Method and apparatus for the application of coloring matter to tablets, such as dragees

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CONSECUTIVELY APPLYING COLORING MATTER TO TABLETS, SUCH AS DRAGEES AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RIBBON-LIKE CARRIER OF COLORING MATTER WHICH IS MORE READILY TRANSFERRABLE AT ELEVATED THAN AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, SAID CARRIER HAVING A PORTION LOCATED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND SAID CARRIER PORTION HAVING AN UPPER SIDE AND AN UNDERSIDE; STATIONARY IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS OF AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ELASTIC HEAT-RESISTANT MATERIAL, SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS LOCATED AT THE UPPER SIDE OF AND ADJACENT TO SAID CARRIER PORTION; MEANS FOR HEATING SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS; A RAM HAVING AN UPPER END VERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS AND RECIPROCABLE TOWARD THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CARRIER PORTION FOR DEFLECTING SAID CARRIER PORTION INTO CONTACT WITH SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR CONSECUTIVELY FEEDING TABLETS ONTO THE UPPER END OF SAID RAM, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING A MAGAZINE HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SUPPLY OF TABLETS, AND A CONVEYING PLATE LOCATED BENEATH SAID MAGAZINE AND FORMED WITH APERTURE MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TABLET THROUGH THE LOWER END OF SAID MAGAZINE, SAID PLATE RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID APERTURE MEANS IS LOCATED BENEATH SAID MAGAZINE TO RECEIVE A TABLET AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID APERTURE IS LOCATED ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID RAM SO THAT A TABLET CONTAINED IN SAID APERTURE MEANS MAY BE ENGAGED BY SAID UPPER END AND LIFRED INTO CONTACT WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CARRIER PORTION WHEREBY SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS DEFORMS A SELECTED PART OF SAID CARRIER PORTION INTO COLOR-TRANSMITTING COMPRESSIVE CONTACT WITH THE TABLE.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CONSECUTIVELY APPLYING COLORING MATTER TO TABLETS, SUCH AS DRAGEES AND THE LIKE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RIBBON-LIKE CARRIER OF COLORING MATTER WHICH IS MORE READILY TRANSFERRABLE AT ELEVATED THAN AT LOWER TEMPERATURES, SAID CARRIER HAVING A PORTION LOCATED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND SAID CARRIER PORTION HAVING AN UPPER SIDE AND AN UNDERSIDE; STATIONARY IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS OF AT LEAST SLIGHTLY ELASTIC HEAT-RESISTANT MATERIAL, SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS LOCATED AT THE UPPER SIDE OF AND ADJACENT TO SAID CARRIER PORTION; MEANS FOR HEATING SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS; A RAM HAVING AN UPPER END VERTICALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS AND RECIPROCABLE TOWARD THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CARRIER PORTION FOR DEFLECTING SAID CARRIER PORTION INTO CONTACT WITH SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS; AND MEANS FOR CONSECUTIVELY FEEDING TABLETS ONTO THE UPPER END OF SAID RAM, SAID FEEDING MEANS COMPRISING A MAGAZINE HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SUPPLY OF TABLETS, AND A CONVEYING PLATE LOCATED BENEATH SAID MAGAZINE AND FORMED WITH APERTURE MEANS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A TABLET THROUGH THE LOWER END OF SAID MAGAZINE, SAID PLATE RECIPROCABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH SAID APERTURE MEANS IS LOCATED BENEATH SAID MAGAZINE TO RECEIVE A TABLET AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH SAID APERTURE IS LOCATED ABOVE THE UPPER END OF SAID RAM SO THAT A TABLET CONTAINED IN SAID APERTURE MEANS MAY BE ENGAGED BY SAID UPPER END AND LIFRED INTO CONTACT WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CARRIER PORTION WHEREBY SAID IMPRESSION PRODUCING MEANS DEFORMS A SELECTED PART OF SAID CARRIER PORTION INTO COLOR-TRANSMITTING COMPRESSIVE CONTACT WITH THE TABLE.