Timed medicine dispenser

A timing mechanism for dispensing medicine on a timed basis for a patient to remind the patient to take the medication. The device comprises a dispensing wheel having a plurality of medication storage compartments, which are labeled to indicate various times of the day and days of the week to receive the medicine. The timing device comprises an electric motor which drives a gear adapted to turn a transfer gear which in turn rotates a driven gear to move the compartmented dispensing wheel one compartment per time period to dispense medicine into a hopper for use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The practice heretofore for dispensing medication to a patient has been to 
allow the patient to administer the medication to himself, or to have a 
friend of the family remind the patient to take the medicine or to have a 
nurse or physician administer the medication. This requires a constant 
notice of time and the time that the last medication was received or 
administration by nurses and physicians which is often costly and 
impractical for administration of medication within the home. This is 
often the case in elderly patients who frequently lose track of time 
because they are often alone and unaware of the passage of time or may be 
mentally confused due to a given health problem or illness. 
One of the major problems encountered when the patient administers his own 
medication is that an under dosage or over dosage frequently is received 
by the patient or the medication is received at the wrong time which can 
have a harmful effect or be totally ineffective. This is often the case in 
elderly patients who frequently lose track of time because they are often 
alone and unaware of the passage of time. 
Also, it is felt that controlled dispensing of medication in such a manner 
as described could greatly lessen or prevent fatalities occurring from 
drug overdose, suicide, and unintentional overdose while under the 
influence of alcoholic beverages, other drugs, or hallucinogens. 
It is also desirable to control the use of certain medications to prevent 
unauthorized use by children or others of harmful drugs. 
Devices heretofore used for periodic dispensing medicine have generally 
been of a complex nature making it difficult for the average elderly 
patient to place his medicine within the machine such as those disclosed 
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,780 which disclose numerous cams for turning a 
dispensing wheel which is not readily accessible to the patient for 
filling the wheel with medicine. 
Other devices include manual devices for individual tablet dispensing such 
as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,085 which depends upon the memory 
of the patient for turning the wheel to dispense the medication. 
Other similar devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,794 which is an 
automatic reminder dispensing device for dispensing memorandums and not 
tablets. 
SUMMARY 
I have devised a simple device which is capable of holding a week's supply 
of medication and dispensing it at timed increments during the day to 
remind the patient to take same. The device generally comprises a 
dispensing wheel having a plurality of compartments corresponding to timed 
increments during the day for each day of the week or other desirable time 
period. 
The driving mechanism comprises a synchronous electric motor secured to a 
drive gear, the motor is adapted to rotate the drive gear one revolution 
per day. The drive gear has four sets of teeth equally spaced about 180 
degrees the outer periphery of the drive gear adapted to rotate a 
four-tooth transfer gear. The transfer gear is adapted to incrementally 
rotate a drive gear such that rotation of the transfer gear moves the 
driven gear to move the attached compartmented dispensing wheel one 
compartment. 
The compartments are arranged such that the compartment for a single time 
period is aligned with a passage formed in the lower portion of the device 
such that the medication falls from the compartment through the passage 
into a hopper for the patient. 
A primary object of the invention is to provide a device for dispensing 
medication on a timed basis daily for as long as a week. 
A further object of the invention is to prevent the unauthorized 
consumption by children or others of drugs which may be hazardous to one's 
health when taken without the aid of a physician. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for "as 
required" medication; that is for "as needed" medication but which must 
not be taken more often than prescribed. 
A further object of the invention is to provide medication dispensing for 
those patients in hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and the like, to 
minimize labor costs and time spent dispensing drugs; and which may be key 
or coin operated for vending or other purposes. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a device which maximizes 
accuracy of medication taken by deaf or blind through the use of audio or 
visual signals; and which could be used by the arthritic or handicapped, 
unable to open bottles or medication containers. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for dispensing 
medication instructions, reminders for other prescribed treatments (i.e. 
physical therapy, cough syrup, moist heat, liniment, enema, etc.), or 
physician follow-up messages can be dispensed. 
A further object is the dispensing for fish, plants, birds, and animals to 
increase commercial yield or reproductivity and to assure proper and 
regular nutrients during periods of absence or inclement weather. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which will 
remaind persons on medication to take the medication at the proper time 
and in the proper sequence to maximize the results of the medication. 
A still further object of the invention is to provide a medication 
dispenser which is readily accessible to the patient or other authorized 
persons to place the medication within the dispensing wheel for a 
predetermined number of days and to allow visual observation of the 
progress of the medication which has been dispensed. 
Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon 
referring to the following detailed description and to the drawings 
annexed hereto.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, the apparatus generally comprises a cabinet 10 having 
a side 12, a bottom 14, a back 16, front wall 18, and top 20. Door 22 is 
secured to top 20 by hinge pin 24. Door 22 is preferably sloped so that 
any paralax problems will be avoided. Door 22 is constructed of a 
transparent material to allow visual inspection of the contents. Lock 
means such as cam lock 26 may be provided to prevent unauthorized access 
to the medication. A lip 23 is formed on the lower end of door 22 to 
engage recess 19 and front wall 18 to limit inward movement of the door 
22. 
A generally transverse support member 28 is positioned between the side 
walls 12 of the cabinet 10. 
The dispensing wheel 30 generally comprises a circular disc 32 having a 
plurality of radially extending partitions 34 which extend upwardly from 
disc 32 and outwardly from upwardly extending annular ring 36. The 
partitions 34 divide the dispensing wheel 30 into a plurality of equally 
spaced compartments 38. A position indicator disc 40 may be positioned in 
the central area formed by ring 36 having indicia printed thereon to 
designate times of the day and days of the week for each compartment 38. 
The dispensing wheel 30 is preferably disposed at an angle such as 
30.degree.-70.degree. from horizontal to allow the medication to be viewed 
easily and to facilitate the process of placing medication in the 
compartments 38. 
The dispensing wheel 30 is rotatably secured to shaft 42 by sleeve bearing 
44. 
Means to maintain the medication within compartments 38 comprises an 
annular dish-shaped shield 46 having an outer wall 48 and bottom 50 
secured to support member 28. It should be readily apparent that shield 46 
prevents medication from falling from compartments as the dispensing wheel 
30 rotates about shaft 42. A passage 52 is formed in shield 46 on the 
lower portion thereof which communicates with a cup-shaped dispensing 
hopper 54 which communicates with a passage 56 formed in front wall 18. A 
door 58 constructed of transparent material is pivotally secured by pin 60 
to front wall 18 to allow access to the cup-shaped hopper 54. As the 
dispensing wheel 30 rotates, the medication shown in phantom outline (FIG. 
3) designated M falls from the compartments 38 into the hopper 54 to allow 
access by the patient to the medication M. 
The shield 46 has an outer flange 62 formed on the upper side thereof which 
has indicia printed thereon indicating the hours on a 24 hour clock with 
12 midnight being formed in the 12 o'clock position as shown in FIG. 3 and 
12 noon at the six o'clock position as illustrated in FIG. 3. 
Shaft 42 extends downwardly and through support 28 and is secured to drive 
means, such as motor 64, which is secured to the underside of support 28 
by screws 66. Synchronous motor 64 is preferably electric and is connected 
by lines 68 to a source of power (not shown). 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, shaft 42 is rigidly secured to a 
driving gear 70. As best illustrated in FIG. 8, driving gear 70 comprises 
a circular gear having four teeth 72 equally spaced over one-half the 
circumference of gear 70 and above flange 74. A transfer gear 76, as best 
illustrated in FIGS. 2, and 4-7, generally comprises a cylindrical shaped 
gear 76 having four teeth 78 equally spaced about the gear on the upper 
portion and four other teeth 80 which extend the length of gear 76 which 
engage teeth 72 on driving gear 70. Transfer gear 76 is rotatably 
supported on stub shaft 82 secured to the upper surface of support member 
28. The upper portion of transfer gear 76 is adapted to engage driven gear 
84 as best illustrated in FIG. 2 which is rigidly secured to the lower 
surface of disc 32 dispensing wheel 30. Since only four teeth of transfer 
gear 76 engage the teeth 72 on driving wheel 70, each tooth 72 turns 
transfer gear 76 ninety degrees, allowing a pair of teeth 78 and 80 to 
rotate driven gear 84 to rotate dispensing wheel 30 one compartment 38 to 
position the next compartment over hopper 54 to allow any medication 
within that compartment to pass through passage 52 to the hopper 54. 
It should be readily apparent from FIG. 9 that the ledge 74 passes under 
teeth 78 and 80 such that no rotation of gear 76 occurs except in the four 
positions of teeth 72. 
Driving gear 70 is rigidly secured to shaft 42 by a pin passing through 
passage 86. 
A pointer knob 88 having a point 88a is secured to the outer end of shaft 
42 to set the position of motor 64 at the proper time as indicated on 
flange 62. 
Operation of the hereinbefore described device is as follows: 
A line cord 68 is inserted in a power outlet such as a 110 volt AC outlet. 
The unit is set by lifting door 22 and grasping the knob 88 and turning it 
until 88a points to the time indicated on the outer flange 62 
corresponding to that time of day. The medication M is positioned in 
compartments 38 corresponding to the time of the day at which they are 
supposed to be taken. 
The mechanism then rotates such that four of the compartments 38 per day 
pass the opening 52 to drop the medication contained therein into the 
hooper 54. The dispensing wheel 30, illustrate in FIG. 3, is capable of 
having medicine for seven days such that a weeks supply may be placed into 
the dispensing wheel 30. This is based on a regular day of from 9:00 am to 
9:00 pm and assumes that most medicine is taken four times a day during 
the day. More than one capsule may be placed in a compartment 38 if more 
than one medication is being taken. If it is necessary to take medication 
at night then more teeth 72 could be added to driving gear 70 and the 
indicator disc 40 could be amended to show 1:00 am and 5:00 am for 
additional medication receiving times. 
Once the medication is dropped into the hopper 54, door 58 is raised and 
the medication may be taken as prescribed. The cabinet 10 may be placed 
next to the bedside or in a location easily accessible to the patient. 
MODIFIED EMBODIMENT 
As illustrated in FIG. 10, if an electrical power drive means is 
undesirable or unobtainable, a spring wound motor 90 may be secured to 
shaft 42. A spring clutch 92 is secured to shaft 42 having an end 92a 
which is urged against pin 94 to allow rotation of shaft 42 by knob 88 to 
wind motor 90. By grasping the pointer 88, the motor 90 may be wound up to 
run the device for up to seven days. Clutch 92 releases dispensing wheel 
30 until the timing motor 90 unwinds. The remaining structure is as 
heretofore described such that rotation of shaft 42 rotates the driving 
gear 70 to rotate the transfer gear 76 to rotate driven gear 84 to rotate 
the dispensing wheel 30. 
This modified embodiment is particularly adaptable to the "as required" 
dispensing. For instance, with a four-hour spring motor, the unit will not 
operate more often than four hours. The transfer gear 70 has only two 
teeth 72 and will only dispense one time as the knob 88 is rotated 360 
degrees. It will not be in position to dispense again until the spring 
motor unwinds one revolution. 
It should be readily apparent from the foregoing that each of the 
embodiments hereinbefore described accomplishes the objects of the 
invention hereinbefore discussed. 
It should be appreciated that other and further embodiments of the 
invention may be devised without departing from the basic concept herein 
described.