Dispenser for fungible goods
First Claim
1. A dispenser for fungible goods such as pharmaceutical tablets comprising:
- an elongated trough having a neck with an arcuate base and a receiving portion spaced from an open discharge end of said neck,means for mounting said trough at a horizontal angle downward toward said discharge end,means for vibrating said trough in a plane at said horizontal angle with said discharge end vibrating at greater amplitude than said receiving portion, such that goods in said receiving portion migrate along said neck to said discharge end and assume single file alignment as they reach said discharge end,means affixed to said mounting means and having an opening positioned beneath said discharge end,a platform beneath said opening,a pair of spaced guide posts having said platform slidably mounted thereon, anda pair of coil springs respectively surrounding said guide posts and captured in compression between said platform and said mounting means resiliently urging said platform toward said opening removably to clamp a container beneath said opening between said platform and said opening-having means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dispenser for fungible articles such as pharmaceutical tablets in which an elongated trough is vibrated at a downwardly oriented horizontal angle to dispense articles is single file alignment. An optical detector is mounted adjacent to the trough discharge end and is coupled to a counter for indicating the number of articles dispensed from the trough. The counter may be preset by an operator to dispense a preselected number of articles. The trough is releasably held to the dispenser cabinet by electromagnets which are energized simultaneously with the vibration motor. A container into which articles are to be dispensed is releasably captured beneath the discharge end of the trough adjacent to the detector.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A dispenser for fungible goods such as pharmaceutical tablets comprising:
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an elongated trough having a neck with an arcuate base and a receiving portion spaced from an open discharge end of said neck, means for mounting said trough at a horizontal angle downward toward said discharge end, means for vibrating said trough in a plane at said horizontal angle with said discharge end vibrating at greater amplitude than said receiving portion, such that goods in said receiving portion migrate along said neck to said discharge end and assume single file alignment as they reach said discharge end, means affixed to said mounting means and having an opening positioned beneath said discharge end, a platform beneath said opening, a pair of spaced guide posts having said platform slidably mounted thereon, and a pair of coil springs respectively surrounding said guide posts and captured in compression between said platform and said mounting means resiliently urging said platform toward said opening removably to clamp a container beneath said opening between said platform and said opening-having means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A dispenser for fungible goods such as pharmaceutical tablets comprising:
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an elongated trough having a neck with an arcuate base and a receiving portion spaced from an open discharge end of said neck, means for mounting said trough at a horizontal angle downward toward said discharge end, means for vibrating said trough in a plane at said horizontal angle with said discharge end vibrating at greater amplitude than said receiving portion, such that goods in said receiving portion migrate along said neck to said discharge end and assume single file alignment as they reach said discharge end, and means carried by said mounting means and by said trough for releasably holding said trough on said mounting means, said releasably-holding means comprising first means carried by said trough and second means carried by said trough-mounting at a position adjacent to said first means when said trough is disposed on said mounting means, said first and second means being of magnetic construction for attraction to each other to hold said trough and said first means on said mounting means. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A dispenser for fungible goods such as pharmaceutical tablets comprising:
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an elongated trough having a neck with an arcuate base and a receiving portion spaced from an open discharge end of said neck, means for mounting said trough at a horizontal angle downward toward said discharge end, means for vibrating said trough in a plane at said horizontal angle with said discharge end vibrating at greater amplitude than said receiving portion, such that goods in said receiving portion migrate along said neck to said discharge end and assume single file alignment as they reach said discharge end, means affixed to said mounting means and having an opening positioned beneath said discharge end, a platform beneath said opening, a pair of spaced guide posts having said platform slidably mounted thereon, and a pair of coil springs respectively surrounding said guide posts and captured in compression between said platform and said mounting means resiliently urging said platform toward said opening removably to clamp a container beneath said opening between said platform and said opening-having means, and an electromagnet carried by said mounting means, means of magnetically permeable construction carried by said trough at a position adjacent to said electromagnet when said trough is mounted on said mounting means, and means for selectively energizing said electromagnet for releasably holding said trough on said mounting means. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A dispenser for fungible goods such as pharmaceutical tablets comprising:
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an elongated trough having a neck with an arcuate base and a receiving portion spaced from an open discharge end of said neck, means for mounting said trough at a horizontal angle downward toward said discharge end, means for vibrating said trough in a plane at said horizontal angle with said discharge end vibrating at greater amplitude than said receiving portion, such that goods in said receiving portion migrate along said neck to said discharge end and assume single file alignment as they reach said discharge end, means affixed to said mounting means beneath said discharge end for removably positioning a container beneath said discharge end to receive goods exiting said discharge end, and means positioned adjacent to said open end for counting goods exiting said open end, and means for displaying number of goods exiting said open end past said counting means, said counting means comprising a sensor on said mounting means adjacent to said opening for providing an electrical signal responsive to passage of each of said fungible goods, a counter responsive to said electrical signals for accumulating a count of goods passing said sensor, an alphanumeric keypad for entering and selectively changing a desired number of goods to be dispensed into a container, means coupled to said vibrating means for terminating vibration of said trough when said accumulated count equals said desired number, and means for operating said vibrating means independently of said counting means. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification