US3882316A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Quality control monitor for medicinal capsule packaging apparatus
Assignee: GlaxoSmithKline LLC
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Filing: 1973-05-24
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Granted: 1975-05-06
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Expires: 1993-05-24
Abstract
Abstract Medicinal capsules which are secured by machine to a backing strip are photoelectrically inspected by multiple pairs of light sources and detectors specially arranged so as to permit the simultaneous inspection of a number of closely spaced capsules arranged in a row. The extent to which a capsule is filled is determined by the time interval during which a light beam is blocked by the capsule contents. This interval is electrically compared with a standard time interval. After the backing strip is cut into separate cards, each carrying several capsules, the electrical comparison means effects rejection of any card containing an unsatisfactory capsule. Further means are provided for similarly rejecting cards having badly misaligned capsules. Should the apparatus sense an excessive number of unsatisfactory cards, the packaging machinery is automatically shut down. Electrical means are provided for adjusting the delay between the sensing of an unsatisfactory capsule or row of capsules and the mechanical rejection of a card in order to effect optimum operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles R Garris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 20:18
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65B; B65B57/00; B65B57/10; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/34; B07C5/3404; B07C5/36; B07C5/363; B07C5/365; G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/0078; G01N33/0081
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A quality control monitor for medicinal capsule packaging apparatus comprising: means for photoelectrically sensing the presence of medication in a capsule and providing an electrical signal the time duration between the onset and the cessation of said signal being a function of the quantity of medication in the capsule, and means, establishing a predetermined time interval and providing an indication whether said duration of the electrical signal is greater or less than the predetermined time interval, including a first monostable multivibrator connected to be triggered to its unstable state at the onset of said electrical signal, a second monostable multivibrator, and gating means responsive to said electrical signal and to the output of the first multivibrator for triggering the second multivibrator to its unstable state if and only if the first monostable multivibrator returns to its stable state during said duration of said electrical signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A quality control monitor for medicinal capsule packaging apparatus comprising: means for photoelectrically sensing the presence of medication in a capsule and providing an electrical signal the time duration between the onset and the cessation of said signal being a function of the quantity of medication in the capsule, and means, establishing a predetermined time interval and providing an indication whether said duration of the electrical signal is greater or less than the predetermined time interval, including a first monostable multivibrator connected to be triggered to its unstable state at the onset of said electrical signal, a second monostable multivibrator, and gating means responsive to said electrical signal and to the output of the first multivibrator for triggering the second multivibrator to its unstable state if and only if the first monostable multivibrator returns to its stable state during said duration of said electrical signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
A quality control monitor according to claim 1 including means synchronizable with the packaging apparatus for producing a series of pulses at the same rate at which said electrical signals are produced when the packaging apparatus is producing packaged capsules without interruption, and means for preventing an indication, that the duration of the electrical signal is greater than the predetermined interval, from being produced if the unstable condition of the second multivibrator does not coincide with one of said pulses.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
207 words
A quality control monitor for medicinal capsule packaging apparatus in which transparent capsules are filled with medication and fastened to a backing strip in rows, comprising: means for photoelectrically sensing the presence of medication in all of the capsules in a row substantially simultaneously and providing a plurality of electrical signals the time duration between the onset and cessation of each of said signals being a function of the quantity of medication in a particular capsule in the row, and means establishing, for each of said electrical signals, a predetermined time interval and providing an indication if the duration of any of said electrical signals is less than the predetermined time interval corresponding thereto, the last mentioned means comprising a plurality of units, one for each of said electrical signals, each unit comprising a first monostable multivibrator connected to receive an electrical signal and to be triggered to its unstable state at the onset of said electrical signal, a second monostable multivibrator, and gating means responsive to the electrical signal and to the output of the first multivibrator for triggering the second multivibrator to its unstable state if and only if the first monostable multivibrator returns to its stable state during the duration of the electrical signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
207 words
A quality control monitor for medicinal capsule packaging apparatus in which transparent capsules are filled with medication and fastened to a backing strip in rows, comprising: means for photoelectrically sensing the presence of medication in all of the capsules in a row substantially simultaneously and providing a plurality of electrical signals the time duration between the onset and cessation of each of said signals being a function of the quantity of medication in a particular capsule in the row, and means establishing, for each of said electrical signals, a predetermined time interval and providing an indication if the duration of any of said electrical signals is less than the predetermined time interval corresponding thereto, the last mentioned means comprising a plurality of units, one for each of said electrical signals, each unit comprising a first monostable multivibrator connected to receive an electrical signal and to be triggered to its unstable state at the onset of said electrical signal, a second monostable multivibrator, and gating means responsive to the electrical signal and to the output of the first multivibrator for triggering the second multivibrator to its unstable state if and only if the first monostable multivibrator returns to its stable state during the duration of the electrical signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
A qualIty control monitor according to claim 3 including a coincidence gate connected to receive the outputs of the second monstable multivibrators in said units, said indication being derived from the output of said coincidence gate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A quality control monitor according to claim 4 in which the second monostable multivibrators in said units have unstable states of adjustable duration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A quality control monitor according to claim 4 including means synchronizable with the packaging apparatus for producing a series of pulses at a rate at which the packaging apparatus produces rows of capsules when operating without interruption, and means for providing an indication if the output of said coincidence gate does not coincide with one of said pulses.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A quality control monitor according to claim 6 in which the second monostable multivibrators in said units have unstable states of adjustable duration.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-05 | 1978-11-04 | 1979-05-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-05 | 1982-11-04 | 1983-05-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-05 | 1986-11-04 | 1987-05-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |