Apparatus for conveying and filling capsules

Claim 2

In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section: 1. an endless conveyor, 2. first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor, 3. each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber, 4. a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cAp section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber, 5. means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and 6. a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion; the improvement comprising: a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively, b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and c. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.

Claim 3

a plurality of capsule receiving means spaced along said conveyor;

Claim 4

a plurality of capsule receiving means spaced along said conveyor;

Claim 5

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions comprises: a. a pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel, b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.

Claim 6

first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor,

Claim 7

first and second capsule receiving means on said conveyor,

Claim 8

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions comprises: a. a pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having one or two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel, b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position, and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to an exhaust port of said manifold and the other end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in the working position.

Claim 9

each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,

Claim 10

each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,

Claim 11

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.

Claim 12

each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,

Claim 13

each of said capsule receiving means including a body portion arranged to move in a line along a predetermined path, said body portion having a chamber therein for receiving the body section and a bottom orifice communicating with said chamber,

Claim 14

a corresponding cooperating cap portion movably connected to the preceding body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber;

Claim 15

a corresponding cooperating cap portion movably connected to the preceding body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cap section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber;

Claim 16

The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion comprises a hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperture in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube.

Claim 17

a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cAp section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber,

Claim 18

a corresponding cooperating cap portion in displaceable alignment with said body portion, said cap portion having a chamber therein for receiving the cAp section, a means for retaining the cap section in said chamber when the body section is separated therefrom, and a bottom aperture communicating with said chamber,

Claim 19

means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and

Claim 20

means for separating the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and

Claim 21

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating body portion of said first capsule receiving means and the means for conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating cap portion of said second capsule receiving means comprise a single block wherein two independent ducts are provided which communicate with said apertures and orifices respectively, said ducts being disposed in said block in such a manner that there is simultaneous communication between their respective cap portion apertures and the cooperating body portion orifices.

Claim 22

means for separating the body section from the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and

Claim 23

means for separating the body section from the body section from the cap section after said capsule has been placed in said capsule receiving means, and

Claim 24

a cam means for misaligning said second portion from said first portion; the improvement comprising: a. a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel; b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to the first exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position; and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to the second exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working positon, d. a third hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; e. a fourth hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperTure in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; and f. means for supplying pressurized fluid to said manifold.

Claim 25

a cam means for misaligning said second portion from said first portion; the improvement comprising: a. a pivotally mounted pressurized fluid distribution manifold, having two exhaust ports, spatially disposed above the conveyor whereon said capsule receiving means travel; b. a first hollow tube having one end connected to the first exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working position; and c. a second hollow tube having one end connected to the second exhaust port of said manifold and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately above the space wherein said body portions travel after said cap portions have been misaligned from said body portions when said manifold is in its working positon, d. a third hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after having been misaligned from said body portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said first hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the aperture in said cap portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the orifice in said cooperating body portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; e. a fourth hollow tube having one end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said body portions travel after having been misaligned from said cap portions and positioned with the vertical center line of said end coaxially and spatially positioned with the discharge end of said second hollow tube, and the opposite end spatially disposed in the center line of and immediately below the space wherein said cap portions travel after said misalignment, said hollow tube being disposed so that the orifice in said body portion is in communication with one end of said tube at the same moment that the aperTure in said cooperating cap portion is in communication with the opposite end of said tube; and f. means for supplying pressurized fluid to said manifold.

Claim 26

In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section:

Claim 27

In a capsule filling machine having a capsule handling apparatus for receiving and conveying capsules, each capsule having a body section and a complementary cap section:

Claim 28

a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion; the improvement comprising: a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively, b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and c. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.

Claim 29

a cam means for misaligning said body portion from said cap portion; the improvement comprising: a. means for distributing and discharging pressurized fluid into the top of the chambers in said body and cap portions of said first and second capsule receiving means respectively, b. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the aperture in the bottom of said cap portion to the orifice in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned body portion of each of said capsule receiving means, and c. means for successively conducting a flow of fluid from the orifice in the bottom of said body portion to the aperture in the bottom of a cooperating misaligned cap portion of each of said capsule receiving means.