Abstract:
A method and device for conveying articles on a continuously-operating machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product, whereby each article is conveyed inside a respective seat on a transfer wheel, and is retained inside the seat by friction.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Technical Field  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a method of conveying articles on a machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product.  
         [0003]     More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of conveying articles, each defined by a capsule comprising a bottom shell and a top shell closing the bottom shell, or by the bottom shell of a capsule, or by the top shell of a capsule. In the following description, the articles referred to are top shells of capsules, to which reference is made purely by way of example.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In the pharmaceutical industry, a machine is known for filling capsules, each comprising a bottom shell, and a top shell closing the bottom shell.  
         [0006]     The machine normally comprises a first wheel for correctly positioning the capsules vertically, with the top shells on top of the relative bottom shells, and for opening the capsules; a conveyor line for receiving the bottom shells from the first wheel and feeding them through at least one filling station; a second wheel for receiving the top shells from the first wheel; and a third wheel for receiving the bottom shells from the conveyor line and the top shells from the second wheel to close each bottom shell with the relative top shell.  
         [0007]     The second wheel is connected to the first and third wheel at respective transfer stations, has at least one seat for a top shell, and is mounted to rotate continuously about a respective longitudinal axis to feed the seat through the transfer stations.  
         [0008]     The seat is normally connected to a pneumatic suction device, which allows the seat to receive the top shell from the first wheel and feed it between the transfer stations, and which is deactivated to permit transfer of the top shell from the seat to the third wheel.  
         [0009]     Known capsule filling machines of the type described above have various drawbacks, mainly due to the pneumatic suction device making the machines relatively complex, bulky, and expensive.  
         [0010]     Known capsule filling machines of the type described above also have a further drawback when filling capsules with a powdered pharmaceutical product. That is, to prevent the powdered pharmaceutical product dispersed inside the machine from being inhaled by maintenance and cleaning personnel at the end of each operating cycle of the machine, the pharmaceutical produce is stabilized by a water spray, the effectiveness of which, however, is seriously impaired by the action of the pneumatic suction device, which tends to retain part of the pharmaceutical product inside the machine.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY  
       [0011]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of conveying articles on a machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product, designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks.  
         [0012]     According to the present invention, there is provided a method of conveying articles on a machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product, as claimed in the attached Claims.  
         [0013]     The present invention also relates to a device for conveying articles on a machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product.  
         [0014]     According to the present invention, there is provided a device for conveying articles on a machine for filling capsules with at least one pharmaceutical product, as claimed in the attached Claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic plan view of a preferred embodiment of the capsule filling machine according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic longitudinal section of a first detail of the  FIG. 1  machine;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic longitudinal section of a second detail of the  FIG. 1  machine;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a larger-scale plan view of a detail in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Number  1  in  FIG. 1  indicates as a whole a machine for filling known capsules  2  ( FIG. 2 ) with at least one pharmaceutical product, in particular a powdered pharmaceutical product. Each capsule  2  comprises a substantially cup-shaped bottom shell  3 , and a top shell  4  closing bottom shell  3 .  
         [0021]     Machine  1  comprises an orienting and opening wheel  5 , which is mounted to rotate continuously about a respective longitudinal axis  6  perpendicular to the  FIG. 1  plane, receives the empty, closed capsules  2  successively, positions each capsule  2  vertically with top shell  4  on top of bottom shell  3 , and opens each capsule  2  by detaching top shell  4  from bottom shell  3 .  
         [0022]     Bottom shells  3  are received successively by a known conveying device  7 , which is connected to wheel  5  at a first transfer station  8 , and feeds bottom shells  3  along a given path P 1  and through at least one filling station  9  having at least one metering device (not shown) for feeding the pharmaceutical product into bottom shells  3 .  
         [0023]     Top shells  4  are received successively by a transfer wheel  10 , which is mounted to rotate continuously about a respective longitudinal axis  11  parallel to axis  6 , is connected to wheel  5  at a second transfer station  12 , and feeds top shells  4  to a third transfer station  13 , where top shells  4  are transferred to a mating and closing wheel  14 , which is mounted to rotate continuously about a respective longitudinal axis  15  parallel to axes  6  and  11 , and is in turn connected to conveying device  7  at a fourth transfer station  16  to successively receive bottom shells  3 .  
         [0024]     Wheels  5 ,  10  and  14  are designed and operated to feed each top shell  4  between stations  8  and  16  along a path P 2  of substantially the same length as path P 1 , and therefore in time with the relative bottom shell  3 , and so enable wheel  14  to close capsules  2  previously opened on wheel  5 .  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , wheel  5  comprises a number of top seats  17  equally spaced about axis  6  and open radially outwards. Each seat  17  receives a respective capsule  2 , and is closed radially outwards by a respective orienting member  18  for positioning capsule  2  vertically with top shell  4  on top of bottom shell  3 .  
         [0026]     Once oriented correctly inside seat  17 , capsule  2  drops down into a tubular bottom seat  19 , which is aligned with seat  17  in a vertical direction  20  parallel to axis  6 , and comprises a wide top portion  21  for retaining top shell  4  and a narrow bottom portion  22 , through which bottom shell  3  is sucked into a respective pocket  23  on conveying device  7 .  
         [0027]     At transfer station  12 , top shells  4  are expelled in direction  20  from portions  21  of respective bottom seats  19 , along respective top seats  17 , and onto a stop member  24 , mounted crosswise to direction  20 , by a stream of compressed air directed onto top shells  4  by a fixed pneumatic distributor  25 .  
         [0028]     Distributor  25  comprises an annular plate  26  mounted, coaxially with axis  6 , beneath conveying device  7 , and having a conduit  27 , which extends, parallel to direction  20 , through plate  26 , is connected in fluidtight manner with the pocket  23  traveling through station  12 , and is connected pneumatically to a known compressed-air feed device not shown.  
         [0029]     With reference to  FIG. 3 , wheel  10  comprises a tubular column  28  coaxial with axis  11 ; and a shaft  29  which engages column  28  in rotary and axially fixed manner, is rotated about axis  11  and with respect to column  28  by a known drive device not shown, and has a top end  30  projecting outwards of column  28 .  
         [0030]     End  30  of shaft  29  supports a bottom sprocket  31  forming part of conveying device  7  and a top disk  32 , which is fitted to end  30  coaxially with axis  11 , is bounded externally by a substantially cylindrical lateral surface  33  ( FIG. 4 ) coaxial with axis  11 , and has a number of peripheral seats  34 , which are equally spaced about axis  11 , are open radially outwards at surface  33 , and are open axially in direction  20 .  
         [0031]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , each seat  34  is tangentially narrower than the diameter of a top shell  4 , and comprises, as of surface  33 , an outer portion  35  bounded by two parallel flat faces  36 ; and an inner portion  37  bounded by a semicylindrical surface  38  connected to faces  36 .  
         [0032]     With reference to  FIG. 3 , wheel  14  comprises a sleeve  39  coaxial with axis  15 , and on the outer surface of which are formed a bottom sprocket  40  forming part of conveying device  7  and a top disk  41  having a number of tubular seats  42  equally spaced about axis  15 , and each comprising a respective wide top portion  43  for retaining a respective top shell  4 , and a narrow bottom portion  44  for receiving a respective bottom shell  3  from conveying device  7  as described in detail below.  
         [0033]     Each seat  42  is associated with a transfer unit  45  comprising a top pusher  46  and a bottom pusher  47 , which are aligned with each other and with seat  42  in direction  20 , and are connected in sliding manner to sleeve  39  to move linearly in direction  20  with respect to sleeve  39  and under the control of a known cam actuating device not shown.  
         [0034]     Operation of machine  1  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 ,  4  and to one top shell  4  only, and as of the instant in which:  
         [0035]     the top shell  4  considered is housed inside wide top portion  21  of respective seat  19 ; and  
         [0036]     seat  19  is fed by wheel  5  through transfer station  12  in time with a relative seat  34 .  
         [0037]     At station  12 , top shell  4  is transferred from seat  19  to seat  34  by first expelling top shell  4  upwards in direction  20  from portion  21  of seat  19 , along relative top seat  17 , and onto stop member  24  by means of the stream of compressed air directed onto top shell  4  through conduit  27  and relative pocket  23 .  
         [0038]     Once top shell  4  is lifted onto member  24 , seats  19  and  34  are positioned facing each other with the interposition of top shell  4 , which is first pressed between faces  36  of outer portion  35 , is then inserted inside inner portion  37 , and is finally retained inside seat  34  by friction.  
         [0039]     At this point, top shell  4  and seat  34  are fed by wheel  10  through transfer station  13  in time with a relative seat  42 .  
         [0040]     At station  13 , top shell  4  is released from seat  34  by top pusher  46 , and is pushed down by pusher  46  into the wide top portion  43  of seat  42  to close relative bottom shell  3 , which is released from respective pocket  23  by bottom pusher  47 , and is pushed up by pusher  47  into the narrow bottom portion  44  of seat  42 .  
         [0041]     Top shells  4  being retained by friction inside respective seats  34 , machine  1  has several advantages, mainly due to transfer wheel  10  having no pneumatic suction devices, and therefore being relatively straightforward and cheap, and requiring relatively little maintenance.  
         [0042]     In alternative embodiments not shown, transfer wheel  10  with seats  34  may obviously be used to convey whole capsules  2  or bottom shells  3  of capsules  2 .  
         [0043]     The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.  
         [0044]     These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.