US3837378A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for the transport and filling of ampoules
Assignee: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
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Filing: 1972-10-06
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Granted: 1974-09-24
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Expires: 1992-10-06
Abstract
Abstract A device for the transport and filling of ampoules comprising a rotatory transport plate on the periphery of which is provided at regular intervals holder grooves into each of which an ampoule can be inserted and held by the suction force of a source of suction applied through passages connecting the suction source and the grooves, and reciprocating constant volume pumps, each provided with support yokes co-axial and co-rotatory with the plate and positioned above each of the grooves, and with an exhaust portion to which are connected filler needles which are successively reciprocated to perform filling operations of ampoules during transport of the ampoules in said grooves.
Inventors
- 👤 H Kanki
- 👤 T Suzuki
- 👤 K Kurita
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 07:43
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B3/00; B65B3/003
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
253 words
A device for the transport and filling of ampoules, comprising a rotary transport plate having holder grooves at regular intervals around the periphery thereof having a shape and size for receiving an ampoule therein, said rotary transport plate having passages therethrough opening into said holder grooves, suction means coupled to said passages, drive means coupled to said plate for rotating said plate in one direction, ampoule supply means at a first position along the periphery of said rotary transport plate for supplying empty ampoules one at a time to the holder grooves, ampoule receiving means at a second position around the periphery of the rotary transport plate for receiving filled ampoules from said holder grooves, and fluid feeding means for feeding determined amounts of fluid into the ampoules and compRising a plurality of filler needles positioned above said rotary plate with one needle aligned with each holder groove, a plurality of yokes on which the respective needles are mounted and movable up and down above said rotary transport plate, mounting means for mounting said yokes and carrying them around the axis of transport plate, a fixed drum mounted above said rotary transport plate having a cam groove therearound, and cam rollers on said yokes and riding in said cam groove for successively lowering said needles into the ampoules and raising said needles out of said ampoules for performing the fluid filling operation during transport of said ampoules around the periphery of the rotary transport plate from said first position to said second position.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
253 words
A device for the transport and filling of ampoules, comprising a rotary transport plate having holder grooves at regular intervals around the periphery thereof having a shape and size for receiving an ampoule therein, said rotary transport plate having passages therethrough opening into said holder grooves, suction means coupled to said passages, drive means coupled to said plate for rotating said plate in one direction, ampoule supply means at a first position along the periphery of said rotary transport plate for supplying empty ampoules one at a time to the holder grooves, ampoule receiving means at a second position around the periphery of the rotary transport plate for receiving filled ampoules from said holder grooves, and fluid feeding means for feeding determined amounts of fluid into the ampoules and compRising a plurality of filler needles positioned above said rotary plate with one needle aligned with each holder groove, a plurality of yokes on which the respective needles are mounted and movable up and down above said rotary transport plate, mounting means for mounting said yokes and carrying them around the axis of transport plate, a fixed drum mounted above said rotary transport plate having a cam groove therearound, and cam rollers on said yokes and riding in said cam groove for successively lowering said needles into the ampoules and raising said needles out of said ampoules for performing the fluid filling operation during transport of said ampoules around the periphery of the rotary transport plate from said first position to said second position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
84 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said suction means comprises a fixed plate positioned beneath said rotary transport plate and with which the lower surface of said rotary transport plate is in sliding air tight contact, said fixed plate having a groove in the upper surface thereof extending substantially around said fixed plate from said first position to said second position, said passages in said rotary transport plate opening into said groove, and a source of suction coupled to said groove.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said ampoule supply means comprises a chute for delivery of ampoules to the periphery of the rotary transport plate, and said ampoule receiving means comprises a further chute for receiving ampoules from the rotary transport plate at said second position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the portion of each of said passages which open into said holder grooves is in the shape of a funnel, whereby an ampoule can be more readily held in the holder groove by suction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
104 words
A device as claimed in claim 1 in which each said filler needle comprises a pump unit having a piston and cylinder and a needle member associated with said piston and cylinder, and pump unit drive means coupled to said piston and cylinder for driving said piston and cylinder relative to each other and to said needle member during the lowering and raising of said filler needles for drawing fluid into the cylinder before the needle member is lowered into the ampoule, and then pumping the fluid through the needle member into the ampoule after the needle member has been lowered into the ampoule.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
125 words
A device as claimed in claim 5, in which each pump unit comprises a cylinder having an enlarged inner diameter portion in the central portion thereof, an intake piston in the upper end of said cylinder having an intake passage therethrough opening laterally of the lower end thereof, and an exhaust piston in the lower end of said cylinder attached to said needle member and having an exhaust passage opening laterally of the upper end thereof and opening into said needle member, and the pump unit drive means driving said cylinder relative to said exhaust piston and said intake piston relative to said cylinder to expose said laterally opening ends of the passage through said pistons to said enlarged inner diameter portion of said cylinder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A device as claimed in claim 6 in which said pump unit drive means comprises cam means fixed relative to the rotational movement of said filler needles with said rotary transport plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as claimed in claim 6 in which said pump unit drive means comprises hydraulic drive means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device as claimed in claim 6 in which said pump unit drive means comprises a crank mechanism.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
