Apparatus for transfer of pharmaceutical articles from a counting machine to internally of continuously advancing containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513356-B2
Application number	US-201615576785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring pharmaceutical articles from a counting machine to containers advancing along a conveyor line comprises a first series of tubular elements and at least one second series of tubular elements able to receive the pharmaceutical articles internally thereof. The apparatus comprises a first looped movement organ for moving the first tubular elements and at least one independently activatable second looped movement organ for moving the second tubular elements both, a stepped fashion and continuously, and each defining a looped movement pathway for the tubular elements comprising a first straight path portion below the counting machine so that the tubular elements can be halted for receiving therefrom the counted articles, and a second straight path portion above the conveyor line, so that the tubular elements can be moved at the same velocity above the containers and release the articles therein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transferring pharmaceutical articles from at least a counting machine to internally of containers which advance in continuous mode along a conveyor line, the at least a counting machine exhibiting a storage zone, into which the articles are directed once counted, which is provided with an outlet for the articles, openable for release of the articles in a downwards direction, and which is laterally arranged and in a position at a level that is raised with respect to the containers to be filled which advance in continuous mode along the conveyor line, the apparatus comprising:
a first series of tubular elements having dimensions such as to be able to freely receive the pharmaceutical articles internally thereof;
and at least a second series of tubular elements having dimensions such as to be able to freely receive the pharmaceutical articles internally thereof;
movement means of the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and of the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements, predisposed between the counting machine and the conveyor line of the containers for moving the first series of tubular elements and for moving the second series of tubular elements along a movement pathway such that the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements transit into a position below the outlet of the counting machine and travel along at least a portion of the movement pathway thereof above the containers advancing in continuous mode along the conveyor line, the movement means being further suitable for moving the first series of tubular elements and the second series of tubular elements along the movement pathway, independently of one another and in such a way that the first series of tubular elements and the second series of tubular elements can be movable along the movement pathway both with a step-step motion, so that each of the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and each of the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements can respectively be stopped at the position below the outlet of the counting machine, for a time necessary to receive internally thereof the articles that have been counted and recognised as valid by the counting machine, which, with a continuous advancing modality so that the tubular elements, once the articles have been received from the counting machine, can travel along at least the portion above the containers, and follow the containers, with the same velocity as the containers advancing in continuous mode along the conveyor line,
a support plate arranged so as to be positioned at a level such that the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and of the second series of tubular elements can slide on the plate, when they are moved by the movement means from the outlet of the counting machine up to above a container to be filled, so that the articles contained therein are retained internally thereof,
wherein:
the movement means comprise a first looped movement organ for moving the first series of tubular elements and at least a second looped movement organ for moving the at least a second series of tubular elements, the first looped movement organ and the second looped movement organ being predisposed so as to be arranged one above another and movable by relative respective motor organs, and having a shape such as each to define a looped movement pathway for the tubular elements comprising a first straight movement portion of the tubular elements and a second straight movement portion of the tubular elements connected to one another by relative curved portions, the first movement organ and the second movement organ being arranged such that:
the first straight movement portion of the tubular elements exhibits a part passing at the position below the outlet of the counting machine, such that the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements can be stopped time by time in the position below the outlet of the counting machine for the time necessary for receiving internally thereof the counted articles from the counting machine,
in that the second straight movement portion of the tubular elements is located at the portion above, and follows an extension, of the conveyor line of the containers, so that the tubular elements can be moved above the containers and follow the containers with a same velocity thereof along all the second straight movement portion,
in that the support plate has a development and extension such as always to be arranged below the tubular elements when they are moved along the looped movement pathway thereof, at least starting from the part of the first straight movement portion situated in the position below the outlet of the counting machine, so as to enable unloading of the counted articles into the tubular elements when they are stopped below the outlet, up to at least a position situated upstream of and in proximity of a final portion of the second straight movement portion, in such a way that the tubular elements with the articles internally thereof, when moved along the second straight movement portion with the same velocity as and above the containers which advance in continuous mode along the conveyor line, pass beyond the plate and are directly above the mouth of the containers for the release therein of the articles only when they reach and advance along the final portion of the second straight movement portion,
and in that it comprises guide and transport means of the first series of tubular elements and of the second series of tubular elements provided and predisposed to transport and guide the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements and the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements along the looped movement pathway such that the tubular elements are maintained arranged vertically and with the lower end thereof at a same predetermined distance from the support plate so as to retain the articles internally thereof during movement of the tubular elements on the plate, wherein the guide and transport means comprise:
at least a looped guide rail;
for each tubular element of the first series of tubular elements: a transport device predisposed for connecting the tubular element to the first movement organ and for following the guide rail,
for each tubular element of the second series of tubular elements: a transport device predisposed for connecting the tubular element of the second series of tubular elements to the second movement organ and for following the guide rail,
the at least a looped guide rail exhibiting a pathway and an extension having two straight portions connected to one another between two curved portions and such that:
when the first movement organ is actuated by the relative motor organ for moving the tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements, the transport device associated thereto runs on the looped guide rail, consequently forcing the tubular elements to follow the looped movement pathway while maintaining them stable in a vertical position so that when the tubular elements, once the articles have been received from the outlet of the counting machine, slide on the support plate, the lower end thereof is always at the predetermined distance from the plate;
when the second movement organ is actuated by the relative motor organ for moving the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements, the transport device associated thereto runs on the looped guide rail, consequently forcing the tubular elements to follow the looped movement pathway while maintaining them stable in a vertical position so that when the tubular elements, once the articles have been received from the outlet of the counting machine, slide on the support

Assignees

• Marchesini Group Spa

Inventors

• Monti Giuseppe

Classifications

• B65G47/841

  Devices having endless travelling belts or chains equipped with article-engaging elements · CPC title

• B65G47/38

  by dumping, tripping, or releasing load carriers (by flexing or tilting travelling structures B65G47/94) · CPC title

• B65B57/20

  Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles (other applications B65B65/08) · CPC title

• B65B39/145 Primary

  in an endless path · CPC title

• B65B5/103 Primary

  for packaging pills or tablets · CPC title