Patent Description:
Various types of filling machines are known, arranged to fill capsules, in particular capsules of the body-cap type made of hard gelatin, with pharmaceutical or food products liquid, in powder, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs, etc..

Some known filling machines comprise a transfer turret or wheel, rotating around a vertical axis and provided with housings or seats arranged to receive the capsules, and a plurality of operating stations arranged around the aforementioned transfer turret. During its rotation, the transfer wheel moves the capsules, typically with intermittent motion, through the various operating stations comprising a capsule feeding station, one or more dosing stations and a capsule closing station.

In the feeding station a feeding apparatus is provided which picks up the capsules from a storage and, after having correctly oriented the capsule, inserts the latter ones into the seats of the transfer turret. Suitable means provides for opening the capsules by separating the caps from the bodies.

At the dosing station the product is dispensed in a controlled manner into the body of the capsules.

In the closing station the caps are again coupled to the respective bodies so as to close and recompose the capsules filled with the product which are conveyed out of the filling machine.

In some filling machines the dosing station comprises a dosing turret or wheel, rotatable about a respective vertical axis and typically provided with two groups of volumetric dosing devices, angularly spaced <NUM>° apart from one another with respect to the vertical axis and capable of picking up defined amounts or doses of product from a tank, in a picking position, transferring and then releasing the doses into the capsule bodies, in a releasing position.

The volumetric dosing devices of each group are angularly spaced apart and arranged so as to interact with a corresponding number of capsules housed in the seats of the transfer turret. Each dosing device includes a hollow tube or cylinder, which is arranged parallel to the vertical axis of the dosing turret and is provided with a lower opening, and a respective piston sliding inside the hollow cylinder. The piston forms inside the hollow cylinder a dosing chamber that is inferiorly open so as to receive and retain the product when the cylinder is inserted and plunged into a layer of product contained in a tank. The dosing turret is in fact movable also linearly along the vertical axis between a lowered position and a raised position.

In the lowered position of the dosing turret, while the cylinders of a group of dosing devices are plunged into the product inside the tank, so as to load and pick up respective product doses, the cylinders of the other group of dosing device are superimposed and substantially in contact with respective bodies of capsules to be filled, so as to transfer and release to the capsules the product doses.

When the dosing device is inserted and plunged at a predefined speed into the product layer contained in the tank, the product is inserted and compacted inside the hollow cylinder, in the dosing chamber, forming a sort of "core" of product which constitutes the dose.

The pistons are slidably mounted in the respective cylinders so that they can slide inside and expel the product doses. More precisely, each piston is movable according to an operating stroke between an upper internal position, in which with a lower end portion thereof forms the dosing chamber with the respective hollow cylinder, and a lower external position in which said lower end portion is facing the lower open end of the cylinder so as to empty the dosing chamber and transfer the product to the underlying capsule.

Pushers are mounted on the dosing turret and are arranged to move and push the pistons of dosing devices when the latter ones are positioned above the capsule bodies, along the operating stroke, from the internal position to the external position so as to expel the product doses.

The pushers are generally actuated by one or more pneumatic actuators mounted on the dosing turret. An elastic element, mounted inside the hollow cylinder of the dosing device, returns the piston to the internal position when it is disengaged from the respective pusher. The upper internal position of the piston can be changed with respect to the hollow cylinder to vary the volume of the dosing chamber. For this purpose, an upper end of the piston that is opposite the lower operating end is provided with a transverse pin which is slidable inside a through slot carried out in the side wall of the cylinder and abutting, in the upper internal position, with an adjustment plate mounted on the dosing turret. The vertical position of the adjustment plate may be varied so as to change the internal upper position of the piston. The transverse pin engaged in the cylinder slot further prevents the piston from escaping from the cylinder, defining the lower external position of the same.

Operating machines are also known in which the dosing turret is rotatable around a vertical axis and the dosing devices and the relative pistons mounted thereon are moved parallel to the vertical axis to load and pick up respective product doses (in the picking position), transfer and then release said doses into the bodies of the capsules (in the releasing position). The movement of the dosing devices and relative pistons is carried out by means of cam mechanisms contained inside the dosing turret.

A drawback of the above-described filling machines is that they are structurally and functionally quite complex and expensive because they require numerous mechanical means (cams) and/or pneumatic means (pneumatic cylinders) to move the dosing turret linearly and/or rotatably, the pistons inside the dosing devices in order to adjust the dosing chamber, the pushers to move the pistons in the dosing devices, or to move the dosing devices with respect to the dosing turret and/or the pistons.

The aforementioned known filling machines also have the drawback of not allowing the accurate dosing of products which are not easily compactable and/or compressible inside the cylinders, for example products in powders, granules, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs and the like. During the rotation of the transfer turret, especially if carried out at high speed, the product at the lower opening of the hollow cylinder, since it is not sufficiently compacted, tends to detach, thereby causing a variation in the amount of product actually dosed inside the capsule. These dosage variations, especially in the case of pharmaceutical productions, generally are not acceptable.

<CIT> discloses a continuous machine for filling containers with at least one product wherein each container is fed along a given path in time with a relative metering device, which withdraws the product from a tank, feeds the withdrawn product into the container. The metering device has a piston and a cylinder movable axially with respect to each other. Alock device provides for selectively locking the pistons and relative cylinders and prevents filling of metering device if no container present. An object of the present invention is to improve the filling machines and known methods for filling capsules or similar elements with products in powder, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs, or the like, in particular pharmaceutical or food products.

Another object is to realize a filling machine and a filling method which allow the reliable, precise and repeatable filling of capsules or similar elements also with products which are difficult to be compacted and/or compressed, such as powders.

A further object is to realize a high-performance filling machine with a simple and robust structure and a reliable and safe operation.

In a first aspect of the invention a filling machine according to claim <NUM> is provided.

In a second aspect of the invention a method for filling capsules with a product according to claim <NUM> is provided.

The invention can be better understood and implemented with reference to the attached drawings which illustrate an exemplary and non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which:.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the filling machine <NUM> according to the invention that is arranged to fill capsules <NUM> or similar containers with a product in powder, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs, or the like, in particular a pharmaceutical or food or other product P, comprises a rotating transfer turret <NUM> and a dosing station <NUM> of the product P in the capsules <NUM>.

The transfer turret <NUM> is for example rotatable about a respective axis, in particular vertical, and is arranged to transfer the capsules <NUM> through successive operating stations of the filling machine <NUM>, known and not illustrated in the figures. The transfer turret <NUM> is provided with first seats <NUM> and second seats <NUM> to respectively house bodies <NUM> and caps <NUM> of the capsules <NUM> (<FIG>), the latter ones being previously opened in an opening station, of a type known and not illustrated in the figures, which is arranged upstream of the dosing station <NUM>, with reference to a rotation direction of said transfer turret <NUM>.

The dosing station <NUM> is arranged to fill the bodies <NUM> of the capsules <NUM> with a predefined dose P1 of said product P picked up from a tank <NUM> and comprises a supporting element <NUM> and at least one dosing unit <NUM> that is mounted on the supporting element <NUM> and comprises a hollow and inferiorly open dosing cylinder <NUM> and a respective piston <NUM>, sliding inside the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

The supporting element <NUM> is linearly movable by first moving means <NUM> along two operating directions X, Y, at least between a lowered picking position B, in which the dosing unit <NUM> is inserted in the tank <NUM>, and a dosing position C, in which the dosing unit <NUM> is aligned with and facing a body <NUM> to be filled. The two operating directions comprise a first operating direction X, substantially vertical, and a second operating direction Y almost orthogonal to the first operating direction X and therefore substantially horizontal.

The supporting element <NUM> is also movable by the first moving means <NUM> along the first operating direction X from the lowered picking position B to a raised picking position A, in which the dosing unit <NUM> is disengaged and spaced from the tank <NUM> to allow the movement of the dosing unit in the position aligned and facing the body <NUM> to be filled.

The piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> is movable by second moving means <NUM> inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> between a first internal position D to form inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> a dosing chamber <NUM> suitable for picking up and retaining a dose P1 of product P, in particular when the supporting element <NUM> is arranged in the lowered picking position B, a second internal position E to reduce a volume of the dosing chamber <NUM> and compress the dose P1 contained therein while keeping the supporting element <NUM> in the lowered picking position B, and an external position F to push the dose P1 out of the dosing cylinder <NUM> and release it into the body <NUM> when the supporting element <NUM> is in the dosing position C.

In the lowered picking position B of the supporting element <NUM>, an open end or lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM> almost abuts a bottom wall 4a of the tank <NUM> so that the piston <NUM>, which is moved from the first internal position D to the second internal position E, can compress the dose P1 of product P against said bottom wall 4a.

The dosing cylinder <NUM> and the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> are mounted on the supporting element <NUM> substantially parallel to the first operating direction X.

The tank <NUM> includes, for example, a container provided with an annular housing <NUM> arranged to contain the product P and closed at the top by a lid <NUM> provided with a hole <NUM> for the passage of the dosing cylinder <NUM> of the first dosing unit <NUM>. The tank <NUM> can rotate about a respective vertical axis H so as to present to the first dosing unit <NUM> a layer of product P, inside the annular housing <NUM>, having always a constant height and suitable for a correct filling of the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

The first moving means <NUM> comprises a first electric linear actuator <NUM> for moving the supporting element <NUM> along the first operating direction X between the lowered picking position B and the raised picking position A, and a second electric linear actuator <NUM> for moving the supporting element <NUM> along the second operating direction Y between the raised picking position A and the dosing position C.

The second moving means <NUM> comprises a third electric linear actuator <NUM> for moving the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> selectively from the first internal position D to the second internal position E or to the external position F according to a first driving direction T, approaching the tank <NUM> or the body <NUM>, respectively.

The second moving means <NUM> further comprises a fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> for moving the piston <NUM> from the second internal position E or from the external position F to the first internal position D according to a second driving direction V, away from the tank <NUM> or the body <NUM>, respectively.

The fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> further allows to vary the first internal position D of the piston <NUM> with respect to the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM> so as to modify the volume of the dosing chamber <NUM> and thus the volume/amount of the dose P1 of product P to be dosed.

The electric linear actuators <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> comprise respective electric linear motors, for example of the type with a magnetic slider that slides inside a linear stator, or respective actuators provided with a rotary electric motor coupled to a lead screw transmission system, possibly by interposition of a motion reducer.

The first moving means <NUM> also comprises a first moving element <NUM> that is slidably supported by a supporting frame <NUM> of the filling machine <NUM>,is movable along the first operating direction X by the first electric linear actuator <NUM> and is arranged to slidably support the supporting element <NUM>, which is thus movable along the second operating direction Y, driven by the second electric linear actuator <NUM>. More precisely, the first moving element <NUM> is slidably mounted on a supporting upright <NUM> fixed to the supporting frame <NUM> and has one or more seats <NUM> adapted to slidably receive respective sliding pins <NUM> of the supporting element <NUM>. The latter has, for example, a substantially "L" shape and includes a first portion 5a parallel to the second operating direction Y, i.e., almost horizontal, to which the dosing unit <NUM> and more precisely the dosing cylinder <NUM> thereof is fixed, and a second portion 5b parallel to the first operating direction X to which the sliding pins <NUM> are fixed, extending in the opposite direction to the direction of the first portion 5a along the second operating direction Y.

The first electric linear actuator <NUM>, which is fixed to the supporting frame <NUM> of the filling machine <NUM> by means of connection means of known type and not illustrated, acts on the first moving element <NUM> by means of a respective stem 8a.

The second electric linear actuator <NUM> is fixed to the first moving element <NUM> and acts on the supporting element <NUM> by means of a respective stem 9a.

The second moving means <NUM> comprises a second moving element <NUM> connected to, and acting on, the piston <NUM> and movable relative to the supporting element <NUM> along the first operating direction X selectively by means of the third electric linear actuator <NUM> or the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM>.

More precisely, the second moving element <NUM> is actuated by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> in order to move the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> from the first internal position D to the second internal position E or to the external position F according to the first driving direction T, while it is actuated by the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> according to the opposite second driving direction V, to move the piston <NUM> from the second internal position E or from the external position F to the first internal position D.

The second moving element <NUM> is connected to a second end 13a of the piston <NUM> opposite a first end 13b of the piston <NUM> contained inside the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

A beating element <NUM>, or ram, is provided that is connected to, and moved by, the third electric linear actuator <NUM>, in particular is fixed to a stem 18a thereof, so as to hit with a definite impulsive force the second moving element <NUM> and then move the piston <NUM> to the second internal position E or to the external position F at high speed and exerting a high pushing/compressive force on the dose P1 contained in the dosing chamber <NUM>, respectively to compress the product contained in the dosing chamber <NUM> during the picking step or to expel the dose P1 from the dosing unit <NUM> and insert the dose in the body <NUM>.

The third electric linear actuator <NUM> may be adjusted so as to hit the second moving element <NUM> with different impulsive forces, in particular with a first higher impulsive force to move the piston <NUM> to the second internal position E in the powder compression step and a second lower impulsive force to move the piston <NUM> to the external position F in the dose P1 expulsion step.

In the lowered picking position B of the supporting element <NUM>, the beating element <NUM> is actuated by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> from a first rearward position R1, in which the beating element is spaced from the second moving element <NUM> by a definite distance, to a first working position in which the bearing element pushes the piston <NUM> to the second internal position E.

In the dosing position C of the supporting element <NUM>, the beating element <NUM> is moved with impulsive motion by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> from a second rearward position R2, in which beating element is spaced from the second moving element <NUM> by a definite distance, to a second working position in which beating element pushes the piston <NUM> to the external position F.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second moving element <NUM> is directly supported by the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> which is fixed to the supporting element <NUM>. In particular, a body of the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is fixed to the second portion 5b of the supporting element <NUM>, and a end of a movable stem 19a of said fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is fixed and supports the second moving element <NUM>.

As better explained in the following description, the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is selectively activated to move the second moving element <NUM> according to the second driving direction V or deactivated to enable the second moving element <NUM> to slide freely and in particular to be moved by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> according to the first driving direction T, in particular to be hit and moved by the beating element <NUM>.

The dosing station <NUM> further comprises air suction means, of known type and not illustrated in the figures, connected to the dosing unit <NUM> through a respective conduit <NUM> in order to suck air from inside the respective dosing cylinder <NUM> and cooperate in picking up the dose P1 during the picking of the product P from the tank <NUM> and retaining the dose inside the dosing chamber <NUM>, in particular during the movement of the supporting element <NUM> along the two operating directions X, Y.

It is provided that in the filling machine <NUM> of the invention the dosing station <NUM> includes a plurality of dosing units <NUM> supported by the supporting element <NUM> and arranged parallel to one another and regularly spaced, linearly or along an arc of circumference so as to form a group of dosing units <NUM>.

In this case, the second moving means <NUM> act on the respective pistons <NUM> of said plurality of dosing units <NUM>, and in particular the second moving element <NUM> is connected to said pistons <NUM>.

The number of dosing units <NUM> is equal to the number of bodies <NUM>, housed in the first seats <NUM> of the transfer turret <NUM> to be filled in a single operation or step. The pitch or angular distance between two adjacent dosing units <NUM> is equal to the pitch or distance between two adjacent first seats <NUM> of the transfer turret <NUM>.

In a variant of the filling machine <NUM> of the invention that is not shown in the figures, mechanical (blades) or pneumatic (air blows) scraping means are arranged to scrape the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM> and detach the excess of product P from the dose P1, when the dosing unit <NUM> is extracted and raised from the tank <NUM>, in the raised dosing position A of the supporting element <NUM>, with the piston <NUM> arranged in the second internal position E. After scraping , the piston <NUM> is moved to the first internal position D so as to bring the dose P1 of compressed and compacted product completely inside the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

The operation of the filling machine <NUM> of the invention and in particular of the dosing station <NUM> comprises in a first step (<FIG>) to arrange the supporting element <NUM> in the raised picking position A in which the first dosing unit <NUM> is arranged above the tank <NUM> of the product P, and in particular is aligned with the hole <NUM> of the lid <NUM> of the tank <NUM>.

Preliminarily, the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is actuated so as to move the second moving element <NUM> and adjust the first internal position D of the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> with respect to the lower opening 12a of the corresponding dosing cylinder <NUM>, so as to form within the latter a dosing chamber <NUM> having a predetermined volume.

In a second step (<FIG> and <FIG>) the supporting element <NUM> is linearly moved along the first operating direction X from the raised picking position A to the lowered picking position B by the first electric linear actuator <NUM> of the first moving means <NUM> so that the dosing unit <NUM> is inserted or "plunged" inside the tank <NUM>, passing through the hole <NUM> of the lid <NUM>, in the layer of product P contained in the annular housing <NUM>. As known, by inserting the dosing cylinder <NUM> in the layer of product P a portion of the latter penetrates inside the dosing chamber <NUM>, forming a "core" or dose P1 of product.

The dose P1 of product picked up from the tank <NUM>, can also be introduced and retained in the dosing chamber <NUM> also by virtue of the air suction performed inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> by the air suction means connected to the dosing unit <NUM> through a respective conduit <NUM>. In a third step (<FIG>), the third electric linear actuator <NUM> of second moving means <NUM> is actuated so that the beating element <NUM> hits with a definite impulsive force the second moving element <NUM> and then the piston <NUM> until the latter is positioned in the second internal position E. In this way the piston <NUM> is moved according to the first driving direction T with an impulsive motion with high speed and such as to exert a high thrust/compression force on the dose P1 contained in the dosing chamber <NUM> so as to compress the product of the dose P1, in particular against the bottom wall 5a of the tank <NUM>.

The compression allows compacting optimally the product, especially a powder product, with air leaking through a cylindrical meatus formed by the piston <NUM> and an internal wall of the dosing cylinder <NUM>. In addition, the dose P1 strongly adheres to the internal walls of the dosing cylinder <NUM>, making more difficult to detach the product in the subsequent operating steps.

While driving of the third electric linear actuator <NUM>, the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is deactivated or made "idle" to allow the second moving element <NUM> to slide freely and then be moved with impulsive motion by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> according to the first driving direction T.

Said third step of compression may not be performed if it is not necessary to compress/press the product in the dosing chamber.

In a fourth step, the third electric linear actuator <NUM> is actuated so as to disengage and move the beating element <NUM> away from the second moving element <NUM> so as to allow the activated third electric linear actuator <NUM> to return the piston <NUM> to the first internal position D, thereby increasing a volume of the dosing chamber <NUM>, and move the product dose P1 further inside the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

The retracting movement of the piston <NUM> inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> substantially produces a "suction and dragging effect" of the product dose P1 inside the dosing chamber <NUM>, allowing a peripheral portion of the dose to be moved away from the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM>. In this way, during the movement of the supporting element <NUM> in order to position the dosing unit <NUM> at the body <NUM> to be filled, said peripheral portion of the dose P1, since it is completely contained inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> and adheres to the internal walls of thereof, is more difficult to detach and fall from the dosing cylinder <NUM> due to air flows and/or vibrations generated by the translation of the dosing element <NUM>.

