Abstract:
An orienting assembly for medicinal capsules; the orienting assembly being characterized by having a rotary drum having seats, each for housing a top or bottom shell oriented in one of two opposite spatial directions; and by having a nozzle for generating compressed air jets, so that, if the top or bottom shell is oriented with the convexity facing the nozzle, the initial position of the top or bottom shell remains unchanged; whereas, if the top or bottom shell is oriented with the concavity facing the nozzle, the top or bottom shell is inverted by the compressed air jet generated by the nozzle; the invention also relating to a supply and orienting unit featuring the above orienting assembly.

Description:
The present invention relates to an assembly for orienting top or bottom shells of medicinal capsules; and to a supply and orienting unit featuring said orienting assembly. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As is known, medicinal capsules normally comprise a substantially cup-shaped bottom shell; a top shell for closing the bottom shell; and a given quantity of drug enclosed inside the bottom shell. The top and bottom shells are normally made of hard gel, which is rapidly dissolved by gastric acids to release the enclosed drug within a controlled length of time. 
     Currently used machines for producing medicinal capsules receive the drug and the empty capsules separately at the input, and supply, at the output, a succession of capsules containing a predetermined quantity of drug. 
     Such machines normally comprise a pocket conveyor for feeding a succession of capsules along a path extending through a supply station where the empty capsules are oriented and inserted successively inside the pockets on the conveyor; a parting station where each top shell is detached from the respective bottom shell to open the capsule; a cleaning station where any processing residue is removed from inside each bottom shell; a dispensing station where a predetermined quantity of drug is fed into each bottom shell; a closing station where each top shell is put back onto the respective bottom shell; and, finally, a pickup station where the medicinal capsules are removed off the pocket conveyor and sent to a packing unit. 
     The marketing of new types of controlled-release medicinal capsules, however, now calls for supplying production machines separately with the drug and the top and bottom shells. To do this, various units for orienting and supplying top shells have been devised, but which are relatively complex and fail to provide for a sufficiently high hourly output rate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an orienting assembly and relative orienting unit for orienting top or bottom shells of medicinal capsules, and which are straightforward and cheap to produce, and provide for a higher hourly output rate than at present. 
     According to the present invention, there is provided an orienting assembly of a supply and orienting unit for top or bottom shells of medicinal capsules; the orienting assembly receiving, at the input, a succession of single top or bottom shells, each oriented in either of two opposite spatial directions; the orienting assembly supplying, at the output, a succession of equioriented single top or bottom shells; and the orienting assembly being characterized by comprising a rotary drum having a number of seats, each for housing a top or bottom shell oriented in one of the two opposite spatial directions; and by comprising pneumatic means such that, if the convexity of said top or bottom shell is oriented facing said pneumatic means, the top or bottom shell, even though subjected to the action of a stream of compressed air produced by said pneumatic means, remains housed inside the respective seat, whereas, conversely, if the concavity of said top or bottom shell is oriented facing said pneumatic means, said top or bottom shell is transferred, by virtue of the action of said stream of compressed air produced by said pneumatic means, from the respective seat in which the top or bottom shell is housed to a temporary parking device by which the top or bottom shell is reinserted inside the respective seat; the top or bottom shell, once reinserted inside the respective seat, having a direction of orientation opposite with respect to the initial direction of orientation. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to combine such an orienting assembly in a novel manner with a new type of supply assembly, to achieve a supply and orienting unit of original design. 
     The main advantage of the orienting assembly according to the present invention lies in it being based on a straightforward fluid dynamic principle, and on the characteristics inherent in the shape of the top or bottom shell. Which straightforward fluid dynamic principle provides for eliminating complex known-state-of-the-art systems normally involving the use of photocells for determining the orientation direction of the top or bottom shell, so that, given a first reference orientation direction, any top or bottom shells already oriented in the first direction are left so oriented, and any top or bottom shells oriented in a second direction opposite the first reference orientation direction are re-oriented in the first direction. 
     Though the following detailed description refers explicitly to an assembly for orienting top capsule shells, the same assembly, with appropriate alterations, may obviously also be used for orienting bottom shells. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows, schematically, the orienting assembly according to the present invention combined with a supply assembly and a closing assembly; 
     FIG. 2 shows a view A of parts of the orienting assembly according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 shows a section along line B—B of the FIG. 1 orienting assembly; 
     FIG. 4 shows a section along line C—C of the FIG. 1 orienting assembly; 
     FIG. 5 shows, schematically, the FIGS. 1-4 orienting assembly combined with a supply assembly; the orienting assembly and supply assembly forming a supply and orienting unit constituting a further object of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows an orienting assembly  10 , in accordance with the present invention, located between a supply assembly  50  and a closing assembly  70 . 