314 words
A device for the transport and filling of ampoules, comprising a series of more than two rotary transport plates each having holder grooves at regular intervals around the periphery thereof having a size and shape for receiving an ampoule therein, said rotary transport plates each having passages therethrough opening into said holder grooves, all of said plates being positioned in the same plane and each being tangent to a succeeding plate in the series with the rotational pOsitions of the plates being such that at the points of tangency a holder groove on one plate is opposite to a holder groove in the other plate, drive means coupled to said plates for rotating them synchronously at the same peripheral speed with tangent plates being rotated in opposite rotational directions, suction means coupled to the passages in each rotary transport plate, and including means for terminating the supply of suction to said holder grooves in each plate just prior to the time at which each holder groove reaches the point of tangency to the next succeeding plate in the series and for supplying suction to said holder grooves in each plate just prior to the time at which each holder groove reaches the point of tangency to the next preceding plate in the series, whereby ampoules can be released from the holder grooves in each plate in the series and transferred to the holder grooves in the next succeeding plate in the series, and fluid feeding means for feeding determined amounts of fluid into the ampoules comprising a plurality of filler needles mounted above one of the intermediate rotary transfer plates in said series and rotatable therewith, and including means for successively lowering said needles into the ampoules and raising the needles out of the ampoules for performing the filling operation during transport of the ampoules around the periphery of said intermediate rotary transport plate.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
314 words
A device for the transport and filling of ampoules, comprising a series of more than two rotary transport plates each having holder grooves at regular intervals around the periphery thereof having a size and shape for receiving an ampoule therein, said rotary transport plates each having passages therethrough opening into said holder grooves, all of said plates being positioned in the same plane and each being tangent to a succeeding plate in the series with the rotational pOsitions of the plates being such that at the points of tangency a holder groove on one plate is opposite to a holder groove in the other plate, drive means coupled to said plates for rotating them synchronously at the same peripheral speed with tangent plates being rotated in opposite rotational directions, suction means coupled to the passages in each rotary transport plate, and including means for terminating the supply of suction to said holder grooves in each plate just prior to the time at which each holder groove reaches the point of tangency to the next succeeding plate in the series and for supplying suction to said holder grooves in each plate just prior to the time at which each holder groove reaches the point of tangency to the next preceding plate in the series, whereby ampoules can be released from the holder grooves in each plate in the series and transferred to the holder grooves in the next succeeding plate in the series, and fluid feeding means for feeding determined amounts of fluid into the ampoules comprising a plurality of filler needles mounted above one of the intermediate rotary transfer plates in said series and rotatable therewith, and including means for successively lowering said needles into the ampoules and raising the needles out of the ampoules for performing the filling operation during transport of the ampoules around the periphery of said intermediate rotary transport plate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
114 words
A device as claimed in claim 10 in which said suction means comprises a fixed plate positioned beneath each rotary transport plate and with which the lower surface of the rotary transport plate is in sliding air tight contact, each fixed plate having a groove in the upper surface thereof extending substantially around the fixed plate from just before the point of tangency with a preceding rotary transport plate in the series to just before the point of tangency with a succeeding rotary transport plate in the series, said passages in the corresponding rotary transport plate opening into said groove, and a source of suction coupled to the grooves in the respective fixed plates.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
A device as claimed in claim 10 in which said drive means comprises gears mounted on said rotary transport plates meshed with each other, and a driving device coupled to one of said rotary transport plates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
192 words
A reciprocating constant volume pump for use in a device for filling ampoules which has a needle member movable into an ampoule and then out of the ampoule, said pump comprising a cylinder having an enlarged inner diameter portion in the central portion thereof, an intake piston in one end of said cylinder having an intake passage therethrough opening laterally of the inner end of the intake piston, and an exhaust piston in the other end of the cylinder attached to said needle member and having an exhaust passage opening laterally of the inner end of the exhaust piston and extending into the needle member, and pump driving means coupled to said intake piston and said cylinder for driving said cylinder relative to said exhaust piston and said intake piston relative to said cylinder to expose said laterally opening ends of the passages through said pistons to said enlarged inner diameter portion of said cylinder for drawing fluid into the cylinder before the needle member is moved into the ampoule and then pumping the fluid through the needle member into the ampoule after the needle member has been moved into the ampoule.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
192 words
A reciprocating constant volume pump for use in a device for filling ampoules which has a needle member movable into an ampoule and then out of the ampoule, said pump comprising a cylinder having an enlarged inner diameter portion in the central portion thereof, an intake piston in one end of said cylinder having an intake passage therethrough opening laterally of the inner end of the intake piston, and an exhaust piston in the other end of the cylinder attached to said needle member and having an exhaust passage opening laterally of the inner end of the exhaust piston and extending into the needle member, and pump driving means coupled to said intake piston and said cylinder for driving said cylinder relative to said exhaust piston and said intake piston relative to said cylinder to expose said laterally opening ends of the passages through said pistons to said enlarged inner diameter portion of said cylinder for drawing fluid into the cylinder before the needle member is moved into the ampoule and then pumping the fluid through the needle member into the ampoule after the needle member has been moved into the ampoule.
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) | 1977-09-23 | 1978-03-25 | 1978-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-23 | 1982-03-25 | 1982-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-23 | 1986-03-25 | 1986-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |