US3558004A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Article dispensing apparatus with automatic dribble feed
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-03-18
•
Granted: 1971-01-26
•
Expires: 1989-03-18
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of small, solid, objects, such as pills, including a hopper having a grooved spout extending from one side of the hopper, a vibrating device for vibrating the hopper to move the objects through the spout, a concussion or impact-type detector positioned in the path of the objects so that the objects consecutively impinge on the detector, and a counter connected to the detector for counting the objects consecutively impinging on the counter. The groove in the spout is sinuous and inclined to assure that a plurality of the objects will not be discharged from the spout simultaneously, and the hopper is mounted in a vibrating bed. The detector is electrically connected to the counter through a sensitive microphonic amplification system which permits relatively high speed detection and counting.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry S Boyd Jr
- 👤 David M Boyd
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 06:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06M; G06M3/00; G06M3/02; G06M3/021; G06M3/022; A; A61; A61J; A61J7/00; A61J7/02; B; B65; B65B; B65B35/00; B65B35/30; B65B35/34; B65B57/00; B65B57/20; B65B65/00; B65B65/08; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S198/00; Y10S198/958
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of articles comprising: means for containing the articles; means projecting from the containing means and having a curvilinear groove therein for discharging them at a location remote from said containing means, said groove being configured to offer decreasing resistance to articles moving along the length of said groove from said containing means; a detector device positioned at said remote location in the path of discharge of said articles from said groove for detecting each article discharged from said groove; counter means connected to said detector device and responsive to article detection thereby; and a vibrating device connected to said containinG means and to said counter means for vibrating said containing means and said means projecting therefrom until said counter means has counted a predetermined number of times in response to said detector device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of articles comprising: means for containing the articles; means projecting from the containing means and having a curvilinear groove therein for discharging them at a location remote from said containing means, said groove being configured to offer decreasing resistance to articles moving along the length of said groove from said containing means; a detector device positioned at said remote location in the path of discharge of said articles from said groove for detecting each article discharged from said groove; counter means connected to said detector device and responsive to article detection thereby; and a vibrating device connected to said containinG means and to said counter means for vibrating said containing means and said means projecting therefrom until said counter means has counted a predetermined number of times in response to said detector device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said groove is sinuous in configuration.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said groove is substantially curved through a serpentine configuration over a major portion of its length from said containing means outwardly, with the radius of curvature thereof continuously increasing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said groove is upwardly inclined over its length, and wherein said vibrating device vibrates said projecting means in a manner to move said articles upwardly in said groove from said containing means to said remote location.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said vibrating device comprises: means for periodically pushing said containing means in the direction which said groove extends therefrom; and means for retracting said containing means in a direction away from said groove at a substantially faster rate than said pushing means pushes said containing means and after each pushing stroke of said pushing means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
64 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said means for periodically pushing said containing means comprises a periodically energized solenoid having an armature connected to said containing means; and wherein said retracting means comprises spring means resiliently opposing the pushing stroke developed by said solenoid and resiliently biasing said containing means in said direction away from said groove upon termination of said pushing stroke.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said detector device comprises an impact-type detector having a microphonic pickup for detecting articles impinging on said detector device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 and further characterized as including means for selectively varying the sensitivity of said microphonic pickup.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
100 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said counter means is a subtractive sequential counter into which a preselected count number may be set, and which is responsive to signals from said detector device to count from said preselected count number to zero in correlation to the successive detection of a number of said articles corresponding to said preselected count number; and wherein said apparatus is further characterized in having electrical circuitry interconnecting said vibrating device and said subtractive sequential counter for energizing said vibrating device during the time said counter is counting from said preselected count number to zero.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein: said counter further includes means for closing an electrical circuit when said counter has counted to within three through five counts of zero; and wherein said apparatus further includes a second electrical circuit in parallel with said first-mentioned electrical circuit for dividing the current flowing through said first-mentioned electrical circuit to thereby decrease the vibrational frequency of said vibrating device, said second circuit being positioned for closure by said closing means included in said counter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 and further characterized to include means for reducing the vibrational frequency at a selected time during the counting by said counter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 11 and further characterized to include means for energizing and increasing the vibrational frequency of said vibrator device over the vibrational frequency thereof which occurs during the counting by said counter at a time after said counter has counted to zero.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said vibrating device comprises: means for periodically pushing said containing means in the direction which said groove extends therefrom; and means for retracting said containing means in a direction away from said groove at a substantially faster rate than said pushing means pushes said containing means and after each pushing stroke of said pushing means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein said detector comprises an impact-type detector having a microphonic pickup for detecting articles impinging on said detector device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for containing the articles comprises a hopper, and said projecting means comprises a chute extending from said hopper and having said groove in the bottom thereof and aligned with the bottom of sad hopper.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized to include means for selectively varying the vibrational frequency of said vibrating device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said means for selectively varying the vibrational frequency of said vibrating device comprises electrical circuitry connected to said vibration device and including: a plurality of electrical resistances; and switching means for electrically connecting selected amounts of electrical resistance to said vibrating device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and further characterized to include means for selectively varying the sensitivity of said detecting device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of articles comprising: means for containing the articles; means extending away from the containing means and having a groove therein for receiving articles from the containing means, and for discharging them at a location remote from the containing means; a detector device positioned at said remote location in the path of discharge of articles from said groove for detecting each article discharged from said groove; counter means connected to said detector device and responsive to article detection thereby; a vibrating device connected to said containing means and to said counter means for vibrating said containing means and said means projecting therefrom until said counter means has counted a predetermined number of times in response to said detector device; and means for automatically varying the vibrational frequency of said vibrating device when said counter means has counted a preselected number of pills.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
146 words
Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of articles comprising: means for containing the articles; means extending away from the containing means and having a groove therein for receiving articles from the containing means, and for discharging them at a location remote from the containing means; a detector device positioned at said remote location in the path of discharge of articles from said groove for detecting each article discharged from said groove; counter means connected to said detector device and responsive to article detection thereby; a vibrating device connected to said containing means and to said counter means for vibrating said containing means and said means projecting therefrom until said counter means has counted a predetermined number of times in response to said detector device; and means for automatically varying the vibrational frequency of said vibrating device when said counter means has counted a preselected number of pills.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-01-25 | 1974-07-27 | 1975-01-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-01-25 | 1978-07-27 | 1979-01-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-01-25 | 1982-07-27 | 1983-01-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |