US3917055A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Capsule rectification apparatus
Assignee: Eli Lilly and Co
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Filing: 1974-01-07
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Granted: 1975-11-04
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Expires: 1994-01-07
Abstract
Abstract Randomly oriented medicinal capsules are processed to a uniform cap-forward orientation at high handling rates. The capsules are conveyed endwise in a series of deep conveyor cavities, each with an upper portion to loosely contain the capsule, with shoulders at the bottom of such portion defining a rectification slot of a width to pass a capsule body but retain its cap, and deep enough below the shoulders to substantially contain the body of an upstanding capsule supported at its cap edge by the shoulders. The conveyor slopes upward and is centrally slotted to straddle a thin cam rail which supports capsules lengthwise in the upper portions of the cavities. In a rectification zone, the cam rail rises to lift the capsules well away from the side shoulders, and then terminates abruptly above a suction passage which draws air downward through the conveyor cavities. As a body-forward capsule crosses the rail terminus, its rear end is supported by the rail and its forward end is unsupported in the downward air stream. This tips it forward about the rail terminus and its body passes through the slot. Its cap edge is carried into engagement with the side shoulders with sufficient momentum and at an angular orientation which causes the cap edges to wedge slightly between the side shoulders to form two side points of engagement about which further tilting tends to occur and which resists sliding of the capsule lengthwise of the cavity shoulders. The tilting carries the capsule to a forward-leaning position, and the capsule then engages an underlying secondary cam rail which rises to lift the lower end of the capsule. Such lifting, combined with continuing downward air flow, moves the capsule to a cap-forward position in the cavity. Any capsule which may slip rearward in its cavity is contained by the deep walls, and is lifted by the secondary cam without danger of being pinched or caught. Capsules originally in cap-forward position are not changed, since their forward caps will be supported by the cavity shoulders as the capsules cross the rectification zone.
Inventors
- 👤 Willard J Vandenberg
- 👤 Robert E Ramsey
- 👤 Robert L Bollman
- 👤 Richard E Krackenberger
- 👤 George Pieczko
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 21:46
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61J; A61J3/00; A61J3/07; A61J3/071; A61J3/074; B; B65; B65G; B65G47/00; B65G47/02; B65G47/04; B65G47/12; B65G47/14; B65G47/1407; B65G47/1442; B65G47/1471
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
412 words
Apparatus for handling medicinal capsules or The like to present the same successively in uniform endwise orientation, comprising rectification, a conveyor forming a series of spaced cavities having capsule receiving portions for conveying capsules endwise along a conveyor path, each such receiving portion being shaped to loosely confine an individual capsule therein and being open at one side for purposes of rectification. means forming at said one side a deep rectifying slot defined at its entrance by spaced side shoulders on and moving with the conveyor, the slot width and shoulder spacing being such as to pass the body of a capsule but retain the cap thereof, said slot having a depth beyond said shoulders sufficient to substantially contain therein the projecting body of an upstanding capsule supported at its cap edges by said shoulders, the conveyor having a longitudinal rail slot centrally of such rectifying slot for the reception of a cam rail, a cam rail extending over a portion of the conveyor path, received in said rail slot, and having a capsule-engaging edge presented toward the capsule receiving portions of said cavities to support capsules in endwise orientation therein over said portion of the conveyor path, said rail having an abrupt terminus at a rectifying position, so arranged that at an intermediate position of travel across said terminus a body-forward capsule will have its rear cap end supported by the cam rail and its forward body end projecting unsupported beyond said terminus, said capsule-engaging rail face having an elevation immediately ahead of said terminus to support the capsule with its sides spaced from said shoulders of the rectifying slot to permit at least partial tilting of a body-forward capsule about the terminus before the cap thereof engages said shoulders, means at the rectifying position to induce airflow through the rectifying slot against the unsupported capsule end for positively urging the capsule to tilt about said terminus toward a cap-forward position, a secondary cam rail positioned to enter said rail slot as the cavities are carried beyond said terminus and having a camming surface to engage the lower end of a partially tilted capsule to cam the same toward the capsule-receiving portion of the cavity, and means to induce airflow through the cavities and rectifying slots as the same traverse said secondary cam rail to cause the capsules engaged by such camming surface to be retained and to tilt to a cap-forward endwise position in the capsule-receiving portions of the cavities.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
412 words
Apparatus for handling medicinal capsules or The like to present the same successively in uniform endwise orientation, comprising rectification, a conveyor forming a series of spaced cavities having capsule receiving portions for conveying capsules endwise along a conveyor path, each such receiving portion being shaped to loosely confine an individual capsule therein and being open at one side for purposes of rectification. means forming at said one side a deep rectifying slot defined at its entrance by spaced side shoulders on and moving with the conveyor, the slot width and shoulder spacing being such as to pass the body of a capsule but retain the cap thereof, said slot having a depth beyond said shoulders sufficient to substantially contain therein the projecting body of an upstanding capsule supported at its cap edges by said shoulders, the conveyor having a longitudinal rail slot centrally of such rectifying slot for the reception of a cam rail, a cam rail extending over a portion of the conveyor path, received in said rail slot, and having a capsule-engaging edge presented toward the capsule receiving portions of said cavities to support capsules in endwise orientation therein over said portion of the conveyor path, said rail having an abrupt terminus at a rectifying position, so arranged that at an intermediate position of travel across said terminus a body-forward capsule will have its rear cap end supported by the cam rail and its forward body end projecting unsupported beyond said terminus, said capsule-engaging rail face having an elevation immediately ahead of said terminus to support the capsule with its sides spaced from said shoulders of the rectifying slot to permit at least partial tilting of a body-forward capsule about the terminus before the cap thereof engages said shoulders, means at the rectifying position to induce airflow through the rectifying slot against the unsupported capsule end for positively urging the capsule to tilt about said terminus toward a cap-forward position, a secondary cam rail positioned to enter said rail slot as the cavities are carried beyond said terminus and having a camming surface to engage the lower end of a partially tilted capsule to cam the same toward the capsule-receiving portion of the cavity, and means to induce airflow through the cavities and rectifying slots as the same traverse said secondary cam rail to cause the capsules engaged by such camming surface to be retained and to tilt to a cap-forward endwise position in the capsule-receiving portions of the cavities.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
91 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said elevation of the cam rail face ahead of said terminus, relative to the position of said shoulders, is such that the circular open end of the capsule cap of a tilting capsule engages said shoulders at an angular orientation causing such open end to wedge itself between the shoulders to form side points of engagement between itself and the shoulders about which further tilting movement of the capsule tends to occur and which resist sliding movement of the capsule endwise of the shoulders.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said rail slot extends upward from the bottom end of said deep rectifying slot and said secondary cam rail has at its rearward end a cam nose surface which lies below the path of the bottom end of said slot so as to engage from below a capsule carried thereto in upstanding position in the cavity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as in claim 3 in which said deep rectifying slot is defined at the rear by end walls which straddle said secondary cam rail as the cavity is conveyed therealong so as to engage the lower end of a capsule as the same is cammed upward by the camming surface of such rail.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
128 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises a series of buckets having body portions containing said cavities, interconnected in chain relation, each bucket having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity therein, and a downward extending lower portion defining said deep rectificaTion slot below said shoulders, said slot being defined at the rear by end walls which straddle said secondary cam rail and stand in position to engage the lower end of a capsule as the same is cammed upward by the camming surface of said rail, said camming surface of said secondary rail having at its rearward end a cam nose surface positioned to lie below the lower end of a capsule conveyed thereto in upstanding position, so as to cam such lower end upward.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
126 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said conveyor comprises a series of buckets interconnected in chain relation, each bucket having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity with capsule-retaining side shoulders therein, and having a downward-extending lower portion defining said deep rectification slot below such shoulders, said lower portion having a bottom slide surface and having a central longitudinal rail slot therethrough, said conveyor extending through an operative stretch, a slide rail underlying said operative stretch and slidably engaged by said bottom slide surfaces of the buckets to support the same for movement through said operative stretch, said cam rail and secondary cam rail being mounted to stand above said slide rail and to be straddled by said buckets as they move along the slide rail.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said conveyor extends in an operative stretch at an upward inclination with the rectification slots of said cavities in a vertical plane, so that capsules conveyed endwise to said rectifying position cross said rail terminus in such upward inclination, and said means to induce airflow at the rectifying position comprises a vertical suction passage communicating with said rectification slots from below to induce airflow vertically downward past the upwardly inclined capsules so as to tend to tilt them toward a vertical position in space and a forward leaning position relative to the conveyor travel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus as in claim 7 in which said camming surface of said secondary cam rail is positioned to engage said tilted capsules while they are in such forward leaning position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
365 words
Apparatus for handling medicinal capsules and the like to present the same in uniform endwise orientation, comprising a series of conveyor buckets interconnected in chain relation, each bucket comprising a body having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity therein, elongated in the direction of conveyor travel to carry a capsule endwise in such direction, and shaped to loosely receive a capsule fed thereto from the top, said body having a downward extending central portion defining a rectification slot joined to said cavity at side shoulders spaced apart so as to pass the body of a capsule but retain the cap thereof, said central portion having a central longitudinal rail slot to pass a cam rail, a slide rail having a surface to slidably support said buckets for movement through an operative stretch, a first cam rail mounted in upstanding relation along a portion of said slide rail so as to be received in said rail slots of the buckets and having an upper edge disposed to slidably support capsules in the cavities as the buckets traverse such cam rail, said cam rail having an abrupt terminus at a rectifying position, so arranged that at an intermediate position of travel across such terminus, a body-forward capsule will have its rear end supported by the cam rail and its forward end projecting unsupported beyond said terminus, means at said rectifying position to induce airflow through the rectifying slot of the cavity containing a capsule in such intermediate position of travel for positively urging the capsule to tilt about said terminus to carry its body end downward into the rectification slot and to carry its cap edges into engagement with the side shoulders, the capsule being thereby tilted at least partially toward cap-forward position, and a secondary cam rail mounted in spaced relation with said terminuS and aligned with said first cam rail to enter the rail slots of and be straddled by the buckets as they pass through the rectifying position, said secondary cam rail having a camming surface disposed to engage the lower ends of partially tilted capsules in the buckets and to cam such ends upward as the buckets traverse the secondary cam rail.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
365 words
Apparatus for handling medicinal capsules and the like to present the same in uniform endwise orientation, comprising a series of conveyor buckets interconnected in chain relation, each bucket comprising a body having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity therein, elongated in the direction of conveyor travel to carry a capsule endwise in such direction, and shaped to loosely receive a capsule fed thereto from the top, said body having a downward extending central portion defining a rectification slot joined to said cavity at side shoulders spaced apart so as to pass the body of a capsule but retain the cap thereof, said central portion having a central longitudinal rail slot to pass a cam rail, a slide rail having a surface to slidably support said buckets for movement through an operative stretch, a first cam rail mounted in upstanding relation along a portion of said slide rail so as to be received in said rail slots of the buckets and having an upper edge disposed to slidably support capsules in the cavities as the buckets traverse such cam rail, said cam rail having an abrupt terminus at a rectifying position, so arranged that at an intermediate position of travel across such terminus, a body-forward capsule will have its rear end supported by the cam rail and its forward end projecting unsupported beyond said terminus, means at said rectifying position to induce airflow through the rectifying slot of the cavity containing a capsule in such intermediate position of travel for positively urging the capsule to tilt about said terminus to carry its body end downward into the rectification slot and to carry its cap edges into engagement with the side shoulders, the capsule being thereby tilted at least partially toward cap-forward position, and a secondary cam rail mounted in spaced relation with said terminuS and aligned with said first cam rail to enter the rail slots of and be straddled by the buckets as they pass through the rectifying position, said secondary cam rail having a camming surface disposed to engage the lower ends of partially tilted capsules in the buckets and to cam such ends upward as the buckets traverse the secondary cam rail.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 which includes means to induce airflow downward through the cavity and rectifying slot of a bucket as the same traverses the camming surface of the secondary cam rail, so as to assist in tilting a capsule in the bucket to cap-forward position as it is lifted by said camming surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 in which the conveyor buckets have slide surfaces at the bottom of their central portions, said slide rail is positioned to be slidably engaged by said bucket slide surfaces and said cam rails are mounted centrally in said slide rails.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
