Patent ID: 7380388

Claim:
An apparatus for feeding articles for filling blisters of a blister band, said blister band being moved in a forward direction, the apparatus comprising: a frame; a bottomless chamber supported by said frame, the bottomless chamber being located in close proximity to said blister band, the bottom of said chamber being closed by the blister band moving in the forward direction; a first work unit and a second work unit, arranged in series within said bottomless chamber; said first work unit including: a first article supplying channel situated above a first accumulation area of said blister band for feeding articles onto said blister band moving in the forward direction, articles being collectable in said first accumulation area in a first quantity of articles; first sensor means located near said first article supplying channel for detecting a level of said first quantity of articles collected in the first accumulation area; and a first brush situated downstream from the first accumulation area and operated to counter-rotate with respect to said forward direction of the blister band to push upstream articles which have been not been properly received within blisters of the blister band; said second work unit, located downstream of said first work unit with respect to the forward direction of the blister band, including; a second article supplying channel situated above a second accumulation area of said blister band, for feeding articles onto said blister band moving in the forward direction, articles being collectable in said second accumulation area in a second quantity of articles; second sensor means located near said second article supplying channel for detecting a level of said second quantity of articles collected in the second accumulation area; and a second brush situated downstream of the second accumulation area and operated to counter-rotate with respect to said forward direction of the blister band to push upstream articles which have not been placed properly within blisters of the blister band; an article supply source; a first adjusting means connected to the article supply source for adjusting the flow of articles delivered to said first article supplying channel; a second adjusting means connected to the article supply source for adjusting the flow of articles into said second article supplying channel; the first adjusting means being responsive to said first sensor means for adjusting the supplying of articles to the first article supplying channel, so that said first quantity of articles in said first accumulation area is maintained at a level which will not allow a complete filling of the blisters of the blister band; and the second adjusting means being responsive to the second sensor means for adjusting the supplying of articles to the second article supplying channel so that said second quantity of articles in said second accumulation area is maintained at a level to provide complete filling of the blisters of the blister band.