Object singulating and counting device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A device for singulating and transporting objects which comprises:
- a) a rotating collar means, said collar means having an inner surface and an outer surface with at least one hole passing through said collar means between said surfaces;
b) at least one hollow pickup tube having a collar-end portion and a pickup-end portion, said collar-end portion of said tube being attached to the collar means over said hole in such fashion so as to be radially disposed about said collar means;
c) an axle having two end portions wherein at least one end portion has an outer surface adapted to receive the rotating collar means, said outer surface including a void volume extending less than coextensively about the end portion upon which the rotating collar means is received, said void volume disposed in fluid contact with said at least one hole in said collar means, said axle further including a hollow passageway in its interior and in which the passageway is in fluid contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of said collar means, and the passageway is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; and
d) means for causing rotation of said collar means about said axle, wherein the collar is rotably disposed about the axle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a device for counting small objects which is capable of accurately and reliably counting large numbers of small objects such as pharmaceutical tablets, capsules, and the like. The device employs linear pickup tubes radially affixed to a rotating collar wherein the tubes have a vacuum applied to them during a prescribed amount of rotation of the collar about a stationary axle. During the period for which a vacuum exists at the tip of a pickup tube, an object to be counted is caused to adhere to the tube end, and is transported into a discharge chute containing an object counter.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A device for singulating and transporting objects which comprises:
-
a) a rotating collar means, said collar means having an inner surface and an outer surface with at least one hole passing through said collar means between said surfaces; b) at least one hollow pickup tube having a collar-end portion and a pickup-end portion, said collar-end portion of said tube being attached to the collar means over said hole in such fashion so as to be radially disposed about said collar means; c) an axle having two end portions wherein at least one end portion has an outer surface adapted to receive the rotating collar means, said outer surface including a void volume extending less than coextensively about the end portion upon which the rotating collar means is received, said void volume disposed in fluid contact with said at least one hole in said collar means, said axle further including a hollow passageway in its interior and in which the passageway is in fluid contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of said collar means, and the passageway is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; and d) means for causing rotation of said collar means about said axle, wherein the collar is rotably disposed about the axle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A device for singulating and transporting objects which comprises:
-
a) a rotating collar means, said collar means having an inner surface and an outer surface with at least one hole passing through said collar means between said surfaces; b) at least one hollow pickup tube having a collar-end portion and a pickup-end portion, said collar-end portion of said tube being attached to the collar means over said hole in such fashion so as to be radially disposed about said collar means; c) an axle having two end portions wherein at least one end portion has an outer surface portion adapted to receive the rotating collar means, said axle further including a hollow passageway in its interior and in which the passageway is in fluid contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of said collar means, and the passageway is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; d) means for causing rotation of said collar means about said axle; e) an exit chute having an opening portion and an exit portion, wherein the opening portion of said exit chute is located within sufficient proximity of the path of motion of an object adhered to the pickup-end of the pickup tube that said object is caused to enter said exit chute upon cessation of adhesion of said object to said pickup end of said pickup tube; and f) a means for counting said objects, wherein the collar is rotably disposed about the axle and wherein said counting means is located within said exit chute.
-
-
31. A device for singulating and transporting objects which comprises:
-
a) a rotating collar means, said collar means having an inner surface and an outer surface with at least one hole passing through said collar means between said surfaces; b) at least one hollow pickup tube having a collar-end portion and a pickup-end portion, said collar-end portion of said tube being attached to the collar means over said hole in such fashion so as to be radially disposed about said collar means; c) an axle having two end portions wherein at least one end portion has an outer surface portion adapted to receive the rotating collar means, said axle further including a hollow passageway in its interior and in which the passageway is in fluid contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of said collar means, and the passageway is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; and d) means for causing rotation of said collar means about said axle; e) an enclosure having an interior volume defined by the following enclosure elements; i) a top portion; ii) a bottom portion; iii) a front portion; iv) two side portions; and v) a planar rear portion, wherein said axle is securely affixed to said rear portion so that the centerline of said axle is essentially perpendicular to the plane of the rear portion. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
-
34. A process for counting a plurality of objects comprising the steps of:
-
a) providing a device for singulating and transporting objects which comprises; i) a rotating collar means, said collar means having an inner surface and an outer surface with at least one hole passing through said collar means between said surfaces; ii) at least one hollow pickup tube having a collar-end portion and a pickup-end portion, said collar-end portion of said tube being attached to the collar means over said hole in such fashion so as to be radially disposed about said collar means; iii) an axle having two end portions wherein at least one end portion has an outer surface portion adapted to receive the rotating collar means, said axle further including a hollow passageway in its interior and in which the passageway is in fluid contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of said collar means, and the passageway is adapted to be connected to a source of vacuum; iv) means for causing rotation of said collar means about said axle; v) an exit chute having an opening portion and an exit portion, wherein the opening portion of said exit chute is located within sufficient proximity of the path of motion of an object adhered to the pickup-end of the pickup tube that said object is caused to enter said exit chute upon cessation of adhesion of said object to said pickup end of said pickup tube; vi) an electronic means for counting objects; vii) a microprocessor in cooperative electrical contact with said electronic means for counting objects; and viii) an actuating means having a door means in mechanical contact therewith, wherein said actuating means is in cooperative electrical contact with said microprocessor, wherein said door means is located in a position sufficient for effectively denying entry of an object into the opening portion of said exit chute, wherein the collar is rotably disposed about the axle and wherein said counting means is located within said exit chute; b) effecting rotation of said collar means about said axle of said device; c) applying a vacuum to said passageway of said axle of said device; and d) placing a plurality of objects in a location such that at least one object is caused to adhere to said pickup-end portion of said pickup tube of said device upon application of vacuum to said collar-end portion of said pickup tube during the rotation of said collar means about said axle, wherein said microprocessor is programmed to cause the closing of said opening portion of said exit chute after a preset number of objects to be counted have been deposited into said exit chute. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
Specification