US2706072A - Tablet counter and packager - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1955 FURNO 2,706,072

TABLET COUNTER AND PACKAGER Filed March 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEX April 12, 1955 H. R. FURNO TABLET COUNTER AND PACKAGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 13. 1950 JNVENTOR.

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A TTO/F/VEX United States Patent O TABLET COUNTER AND PACKAGER Harold R. Furno, Burbank, Calif., assignor of forty-nine per cent to Richard Hudachek, Hollywood, Calif.

Application March 13, 1950, Serial No. 149,427

4 Claims. (Cl. 226-2) This invention relates to an improved tablet counter and packager and has for one of its principal objects the provision of an improved compact and eflicient means for accurately counting tablets, pills or the like and which also includes means for placing the same in a container or package.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a tablet counting and packaging means which is compact, readily operated by almost anyone, even those not particularly skilled, and which will assure at all times an accurate count of the pills, tablets, capsules or other articles to be packaged, while, at the same time, providing a simple and eflicient means for emptying counted articles into a bottle or other container.

Another important object of the invention is to provide in a tablet or pill counter means for automatically disposing of undesirable powder or broken pieces which sometimes result from the handling of large numbers of tablets, particularly those of a friable nature.

Yet another object resides in the provision in a combination with a tablet counter or the like, of a vibrating element which is part of the operating handle and which vibrates the contents in such a manner that the tablet counting openings are promptly filled and any surplus tablets readily discarded.

The vibrator incorporated into the handle of the counter and packager of this invention also serves to shake the counted tablets out of the counting openings when the counter is tilted for delivering the counted articles into a container.

Further objects include the provision of a removable counting plate whereby various numbers and sizes of tablets can be accommodated with one unit and a remvable screen for the cover whereby the entire operation can be readily observed and any accumulated powder or siftings easily removed.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved tablet counter and packager of this invention showing the vibrator handle, the apertured tablet counting plate and the chute for delivering the requisite number of articles after counting.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2 with one size of delivery spout added.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a portion of the tablet counting plate showing that modification thereof which includes removability from the counter itself.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a modified form of the invention, this form being adapted for counting capsules.

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the capsule receiving elements illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 2 showing particularly the removable cover screen and its relationship to the remainder of the apparatus.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally the body portion of the improved tablet counter and packager of this invention, the same comprising essentially a threesided element as illustrated, having a bottom 12 and a cover 14, preferably formed of wire screen or the like.

A delivery spout 16 is fixed in one corner of the device, this being for the purpose of conveniently emptying the counted tablets, pills or capsules into a suitable receptacle. The apparatus is mounted upon an operating and supporting handle 18 which has incorporated thereinto an electrically operated vibrator 20 which can be of any desired type or construction and which is supplied with current by means of wires 21. The construction and operation of the vibrator forms no part of the present invention except in that it vibrates the device for the purpose of readily counting and dispensing the contents thereof.

The sides 10 of the container are preferably of some suitable metal, such as stainless steel or the like, and the bottom is usually composed of two plates, the lowermost one being thinner, as indicated at 12, and superimposed thereupon is a plate of substantially similar dimensions as indicated at 22. The plate 22 has a number of openings or recesses 23 therein corresponding in size to the size of the tablets or pills to be counted and of approximately the same depth.

The lower base or bottom portion 12 also has a corresponding number of openings or recesses 13 therein, each opening being concentric with the juxtaposed opening in the plate 22 but smaller. These smaller openings permit the ready elimination of dust, powder broken pieces and any foreign material which may be mixed with the conglomerate pills, while, at the same time, preventing the pills or tablets themselves from falling through.

The plate 22 can be fixed by riveting or the like to the plate 12 or may be slidably and movably mounted thereon, as shown by the dotted line 22A in Figure 4. In either case, the forward or leading edge of the plate 22 is slightly tapered, as shown at 26 in Figure 2, for the more ready scooping up and receiving of a quantity of pills or tablets to be counted.

The bottom portions 12 and 22 may also be made of some metal which is non-resistant to acids or the like, but are preferably composed of some synthetic compound which is likewise resistant to the action of any of the chemicals which may be in the tablets to be counted and which, like the stainless steel sides, can be readily cleaned and sterilized when necessary.

The cover of the device comprises essentially a screen 14 which is also preferably composed of stainless steel or some other similar suitable material. This screen is pref erably mounted in a rectangular frame 30 which slides in channels 32 formed of the overhanging lips of the sides 10 and the corresponding angle shaped element 34 which is fastened inside the sides 10 by means of rivets 36 or by spotwelding or in some other suitable fashion. the screen 14 with its frame 30 can be readily slipped into and out of the channel 3234, as best illustrated by the dotted lines and the arrow in Figure 2.

The handle 18-20 is preferably fastened onto the back portion of the container 10 by means of a U-shaped bracket 40 thereby providing for a greater vibrating effect.

In Figure 3 is illustrated an adapter 44 which can be fitted onto the end of the spout 16 whereby the counted contents can be readily emptied into a bottle or container having a mouth of some particular size. Several of these adapters can be furnished with one counting device so that gotitilfisdor containers having different sizes of openings can In Figures 5 and 6 a slightly modified form of the invention is illustrated whereby the same is adapted for counting and packaging capsules as distinguished from pills and tablets. This construction, while similar to the other in that it includes sides 50, a screen cover 54 which is slidable in the channel elements 56 and 58, has an entirely different bottom portion. This bottom portion comprises essentially two plates, an upper plate 60 and a lower plate 62, between which are mounted a number of capsule receiving tubes shaped as shown at 64. The capsules themselves are indicated at 66. The capsule receiving tubes 64 are fastened into the plates 60 and 62 in any suitable manner as, for example, bolted by bolts and nuts, the bolts passing through both the plates 60 and 62. Shoulders are provided on the upper and lower edges 70 and 72 of the tubes 64 whereby a close interfitting rela ice Obviously,

tionship is had. These tubes may be soldered or braised into position or held in place by some other means, as by rivets 74 passing through openings in the plates 60 and 62.

In operation, the scoop or container 1012 is dipped or dug into a large vat or large container wherein a great number of tablets or pills 80 are placed for counting and packaging. The operator, when scooping up the tablets, always makes sure that more than the number to be counted are picked up. The device is then held with the bottom in approximately a horizontal position and the vibrator started in any suitable manner, as by a trigger 82 on the handle 18. The vibrator, thus set up, agitates the pills or tablets 80 to such a degree that all of the openings in the plate 22 are quite promptly filled, after which the excess can be put back into the barrel, hopper or other bulk container by simply elevating the rear end of the counting element and allowing the pills to fall over the leading edge 26. The operator can readily observe the above described action and when all the excess pills are disposed of, the device is tilted with its front or leading edge upwardly, whereupon the vibrator is again actuated and the pills are immediately bounced out of the openings in the plate 22 falling toward the rear of the container, after which it is a simple matter to dump them out through the spout 16 into a container provided for the purpose. The vibration is in the plane of the bottom.

All surplus powder or broken pieces will drop through the openings in the plate 12 and the entire operation can be viewed through the screen 14, which, if it becomes clogged with dust or powder, can be readily removed or cleaned. The number of openings in the plate 22 can be varied considerably, depending upon the desired count. In this instance, the number is illustrated as 100 but this is merely representative.

In the event that many difierent counts and different types of tablets are to be handled within a relatively short period of time, the plate 22 can be made removable so that different counts and different sizes of pills or tablets can be accomplished in a simple manner.

The capsule counting and packaging means shown in Figures and 6 operates along the same lines but the openings in the bottom plate 62 can be either retained or closed inasmuch as capsules ordinarily have no powder or other dust which would otherwise accumulate and interfere with proper operation.

It will be evident that herein is provided a counting, sifting and filling means for pills, tablets, capsules and the like which is highly efilcient, readily handled, easily operated and which provides an accurate count and convenient filling means for practically all types of the mentioned articles. The device is light in weight and, therefore, will not tire the operator. It is so constructed that it will not damage even the most fragile or breakable pills or tablets and will also handle variously shaped articles, including capsules.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tablet counter and packager comprising a container having three sides, a transparent removable cover and a bottom, the bottom having a number of recesses therein corresponding to the desired count, a handle on the container, electrical vibrating means for the container in the handle thereof for distributing the tablets in the recesses, and a rearwardly disposed spout for discharging the counted articles.

2. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the bottom comprises two separate plates and wherein the lower plate is provided with dust eliminating openings, said dust eliminating openings being aligned with the counting recesses in the upper plate.

3. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the upper plate for counting purposes is removable and slidable over the lower plate.

4. A tablet counter and packager comprising a container having three sides, a cover comprising a screen and a bottom, the bottom including a series of tapered frustoconical tubes with their larger openings upper-most, each of said tubes adapted to contain a capsule to be counted and wherein the lower diameter of the tube is smaller than the diameter of the capsule, electrical vibrating means in the handle, a delivery spout for the counted capsules in one rear corner of the container, said electrical means producing a vibration of the container in a plane parallel to the bottom thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 244,308 Reymond July 12, 1881 1,545,376 Weatherby July 7, 1925 1,579,947 Kilpatrick Apr. 6, 1926 2,044,326 Pickell June 16, 1936 2,387,672 Mayberry Oct. 23, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,326 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1908 238,644 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1945

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