Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Compressed Tablets and Pills.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1894-4ccented, 12 h Jan., 195
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Compressed Tablets
and Pills.
I, LANCASTER THOMAS, Druggist, residing at No. 1932 Mount Vernon Street
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained herein and hereby, reference being had to
the drawings annexed, that is to say :-
My invention consists of a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets
or pills.
The prominent feature which distinguishes my invention from all others, for
similar purposes, consists in the fact that in all other such machines one of the dies
or punches, reciprocates forward and backward in the mould without at any time,
during the operation of the machine, being entirely withdra
drawn from the mould,
while in my machine both dies or punches, are alternately withdrawn entirely from
the mould, thus preventing clogging of the mould and dies or punches, by the
powdered material employed, and making the cleaning of the dies comparatively
easy, whereas in other machines this is difficult.
The first novel characteristic of my machine is that of a mould which has an
orifice extending from side to side and into which the material to be compressed is
fed, and which is adapted to receive, at its opposite ends, two tablet compressing
and forming dies or punches, which alternately leave the mould entirely.
The second novel characteristic of my machine is that of a revolving cam-way
combined with dies operating rollers working therein, and also in slots in a supporting
frame, the dies and rollers being restrained from any but a horizontal movement by
said slots and by guides in which the dies slide.
The third novel characteristic of my machine consists in the relative movements
of the dies or punches, which, instead of being caused to alternately approach toward
and recede from each other, are caused by the revolving cam hereinbefore referred
to, to first move in the same direction at different speeds, but relatively towards
each other, until compression is accomplished, then to continue in the same direction
but relatively away from each other, each die alternately, acting as a carrier and
ejector of the tablet by moving to the end of the die-orifice opposite to that which
it enters.
The fourth novel characteristic of my machine is that of a reciprocating. bar
operated directly by the die-carrier, which bar, in turn, operates a spring so that it
will strike and detach the tablet at the moment the ejecting die reaches its limit of
movement. I thus provide for the possibility of a tablet otherwise so adhering to
the die that it will not drop from it.
The fifth novel feature of my invention is that of a feed-adjusting spring, which
is preferably attached to the revolving cam and which, by means of a screw, may
be adjusted so as to vary the extent of horizontal movement of the rollers, and
through them vary the distance between the dies when the same are in a position
to allow the material to be fed into the mould.
The sixth novel feature of my invention is that of a compressing spring, which is
preferably attached to the revolving cam, and which, by means of a screw, may be
adjusted so as to vary the extent of horizontal movement of the rollers, and through

page_text: them vary the distance between the dies when the same are in the position they
assume at the moment of compression.
1 carry out my invention by means of the combination of mechanism hereinafter
particularly described, but which may be varied in many respects without departing
from my invention.
and y, a SCICW
adjusting the sume.
compressing
screw for adjusting the same. The function of these springs will be hereinafter
described. H (Fig. 1) is a hopper secured to a bracket h, on the supporting
plate L' and I is a feeder (also supported by the bracket 4), which is rotated by
friction-disc ', which, in turn, is rotated by the face of cam G, by frictional
contact therewith; i is a lug placed at or near the edge of the lower face of disc 1',
thereby imparting a vertical motion to the feed device as it comes in contact with
the periphery of cam G.
Jis a mould bolted on to the face of plate L', into which mould the material
from the hopper is fed.
K and K are die carriers working on the guides L, and k and ¹ the dies, or
punches, having concave recesses at their inner ends of the reverse contour of the
sides of the tablets.
Lare guides resting on the supporting frame M, and suitably secured to plate L'.
See Fig. 1.
m and m (Fig. 5) are cam-rollers rotating on journals passing through the
horizontal slots, P and P respectively of the plate L'. These cam-rollers m
and m' are secured to the die or punch carriers K and K respectively.
The revolution of the face-cam G, imparts horizontal movement to the rollers m
and m' which, in turn, impart a corresponding movement to the dies or punches ki
and k.
N is a reciprocating bar (Fig. 13) which I place loosely in a groove in the
plate L'. It is withheld from falling therefrom by the springs o and o' and projects
slightly from the face of the plate so as to permit one of the die-carriers to strike
it and give it a lateral movement.
Having now already indicated the construction of the machine, I will proceed to
describe its operation.
Assume that the dies or punches are in the position indicated in Fig. 7.
Material from the hopper H, has been fed into the mould J, aud the face-cam G,
is at that point in its revolution which will bring the cam-rollers opposite to each
other in the cam-way on the line 1-2 of Fig. 6. Through the connections before
described between the wheel C and the face-cam G, the latter is revolved and
imparts to the rollers a horizontal movement in the slots P and P¹ which causes
the die-carriers K and K' to travel along the guides L.
The contour of the cam-way is such that both dies or punches travel in the same
direction, but one of the dies (say die k¹) travels at a somewhat slower rate than
the other, thus eventually bringing them into relative positions indicated in Fig. 8.

page_text: The material has in the meantime been gradually compressed, and at this point the
compression is greatest. The cam-rollers now occupy opposite positions in the.
cam-way on the line 3-4 Fig. 6.
The face-cam G, continuing to revolve continues to impart a horizontal movement
to the dies or punches, the contour being such that the dies or punches continue to
travel in the same direction as during the compressing process, the die k, however,
travelling somewhat more slowly than the die which eventually brings them into
the relative positions indicated in Fig. 9 and the tablet is ejected from the mould.
The tablet is now by the action of the displacing spring, free to fall from the end'
of the die k, into a suitable receiving vessel. The cam-rollers now occupy opposite.
positions in the cam-way on the line 5-6 Fig. 6.
Further revolution of the face-cam G causes the dies and to travel back to'
their original positions, when the material is free to again be fed into the die.
The face-cam has now accomplished half a revolution and the cam-rollers once
more occupy opposite positions in the cam-way on the line 1-2 Fig. 6.
The operation already described, but in a reverse direction, is now repeated as
shown in Figs. 10, 11 & 12.
It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 6 that the cam-way near the
screw g¹, is widened out to a greater width than the diameter of the rollers m m¹.
While that portion of the cam-way is travelling toward the roller, the rollers'
are moving toward the center of the plate L' or toward the position that they
assume in Fig. 7. Hence the tendency of the rollers is to roll along the outer
wall of the cam.
By adjusting the spring G¹ by means of the screws g₁ or g³ the roller may be
caused to roll a greater or less distance toward the inner wall of the cam, which, in
turn, causes its corresponding die or punch to move a greater or less distance
toward the center of the mould. Hence by adjustment of the spring the feed of
the material into the mould may be accurately regulated, and this spring I therefore
denominate a feed-adjusting spring. In like manner, when the rollers occupy
opposite positions in the cam-way on the line 3-4 at which time the final com-
pression of the tablet takes place, the roller adjacent to the screw g³ may be caused
to travel a greater or less distance toward the center of the frame by adjusting the
spring G', thereby the corresponding die will be forced a greater or less distance
toward the other die thus determining the extent of compression of the tablet.
This spring I therefore denominate as the compressing spring. When the dies
are in the position indicated in Fig. 9 the tablet as before described, is free to fall.
It may, however, in some instances, tend to adhere to the end of the die k, and to
obviate this I provide the sliding-bar N which immediately before the die k
reaches the position described, is struck by the die or punch carrier K and is
pushed along by it.
The spring o' which is directly opposite the tablet when the latter is being
ejected, rides over the projecting portion of the bar N, and strikes said tablet,
detaching it from the die k.
In like manner the spring o detaches the tablet when the dies are in the same
relative position at the opposite end of the mould. These springs I therefore
denominate tablet displacing springs.
It is not necessary to the proper carrying out of my invention, that the dies
should have the relative movements described. These movements may be varied
as described by varying the contour of the face-cam G.
In all tablet and pill compressing machines of which I have any knowledge, of
the type to which my invention belongs, in which the compression of the tablet or
pill is effected by laterally moving dies, there is a pressure space only in one side
of the mould and the compression of the tablet is, consequently, effected only upon
one side of the feed aperture. Again, in all such machines the compressed tablet
or pill is ejected only from one side of the mould, and by one of the dies only, and
only one tablet, or pill, is produced by each entire reciprocation of the die, the
compression also being effected while one of the dies is at rest.
.
:
:

page_text: In contradistinction to such machines, the mould, according to my invention, has
a pressure space on each side of the feed aperture and the tablets, or pills, are,
alternately compressed on each side of such feed aperture while the dies are
performing useful work during their entire movements, respectively, whether
advancing or retracting, while within the mould, and the compressed tablets or
pills are ejected, alternately, from opposite sides of the mould by each die in its
order, and for each entire reciprocation of the dies two tablets or pills are
produced. My mould is, in fact, a double mould and the capacity of the machine
constructed according to my invention is more than double the capacity of any
machine for similar purposes heretofore constructed, while at the same time, it is
much more simple than machines heretofore constructed and is comparatively
inexpensive to build.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. In a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets or pills, the
combination of a mould having a central vertical feed and a pressure space on each
side of said feed aperture, with reciprocating dies, or punches, each of which,
alternately, acts to convey the material to the right or left of the vertical feed into
a pressure space, and to compress the same in such space against the opposite
resisting die, or punch, and each of which, alternately, acts to eject the compressed
tablet, or pill, from that side of the mould opposite to that where such ejecting die.
or punch entered the mould.
Secondly. In a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets and pills, the
combination of a feeding device I, with disc l¹ and cam G for effecting the rotation
thereof, and provided with means, as lug i, for effecting a vertical movement of
said feeding device at each revolution thereof, substantially as described.
Thirdly. In a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets and pills, a bar N,
provided with wedge-shaped projections at, or near, its opposite ends, and carriers K
and K' for reciprocating said bar alternately in opposite directions, in combination
with springs adapted to ride over said projections, respectively, so as to engage
with and displace the compressed tablets from the ends of the dies, substantially as
described.
Fourthly. In a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets and pills, the
cam G, in combination with the feed-adjusting spring G₁, screws 9 and g³
compressing spring G' and screw g' whereby the face of said cam can be varied
so as to effect a variable feed of material and a variable compression thereof, as
desired.
Fifthly. In a machine for manufacturing compressed tablets and pills, the
combination of mould J, dies k k¹ cam G, for reciprocating said dies, carriers K K¹
and rollers m m' for connecting the dies to the cam, compressing spring G' and
adjusting screw g³ for effecting a variable pressure of the tablet.
Din Naamhow A D
1901
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Chartered Patent Agent, London,
For the Applicant..