[11]
Patent Number:
4,949,766
Coatsworth
[45]
Date of Patent:
[54]
4,005,668
4,304,085 12/1981
[75]
Invento?
.
England
4,640,448
4,671,430
6/1987
[73] Assgnee'
[21]
[22] Filed:
[30]
Oct. 6, 1988
. . .. .....
4,721,223
1/1988
..... .. 220/69
4,721,233
Jakobsen .
.
United Kingdom ............... .. 8723559
[52]
[56]
References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
690,488
1/ 1902
897,420
9/1908
Small ...... ..
.. 141/ 145 X
1,778,216 10/1930
Hansen ..
.... .. 141/145
1,828,167 10/1931
Ayars .............. ..
.. 141/144
2/1971
141/59
141/152 X
. . . . ..
141/147
3,626,997 12/1971
Whitaker ct al. .
.. 141/100 X
3,656,517
4/1972
Taylor et al. . . . . .
. . . ..
3,656,518
4/1972
Aronson ..... ..
4/1975
222/135
..... .. 141/83
[51]
[58]
. . . ,.
Dinius
141/129
141/67 11
141/67 X
ABSTRACT
[57]
A machine for introducing a quantity of powder into a
141/67 X
1111
,1
US. Patent
Auga2l, 1990
Sheet 1 of 6
4,949,766
12
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_
1
Fig.1
PRIOR ART
s
7777
Fig.2
5M1
US. Patent
Fig.5
Sheet 3 0f 6
4,949,766
US. Patent
Sheet 4 of 6
51.
3a
20
\14/
as
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15
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Fig. 7
75
4,949,766
US. Patent
Sheet 5 of 6
4,949,766
US. Patent
Shet 6 of 6
4,949,766
4,949,766
tered by sliding the pistons 8 inwardly or outwardly in 20 zontal axis and feeds powder to a funnel plate rotating
the ports 6. A hopper 12 is positioned immediately
about a vertical axis. The funnel plate comprises a plu
above the ?lling wheel 2 and contains a supply of pow
der. Below the ?lling wheel 2 is a conveyor mechanism,
plate axis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention, in at least some
aspects thereof, to provide a machine which eliminates
or mitigates the above disadvantages and can advanta
be ?lled per unit time is considerably less than the num 65 which may be used in a further embodiment of the
ber which could be ?lled were the machine not rotating
invention;
FIGS. 10 to 12 are plan views showing details of the
with an indexing motion. Also, the indexing motion
embodiments of FIGS. 3, 9 and 10; and
requires a sophisticated timing mechanism to ensure
4,949,766
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 comprises a 5 a scroll conveyor, so that each vial is located immedi
?lling wheel 20 having an upper plate 22 and a lower
ately beneath a respective chamber 36. As the wheel 20
plate 24 both secured to a shaft 26 for rotation by the
and the magazine 60 rotate in unison with one another
shaft about a vertical axis. Adjacent its circumference
the vials continue to be located beneath their respective
the lower plate 24 carries a plurality of upstanding cyl
chambers until the ?lling process, described below, is
inders 28, and the upper plate 22 carries a correspond
completed, at which point the vials are removed from
mm).
4,949,766
tion indicated by Y.
The procedure with the filling wheel of FIG. 9 is the
same as the procedure with the ?lling wheel of FIG. 8,
of powder than can be conveniently transferred direct 25 turn communicate with the channel 46 which causes the
powder to be discharged into the vial 62 below the
into the container. ' An embodiment in which this is
chamber which has been rotating in unison therewith.
achieved is illustrated in FIG. 7. A vibratory transfer
Further rotation brings each chamber in turn into com
magazine 75 is arranged between the ?lling wheel 20
munication with a port cleaning slot 47, the function of
and the vials 62, so that a dose from a large chamber 36
in the wheel 20 is introduced into an intermediate fun 30 which has been explained above.
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the con?guration of
nel-shaped container 76 or transfer member carried by
the magazine 75 and the contents of the intermediate
container 76 then discharged into the vial 62. The maga
zine 75 is rotated in unison with the wheel 20 and vial
magazine 60 and is vibrated as it turns by means of a
also provided.
In a further embodiment of the invention, which
provides another way of introducing a larger or varied
dose of powder into a vial, a plurality of filling wheels
50
most chamber 36' in the set of three into the vial. A 55 the letter F.
Each vial thus receives four doses of powder in total,
stationary curved guide rail 82 is provided which, as the
two from hopper 64A and two from hopper 64B. The
filling wheel and magazine continue to rotate, guides
material A in the ?rst hopper may be the same as or
the vial outwardly along slot 80. It will be seen that
4,949,766
m3.
9. A machine according to claim 1, comprising
twenty-four of the said chambers.
10. A machine according to claim 1 in combination
member.
powder reservoir.
35
45
50
55
65