US3682353A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for delivering tablets and the like
Assignee: Lilly Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1970-10-15
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Granted: 1972-08-08
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Expires: 1990-10-15
Abstract
Abstract A tablet counter. Generally disk-shaped tablets on a horizontal circular table are swept to the edge by a rotating arm. A chamfer at such edge tips them edgewise into a vertical opening formed between inner and outer cylindrical walls at the periphery of the table. The opening is of a width to hold the tablets in vertical rolling position and contains one or more helical ramps forming chutes along which the tablets roll to and past a counting device and thence to a receptacle through a gate controlled by such device.
Inventors
- 👤 William George Roast
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 22:16
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06M; G06M1/00; G06M1/08; G06M1/10; G06M3/00; G06M3/02; G06M7/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for forming a supply of disk-shaped tablets having less thickness than diameter into a succession of single tablets, comprising a horizontal table for receiving the supply of tablets and having a peripheral edge, a chamfer at said edge forming a downward sloping surface along said edge, a downward extending inner wall along said edge and an outer wall spaced from said inner wall, said walls defining an opening along said peripheral edge to receive tablets sliding thereto across said sloping surface, said opening having a width slightly greater than the tablet thickness and less than the tablet diameter, means to sweep tablets on said table toward and along said peripheral edge, said sloping surface causing the tablets to tip from a horizontal position on the table to a vertical position into said opening, a sloping raceway formed in said opening to receive the tablets on their edge and cause the same to roll down the raceway in a succession of single tablets, and a delivery chute connected to the raceway to receive the succession of tablets therefrom for delivery.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
180 words
Apparatus for forming a supply of disk-shaped tablets having less thickness than diameter into a succession of single tablets, comprising a horizontal table for receiving the supply of tablets and having a peripheral edge, a chamfer at said edge forming a downward sloping surface along said edge, a downward extending inner wall along said edge and an outer wall spaced from said inner wall, said walls defining an opening along said peripheral edge to receive tablets sliding thereto across said sloping surface, said opening having a width slightly greater than the tablet thickness and less than the tablet diameter, means to sweep tablets on said table toward and along said peripheral edge, said sloping surface causing the tablets to tip from a horizontal position on the table to a vertical position into said opening, a sloping raceway formed in said opening to receive the tablets on their edge and cause the same to roll down the raceway in a succession of single tablets, and a delivery chute connected to the raceway to receive the succession of tablets therefrom for delivery.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 which includes a plurality of sloping raceways spaced along said peripheral edge to receive respectively the tablets discharged from successive portions of said edge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 with the addition of means to count tablets in the succession of tablets delivered along the raceway.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said table is a circular table, said walls extend downward from the circular edge thereof, and said tablet sweeping means comprises an arm rotatable across the surface of the table about its central axis.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, in which said raceway is helical about the said central axis.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, which includes a plurality of sloping raceways spaced along said peripheral edge to receive respectively the tablets discharged from successive portions of said edge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, in which said inner and outer walls are cylindrical and said raceway is helical about said central axis.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, which includes a plurality of sloping raceways spaced along said peripheral edge to receive respectively the tablets discharged from successive portions of said edge.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, which includes a plurality of raceways in the form of a plurality of axially and circumferentially spaced helixes about the central axis of the table, the upper ends thereof being circumferentially spaced about the periphery of the table to receive separately the tablets discharged from different portions of such periphery, whereby the tablets fall through said opening a lesser distance than with a single raceway of the same pitch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, with the addition of separate chutes to receive the tablets delivered through the separate raceways and division plates spaced along said chutes to divide off equal predetermined numbers of tablets in each chute, said plates being operable to deliver such numbers of tablets from the chutes in coordinated relation and thereby deliver a multiple count of tablets from such chutes.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-08 | 1976-02-07 | 1976-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-08 | 1980-02-07 | 1980-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-08 | 1984-02-07 | 1984-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |