Container dispersion and filling system
First Claim
1. A small object dispensing station for dispensing small objects into containers, the containers having an interior surrounded by cylindrical walls, a transverse bottom closing said interior, a mouth opposite said bottom for admitting said small objects, and indicia borne on said container identifying and quantifying said small objects to be dispensed into said interior, the dispensing station comprising:
- a plurality of small object dispenser means for dispensing said small objects into said containers, said dispenser means arrayed around an annular platform supported by a base and having a vertical axis;
a plurality of container chutes, each chute having a lower discharge port coupled to one of said dispenser means and extending upward to terminate at an input port;
a rotatable dispersion wheel coaxial with and disposed above the annular platform and coupled to the input ports, the dispersion wheel havingcoaxial annular lower and upper plates disposed a spaced distance apart, anda plurality of cylindrical cups sandwiched between said lower and upper plates, each cup forming a conduit between a pair of lower and upper openings surrounded and defined by said lower and upper plates, each of said cups being adapted to receive one of said containers and to be rotatably aligned with one of said input ports;
a plurality of gate means disposed between said cups and said input ports and adapted to articulate between an open position adapted to admit a container from one of said cups into one of said input ports and a closed position blocking said input port and retaining said container within said cup;
container entraining means for entraining said containers in sequence for entering said cups;
discharge means for discharging said containers after said small objects have been dispensed into said containers; and
controller means for operating said dispensing station.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-pharmaceutical dispensing station includes a circular platform around which a plurality of individual dispensers is arrayed at a convenient loading height. Each dispenser accepts a single bulk canister containing one pharmaceutical. Cylindrical, empty prescription containers carry labels bearing indicia of the patient and pharmaceutical to be dispensed into each container. Sensors detect the indicia and direct the containers to the proper dispenser which fills them with the type and quantity of a pharmaceutical according to the indicia. Incident containers first drop into a dispersion wheel which translates them around the circular station and aligns them with a vertical chute leading to the correct dispenser. After filling, the containers are urged onto a moving, circular table which conveys them to automatic closing and sealing apparatus. Once closed and sealed, the containers exit the dispenser station through pneumatic tubing which conveys them to verification, sorting and shipping stages.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A small object dispensing station for dispensing small objects into containers, the containers having an interior surrounded by cylindrical walls, a transverse bottom closing said interior, a mouth opposite said bottom for admitting said small objects, and indicia borne on said container identifying and quantifying said small objects to be dispensed into said interior, the dispensing station comprising:
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a plurality of small object dispenser means for dispensing said small objects into said containers, said dispenser means arrayed around an annular platform supported by a base and having a vertical axis; a plurality of container chutes, each chute having a lower discharge port coupled to one of said dispenser means and extending upward to terminate at an input port; a rotatable dispersion wheel coaxial with and disposed above the annular platform and coupled to the input ports, the dispersion wheel having coaxial annular lower and upper plates disposed a spaced distance apart, and a plurality of cylindrical cups sandwiched between said lower and upper plates, each cup forming a conduit between a pair of lower and upper openings surrounded and defined by said lower and upper plates, each of said cups being adapted to receive one of said containers and to be rotatably aligned with one of said input ports; a plurality of gate means disposed between said cups and said input ports and adapted to articulate between an open position adapted to admit a container from one of said cups into one of said input ports and a closed position blocking said input port and retaining said container within said cup; container entraining means for entraining said containers in sequence for entering said cups; discharge means for discharging said containers after said small objects have been dispensed into said containers; and controller means for operating said dispensing station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for matching pharmaceutical prescription bottles with bulk dispensers of pharmaceuticals to assure accuracy of prescription filling, the system comprising:
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a plurality of bottles bearing bottle indicia adapted to identify a type and quantity of pharmaceuticals to be dispensed into each of said bottles; at least one pharmaceutical dispensing station having a plurality of pharmaceutical dispensers, each positioned around an annular platform having a vertical axis; a rotatable dispersion wheel coaxial with and disposed above the annular platform and coupled by a plurality of bottle chutes to each of said dispensers, the dispersion wheel having a plurality of cylindrical cups adapted to receive one of said bottles and to be rotatably aligned with one of said bottle chutes; a gate disposed above each of said bottle chutes and adapted to open to admit a bottle from one of said cups into one of said bottle chutes; and a bottle accumulator disposed above said dispersion wheel and adapted to read said bottle indicia and to release said bottle into one of said cups; a capper coupled to said dispensing station and adapted to cap each bottle after said pharmaceuticals have been dispensed into said bottle; bottle inducting means for inducting said bottles into said system; and
controller means for operating said system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. An improved method of matching pharmaceutical prescription bottles with bulk dispensers of pharmaceuticals to assure accuracy of prescription filling, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of bottles bearing machine-readable bottle indicia adapted to determine a type and quantity of pharmaceuticals to be dispensed into each of said bottles; providing at least one pharmaceutical dispensing station having a plurality of pharmaceutical dispensers, each positioned coaxially around an annular platform having a vertical axis and bearing machine-readable pharmaceutical indicia and dispenser location indicia; a rotatable dispersion wheel coaxial with and disposed above the annular platform and coupled by a plurality of bottle chutes to each of said dispensers, the dispersion wheel having a plurality of cylindrical cups adapted to receive one of said bottles and to be rotatably aligned with one of said bottle chutes; a gate disposed above each of said bottle chutes and adapted to open to admit a bottle from one of said cups into one of said bottle chutes; a bottle accumulator disposed above said dispersion wheel and adapted to read said bottle indicia and to release said bottle into one of said cups; and a capper coupled to said dispenser and adapted to cap each bottle after said pharmaceuticals have been dispensed into said bottle; providing a bottle labeler adapted to apply unique identifying bottle indicia onto said bottles and to direct them to said at least one pharmaceutical dispensing station according to said bottle indicia; providing bottle inducting means adapted to induct said bottles into said labeler; and providing controller means for operating said dispensing station and bottle inducting means;
thenoperating said controller means to (a) induct each bottle into said labeler and applying said bottle indicia to said bottle;
then(b) directing said bottle toward said accumulator on one of said at least one pharmaceutical dispensing stations;
then(c) reading said bottle indicia at said accumulator to determine a select one of said plurality of dispensers said bottle is to be directed;
then(d) rotating said dispersion wheel to translate said bottle to a position above said chute leading to said select one of said plurality of dispensers;
then(e) operating said gate to drop said bottle into said select one of said plurality of dispensers;
then(f) operating said select one of said plurality of dispensers to dispense a type and quantity of pharmaceuticals into said bottle according to said bottle indicia;
then(g) operating said capper to cap and seal said bottle;
then(h) discharging said bottle; and (i) repeating steps (a)-(h), inclusive, for each additional bottle. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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Specification