     Orienting assembly  10  and supply assembly  50  together combine to form a supply and orienting unit  100  of original design. 
     As explained in more detail later on, orienting assembly  10  receives in succession a number of top shells  2  (FIGS. 2-5) supplied by supply assembly  50 , and provides for spatially arranging top shells  2  so that top shells  2  are all fed to closing assembly  70  with the same spatial orientation. At closing assembly  70 , each top shell  2  is fitted in known manner to a complementary bottom shell—filled beforehand with the desired drugs—to form a complete capsule (FIG.  5 ). 
     The orienting assembly  10  shown in the accompanying drawings comprises a drum  11 , which is rotated about an axis X by a motor (not shown) for driving a shaft  7  supported by a bearing  8  (FIG.  5 ). Drum  11  comprises a number of peripheral seats  12  formed by the intersection of two perpendicular walls  12   a  and  12   b  (FIGS. 1,  2 ); and, by means of pneumatic means (not shown), a hole  13  (FIGS. 3-5) at the right-angle intersection of walls  12   a  and  12   b  provides for retaining and releasing top shell  2  in and from seat  12 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1-4, at a removal station  14  for removing top shell  2  from respective seat  12 , a nozzle  15  is positioned with the outlet facing drum  11 , in particular the peripheral portion of drum  11  comprising seats  12 , each for housing a top shell  2  supplied by supply assembly  50  (FIGS.  1  and  5 ). As shown in FIG. 3, top shell  2  projects slightly from the outer edge of drum  11 , and has an axis A slightly offset with respect to axis B of nozzle  15 . A fixed block  16  facing the bottom surface  11   a  of drum  11  has a substantially semicircular channel  17  with a substantially square cross section; the longitudinal axis of symmetry C of channel  17  may be considered an ideal continuation of axis A of bottom or top shell  2 ; and the transverse dimensions of channel  17  are compatible with those of top shell  2 . Channel  17  also comprises an inlet  18  having a substantially square initial cross section, which gradually blends with said square cross section of the actual channel  17 . At the bottommost part of channel  17 , there is provided a further nozzle  19  by which the top shell  2  traveling along channel  17  is blown towards an outlet  20  in the same upper face  16   a  of block  16  facing the bottom face  11   a  of drum  11 . An important characteristic of assembly is that the pitch P 1  of channel  17 , i.e. the distance between the respective axes of inlet  18  and outlet  20 , is slightly less than the pitch P 2  representing the distance between the respective axes of two consecutive seats  12 , so that top shell  2  blown by the compressed air jets produced by nozzles  15  and  19  rests on the bottom surface  11   a  of drum  11  long enough to allow seat  12  to be rotated by drum  11  up to a reinsertion station  21 . As it travels along channel  17 , top shell  2  is therefore inverted spatially, in the sense that the spatial direction occupied by top shell  2  at reinsertion station  21  is exactly the opposite to that occupied by the same top shell  2  at removal station  14 . Obviously, once inverted, top shell  2  is reinserted into the same seat  12  occupied previously. 
     Operation of the orienting assembly according to the present invention is characterized in that, if the convexity of top shell  2  is positioned facing the compressed air jet produced by nozzle  15 , as shown in FIG. 3, the compressed air jet has no effect on, and slides so to speak over the outer surface of, top shell  2 , thus failing to insert the top shell through inlet  18  into channel  17 . Conversely, if top shell  2  is positioned with the concavity facing the jet produced by nozzle  15  (FIG. 2, for example), the force of the compressed air entering top shell  2  is sufficient to blow top shell  2  through inlet  18  into channel  17 . And only in this case is top shell  2  inverted as described above. 
     As such, the mechanism by which only the top shells  2  oriented with the concavity facing the compressed air jet produced by nozzle  15  are inverted is based on a straightforward fluid dynamic principle, and on the characteristics inherent in the shape of top shell  2 . Which straightforward fluid dynamic principle provides for eliminating complex systems normally involving the use of photocells for determining the orientation direction of the top shell, so that, given a first reference orientation direction, any top shells already oriented in the first direction are left so oriented, and any top shells oriented in a second direction opposite the first reference orientation direction are re-oriented in the first direction. 
     As shown, for example, in FIGS. 2-4, drum  11  comprises, along the outer edge, a circular rim  22 , which substantially provides for arresting the travel of top shell  2  in the event the top shell, being oriented with the convexity facing the compressed air jet produced by nozzle  15 , is blown towards reinsertion station  21  where top shell  2  is reinserted inside the same seat  12  vacated shortly before and which, in the meantime, has been rotated by drum  11  from removal station  14  to reinsertion station  21 . 
     Obviously, the above operations are performed extremely rapidly and, particularly as regards the operating time of nozzles  15 ,  19 , the rotation speed of drum  11 , the release time of top shell  2  inside seat  12 , etc., are conveniently synchronized by an electronic computer not shown in the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, top shells  2  are supplied by a supply assembly  50  with the respective concavities facing upwards or downwards at random. Assembly  50  comprises a hopper  51  into which top shells  2  are loaded in bulk and drop by force of gravity into a narrow throat  52 , which is clogged by top shells  2 , thus temporarily interrupting supply, and which is temporarily cleared by a nozzle  53  for producing pulsating air jets directed towards throat  52 . Assembly  50  also comprises a circular plate  54 , which is rotated about an axis Y by an electric motor (not shown) via a shaft  55  supported by a bearing  56 ; circular plate  54  in turn comprises a number of through seats  57 , each for receiving a respective top shell  2  which is rotated by circular plate  54  about axis of rotation Y; and the bottom face  54   a  of circular plate  54  rests on a supporting member  58  having an opening  59  at a transfer station  60 . It should be stated that the thickness of circular plate  54  may vary according to the dimensions of top shells  2  being supplied. For which purpose, provision may be made for a set of circular plates  54  comprising a number of circular plates  54  of different thicknesses. 
     A nozzle  61  is located facing opening  59  to direct compressed air, when commanded, onto the incoming top shell  2  in the through seat  57  conveyed by the rotation of circular plate  54 . Which compressed air jet produced by nozzle  61  obviously provides, at transfer station  60 , for transferring top shell  2  from the through seat  57  on supply assembly  50  to the seat  12  on drum  11  of orienting assembly  10 . 
     From hopper  51 , top shells  2  drop by force of gravity into a gap  62  located between top surface  54 b of circular plate  54  and a cover member  63 , and in which operates a level sensor  64  for indicating to an electronic central control unit  65  any fall in the level of top shells  2  inside gap  62 . Electronic central control unit  65  in turn supplies a signal to a solenoid valve  66 , which activates the pulsating compressed air jet produced by nozzle  53  to periodically clear throat  52 , when commanded, and so regulate the flow of top shells  2  into gap  62  as required. To move top shells  2  towards the periphery of circular plate  54 , provision is made for a number of additional nozzles  67  (only one shown in FIG. 5) spaced a given distance apart on a ring-shaped member  68  integral with cover member  63 , and which produce compressed air jets for assisting insertion of top shells  2  into through seats  57 . 
     Supply assembly  50  operates as follows. 
     (a) Top shells  2  are loaded in bulk by the operator into hopper  51  and drop by force of gravity into gap  62 . 
     (b) As circular plate  54  is rotated by the electric motor via shaft  55 , seats  57  each receive a respective top shell  2 . The other top shells  2 , even though drawn along involuntarily by the rotation of circular plate  54 , are retained inside gap  62  by a vertical wall  69  integral with cover member  63 , and the bottom edge of which faces, without directly contacting, the top surface  54   b  of circular plate  54  (see FIG.  5 ). In other words, vertical wall  69  only lets out the top shells  2  already housed inside respective through seats  57 ; and the height of wall  69  is obviously selected according to the thickness of circular plate  54 , which, as stated, varies according to the dimensions of top shells  2 . 
     (c) At this point, each top shell  2 , oriented with the concavity facing upwards or downwards at random (as shown in FIG.  5 ), is fed to transfer station  60  where the top shell is transferred to orienting assembly  10  by the air jet produced by nozzle  61  facing transfer station  60 . 
     As shown in FIG. 5, in closing assembly  70  at a closing station  71 , a top shell  2   a , carried by orienting assembly  10 , is fitted in known manner to a corresponding bottom shell  2   b —supplied by a bottom shell supply assembly (not shown)—by means of a punch  72  moved vertically up and down by actuating means not shown in FIG.  5 .