Product feeding apparatus
First Claim
1. Product feeding apparatus for delivering items of product into one or more outlets for onward delivery to a receptacle, comprising:
- a surface defining one or more channels having a length extending toward an exit end thereof for guiding items of product towards said exit end of said one or more channels and wherein the width and/or depth of one or more of said channels increases towards said exit end thereof;
a wall spaced from and adjacent to the surface;
wherein the wall and one or more channels cooperate to define at least one aperture through which items of product pass towards the exit of said one or more channels;
and wherein the size of the aperture is adjustable by movement of the wall and/or surface relative to the other in a direction along the length of said one or more channels.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Automatic feeding machines are commonly used for filling blister packs with items of product such as pharmaceutical dosage forms. These machines are usually designed for the handling of a specific shape and sized product item. Handling of different shaped items requires expensive re-tooling of all the product item contact components. The invention allows a single feeding machine to be quickly configured for use to handling a wide variety of item sizes/shapes. A machine (21) has a tray (36) defining a series of tapered channels (40) and a container (22) slideably mounted above the tray. A wall of the container and the channels together define apertures into each channel through which items of product pass out of the container. Sliding movement of the container across the planar tray surface (38), along and over the channels, allows the size of the apertures to be adjusted depending upon the size of the item of product to be handled, using the same components.
26 Citations
30 Claims
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1. Product feeding apparatus for delivering items of product into one or more outlets for onward delivery to a receptacle, comprising:
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a surface defining one or more channels having a length extending toward an exit end thereof for guiding items of product towards said exit end of said one or more channels and wherein the width and/or depth of one or more of said channels increases towards said exit end thereof; a wall spaced from and adjacent to the surface; wherein the wall and one or more channels cooperate to define at least one aperture through which items of product pass towards the exit of said one or more channels; and wherein the size of the aperture is adjustable by movement of the wall and/or surface relative to the other in a direction along the length of said one or more channels. - 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)
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Specification