Machines for the Manufacture of Pills, Lozenges, and like Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Machines for the Manufacture of Pills, Lozenges, and like Articles.
We, ОBERLIN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeton, in the
County of Cumberland, and State of New Jersey, United States of America,
Manufacturer, and HARRY KENDALL MULFORD, likewise a citizen of the United
States, residing at 1800 Market Street in the City and County of Philadelphia, in
the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to a well known class of machines in which pulverulent,
granular, or plastic materials are compressed into solid forms by the operation of
oppositely disposed, and usually concave-ended, plunger dies or punches, which come
together or nearly together within the confines of a fixed bed die into which the
material to be compressed has by a suitable feed contrivance been previously fed
and from out of which the compressed pill or lozenge is ejected, by the elevation
of the lower plunger die after the act of compression has been performed.
Our invention comprehends certain improvements in the mounting and adjustment
of the plunger dies, certain improved means for actuating said dies, and certain
improvements in the construction of and means for operating the material feed, its
object being not only to render the construction of the machine more simple,
inexpensive, and durable, but also to provide in such a machine accurate means of
adjustment of the plunger dies.
A machine embodying our improvements is represented in the accompanying
drawings and described in this specification, the particular subject matter claimed
as novel being hereinafter definitely specified.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a machine embodying our invention.
Figure 2 a front elevational view of the same, the pill chute shown in figure 1
heing, however, for clearer illustration of the connection between the plunger stirrup
and ejector die, omitted.
Figure 3 is a central, vertical, sectional, elevation of the machine shown in figure 2, the
upper end of the stirrup rocker being moved in to the inner end of the groove /,
and the pill chute shown in figure 1 being omitted.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the said machine, the magazine and pill chute being
supposed removed.
Figure 5 is a fragmentary, sectional, elevation of the bed die, with both plunger
dies within it and in the position which they occupy when performing the act of
compression.
Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional plan of the machine in the plane of the dotted
line y-y of figure 2.
Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the stirrup rocker
and plunger stirrup.
Figure 8 is a magnified elevational detail of a portion of the upper plunger and of
the pitman which actuates it.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cam which actuates the hopper lever, of said
lever and of its hopper shaft and lever rocker.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the drawings, A is the frame work of the machine, the same being a vertical
standard or housing, preferably of the general form of a tubular body springing from
a flat flaring base a*, formed as to its front face with two projections or bosses, the
upper of which I terin the plunger boss a and the lower the bed boss a', and formed
[ Price 8d 1

page_text: as to its head or upper portion with two transversely extending bosses the upper of
which is drilled to constitute it the bearing a for the rock shaft, and the lower of
which is likewise drilled to constitute it the bearing a³ for the driving shaft.
The front face of the frame-work or standard proper of the machine is that from
which the plunger and bed bosses project. B is the driving shaft of the machine,-
a. horizontal shaft mounted as stated in the bearing a³ and extending from front
to rear of the machine. Beyond the rear face of its bearing this shaft is equipped
with the driving fly wheel C of the machine, the rotation of which, whether by
hand or power, occasions the rotation of the shaft.
Beyond the front face of its bearing the driving shaft is formed into or equipped
with a crank wheel to the wrist pin of which is connected a link or pitman D
the lower or depending extremity of which is pivotally connected with the upper
plunger E, which latter is free for vertical movement within the plunger boss a to
the vertical bore of which it is adapted, and which carries the upper or compressor
It is proper here to state that in this specification we employ the term
plunger die as comprehending both the plunger and the die proper which it carries,
and distinguish between the upper plunger and its so-called compressor die and the
lower plunger and its so-called ejector die, hereinafter described, by the terms upper
and lower plunger dies.
die e.
The compressor die may be formed as a part of the upper plunger or may as shown
in figure 3 be made separately therefrom and be connected therewith by a set screw e¹
which in the reciprocation of the upper plunger moves in a vertical slot a* in the
front face of the plunger boss a, an arrangement which incidentally assists to prevent
any rotation of the upper plunger within its boss bearing when such plunger is made
of cylindric form.
The link or pitman D which connects the wrist pin of the crank wheel on the
main shaft with the upper plunger, may be of any desired construction, but, in order
to readily and accurately adjust the normal vertical set of the upper plunger die in
pit-
order to thereby adjust its stroke, we prefer to adopt the well known "Stiles"
man represented in detail in figure 8, and which consists essentially of an eccentric
bushing d mounted upon the wrist pin of the crank wheel and clamped in any
position within a circumscribing spring clamp or bushing yoke d', which constitutes
the upper portion of the pitman proper, and is clamped with the requisite binding
pressure upon the bushing by means of a compressing bolt d².
The lower extremity of the pitman is pivotally connected with the upper plunger
preferably by being provided with a transverse cylindric knob or enlargement d³
adapted to a cylindric seat e in the upper extremity of the upper plunger. It will
now from a consideration of the above described devices be apparent that the rotation
of the driving fly wheel will be accompanied by the vertical reciprocation of the
upper plunger die, and that the limit of the downward movement of said die can be
regulated to a nicety by the adjustinent of the bushing of the pitman.
F is the lower plunger which is provided with the lower or ejector die f, and which
is adapted to a vertical bearing in the bed boss a¹.
The lower plunger die as an entirety is in alignment with the upper plunger die,
and the respective dies proper of said plungers are adapted to approach and recede
from each other at predetermined times and with predetermined but not correspon-
As in the case of the
dent movements, as hereinafter more fully set forth.
compressor die of the upper plunger, the ejector die of the lower plunger may be
either formed as a part of said plunger or applied to it in the same manner as is
said compressor die applied to its plunger, that is to say by the application of a set
screw passing through and playing within a vertical slot as in the front face of
the bed boss a. Z is an aperture in the rear face of the bed boss a¹, placing the
interior of the boss in communication with the interior of the standard A and
designed for the escape of any particles of material working down past the ejector
die.
Motion of intermittent reciprocal travel is imparted to the lower plunger die by
means of what we term a plunger stirrup G, the same being a hanger or yoke-like

page_text: pitman the upper extremity of which is pivoted by any preferred adjustable con-
nection to a rocker arm which we term a stirrup rocker H projecting from and
connected with the front extremity of a rock shaft I, and the lower extremity of
which is inturned and upturned and as to its upturned end provided with a cylindric
knob g adapted to a cylindric seat f' in the lower plunger.
It will be evident that an oscillatory up and down movement will be imparted to
the stirrup and consequently to the lower plunger die whenever the rock shaft is
oscillated, and that such up and down movement will naturally be either uniform or
irregular according as the movement of the rock shaft itself is uniform or irregular.
The oscillation of the rock shaft is accomplished by a rocker applied to the rear
extremity of the said rock shaft and equipped with a heel in the form of a friction
roll which is adapted to travel in a cam way c, figures 3 and 9, in a cam C*, being
preferably either connected with or a part of the driving fly wheel or else being
independently mounted upon the driving shaft.
In the operation of the machine the compression of the material is effected at the
time when the lower plunger die is at the lowest point of its stroke, the ejector die
being then near the bottom of the bed die and the plunger stirrup having come to a
bearing upon what I term the stirrup rest a upon the base of the machine.
When the parts referred to are in the foregoing position, the upper plunger
descends until the compressor die has entered the bed die and descended therein to
such point as to accomplish the required compression. Immediately thereafter both
dios ascend until the ejector die is flush with the upper face of the bed die, and in
such position comes to rest but the compressor die continues its ascent to the limit
of its upward travel and the ejector die after the advance of the feeding hopper,
whereof hereinafter, again descends to its first position.
It will be observed that the foregoing movement of the upper plunger die is a
regular one without dwell, and such as would be naturally occasioned by the
constant rotation of the crank wheel of the driving shaft,-while the movement of
the lower planger die is irregular, accompanied by a dwell at both the bottom and
the top of the stroke and such as would also be readily effected by a cam way of
irregular path or such in fact as is the cam way c of the cam C*.
The stirrup rest a upon which the plunger stirrup comes to a basal bearing and
which performs the office of a bed or anvil for the lower or ejector die to rest upon
during the period of the compression, may be of any desired construction. I prefer
to constitute it by an adjustable bolt of the character shown in figures 1, 2, and 3,
of the drawings.
In order to adjust the length of the stroke of the lower plunger die, that is to say
to determine the depth to which the ejector die shall sink so to speak within the bed
die, in order thereby to regulate the amount of material to be fed at one stroke of
the feed, the connection between the plunger stirrup and the stirrup rocker is an
adjustable one, which I prefer to form in the following manner:
The stirrup rocker which is formed as a part of or is rigidly attached to the front
extremity of the rock shaft is of segmental form and embodies in its front face a
segmental tongued groove into which is entered the tongue-shaped head of a bolt h³
the threaded shank of which is encircled by an eccentric bolt-bushing h¹ the peri-
pheral face of which serves as a pivot pin upon which is mounted the upper boxing or
bearing formed upon or being the upper extremity of the stirrup rocker.
The set of the eccentric bushing with respect to the bolt which it embraces, as
well as its set, together with that of the bolt, with respect to the slot within the
stirrup rocker, is readily determined by manual adjustment and readily maintained
by the tightening up of a nut upon the threaded extremity of the bolt which
binds said bolt-bushing against the front face of the stirrup rocker and locks both
said bushing and the bolt in the then position of parts.
According, therefore, to the set of the said bushing with respect to its circum-
scribed bolt, and to the set of said bolt with respect to the slot in the stirrup
rocker, is, as stated, the vertical movement of the plunger stirrup and consequently
of the lower plunger die.

page_text: The appliances for feeding the material to the dies and for discharging the
compressed pill, are the following:
The bed boss a¹ is surmounted by a laterally extending bed or table a', either
integral with said boss or applied thereto, upon which is mounted, for travel
longitudinal as to the said bed but lateral as to the machine, a feeding hopper K
which not only feeds the material into the bed die as but discharges the finished pill
from off the face of the bed after the lower plunger die has ejected it to above the
level of said bed and so as to present it in the path of the said hopper. The bed a
is made of length equal to the length of the movement of the hopper and is formed
of a single piece of metal so as to present a continuous unbroken surface to said
hopper.
The bed die as is simply a vertical cylindrical aperture through the bed, so
disposed as to be aligned with the compressor and ejector dies, which, being of the
same diameter, are of a diameter externally correspondent with the internal diameter
of the said bed die. If the dies of the plunger are of other than circular cross-
section, the bed die must correspond with them in cross-section, be that cross-section
what it may.
The ejector die is always within the bed die and forms the bottom to it, the depth
to which, in the movement imparted to it, the said ejector sinks within the said bed
die determining the amount of material to be subjected to compression.
The feeding hopper may be of any suitable form, but is preferably shoe-shaped as
shown in figures 1 and 2, has upon its under surface a flat bottom which rests and
travels upon the flat upper face of the bed, and, through said bottom, is provided with
a hole or opening k which in the advance position of the hopper is in alignment with
the bed die so as to permit of a discharge of the contents of the hopper into said
bed die.
In the foregoing or advance position the hopper is maintained by the action of a
C-shaped, or other preferred, spring J, while its retraction or backward movement is,
against the contracting stress of said spring, effected by the backward movement of a
hopper lever L which is provided at its free extremity with a laterally projecting lever
pin entered within a transverse pin socket k* in the hopper, which hopper lever is
mounted upon a rock shaft, being the hopper shaft l, housed in a bearing on the
frame-work, and is provided with a rocker arm, being the lever rocker, which,
through a roller 1, makes contact with the peripheral face of the cam C* berein-
before referred to. The said face of the said cam is of such outline or swell as to at
the proper time occasion the depression of the lever rocker, the oscillation of the
hopper shaft, and the backward swing of the hopper lever, with the result that, as
the pin socket for the lever pin of said lever is of sufficient vertical depth to permit
of the arc movement of said lever pin, the hopper is retracted until its front edge is
clear of the bed and plunger dies, without however lifting said hopper from the bed
plate.
Opposite to the swell or crest of the cam which serves to effect the foregoing back-
ward movement of the hopper, the peripheral face of the cam is corrugated or formed
with a succession of small crests and hollows which serve to impart to the lever
rocker, hopper shaft, and hopper lever, a movement of rapid and short vibration,
which is transmitted to the hopper as a series of short sharp shocks which serve
during the time when the act of feeding the bed die is being performed to prevent
the packing, and insure the discharge, of the contents of the hopper, but which do
not raise the hopper from the bed or affect its regular movement backward and
forward for the feeding of material.
The spring J not only serves to occasion the advance of the hopper and to hold it
down upon its bed, but also maintains the roller 1 of the lever rocker against the
face of the cam.
M is a magazine, being a funnel-shaped device suspended by a link m connected
conveniently by a hook m¹ with the stirrup rocker H, the spout of which is entered
within the upper throat of the feeding hopper and which, containing the material to
be fed into the hopper, feeds it thereinto by reason of the vibratory movement

page_text: imparted to it by the vibration of the stirrup rocker. Within this magazine is a
sieve m°. The feeding hopper proper and the magazine together constitute the
material-feed of the machine, but, as is evident, the magazine is not essential to the
operation of the hopper.
As mentioned, the advance of the hopper after the action of the dies for the
formation of the pill sweeps the pill so formed from off the ejecting die, which during
the period of the advance of the hopper is level with the upper face of said bed, from
off said bed, and, conveniently, into a discharging spout N connected with said bed.
Beneath the spout N and so located with reference thereto as to receive the discharge
therefrom, is a chute O, conveniently supported, so as to he free for an oscillatory
motion, upon vertical supporting wires Ox, the lower ends of which are preferably
attached to a dust pan O¹. The bottom of the chute is formed as a sieve and
beneath its discharge end is placed a receptacle for the finished pills. The pills which
are swept from the bod plate by the advanco movement of the hopper slide down the
discharge spout N and enter the chute. Oscillatory motion being imparted to the
chute the further descent of the pills to the pill receptacles is facilitated, but any dust
or particles of drug which may exist among them pass through the sieve and are
caught by the dust pan. We find it convenient to oscillate the chute by forming an
arm ³ as an extension of one of the side pieces of the chute, and making it of such
shape or so locating the chute, that said arm will be encountered by the plunger
stirrup in its reciprocation.
Such being a description of a convenient embodiment of our invention, its operation
will therefrom have been sufficiently understood, it being only now necessary to add
that changes in the form of the parts, as well as modifications in their relative
dispositions or applications, may obviously be made without departure from the
invention.
Thus we contemplate employing instead of a single pair of plunger dies, a series of
pairs in such case of course increasing the number of bed dies and so modifying the
imaterial feed as to cause it to co-operate with them all.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In a machine for forming pills by compression, a vertical standard or frame-
work supporting a horizontal bed embodying a bed die, vertically operating upper
and lower plunger dies, a driving shaft in the upper part of the frame-work, a crank
on said shaft which reciprocates the upper plunger die, a cam on said shaft which
oscillates a rock shaft provided with a rocker and a plunger stirrup depending from
said rocker which actuates the lower plunger die, substantially as set forth.
2. In a machine for forming pills by compression, a vertical standard or frame-
work supporting a horizontal bed embodying a bed die, vertically operating upper and
lower plunger dies, a driving shaft in the upper part of the frame-work, a crank on
said shaft which reciprocates the upper plunger die, a cam on said shaft which
oscillates a rock shaft provided with a rocker and a plunger stirrup depending from
which rocker which actuates the lower plunger die, a feeding hopper adapted to travel
upon the bed, and mechanism for occasioning both the travel and the shaking of the
hopper, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, a crank thereon, a
pitman connecting said crank and the upper plunger die, a cam, and a plunger stirrup
the lower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die and the upper end of
which is subjected to the action of the cam, substantially as set forth.
4. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, a crank thereon, a
pitman connecting said crank and the upper plunger die, a cam, and a plunger
stirrup the lower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die and the upper

page_text: end of which is connected by intermediate adjusting devices to the cam, substantially
as set forth.
5. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, the crank thereon, a
pitman connecting the crank and the upper plunger, a cam, a plunger stirrup the
lower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die, and the upper end of which
is attached to a rocker mounted on a rock shaft and operated by the can, and means
for causing said hopper to travel backward and forward on the bed plate, and for
shaking it when over the bed die, substantially as set forth.
6. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the plunger
stirrup formed with an upturned lower end, the lower plunger die pivotally connected
thereto, the stirrup rocker, on which the stirrup is hung, the rock shaft to which said
rocker is attached, the rock shaft arm, and the cam, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the plunger
stirrup formed with an upturned lower end, the stirrup rest which said plunger
stirrup encounters at the lowest point of its stroke, the lower plunger die pivotally
connected to the plunger stirrup, the rocker provided with a segmental dove-tailed
slot, in which slot the stirrup is hung, the rock shaft to which said rocker is attached,
the rock shaft arm, and the cam, substantially as set forth.
8. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, a bed plate embodying the bed die, the main
shaft, a feeding hopper, and means for causing said hopper to travel backward and
forward on the bed plate, and for shaking it when over the bed die, substantially as
set forth.
9. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, upper and
lower plunger dies, a bed die, a feeding hopper, means for occasioning the travel of
the said hopper relatively to said bed die, a magazine for supplying said hopper, and
means for imparting vibratory movement to said magazine, substantially as set forth.
10. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, a crank thereon, a
pitman connecting the crank and the upper plunger, a cam, the plunger stirrup the
lower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die and the upper end of which is
subjected to the action of a cam, a bed plate, a feeding hopper and means for causing
said hopper to travel backward and forward on the bed plate, and for shaking it when
over the bed die, substantially as set forth.
11. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, a crank thereon, a
pitman connecting the crank and the upper plunger, a cam, the plunger stirrup the
fower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die and the upper end of which is
subjected to the action of a cam, a bed plate, a feeding hopper having a flat bottom
surface through which an aperture in communication with the interior of the hopper
opens, embodying also a pin socket, the spring, the hopper shaft, the lever
arm, the
lateral pin, the rocker arm, and the cam, substantially as set forth.
12. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, the bed die, the main shaft, a crank thereon, a
pitman connecting the crank and the upper plunger, a cam, a plunger stirrup the
lower end of which is attached to the lower plunger die and the upper end of which is
subjected to the action of a cam, a bed plate, a feeding hopper upon said bed plate,
a cam having both a crest and corrugations, connective mechanism through which the
crest occasions the retraction and the corrugations the shaking of the said hopper,
and a spring for advancing said hopper, substantially as set forth.
13. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, a bed plate embodying a bed die, the main shaft,
a feeding hopper, and a magazine adapted to discharge into the hopper and connected
to a rocking or oscillating portion of the machine, substantially as set forth.
14. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper

page_text: plunger die, the lower plunger die, a bed plate embodying a bed die, the main shaft, a
feeding hopper, a magazine adapted to discharge into the hopper, and a link
connecting the said magazine to a moving part of the machine, substantially as set
forth.
15. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper
plunger die, the lower plunger die, a feeding hopper adapted to travel backward and
forward on a bed plate, and a bed plate which is as to that portion of its surface in
contact with said feeding hopper formed of a single piece or surface of material,
substantially as set forth.
16. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper and
lower dies, the bed plate, the reciprocating hopper, and the chute provided with a
sieve bottom, substantially as set forth.
17. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper and
lower dies, the bed plate, means for sweeping finished pills from the bed plate, the
sieve-bottomed chute, and devices for causing the jarring of said chute, substantially
as set forth.
18. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper and
lower dies, the plunger stirrup, the bed plate, devices for sweeping finished pills from
the bed plate, the sieve-bottomed chute, and an arm connected to said chute and pro-
jecting into the path of the plunger stirrup, substantially as set forth.
19. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper and
lower dies, the plunger stirrup, the bed plate, devices for sweeping finished pills from
the bed plate, the sieve-bottomed chute mounted upon supporting wires, and an arm
connected to said chute and projecting into the path of the plunger stirrup, sub-
stantially as set forth.
20. In a machine for forming pills by compression, in combination, the upper die
and the lower dies, the bed plate embodying a bed die, mechanism for causing the
reciprocation of the upper die, the stirrup for reciprocating the lower die, the set of
which stirrup is such that said lower die is not in its reciprocation withdrawn from
the bed die, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 13th day of May A.D. 1889
OBERLIN SMITH.
HARRY KENDALL MULFORD.