Apparatus for performing multiple process steps upon syringes

Abstract: An apparatus for performing multiple process steps upon syringes and in which syringes are stored and moved from one process step to another in a comb-like support rack comprising a plurality of fingers connected together by a spine, the syringes being held in channels between the fingers. One form of the apparatus is a machine for labelling syringes and inserting plungers into syringe bodies.

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for performing multiple process steps upon lipped or winged syringes. Many containers for liquids, particularly those made from glass, are, by virtue of their purpose, of such a shape that they are not easily storable and as such many are often broken or damaged during processing - filling, quality control, labelling and packaging for example. Glass syringes, in particular, suffer from these disadvantages. Furthermore, they also have protruding glass wings which can easily crack under shock, and are often supplied with a needle attached which can bend under pressure. For sterilisation processes, it has been proposed to secure one or more rows of syringes to stainless steel rail-trays, supporting the wings on the rails. These rail-trays can subsequently be used to support the syringes during filling. In another conventional technique, glass syringes may be vertically stored and filled whilst resting in a hole and being supported by its wings. Generally, a number of syringes are supported in a matrix of holes in a nest held in a tub formed from plastics material (for example, the Becton-Dickinson SCF system). Once filled with the appropriate liquid, the syringes have to be inspected individually for particulate contamination, which for careful examination necessitates removal of the syringe from the nest. Syringe bodies may also be stored and removed from nests for operations such as insertion of plungers, labelling and final packing. Automated removal requires either grasping of the syringe from above by a robot and thereby risking cracking the glass, or pushing of the needle from below and thereby risking damage to the needle. As such it is preferable for this removal and replacement to be carried out manually. As a result of this fragility, on production lines where syringes are filled and packaged it is difficult to achieve a throughput of greater than 6000 syringes per man hour in removing syringes from the nest and just 4000 per man hour in replacing syringes. As the filling, insertion of the syringe plunger, labelling and packaging processes occur at differing rates either the whole process runs as a single continuous process, running at the rate of the slowest individual procedure, or the syringes must be removed from the tub, processed and then returned to the tub for intermediate storage at every stage in the production of a filled syringe. These different operations may be carried out at different locations of a production facility. All this results in further opportunities for the occurrence of damage to the syringe or needle during transfer. It is therefore preferred to run the whole process as a single continuous procedure. However, this results in a further problem in that whenever an individual procedure comes to a standstill, due to a machine breaking down for example, the whole process is also stopped. Alternatively complex buffer devices, such as spiral racks, are needed to absorb continuous production. There is a need therefore for the development of a system whereby glass syringes can be conveniently stored and moved from one process to another with a reduced risk of damage thereto, with the system being of low cost (for example by using injection moulding) and requiring a reduced labour involvement. US-A-4,142,633 discloses a support rack for syringes with flanges at their open end, comprising plural fingers with channels between them. Syringes may be fitted into the channels and hang on the fingers by their flanges. Accordingly the present invention provides an apparatus as defined in claim 1. The present invention is based on the use of a support rack for storage of lipped or winged syringes. The support rack comprises a plurality of elongate fingers connected together at one end by a spine member. The fingers thereby defining parallel support channels open at one end. The syringes are located in the channels with their lips or wings resting on the elongate fingers. Generally the fingers extend from one side only of the spine. Therefore the support rack typically has a generally comb-like appearance with the teeth of the comb defining the open-ended channels. The syringes may be placed in the channels from above as in existing nest systems, or more preferably by sliding through the open end of each channel. The syringes rest in the channels with their lips or wings supported by the fingers (or teeth). The support rack is better adapted than existing systems for cooperation with automated machinery since it can receive syringes into the channels by a horizontal translation movement, readily provided by a simple pushing device. The "comb" may be conveniently moulded in one piece from plastics material, such as polystyrene. The support rack is provided with a support body or cradle to allow a support rack to be stored with articles loaded thereon in a generally upright fashion. The cradle comprises a base having extending upwardly therefrom means for supporting the "comb". The comb is supported above the base so as to allow syringes to hang via their wings or lips supported on the fingers of the comb, without the syringes contacting the base. The supporting body or cradle may be in the form of a plurality of support posts, preferably including a post under the end of each elongate finger in order to keep their positions steady during the various operations such as loading and unloading. Preferably the support posts are disposed around the periphery of the base. In transfer of syringes into a support rack, preferably a counter is provided so that syringes can be retained in the loading channel when a rack channel has been filled and indexing is taking place. Therefore in a preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes: means for counting syringes entering the loading channel. means for preventing syringes leaving the loading channel until a predetermined number of syringes is in the channel, and means for preventing syringes entering the loading channel after a predetermined number of syringes are in the channel. Typically, syringes exiting from, for example a labeling or filling apparatus, are counted, for example by breaking a light beam, as they enter a loading channel comprising two elongate beams on which the syringes are supported by their wings. Spaced barriers moveable across the channel by a signal from the counter isolate a group of syringes capable of fitting in one channel of the syringe support rack. The syringe support rack may be mounted on the support cradle of the invention and carried by a conveyor to a position where its syringes can be transferred by a pusher arm from the loading channel to the storage channel. After all storage channels are filled, the conveyor may remove the cradle and loaded support rack from the loading site while transporting an empty support and cradle into the loading position. For loading syringes into a processing apparatus, a filled support rack may similarly be conveyed to a syringe loading channel and indexed into alignment. The syringes can be transferred manually or by an automated pusher arm from the support into the loading channel, from which they are transported conventionally into the apparatus for processing. Embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 illustrates in plan view a support rack in accordance with the present invention; Fig 1(a) is a perspective view showing the shape and configuration of a preferred support rack and illustrating the storage of syringes; Fig 2 illustrates a view from side I in Fig 1 of the support rack of Fig 1 with associated support cradle; Fig 3 illustrates a view from the front (side II in Fig 1) of the support rack of Fig 1 with associated cradle; Fig 4 illustrates a view from side III in Fig 1 of the support rack of Fig 1 with associated cradle in position on a conventional conveyor; Fig 5 illustrates, in plan view, a syringe processing machine associated with syringe transfer apparatus in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated in Fig 1, a support rack in accordance with the present invention comprises a spine portion 1 having extending therefrom a plurality of planar parallel projections 2 to form a generally comb-shaped apparatus (shown generally as comb A). In use, a syringe 3 may be easily slid into position in a channel 5 defined by two adjacent projections 2 and being of slightly greater dimension than the diameter of the syringe. The syringe is supported in place by conventional wings 4 forming part of the syringe body. Preferably the forward tips of the projections 2 are profiled so as to urge a syringe contacting the tip into a channel 5. Suitably this profile is provided in the form of a conical or tapered tip 14. The embodiment shown provides nine channels each dimensioned to receive fourteen 1ml syringe bodies (of approximately 10mm diameter). Using the same external dimensions a comb may be made with ten channels, each receiving fifteen 0.5ml syringes (approximately 8mm diameter). Fig 1(a) shows how the support rack may be formed as a partly hollow moulding with inverted channel-shaped projections or fingers 2 extending from spine 1, also formed as an inverted channel. The upper surface of each finger 2 is planar and of sufficient width that the wings or lips of stored articles in adjacent channels do not contact each other so as to impede loading or unloading. Preferably the upper surface of each finger 2 is higher than the upper surface of spine 1 so that a small channel 1a is formed on the spine between each finger. This allows cooperation with retaining lugs on a lid of a storage box. Apertures 2a cut into the inverted channels at the free end of the fingers 2 allows insertion of a lifting device even when the rack is stored in a box, again as described later. In a fully loaded state it is necessary to support the comb. This may be achieved by a support cradle shown generally at 6. The support cradle 6 comprises a base 7 itself supportable on a conventional palette appropriate to the conveyor system in use. The base 7 has extending upwardly therefrom a plurality of support posts 8,9 disposed around the outer portions of the base such that in use the posts do not interfere with the loading of the syringes onto the comb. As shown in Figs 1 and 2 it may be preferable to use just four such posts 8 and 9 positioned in a square configuration. The upper end of each post (remote from the base) locates in a depression 10 on the underside of the comb A. For convenience it may be preferable to provide such depressions on both faces of the comb such that the comb may be used in either orientation. For added strength and to provide space for location of the means for supporting the comb, the two outer projections 12 may be wider than the remaining inner projections 2. In the embodiment shown in Fig 1(a), the posts may simply locate within the inverted channels of the fingers 2. The broader projections 12 may need to contain internal stiffening ribs. In that case the depressions may be formed by decreasing the height of the ribs at the appropriate point, for example forming semi-circular cut-outs in two crossing ribs. Additionally, as illustrated in Fig 2, it is advantageous to provide that the front pair of posts 9 remote from the spine member 1 are of greater height than those posts 8 adjacent the spine. It is thus provided that in use on a horizontal surface the comb will be inclined and the syringes will be biased by gravity into a position whereby dislocation of the syringes from the comb will be prevented. This also reduces the risk of dislocation when the palette is not on a horizontal surface. Towards the front of the base 7 are provided a number of further support posts 11 each of which locates in a depression 15 on the underside of each inner projection 2, thereby providing additional support and stability for the apparatus. As is shown in Figs 2-4, when supported on posts 8,9,11 there is sufficient clearance between the comb A and the base 7 to allow for a hypodermic needle 13 attached to the tip of each syringe. Posts 8,9 may be removably secured to the base 7 to allow for the interchange of posts of varying lengths depending upon the length of hypodermic needle attached. In use, syringes can be easily and safely slid into position in the comb A whereby each syringe is supported by its wings resting on projections 2,12. The body of the syringe (either with or without a hypodermic needle being attached) extends downwardly through the opening 5. As the syringes proceed through each individual step of the filling, quality control, labelling and packaging procedure, the syringes may be loaded into the appropriate machine by simply sliding them off the comb. By allowing for the syringes to slide in and out of the comb, the risk of damage caused by inserting and removing syringes by grasping the syringe body or pushing the needle as required by existing storage devices is considerably reduced. It is therefore no longer essential to run all the individual steps as a continuous process. Upon completion of a single task, a comb is reloaded, again by sliding the syringes into place, and can be stored in a buffer zone, ready for the next step. A loaded comb is preferably stored in such a manner as to prevent movement of the fingers 2.12 in the event of accidental movement of the comb, and thereby reduce the risk of damage to the stored articles. The support rack and associated devices of this invention may be used to advantage in various syringe processing operations. Fig 5 shows a machine for labelling syringes and inserting plungers into syringe bodies, and use of a comb loading/unloading system of the present invention. Loaded combs enter the system mounted on a cradle (as described above) along conveyor 41. Combs are unloaded at Cu by pushing syringe bodies down channels 42. The syringe bodies enter a carousel 43 which moves the bodies into position to receive plungers and labels from supply stations 44, and 45. The syringes are then returned to the conveyor 41 at Cr to be reloaded onto a comb to proceed to a packaging or storage area. Referring in more detail to the unloading/loading system, an operator at position A removes a loaded comb from a stock pile and places the comb on a cradle (as shown in Figs. 2 and 3) running empty on the conveyor 40. The open ends of the storage channels of the comb face towards the apparatus 43. The cradle is moved by the conveyor 40 in the direction B until it reaches transfer section 47. Here transverse belts move the loaded cradle (maintaining its orientation) on to conveyor 41 where it moves in direction C towards apparatus 43. The loaded cradle is followed by further cradles loaded by the operator at A. The first loaded cradle moves on until it is detected to be at position Cu with the leading channel of the comb level with the second of the two entry channels 42 of the apparatus 43. The first cradle is restrained in that position and the following cradle is restrained in a similar relationship to the other entry channel. The syringes in the support channels aligned with the entry channels can now be pushed manually or by a pneumatically operated pusher arm so that they are transferred into the entry channels 42, from where they are conveyed conventionally into apparatus 43 for labelling etc. An indexing mechanism moves the cradle in steps so that each support channel is sequentially aligned with the entry channels for transfer of syringe bodies. The cradles and empty combs are then allowed to move onward along conveyor 41 until the leading channel of the comb is level with loading channel 46 at position Cr. The cradle is again restrained with the leading channel of the comb in alignment with loading channel 46. Syringes exiting apparatus 43 are conveyed conventionally until they reach the exit stage of loading channel 46. In the exit stage the syringes enter a holding area where they are supported by their wings on two parallel beams. Initially a first movable carrier across the channel 46 prevents syringes from exiting the loading channel. Syringes entering the exit stage are counted by breaking a light beam associated with a photodetector. When the counter finds that the loading channel contains sufficient syringes to fill one channel of a comb. a second movable barrier is moved across the loading channel to isolate the predetermined number of syringes. The syringes exiting apparatus 43 build up behind the second barrier in the channel 46 which is of sufficient length to act as a buffer zone without blocking the exit of apparatus 43. The first barrier is now withdrawn and a pusher arm moves the isolated group of syringes out of the exit stage into the waiting channel of the comb. The completion of the pushing operation actuates the repositioning of the first movable barrier and indexing of the cradle to bring the next channel of the comb into alignment with the loading channel of the exit stage. This sequence is repeated until all the channels of the comb are filled. The loaded cradle is then released and the following cradle with an empty comb takes its place. The loaded cradle continues to move in direction C, until it reaches transfer section 48. Here transverse belts transfer the loaded cradle to conveyor 40 where it moves in direction B towards operator position A. The operator lifts the loaded comb from the cradle and places it into a storage box for stock-piling until required for another processing operation. The operator places comb with syringe bodies placed on the now empty cradle and it continues in direction B to repeat the whole processing cycle. As an alternative procedure, the loaded combs may continue on conveyor 41 to be taken directly to another processing station, where they may be unloaded and loaded at stations analogous to Cu and Cr. By use of the support rack of the present invention, syringes can be loaded and unloaded more quickly and the number of breakages is reduced, so that a reduction in overall manufacturing cost is achieved. Since the syringes are returned to the comb in a more gentle manner, the process can be more fully automated, by using robots to perform the removal/reloading steps. As such, those formerly employed performing this task may be more fruitfully employed in the quality control checking of the syringes thereby increasing the rate of production of finished syringes.

Claims: An apparatus for performing multiple process steps upon lipped or winged syringes and in which syringes are stored and moved from one process step to another, comprising a support rack having a plurality of elongate fingers (2) connected together at one end by a spine member (15), the fingers (2) thereby defining parallel support channels (5) open at one end, in which the syringes are locatable in the channels (5) with their lips or wings resting on the elongate fingers (2), characterised by : support body means (6) supporting the support rack (1,2) so as to allow a support rack (1, 2) to be stored with syringes hanging via their wings or lips loaded thereon in a generally upright fashion, and means for transferring syringes to and from the support rack comprising a loading channel (42,46) for receiving syringes from or for a processing operation, means (41) for transporting the support rack (1,2) supported on the support body means (6) to a position where the open end of a channel (5) of the support rack (1,2) is in alignment with the loading channel (42,46), means for urging syringes from the loading channel (46, 42) into the support rack channel (5) or vice versa, means for indexing the transporting means to bring the next support rack channel (5) into alignment with the loading channel (42, 46). Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised by : means for counting syringes entering the loading channel (46), means for preventing syringes leaving the loading channel (46) until a predetermined number of syringes is in the loading channel, means for preventing syringes entering the loading channel (46) after a predetermined number of syringes is in the loading channel (46). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the syringe urging means is a syringe pusher means and the transporting means (41) is a conveyor (40, 41) carrying the support rack (1,2) mounted on the support body means (6). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the support rack (1,2) is supported inclined on the support body means (6) so that syringes therein will be biased by gravity into a position whereby dislocation of the syringes from the support rack (1,2) is hindered. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims characterised by a machine (43) at which the process step is performed connected to the loading channel (42,46). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claim characterised by means to store the storage rack (1,2), reloaded via the loading channel (46) in a buffer zone. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the processing machine (43) is a machine for labelling syringes and inserting plungers into syringe bodies.

Inventors: THILLY JACQUES, THILLY, JACQUES, Thilly, Jacques, SmithKline Beecham Biologicals SA
Applicants: GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIOLOG SA, GLAXOSMITHKLINE BIOLOGICALS S.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61M5
IPC codes: A61M5