In a fifth step (<FIG>), the supporting element <NUM> is moved by the first electric linear actuator <NUM> from the lowered picking position B to the raised picking position A so as to disengage the dosing unit <NUM> from the product P and the tank <NUM> and allow the subsequent movement of the dosing unit.

It is also possible that the fourth step and the fifth step coincide, i.e. that simultaneously with the raising movement of the supporting element <NUM>, the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> is moved by the first electric linear actuator <NUM> in the first internal position D, so as to increase the volume of the dosing chamber <NUM> and move the dose P1 of product picked up from the tank <NUM> further inside the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

In a sixth step (<FIG>) the supporting element <NUM> is moved along the second operating direction Y by the second electric linear actuator <NUM> of the first moving means <NUM> in the dosing position C in which the first dosing unit <NUM> is aligned and facing a first seat <NUM> of the transfer turret <NUM>, in particular with the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM>.

In a seventh step (<FIG>) the third electric linear actuator <NUM> is actuated so that the beating element <NUM> hits with a definite impulsive force the second moving element <NUM> and then the piston <NUM> until the latter is arranged in the external position F so as to expel the dose P1 from the dosing cylinder <NUM> and release it into the body <NUM>. The impulsive force exerted by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> by means of the beating element <NUM> on the second moving element <NUM> may be different, in particular lower, than the impulsive force exerted in the third compression step.

Also in this step, while driving the third electric linear actuator <NUM>, the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> is deactivated or made "idle" to allow the second moving element <NUM> to slide freely and then be moved with impulsive motion by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> according to the first driving direction T.

Any air suction inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> is deactivated in this seventh step so as not to hinder the expulsion of the dose P1.

In an eighth step (<FIG>), the third electric linear actuator <NUM> is actuated so as to disengage and move the beating element <NUM> away from the second moving element <NUM> so as to allow the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM>, which is actuated, to return the piston <NUM> to the first internal position D to form the dosing chamber <NUM>.

In a ninth step or during the eighth step, the supporting element <NUM> is moved by the second electric linear actuator <NUM> from the dosing position C to the raised picking position A in order to arrange the dosing unit <NUM> above and aligned with the hole <NUM> of the lid <NUM> of the tank <NUM> (<FIG>).

Once the body <NUM> of a capsule <NUM> has been filled with the dose P1 of product P, the transfer turret <NUM> is rotated at a definite angle or pitch so as to place a subsequent body <NUM> to be filled and steps <NUM> to <NUM> are repeated in the dosing station <NUM>.

It should be noted that the description of the operation of the filling machine <NUM> is the same also in the case of a plurality of dosing units <NUM>, arranged to simultaneously fill a plurality of bodies <NUM> (in equal number to that of the dosing units <NUM>) with respective doses P1 of product so as to increase a productivity of the filling machine <NUM> of the invention.

The method according to the invention for filling capsules <NUM> or similar containers with a product P in powder, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs, or the like comprises the following steps:.

in which the step of moving the dosing unit <NUM> is carried out by activating first moving means <NUM> for moving the supporting element <NUM> along two operating directions X,Y, at least between a lowered picking position B, in which the dosing unit <NUM> is inserted in the tank <NUM>, and a dosing position C, in which the same dosing unit <NUM> is aligned and facing the body <NUM>.

It is possible to move the piston <NUM> from the first internal position D to the second internal position E by imparting to the piston <NUM> a definite impulsive force so as to move the piston at high speed and with a high pushing force acting on the dose P1 contained in the dosing chamber <NUM> for an optimal compression of the product.

The method further provides, before moving the dosing unit <NUM> and after moving the piston <NUM> to the second internal position E, to move the piston <NUM> to the first internal position D in order to increase a volume of said dosing chamber <NUM> and further move inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> the dose P1 of product P, in particular powder product, picked up from the tank <NUM> and compressed, in order to prevent detachments of product P from the dose P1 during movement of the dosing unit <NUM>.

