AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR PACKAGING TABLETS IN GELATINE CAPSULES

Abstract: The machines comprises groups of bushes (1) of dimensions suitable for the superposed and aligned containment of a base cover (14), of a tablet (52) and of a lid cover (14'), which, by suitable means (2), are brought into interaction in succession with a station (5) which feeds into the bushes a base cover orientated with the mouth upwards, a station (6) which feeds into the bushes, above the base cover, a tablet (52), a station (7) which feeds into the bushes the lid cover orientated with the mouth downwards, a station (8) which checks the correct presence or otherwise in the bushes of the base and lid covers with the interposed tablet and which signals any anomalies to the processor which controls the machine, a station (9) which subjects the assembly of the base and lid covers and the interposed tablet to axial compression which is capable of making the tablet enter into the covers and become enclosed by these components, a station (10) for ejecting the packaged tablets from the bushes, which sorts the defective product from that which is correctly packaged, and a station (11) for cleaning the bushes.

Description: "Automatic machine for packaging tablets in gelatine capsules" The invention relates to an automatic machine for packaging tablets in gelatine capsules. The covers which constitute the capsules are initially separate from one another and are located in bulk in respective stations of the machine which use in part the concepts of European application EP-A-0 615 739 and to which the broadest reference is made. The machine is equipped with groups of bushes located on the periphery of a turntable or on a transfer which, with an intermittent movement, causes the same bushes to interact in succession with the following operating stations: a station which feeds into the bushes a bottom cover of the capsules, hereinafter called in short "base", orientated with the mouth upwards; a station which feeds the tablets into the bushes, above the base; a station which feeds into the bushes the closing cover of the capsules, hereinafter called in short "lid", orientated with the mouth downwards; a station which checks the correct, presence in the bushes of the assembly of the base, of the tablet and of the lid and which signals any anomalies to a processor which controls the functioning of the machine; a station which subjects the assembly of the base, of the tablet and of the lid to a suitable compression in the axial direction to cause the tablet to enter into the base and into the lid and become enclosed in these two components; a station which takes care of the ejection from the bushes of the tablets enclosed in the gelatine capsules and which, on signalling from the presence checking station, is capable of sorting the ' correctly packaged product from that which is defective; a station which takes care of the cleaning of the bushes before these are to be introduced into a new work cycle. Major characteristics of the invention, and the advantages which derive therefrom, will appear more clearly from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, illustrated purely by way of non- limiting example in the figures of the attached ten plates of drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the machine in the turntable version; - Fig. 2 is a lateral view with parts in section of the station which feeds the base of the capsules; - Fig. 3 is a view in frontal elevation of the intermediate part of the station in Figure 2; - Fig. 4 illustrates further details of the station in Figure 2, sectioned along line IV-IV; - Figs 5 and 6 illustrate an enlarged detail of the station in Figure 2, with the different arrangement with which the bases of the capsules can arrive in the seat of the orientation device; - Figs 7 and 8 illustrate a further, enlarged detail of the station in Figure 2 and demonstrate the different manner of operating the orientation device; - Fig. 9 is a plan view from above of the seats of the orientation device of the station in Figure 2; - Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of the station for feeding the tablets; - Figs 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are lateral views with parts in section of the end structure of the station in Figure 10, depicted in the same number of work phases; - Fig. 17 illustrates laterally with parts in section the station for feeding the lids of the capsules; - Fig. 18 illustrates laterally with parts in section and in the work position the station which detects the presence or absence in the support bushes of the base, of the lid and of the interposed tablet; - Fig. 19 illustrates laterally with parts in section and in the work position the station for inserting and enclosing the tablet in the base and in the lid of the capsule; - Fig. 20 illustrates laterally with parts in section and in the active condition the station for discharge of the packaged tablet by the support bushes; - Fig. 21 illustrates laterally with parts in section and in the active condition the station for cleaning the bushes. It can be seen from Fig. 1 that the machine comprises groups of bushes 1 for support of the covers of the capsules and of the tablets to be packaged, located in quantity and with an order which is predetermined and may also be different from that illustrated, on the periphery of a turntable 2 which, by suitable means, is made to rotate on command in an intermittent manner about its own vertical axis 3 and for example in the direction indicated by the arrow 4. According to a different embodiment, which also falls within the scope of protection of the invention, the groups of bushes 1 can be arranged on the rectilinear conveyor of a transfer system. Following the intermittent movement to which they are subjected by the turntable or the transfer, the ' groups of bushes 1 are caused to interact in succession with the following operating stations: a station 5 which feeds into the bushes the base of the gelatine capsules; a station 6 which feeds into the bushes, above the base of the capsules, a respective oblong tablet; a station 7 which feeds into the bushes, above the tablet, the lid of the capsules; a station 8 which checks whether the base and the lid of the capsules are provided in the bushes with the tablet interposed and whether the whole has a height which falls within a predetermined and known condition or not; a station 9 which compresses the base/tablet/lid assembly axially in such a manner that the tablet becomes completely inserted and enclosed in the containing covers; a station 10 for ejection from the bushes of the tablets packaged in the gelatine capsules; a station 11 for cleaning the empty bushes before their introduction into a new working cycle. It can be seen from Figure 2 that the bushes 1 define a vertical and cylindrical seat, of round section, which is tapered in the region of the lower end, flared at the upper end and of a height useful for containing in a superposed manner the base of the capsule, the tablet and the lid of the capsule itself. The bushes 1 are retained in place by a support 12 which faces towards the inside or towards the outside of the turntable and which can be removed rapidly for changing the bushes when the format of the product to be packaged is varied. The bushes 1 are lastly characterized by having on the length which projects above the support structure 2 and opposite the operating stations a vertical cut 13 which is useful for what is stated below. The bases 14 of the gelatine capsules are located in bulk in a magazine 15 equipped with lower apertures passed through by a group of vertical and adjacent tubes 17 which are moved in turn in the axial direction by known means, as indicated by the arrow 16. The tubes 17 are cut with the upper end shaped like a flute mouthpiece and have an internal diameter which is slightly greater than the external diameter of the bases 14 so that these enter the tubes themselves in single file, in essentially axial alignment and with random orientation. Provided in the lower part of each tube is a lateral opening 18 which allows a stop 19 fulcrumed at 20 on the tube itself to be inserted under the line of bases guided in each tube, to retain them in the phase in which the tube itself rises. The stop 19 is pushed into the closing position by a spring 21 and is equipped with an endpiece 22 which, during the lowering of the tubes, interacts with a fixed striker 23 which brings about the opening of the same stop 19 and the consequent fall of the bottom base 14 of the tube into a vertical seat 24 which is formed in a fixed body 25 and is flared at the top and capable of containing the base itself with slight play. The fall of the base into the seat 24 is guided by an endpiece 117 projecting from the lower part of the tube 17, which is arranged immediately downstream of the same seat 24 to form with the latter a virtually uniform guide, eliminating temporarily the corners which connect said seat to the orientation duct mentioned later. These means are for example similar to those described in US Patent No. 4,427,131 to which the broadest reference is made. The seat 24 communicates at the bottom, through a conical narrowing 27, with a blind and coaxial hole 26 of smaller diameter. The seat 24 is made with a symmetrical arrangement in the intermediate part of a horizontal duct 28, see also Figure 9, the bottom of which is coplanar with that of said seat and the lateral walls of which are parallel to one another. The length of duct 28' located upstream of the seat 24 has a width which is smaller than that of the same seat and in it a flat horizontal pusher 29 is guided and slides longitudinally, equipped on the face facing the same seat 24 with a pair of points 30 and 31, the first of which is orientated roughly in the direction of the intermediate part of the seat 24 while the other is located above and at a distance from the first which is roughly equal to the width of the base 14. The points 30, 31 have a length which is equal to or expediently greater than half the height of the base 14. The pusher 29 is actuated with reciprocating movement, as indicated by the arrow 32, by the same means which cyclically raise and lower the group of tubes 17, for example by a connecting rod 33 connected to the angled lever 34 fulcrumed at 35 which is made to oscillate about said fulcrum by suitable means. 36 indicates the vertically movable slide which is connected at 37 to said lever 34 and on which the group of tubes 17 is mounted. The length 28' ' of the duct 28 located downstream of the seat 24 has a width which is slightly less than the external width of the base 14 so that the latter can slide with friction in said length of duct. The bottom 38 of the length 28* ' of duct is expediently lowered in relation to that of the length 28' of the same duct. The length 28' ■ of duct communicates with the end of a vertical, descending duct 28 1 ' 1 , of equal width, which is also formed in said body 25 and is expediently widened in the lower end length. Fixed laterally to each tube 17 is a flat pusher 39 with the lower edge 139 expediently inclined so as to form a slight tip from the part facing towards the same tube, and which has dimensions so as to be capable of sliding in said duct 28' 11 , passing from the rest position indicated in Figure 2 by broken lines, which sees said pusher raised outside said duct, to the lowered position indicated in solid lines, in which the pusher engages in the duct 28' * ' and reaches with its own lower end 139 into the widened end part of this duct. In the phase of feeding a base to the bushes 1, these are aligned in the lower part of each duct 28 , , , / and located below each bush is a vertical push rod 40, of known type, connected to a source of suction and mounted on means of axial movement. In the descending movement of the tube 17, a base 14 enters by the effect of gravity into the seat 24, in which it may be orientated with the rounded head towards the bottom or towards the top, as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. In the successive phase, while the tubes 17 are raised to be resupplied with new bases from the magazine 15, with the stop 19 in the closed position, the pusher 29 moves to the right looking at Figures 7 and 8 and passes from the position indicated in solid lines to that indicated in broken lines. The point 30 of the pusher comes into contact with the intermediate part of the base 14 located in the seat 24 and pushes the base itself into the duct part 28' '. Entering this duct, the base encounters a greater friction with the part of itself which is close to the closed end and which, unlike the open end, has reduced possibilities of flexion and of deformation. The result is that, during the movement by the point 30, the base 14 enters the duct 28' ■ rotating about its own closed end and arranging itself with the mouth in front, whatever the orientation with which the same base initially arrives in the seat 24. More specifically, the base is arranged below the point 30 if it was orientated with the closed part at the bottom, as can be seen in Figure 7, while it is arranged above the point 30 and below that 31 for containing if its closed end was facing upwards, as can be seen in Figure 8. The closed end of the base touches the expediently rounded front face of the pusher 29 which moves the base itself along the duct 28' ' and transfers it into the top part of the descending duct 28' ' ' where the same base remains by effect of friction and in an essentially horizontal position while the same pusher returns into the rest position. During this same phase, while the tube 17 descends to feed a new base into the seat 24, the pusher 39 descends and, with its own lower end 139, pushes downwards the base which was previously orientated and inserted into the top part of the duct 28' ' ' and which is now orientated with the closed end at the bottom and which, when it arrives in the lower and widened part of said duct, is taken by its own closed end by the push rod 40 which has been raised through the bush 1 and is exerting suction. The push rod 40 is subsequently lowered to insert the base 14 into the bush 1, as indicated in broken lines, and then the same push rod returns into the rest position and stops exerting suction. The pusher 39 subsequently returns into the high position to carry out a new work cycle and the turntable 2 rotates clockwise to bring the group of bushes 1 with the bases 14 into alignment with the successive station 6. With the exception of new frontal contouring of the pushers 29 and 39 and of a different contouring of the duct 28' ' which has been lowered in relation to the seat 24 so that the bases 14 have to rotate more easily towards the bottom when they are orientated downwards with their closed end (Fig. 7) , in all other aspects the device in Figure 2, as described thus far, refers essentially to what was envisaged in the European application EP-A-0 615 739 cited in the introduction, from which it differs further, however, in the following two improvements which have proved to be decisive for the functioning of the device itself. In travelling through the tubes 17, as a result of the greater diameter of these, because they are pushed by effect of gravity alone and because they are of limited weight, the bases 14 may adopt an inclined position and may not slide and become jammed. To eliminate this disadvantage, as illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, all the tubes are provided with longitudinal and continuous slots 41, in a number of one per tube, and in these slots, respective rectilinear blades 42 are engaged which are integral with a common structure 43 which slides guided on the means 44 which fix the set of tubes to the slide 36 and on a pair of lower guides 45 fixed perpendicularly to said set and on the free end of which there is fixed a crosspiece 46 which bears the body of a small actuator 47, for example of pneumatic or electromagnetic type, connected with its own moving equipment to said structure 43, so as to subject the latter and the set of blades to a small reciprocating horizontal movement. Through the effect of this movement, the blades 42 enter and exit from the internal seat of the tubes, as indicated in Figure 4 with solid lines and with broken lines, subjecting the line of bases which engage in the tubes themselves to a forced alignment and to a fluidification which guarantees their sliding by effect of gravity in the same tubes. Another operating disadvantage came about when the bases 14 of the capsules arrived in the seat 24 with the same orientation as the following base and when, because of this orientation, the two successive bases were mutually nested as illustrated in the examples in Figures 5 and 6. In this case, when the tubes 17 were raised and the stop 19 intervened to retain the penultimate base, the last base, which was extracted from the seat 24 into which it had previously entered by the effect of gravity, remained anchored to it. To eliminate this disadvantage, there have been opened, on at least one side of each seat 24, respective horizontal holes 48 which communicate through the same number of vertical holes 49 with a single horizontal hole 50 made, with the function of manifold, in the body 25 and connected by one end to a pipe 51 which, by means which are not shown, can be connected on command to a source of suction. After the tubes 17 have descended and a base 14 has entered into the seats 24, the holes 48 are connected automatically to the suction to retain the base 14 in said seats, even if it is nested with the one above which, blocked by the stop 19, will follow alone the tube 17 in the reascending movement. It can be seen from Figure 9 that the body 25 is preferably constituted by a lower piece 25' which bears integrally the parts defining the bottom of the ducts and on which the parts 25' ' which define the lateral walls of the same ducts and of the seats 24 are mounted and fixed. Formed in the bottom piece 25' is the manifold hole 50 which, through vertical holes 49, communicates with the horizontal holes 48 of said parts 25' ' (see also Fig. 5) . When the feeding of the base 14 into the bushes 1 has taken place, the turntable 2 rotates and brings the same bushes into interaction with the successive station 6 for feeding the tablets, which will now be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The tablets 52 are located in bulk in a container 53 and, by means of a vibrating hopper 54, are fed into the chamber 55 located on the top end of a horizontal guide 56 which is supported by the support 57, subjected to vibrations by suitable means (not shown) and equipped with a plurality of longitudinal channels 58 with a suitable contour, in which the tablets 52 slide in single file. The front wall 155 of the chamber 55 serves as leveller and can if necessary be adjusted in height so that the tablets leave the chamber itself aligned longitudinally only in the channels 58 and one following another. Overflow sensors 59, for example photocells, operate in the chamber 55, which sensors control the functioning of the hopper 54. The tablets transported by the channels 58 are transported by means of the curved guides 60 into vertical guides 61 which are fixed to the support structure 62 and below which, as illustrated in Figure 11, a distributor drawer 63 is movable horizontally, with vertical seats 64 in a number equal to the number of guides 61 and of a height which is essentially equal to or slightly shorter than the length of a tablet. Provided below the drawer is a fixed obturator 65 with a suction plug 165 which is open vertically upwards and about which more will be said below. The bushes 1 are arranged with their cavity which contains the base 14 of the capsules in the region of the end part of the obturator 65 and at a suitable distance from the vertical guides 61 which are equipped with pairs of holes 66 and 67 which can be connected on command to a source of suction (not shown) . The distance between the lower hole 66 and the top of the drawer 63 is expediently greater than the length of a tablet and smaller than one and a half times the length of the same tablet, while the distance between the upper hole 67 and the top of the drawer is roughly equal to one and a half times the length of the same tablet. When the seats 64 of the drawer 63 are moved away from the guides 61 and the bottom tablet 52 rests on the top of the same drawer, the penultimate tablet is located with its own lower end and with its own intermediate part in the region of the holes 66, 67 which are actuated and retain it by suction when the same drawer starts to translate towards the right looking at Figure 11, so that when the seats 64 arrive in alignment with the guides 61, only the last tablet descends and, by the effect of gravity, engages in said seats, as illustrated in Figure 12. The tablet which engages in each seat 64 is, with its own upper end, outside the guides 61 so as not to interfere with these when the drawer 63 translates towards the left looking at Figure 13 until arriving with the seats 64 in alignment with the bushes 1 where it discharges by the effect of gravity the translated tablets 52 as illustrated in Figure 14. From Figure 12, it appears clear that the suction plug 165 avoids the rebound of the capsule which cyclically falls into the seat 64 of the drawer 63, keeping it correctly arranged in this seat. If particular maintenance requirements then so require, it is possible to remove the plug 165 and empty the tube 17 above. From Figures 10 and 11, it can be seen that a bracket 68 is fixed in a cantilevered manner on the structure of the vertical guides 61, which bracket bears at least one actuator 69 connected with its own moving equipment to a slide 70 which slides on the vertical and fixed guide 71, which has a "C" shape and which with the lower wing bears vertical pushers 72, in a number of one for each bush 1, aligned axially with the same bushes. At the start of each cycle, the slide 70 is raised and the pushers 72 are positioned so as not to interfere with the drawer 63. When the drawer has inserted a tablet in the bushes 1, as illustrated in Figure 14, the slide 70 is made to descend and the pushers 72 push the tablet 52 and insert it partially into the base 14. In the successive phase, the slide 70 is raised and the turntable 2 rotates to bring the bushes 1 into interaction with the successive station 7. From Figure 15, it can be seen that if a portion of tablet 52' were present in a guide 61, when this touches the top of the drawer 63, the complete tablet 52 above is arranged with its own intermediate portion in the region of the hole 66 which, when it is connected to the suction means, before the seats 64 of the drawer are aligned with the guides 61, retains in position the penultimate tablet while only the portion of tablet 52 ' falls into the seat 64. Without the presence of the suction holes 66, 67, the penultimate complete tablet would have fallen together with the portion, would have engaged only in part in the seat 64 and its upper projecting length would have interfered with the guide 61 during the successive translation of the drawer 63 and would inevitably have been sheared off with the imaginable consequences. If a portion of tablet of a length smaller than half that of an entire tablet were to come into contact with the top of the drawer 63, as a result of which the tablet above could not be retained by the suction of the hole 66, both the portion and the entire tablet, which would project slightly from the seat 64 of the drawer, would be inserted into the same seat. To avoid this tablet being sheared off during the translation of the drawer, provision has been made for the lower end of the guides 61 to be equipped with a recess 79 on at least the side facing towards the bushes 1, so as to avoid interference of said projecting tablet with the guide 61. The station 7 is entirely identical with that 5 already described, from which it differs in that the vertical pusher 80 as can be seen in Figure 17 is equipped with a point 81 and with a recess 82 of known type which, in interfering with the lid 14' of the capsule, force it to rotate with the mouth towards the bottom and to arrange itself with its axis vertical and insert it into the bush 1, above the tablet 52, engaging in part in the lateral cut 13 of the bush itself. The machine according to the invention has been designed for inserting the tablet 52 in two identical covers made of hard gelatine which at the end of the cycle completely incorporate the tablet itself and abut one another frontally without partial superposition as is the case on the other hand with the normal gelatine capsules equipped with true base and lid covers. It is intended, however, that the machine can be adapted for packaging tablets in gelatine capsules of traditional type. When insertion of the lid 14 ' into the bushes 1 has taken place, after which the pusher 80 is raised, the turntable 2 rotates one step and inserts the bushes 1 into station 8 which is illustrated in detail in Figure 18. This station comprises vertical push rods 83 which are located in axial alignment with and above each bush 1 and which are normally pushed, by springs 84, with their collar 85 bearing against the lower end of their guide 86 and projecting a suitable length from this end of the guide. Fixed on the upper end of the push rods 83 are ferromagnetic heads 87 and provided at a suitable distance above these are proximity sensors 88 mounted on a fixed support structure 89. Arranged and aligned axially below the bushes 1 which arrive in station 8 are push rods 90 with a concave head 91 which are associated with means (not shown) of axial movement and which at rest are in the low position indicated in Figure 18 in broken lines. On command, the push rods 90 are raised by a fixed travel, enter into the bushes 1 from the lower end and raise the assembly of the capsules and of the tablets 14, 52, 14' by a predetermined amount which brings about a predetermined raising of the upper push rods 83, which is detected by the sensors 88. If one of the components 14, 14', 52 were not present in the bushes 1, the push rods 83 would not be raised and the sensors 88 would detect that in the bush below assigned to these there exists an incomplete product which will have to be discharged in the final station 10. The push rods 90 are successively lowered, the unit 14, 14', 52 returns to bear on the bottom of the bushes 1 and is separated from ,„„„ 36307 - 16 - the upper push rods 83 which also return into the low rest position, after which the turntable 2 rotates by one step to transfer the bushes 1 into station 9 where the means illustrated in detail in Figure 19 operate. In this station, the bushes arrive in axial alignment with respective lower and upper push rods 92 and 93. The lower push rods have a concave head 94, are similar to those 90 already considered, are associated with means (not shown) of axial movement and at rest are in the position indicated by broken lines. The upper push rods 93 also have a lower concave head 95 and are mounted with the possibility of axial movement in respective fixed guides 96, against the lower end of which the same push rods are pushed to bear with their collar 97 by a spring 98 which can preferably be adjusted by means of the hollow plug 99 with locking nut 100. On command, the push rods 94 are raised, enter into the bushes 1 and raise the unit 14, 52, 14' which comes into contact with the upper push rod 93 so that, under the compression of the two push rods, the tablet 52 enters completely into the covers 14, 14' as illustrated in Figure 18, while the whole remains in the bushes 1. Subsequently, the lower push rods 92 return into the low rest position and the packaged tablets are lowered into the bushes 1 and come out of interaction with the upper push rods 93 so that the turntable 2 can be rotated by one step for interaction with the discharge station 10. In this station, as illustrated in Figure 20, the bushes 1 arrive in axial alignment with the lower push rods 101 which have a preferably concave head 102 and are connected to actuating means in the same manner as those 92 of the preceding station and the same bushes 1 are arranged in the region of the initial part of each of the ducts 103 with which a fixed chute 104 is equipped longitudinally. On command, the push rods 101 enter the bushes 1 and raise the packaged tablets which leave the bushes themselves at the top and are pushed downwards by a jet of air delivered by nozzles 105. If the discharged product does not have imperfections, it is collected from the lower end of the chute 104. If, on the other hand, the product has imperfections, it is automatically eliminated by the raising of a door 106 which opens a lower and intermediate opening 107 of the duct, which communicates, through the pipe 108, with a removable collecting container 109. The door 106 is for example interfulcrumed at 110 and is connected at 111 to the slotted end of a lever 112 fulcrumed at 113 and articulated with the intermediate part to a small actuating electromagnet 114 connected by suitable interface to the processor 115 which controls the functioning of the machine and to which the sensor 88 of station 8 is connected. When discharge of the product from the bushes 1 has taken place and when the push rods 101 have been lowered, the turntable 2 rotates by one step and the bushes themselves arrive in station 11 in Figure 21, in alignment with lower axially hollow push rods 116 which are connected to a source for delivering compressed air and mounted on means of axial movement. The same bushes 1 arrive with their upper end at a short distance from and in alignment with the openings 119 of a hollow head 118 connected at the bottom to a source of suction. On command, the push rods 116 are raised and lowered so as to pass completely through the bushes 1 while the head 118 sucks and removes any fragment which may be present in the bushes themselves which are thus ready to carry out a new work cycle.

