Patent ID: 11944707
Assignee: GEL CAP TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Pharmaceuticals (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 7:
8. A capsule forming machine comprising:
a first capsule body filling device comprising:
a rotating plate defining a plurality of voids for receiving a first shell body of a capsule, wherein the plurality of voids define a plurality of stations located adjacent to a perimeter of the rotating plate;
a first dispenser configured to position the first shell body of the capsule in each of the plurality of voids at a first of the plurality of stations;
a second dispenser configured to insert a fill material into the first shell body of the capsule in each of the plurality of voids at a second of the plurality of stations;
a third dispenser configured to position (i) a cap, (ii) a band comprising the cap, or (iii) a first band portion comprising the cap onto the first shell body of the capsule in each of the plurality of voids at a third of the plurality of stations;
a sealing device configured to seal the cap to a respective shell body to form a sealed capsule member with the filling material therein; and

a capsule forming device comprising:
superimposed upper and lower plates that are each rotatable about an axis of rotation, the axis of rotation extending through the center of each plate and being co-axially aligned with one another; wherein the lower plate defines a plurality of voids for receiving a second shell body or a capsule member of a capsule that are positioned to define a plurality of stations located adjacent to a perimeter of the lower plate and the upper plate defines a plurality of voids for receiving a capsule member that are position positioned to define a plurality of stations located adjacent to a perimeter of the upper plate;
wherein the lower plate comprises a first lower plate dispenser configured to position the second shell body of a capsule in each of the plurality of voids a first of the plurality of lower stations, and a second dispenser configured to insert a fill material into the second shell body of the capsule in each of the plurality of voids at a second of the plurality of lower stations;
wherein the upper plate comprises a first upper dispenser configured to position a sealed capsule member formed by the first capsule filling device in each of the plurality of voids at a first of a plurality of upper stations;
an actuator operatively connected to either of the upper or lower plates, wherein the actuator lifts and lowers the upper plate or the lower plate relative to the other plate and/or pivots the upper plate or the lower plate relative to the other plate transverse to the rotational axis to move a capsule assembly station of the plurality of stations thereof toward to the other plate and then away from the other plate at predetermined times, wherein the capsule assembly station is configured to mate filled second shell body in the lower plate and the sealed capsule member in the upper plate together to form a capsule having filling material in each of the first shell body and the second shell body; and
a sealing device operatively positioned at either the capsule assembly station or a station subsequent to the capsule assembly station, wherein the sealing device comprises a heater configured to form a heat seal.