Capsule charging apparatus

• US 5,018,335 A
• Filed: 12/22/1989
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Elanco Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Nippon Elanco Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Konishi, Hirokazu, Yamamoto, Taizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Coan, James F.
• Application Number:
  US07/455,096
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 53/281, 53/282, 53/283, 53/478, 53/467, 53/468, 53/471, 53/454, 53/560, 53/900
• US Class Current: 53/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/074 Filling capsules; Related operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 53/90 Capsules

Abstract

A capsule charging apparatus for charging a hard gelatin capsule with a filling of powder, granule, or liquid continuously at every constant amount, in which operation processes such as receiving, holding, separating, charging with the filling, recoupling, and ejecting of the capsule are performed in order during one rotation of a turntable at plural positions defined by a predetermined rotation angle by which the turntable intermittently rotates, the turntable comprising a pair of rotary members disposed opposite to each other with a fixed space therebetween in the vertical direction of a vertical shaft, and between the upper and lower rotary members being interposed capsule guide members for connecting cap containing pockets with corresponding body containing pockets of the rotary members in order to separate the capsule into the cap and body and recouple them.

Claims

1. In a capsule charging apparatus for charging a hard gelatin capsule with a filling of powder, granule, or liquid continuously in constant amounts, wherein said capsule having a cap and a body coupled together is received and held in an upright posture at one of the positions in which a turntable intermittently rotatable through every predetermined rotation angle around a vertical shaft pauses, and operation processes such as separation of said filling into said body of said capsule, charging of said filling into said body, coupling of said cap with said body, and ejection of said charged capsule are performed in order during one rotation of said turntable at plural positions including said position which are defined by said rotation angle of said turntable,

said capsule charging apparatus is characterized in that said turntable comprises a cap rotary member and a body rotary member disposed opposite to each other with a predetermined space therebetween in the vertical direction of said vertical shaft of said turntable and on the disc surface of said cap rotary member, cap containing pockets for holding the caps separated from the bodies are provided, and on the disc surface of the body rotary member, body containing pockets are provided corresponding to said cap containing pockets of said cap rotary member,

between said cap rotary member and said body rotary member a capsule guide member is interposed for separating said capsule which connects the cap containing pockets with corresponding body containing pockets so as to allow said capsule body to pass from said cap containing pockets to said body containing pockets only when said capsule is separated into cap and body, and

between said cap rotary member and said body rotary member a capsule guide member is interposed for coupling said capsule which connects the cap containing pockets with corresponding body containing pockets so as to allow said capsule body to pass from said body containing pockets to said cap containing pockets only when said cap is coupled with said body charged with a filling,

wherein, said capsule guide member for separating said capsule comprises pocket bores bored at a capsule guide base and tubular members inserted one end thereof movably in the vertical direction into said pocket bores with large diameter allowing said capsule body to pass therethrough, and said capsule guide member for coupling said capsule comprises tubular members provided movably in the vertical direction allowing said capsule to pass therethrough.

2. A capsule charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said capsules are substantially simultaneously processed in groups consisting of a plural number of capsules in a series of said operation processes.

3. A capsule charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said capsule body is charged by natural fall of said filling.