Patent ID: 7073658

Claim:
A unit for feeding solid drug forms ( 2 ) to a conveyor line ( 3 ) of a machine for filling capsules, the conveyor line ( 3 ) comprising a feed station ( 23 ); and a first conveyor ( 5 ) having at least one pocket ( 8 ) for a bottom shell ( 4 ) of a capsule, and movable to feed the pocket ( 8 ) along an endless first path (P 1 ) extending in a given first plane (S 1 ) and through said feed station ( 23 ); the unit comprising a vibratory distributor plate ( 10 ); a hopper for feeding solid forms ( 2 ) onto the plate ( 10 ); and a feed device ( 22 ) comprising an input station ( 21 ) for receiving the solid forms ( 2 ) from the plate ( 10 ), an output station for feeding at least one solid form ( 2 ) to said feed station ( 23 ), and a second conveyor ( 24 ) having at least one seat ( 27 ) for the solid form ( 2 ), and movable to move the seat ( 27 ) along a given endless second path (P 2 ) extending in a second plane (S 2 ), parallel to the first plane (S 1 ), and through said input station and said output station; wherein the plate ( 10 ) comprises a cup-shaped container ( 11 ) for a number of solid forms ( 2 ), the container ( 11 ) having a given longitudinal second axis ( 12 ), and having a feed track ( 13 ) coiling about and along said second axis ( 12 ) to feed the solid forms ( 2 ) successively to said input station ( 21 ); wherein recirculating means ( 18 ) are located upstream from said input station ( 21 ) in a first travelling direction ( 19 ) of the solid forms ( 2 ) along said track ( 13 ), to transfer the solid forms ( 2 ) from the track ( 13 ) to said container ( 11 ); and wherein logic control means are provided for deactivating said recirculating means ( 18 ) when the seat ( 27 ) is located downstream from said input station ( 21 ) in a second travelling direction ( 33 ) of the seat ( 27 ) along said second path (P 2 ).