Claims: - 19 - CLAIMS 1. Automatic machine for packaging tablets in gelatine capsules, characterized in that it comprises: groups of bushes (1) located with mutual equidistance on a turntable (2) or other means of stepped movement, for the positioning of the same bushes in successive work stations, each bush being capable of containing, superposed and in mutual axial alignment, a base cover (14) orientated with the mouth upwards, an oblong tablet (52) and a lid cover (14') orientated with the mouth downwards; a station (5) which takes the base covers (14) from a feeding magazine where the same covers are located in bulk and inserts these covers in a number of one in each bush and with the mouth orientated upwards; a station (6) which takes the tablets (52) from a magazine in which the same tablets are located in bulk and which inserts the same tablets in a number of one in each bush, above the base cover and in axial alignment with the latter; a station (7) which takes the lid covers (14*) from a magazine where the same covers are located in bulk and inserts these covers in a number of one in each bush, with the mouth orientated downwards; - a station (8) which checks the correct presence or otherwise in the bushes of the assembly of the base cover, of the tablet and of the lid cover and which signals any anomalies to the processor (115) which controls the functioning of the machine; a station (9) which subjects the assembly of the base cover, of the tablet and of the lid cover to a suitable axial compression to cause the tablet to enter into the two covers and become enclosed in these; a station (10) which ejects the packaged tablets from the bushes and which, on command from the processor, takes care of separating the correctly packaged tablets from those which are defective; a station (11) which takes care of the cleaning of the bushes (1) before they are introduced into a new work cycle. 2. Machine according to Claim 1, in which the bushes (1) are equipped at the top with a cut (13) which opens them radially and upwardly but which does not prejudice the containing action of the same bushes. 3. Machine according to Claim 1, in which the stations (5, 7) which feed the base (14) covers and the lid (14*) covers into the bushes are of the known type comprising vertical tubes (17) for taking the same bases and lids from the respective magazines (15) for containing in bulk, which align them in vertical lines and which, with a cyclical movement of lowering and raising of said tubes and of opening and closing their lower end by known means (19) , insert cyclically a base cover or lid cover, with random orientation, into a respective vertical seat (24) located in the intermediate part of a flat horizontal duct (28) which intersects said seat in the diametral direction, characterized in that, in the intermediate part of at least one side of said seats, holes (48) are opened which, when insertion of a cover into said seats has taken place, are connected to a source of suction to retain the fed cover, even if nested with the cover above which is raised by known feeding means (17, 19), after which suitable means deactivate the abovementioned suction. 4. Machine according to Claim 3, characterized in that the vertical tubes (17) for feeding the base covers or lid covers into the vertical orientation seats (24) below are equipped at the bottom with endpieces (117) which are orientated downwards and which, in the course of descent of said tubes, are inserted in the horizontal ducts with said seats for the purpose of correctly guiding the covers (14, 14') into the seats themselves. 5. Machine according to Claim 3, characterized in that the body (25) with the vertical seats (24) into which a cover to be orientated is inserted cyclically are formed by a lower part (25') which defines the bottom of said seats and of the associated intersection duct (28) and on which part parallel parts (25' ') are mounted and fixed, which define the sides of said seats and of the orientation ducts (28', 28' ', 28' 1 ') and in which the horizontal suction holes (48) are formed, which are connected through vertical holes (49) to a common manifold hole (50) formed in said lower part of the body (25') and connected with one end to the suction pipe (51) . 6. Machine according to Claim 3, in which the bottom (38) of the length of duct (28'') located downstream of the seats (24) into which the covers to be orientated are fed is expediently lowered in relation to the length of duct (28') upstream and this lowering (38) is also of relevance to the bottom of said seats, for the purpose of facilitating the rotation with the mouth downwards of the cover when the latter initially has the mouth itself upwards. 7. Machine according to Claim 3, of the type in which one end of the horizontal duct (28) which intersects the seats (24) into which a base cover (14) or lid cover (14') is fed cyclically, is engaged in by a flat pusher (29) with a front point (30) which in the course of translation of this pusher interferes with the intermediate part of the cover located in said seats and inserts the latter into the length of duct (28'') downstream with a rotation in the clockwise direction or in the anticlockwise direction respectively according to whether the closed head of the cover itself was orientated downwards or upwards, so that at the end of the travel of the pusher the cover comes to be arranged horizontally and with the mouth in front and ends up in the top part of a vertical duct (28' ' ') following the preceding one, which is orientated downwards and above which a pusher (39, 80) is arranged, the front face of which has a differing shape depending on whether it has to act on a base cover or a lid cover, bringing about in the first instance, with its own downward travel in said duct, the descent of the cover with horizontal arrangement or with slight downward rotation of its closed end until the cover itself enters the bushes (1) through the effect of the suction exerted by movable push rods or by fixed intakes (40) , while in the case of the lid cover (14') said pusher (80) brings about its downward rotation with the mouth and inserts it into the bushes, machine with a station of this type characterized in that the same vertical pusher accompanies the lid cover as far as the inside of the bushes, engaging in part in the radial cut (13) with which the bushes themselves are equipped. 8. Machine according to Claim 7, in which the horizontal pusher (29) , which brings about the rotation, with the mouth in front, of the base cover or lid cover fed into the seats (24) intersected diametrally by the duct in which said pusher slides, is equipped above the main point (30) of orientation with a secondary point (31) which is parallel and at a distance essentially equal to or slightly greater than the width of the covers, the intention being that this secondary point functions as containing means for the cover when the latter, in the orientation phase, is arranged above said main point. 9. Machine according to Claim 3, characterized in that the vertical tubes (17) which take the base covers or " lid covers from the respective magazines (15) which contain them in bulk are equipped with rectilinear and longitudinal slots (41) in which are engaged rectilinear and flat blades (42) fixed on a common support structure (43) which is mounted with the possibility of sliding on guides (44, 45) fixed to the structure of said tubes and equipped with a crosspiece (46) which supports an actuator (47) connected to said support structure to subject the same and the associated blades to a small reciprocating movement which sees the blades themselves enter slightly and leave the internal cavities of the associated tubes, to subject the covers located in these cavities to an action of alignment and fluidification which guarantess their sliding by the effect of gravity. 10. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the station (6) for feeding the tablets into the bushes (1) comprises: a magazine (53) for containing the tablets (52) in bulk; means (54, 55, 155, 59) for the controlled release of the tablets from said magazine and for feeding the same, one followed by another and with longitudinal arrangement, into the longitudinal channels (58) with suitable contour of a guide (56) which is horizontal or essentially so, on which the tablets themselves advance longitudinally through the effect of vibrations transmitted by suitable means, the various lines of tablets being inserted by means of a set of curved and descending guides (60) into respective fixed vertical guide ducts (61) which end with their lower end to the side of and at a short distance from the bushes (1) to be fed; a distributor drawer (63) located below said vertical guides which is equipped with vertical seats (64) of dimensions suitable for the vertical containment of a tablet and which, by horizontal translation means, can be brought with these seats below and in alignment with each of said vertical guides (61) to receive from these a respective tablet, or above the bushes (1) and in alignment with these to insert the tablets there, while the drawer closes said vertical guides with a part of itself; a fixed obturator (65) which is located below said distributor drawer (63), for closing its vertical seats (64) at the bottom, and which reaches as- far as the region of the bushes (1) where it ends for opening the abovementioned seats; means ( 66 , 67) for retaining the penultimate tablet in said vertical guides, before the seats (64) of the drawer are aligned with these, so that only the last tablet falls into said seats, even if it is constituted by a portion of a tablet; pushers (72) , located in a number of one above each bush (1) , in alignment therewith and connected to means of axial movement, which, when insertion of a tablet into the bush by said drawer (63) has taken place, are lowered through the seats (64) of said drawer to ensure the exit therefrom of the tablet and to push the latter slightly inside the base cover (14) . 11. Machine according to Claim 10, characterized in that the means (66, 67) which retain the penultimate tablet in the vertical and fixed guides (61) for feeding the tablets themselves, before the seats (64) of the distributor drawer (63) are positioned below these to receive the bottom tablet, are constituted by one or more holes which are open laterally in said guides and which, on command, are connected to a source of suction, means being provided for deactivating this connection only after the drawer has translated to insert a tablet in the bushes (1) . 12. Machine according to Claim 11, characterized in that the suction holes which operate in each vertical and fixed guide (61) for feeding the tablets are two in number, are located one above the other and preferably in an arrangement which sees the upper hole (67) operate roughly halfway along the penultimate tablet of the guide when the last tablet is entire and rests on the top of the distributor drawer (63) , while the lower hole (66) operates roughly in the middle of the penultimate tablet when the last tablet is constituted by a portion of roughly half length and rests on the top of said distributor drawer. 13. Machine according to Claim 11, characterized in that the seats (64) of the distributor drawer (63) have a height which is essentially equal to or slightly smaller than the length of a tablet (52) and in that the set of vertical guides (61) which feed the tablets into said seats is equipped at the bottom with a recess (79) facing the side of the bushes (1) and of a height so as to avoid interference between the tablets and the guides. 14. Machine according to Claim 10, characterized in that, on the fixed obturator (65) which is located below the distributor drawer (63) for closing its vertical seats (64) at the bottom when they are aligned with the means of controlled release of the tablets, a suction pipe (165) is provided for each of said seats, which retains the tablet fed cyclically into the seats themselves, to avoid it rebounding and to position it correctly. 15. Machine according to Claim 14, characterized in that the suction pipes (165) provided on the fixed obturator (65) are arranged on removable plugs so that, by removing these plugs, when the distributor drawer (63) is in the retracted position, it is possible to empty completely the means above of controlled release of the capsules every time this is required by extraordinary maintenance situations. 16. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the station (8) which checks the correct arrangement in the bushes (1) of the assembly of the base cover, of the tablet and of the lid cover, comprises push rods (90) with a preferably concave head (91) , which are associated with means of axial movement and which, on command, enter into the bushes at the bottom and raise said assembly with a predetermined travel, there being provided above the bushes sprung push rods (83) which, if the covers and the tablets are provided correctly in the bushes themselves, are raised by a predetermined amount which is detected by sensors (87, 88) connected to the processor of the machine, while, if a cover or the tablet is missing from the bushes or if the tablet is not entire, said sprung push rods are not raised so as to actuate the associated sensors, from which the processor (115) will receive a command to discard the packaged product. 17. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the station (9) for closing the tablets in the covers comprises push rods (92) with a preferably concave upper head (94) which are associated with means of axial movement and which, on command, enter into the bushes (1) at the bottom to raise the assembly of the covers and of the interposed tablet by a predetermined amount, there being provided above the covers sprung push rods (93) , preferably with adjustable springing and with a concave lower head, which interact with the top of the lid cover and which, by reaction to the raising effected by the lower push rods, ensure the closure of the tablets in the base covers and lid covers inside the containing bushes (1) • 18. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the station (10) for discharging the packaged tablets from the containing bushes (1) comprises push rods (101) associated with means of axial movement, which, on command, enter from the bottom of the bushes (1) and discharge from the top of these the packaged product which, by a jet of air delivered by suitable nozzles (105) , is pushed into inclined and descending ducts (103) at the end of which the correctly packaged product is collected while the defective product is eliminated by the opening of doors (106) which open trap doors (107) on the bottom of said ducts and which, by means of suitable actuators (114) , are actuated by the processor (115) which has received the signals useful for this purpose from the sensors (88) of the stations for feeding the tablets and for checking the product before closure. 19. Machine according to Claim 1, characterized in that the station (11) for cleaning the bushes comprises axially hollow push rods (116) which are connected to a source for delivery of compressed air and associated with means of axial movement and which, on command, enter from the bottom of the bushes and pass through them completely while above the latter there are arranged mouths (119) borne by a fixed head (118) , through which head the same mouths are connected to a suction circuit.

Inventors: CANE ARISTIDE, MARESCALCHI MARCO, MIRRI NERIO, RIBANI ANGIOLINO, CANE', ARISTIDE, MARESCALCHI, MARCO, MIRRI, NERIO, RIBANI, ANGIOLINO
Applicants: CANE ARISTIDE, IMA SPA, MARESCALCHI MARCO, MIRRI NERIO, RIBANI ANGIOLINO, CANE', ARISTIDE, I.M.A. INDUSTRIA MACCHINE AUTOMATICHE S.P.A., MARESCALCHI, MARCO, MIRRI, NERIO, RIBANI, ANGIOLINO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61J3
IPC codes: A61J3