Patent ID: 6502374
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: B65B

Abstract:
A device for arranging gelatine capsules for loading in blister packs, comprising:a plurality of blocks, each with cavities, each one of said cavities being defined by a hole in a top plate of said blocks and at least one lower plate which is movable with respect to the top plate, which, by means of said movement, closes or opens a communication of each cavity towards a bottom of the cavity, each one of said cavities being dimensioned to house a capsule, as well as to facilitate unloading of the capsule, said blocks including a fixed central block and movable blocks adjacent to at least one side of said fixed central block and being movable between first and second positions, the first position being an initial position corresponding to a temporary housing of the capsules, in which the capsules are placed in the device after coming from a device for filling the capsules, and the second position being a final unloading position in which the capsules reach a corresponding recess of a blister or container placed underneath the cavities, by falling through the corresponding cavities in which the capsules were held; at least one guide which guides the movement of the blocks therealong; at least one first member for retaining the capsules in at least some of said cavities of said fixed block in said initial position and for releasing said capsules from said at least some of said cavities of said fixed block when at least one said movable block is moved away from said first position toward said second position; at least other ones of the cavities being arranged in the movable blocks in the initial position such that the capsules coming from a capsule-filling device can be retained in the cavities in the blocks; a mechanism by which, through movement of the blocks, arranges said at least other ones of the cavities to release the capsules therein, when the blocks are moved to the final unloading position; and at least one member for taking the blocks back to the initial position from the final position.