal processing circuit with reference signals to detect soiling of said roll by broken tablets;

second signal processing circuit coupled to the output of said photoelectric detector means for removing from said outputted signal the component frequencies higher than a predetermined frequency which is indicative of soiling of the roll surface by tablets or surface irregularities;

second comparing means for comparing the resultant signal form said second signal processing circuit with reference signals to detect soiling in the ink; and

a roll cleaning unit including a cleaner adapted to be impregnated with a cleaning liquid which is brought into rotatable contact with said roll in response to the resulting signals from said first and second comparing means.

5. A tablet printing machine as defined in claim 4 wherein the roll cleaning unit comprises a cleaning roll, drive means for intermittently rotating the cleaning roll, and means for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaner, the cleaner being wound around the outer periphery of the cleaning roll.