Picking up the dose P1 of product comprises inserting or "plunging" the dosing unit <NUM> into a layer of product P contained in the tank <NUM> so that an open end or lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM> substantially abuts the bottom wall 4a of said tank <NUM> and a part of the product P penetrates inside the dosing chamber <NUM> formed by the piston <NUM> in the hollow dosing cylinder <NUM>, thereby obtaining the product dose P1.

Moving the supporting element <NUM> to move the dosing unit <NUM> comprises linearly moving the supporting element <NUM> on which the dosing unit <NUM> is mounted along a first operating direction X between the lowered picking position B and a raised picking position A, in which the dosing unit <NUM> is disengaged and spaced from the tank <NUM>, and along a second operating direction Y orthogonal to the first operating direction X between the raised picking position A and the dosing position C, in particular by means of a first electric linear actuator <NUM> and a second electric linear actuator <NUM>.

The method also comprises moving the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> from the first internal position D to the second internal position E or to the external position F, in particular according to a first driving direction T approaching the tank <NUM> or the body <NUM>, by means of a third electric linear actuator <NUM>.

The method comprises moving the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> from the second internal position E or from the external position F to the first internal position D, in particular according to an opposite second driving direction V away from the tank <NUM> or the body <NUM>, by means of a fourth electric linear actuator <NUM>.

The method then comprises moving the piston <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> during the compression of the dose P1 of product P in the tank <NUM> (second internal position E) and during the expulsion thereof into the body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM> (external position F) with a very high speed and pushing force that are greater than those necessary to return the piston <NUM> to the first internal position D.

It is also provided to vary the first internal position D of the piston <NUM> in the respective dosing cylinder <NUM> by means of the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> so as to modify a volume of the dosing chamber <NUM> and then a volume of the dose P1 of product P picked up from the dosing unit <NUM>.

It is also provided to vary the second internal position E of the piston <NUM> in the respective dosing cylinder <NUM> by means of the third electric linear actuator <NUM> so as to modify the volume of the dosing chamber <NUM> and therefore the compression rate of the product P contained therein, in particular according to physical/chemical characteristics of the product. The method also comprises sucking air inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> to help to pick up the dose P1 of product P from the tank <NUM> and to retain the dose P1 inside the dosing chamber <NUM> during the movement of the dosing unit <NUM>, in particular during a vertical raising movement of the supporting element <NUM> along the first operating direction X from the lowered picking position B to the raised picking position A, and during a horizontal movement of the supporting element <NUM> along the second operating direction Y from the lowered picking position B to the dosing position C.

In a variant of the method for filling of the invention it is further provided, after picking up the dose P1 of product P and before moving the piston <NUM> from the second internal position E to the first internal position D, to scrap the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM> to detach an excess of product P from the dose P1.

The filling machine <NUM> and the method of the invention thus allow to fill capsules or similar elements in a reliable, accurate and repeatable way also with products which are difficult to compact and/or compress, such as for example powders, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs, i.e. products more susceptible to outflow from the dosing unit during the movement thereof from the tank <NUM> of product P for forming the dose P1, to the first seat <NUM> of the transfer turret <NUM> for filling the body <NUM> of the capsule <NUM>. In particular, thanks to the compression performed by the piston <NUM> during the step of picking the dose P1, a powder product contained in the dosing chamber <NUM> can be effectively compressed and compacted. In fact, the compressing and compacting movement is performed by the beating element <NUM> which is actuated by the third electric linear actuator <NUM>, of adequate power, so as to hit with a specific and selectable impulsive force the second moving element <NUM> and then move the piston <NUM> at high speed in the second internal position E so as to exert a high thrust or compression force on the dose P1, capable of releasing the air contained in the product (typically powder).

The third electric linear actuator <NUM> can be easily adjusted to calibrate the speed, push/compression force, and stroke of the piston <NUM> based on the specific product P to be compressed.

Likewise, the third electric linear actuator <NUM> can be suitably adjusted so that the beating element <NUM> hits with a definite impulsive force the second moving element <NUM> and then the piston <NUM> in the step of expelling the dose P1 from the dosing cylinder <NUM> into the body <NUM>. The impulsive force exerted by the third electric linear actuator <NUM> by means of the beating element <NUM> on the second moving element <NUM> may be lower than the impulsive force exerted in the third step of compression.

The rising movement of the piston <NUM> in the second driving direction V is instead performed by the fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> which can have much smaller dimensions and power, having to move only the piston <NUM>. The fourth electric linear actuator <NUM> allows controlling in a precise, accurate and repeatable way the motion of the piston <NUM>, in particular allows to select one of a plurality of first internal positions D which define respective volumes of the dosing chamber <NUM> of the dosing unit <NUM>.

As previously emphasized, the rearward movement of the piston <NUM> inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> after the compression of the powder in the dosing chamber <NUM> causes a dragging by "suction" of the dose P1 of product inside the dosing chamber <NUM>, which allows to move the peripheral portion of the dose P1 away from the lower opening 12a of the dosing cylinder <NUM>. In this way, during the movement of the supporting element <NUM> (to align the dosing unit <NUM> to a first seat <NUM> of the transfer turret <NUM>), said peripheral portion of dose P1 is completely contained inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> and, adhering to the internal walls thereof thanks to the compression previously performed, it is more difficult to detach due to air flows and/or vibrations generated by the movement of the supporting element <NUM>.

This solution together with the compression of the dose P1 at the picking step is particularly advantageous in the case of products P in powder form which are more difficult to compress inside the dosing cylinder <NUM> and therefore more susceptible to outflow during the movement of the dosing unit <NUM>, in particular during the translation movement of the supporting element <NUM>.

The latter is moved linearly along the first operating direction X between the raised picking position A and the lowered picking position B and vice versa by the first electric linear actuator <NUM>, while it is moved along the second operating direction Y, from the tank <NUM> to the transfer turret <NUM>, i.e. from the raised picking position A to the dosing position C and vice versa, by the second electric linear actuator <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Filling machine (<NUM>) for filling capsules (<NUM>) or similar containers with a product in powder, granules, tablets, micro-tablets, delayed-action drugs or similar, comprising a rotating transfer turret (<NUM>), arranged to transfer said capsules (<NUM>) through successive operating stations and provided with at least seats (<NUM>, <NUM>) to house bodies (<NUM>) and caps (<NUM>) of said capsules (<NUM>), and at least one dosing station (<NUM>) that is arranged to fill said bodies (<NUM>) with a product (P) picked-up from a tank (<NUM>) and comprising a supporting element (<NUM>) and at least one dosing unit (<NUM>) mounted on said supporting element (<NUM>) and comprising a hollow and inferiorly open dosing cylinder (<NUM>) and a respective piston (<NUM>), characterized in that said supporting element (<NUM>) is movable by first moving means (<NUM>) along two operating directions (X, Y) at least between a lowered picking position (B), in which said dosing unit (<NUM>) is inserted in said tank (<NUM>), and a dosing position (C), in which said dosing unit (<NUM>) is aligned with and facing a body (<NUM>) of a capsule (<NUM>), said respective piston (<NUM>) of said dosing unit (<NUM>) being movable by second moving means (<NUM>) inside said dosing cylinder (<NUM>) between a first internal position (D) to form inside said dosing cylinder (<NUM>) a dosing chamber (<NUM>) suitable for picking up and retaining a dose (P1) of product (P), a second internal position (E) to reduce a volume of said dosing chamber (<NUM>) and compress said product dose (P1) in said dosing chamber (<NUM>) in said lowered picking position (B) of said supporting element (<NUM>), and an external position (F) to push said dose (P1) out of said dosing cylinder (<NUM>) and release the dose into a body (<NUM>) in said dosing position (C) of said supporting element (<NUM>).