Appparatus as in claim 11 with the addition of suction apertures in the slide rail close beside the cam rails, the rectification slots of the buckets being open at the bottom to communicate with said suction apertures so that the suction therein induces downward airflow through the bucket cavities.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as in claim 12 in which said suction apertures are formed by central holes in the slide rail, wider than the cam rail thickness, and the cam rail is mounted to intersect said holes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus as in claim 12, in which the buckets have side skirts spaced outward from said central portions, and a pair of chains interconnecting the buckets and having pins thereof engaged in holes in said side skirts.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
122 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 in which the capsule-supporting upper edge of the first cam rail immediately ahead of the terminus has an elevation relative to the side shoulders such that the tilting movement of the capsule about the terminus attains a degree of momentum before the circular open end of the capsule cap engages said side shoulders, and such that said circular open end engages such shoulders at an angular orientation to the shoulders, so as to cause the said open end to enter between the shoulders and form side points of engagement between itself and the shoulders about which further tilting movement of the capsule tends to occur and which resist sliding movement of the capsule endwise of the shoulders.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus as in claim 9 in which the cavity and rectification slot in each bucket is defined at the rear by surfaces substantially normal to the direction of bucket travel so as to hold in upright position a capsule which slides to the rear of the cavity during rectification, the camming surface of said secondary cam rail having a rear nose portion at a level to engage below a capsule so held, and such camming surface being operative to lift the capsule along such rear surfaces.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus as in claim 16 which includes means to induce airflow downward through the cavity and rectifying slot of a bucket as the same transverses the camming surface of the secondary cam rail, so as to assist in tilting a capsule in the bucket to cap-forward position as it is lifted by said camming surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
239 words
Apparatus for conveying capsules, comprising a series of conveyor buckets interconnected in chain relation, each bucket having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity elongated in the direction of conveyor travel for containing a capsule disposed endwise in such direction, each bucket also having a deep lower portion having a supporting slide surface at the bottom thereof and defining a wide opening defined by side and end walls and extending from the capsule-receiving cavity to and through such bottom slide surface, and having a downwardly open narrow longitudinal rail slot intersecting the end walls of, and narrower than, said opening, means for supporting said buckets for movement along a conveyor path and including a slide rail having a slide face engaged by the bottom slide surfaces of tHe buckets, and a cam rail upstanding from said slide rail and engaged in the rail slots of the buckets, said rails serving to substantially close the bottom and end wall openings of the buckets and having a capsule-engaging top edge disposed to lie below the elongated capsule-receiving cavities of the buckets to support capsules in endwise orientation therein, and air openings in the rails in position to communicate with the bottom openings of the buckets, at the sides of the cam rail, and means to induce downward air flow through said air openings to thereby induce down flow in the capsule-receiving cavities to retain capsules therein and on said cam rail.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
239 words
Apparatus for conveying capsules, comprising a series of conveyor buckets interconnected in chain relation, each bucket having an upper portion defining a capsule-receiving cavity elongated in the direction of conveyor travel for containing a capsule disposed endwise in such direction, each bucket also having a deep lower portion having a supporting slide surface at the bottom thereof and defining a wide opening defined by side and end walls and extending from the capsule-receiving cavity to and through such bottom slide surface, and having a downwardly open narrow longitudinal rail slot intersecting the end walls of, and narrower than, said opening, means for supporting said buckets for movement along a conveyor path and including a slide rail having a slide face engaged by the bottom slide surfaces of tHe buckets, and a cam rail upstanding from said slide rail and engaged in the rail slots of the buckets, said rails serving to substantially close the bottom and end wall openings of the buckets and having a capsule-engaging top edge disposed to lie below the elongated capsule-receiving cavities of the buckets to support capsules in endwise orientation therein, and air openings in the rails in position to communicate with the bottom openings of the buckets, at the sides of the cam rail, and means to induce downward air flow through said air openings to thereby induce down flow in the capsule-receiving cavities to retain capsules therein and on said cam rail.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3811552A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-11-03 | 1979-05-05 | 1979-11-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-11-03 | 1983-05-05 | 1983-11-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-11-03 | 1987-05-05 | 1987-11-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |