Patent ID: 7124912

Claim:
A pill delivery apparatus comprising: a tray having an upper surface adapted to contain a plurality of pills thereon, the tray defining an inner tray aperture; and a feeder tube extending from the inner tray aperture of the tray and adapted to deliver the pills from the tray to a container, the feeder tube comprising an inlet side proximate to the tray and an exit side opposite to the inlet side, the feeder tube defining a delivery chute extending between the inlet side and the exit side, the delivery chute defining one of the group consisting of a twisted linear shape and a helically exaggerated shape such that each of the pills rotates while proceeding through the delivery chute, the delivery chute being configured to rotate each pill at least one revolution while the pill proceeds between the inlet and exit sides, and the feeder tube being configured such that the rotation of the pills prevents jamming of the pills in the delivery chute.