US2738827A - Capsule sealing and marking apparatus - Google Patents

Capsule sealing and marking apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US2738827A
US2738827A US36358053A US2738827A US 2738827 A US2738827 A US 2738827A US 36358053 A US36358053 A US 36358053A US 2738827 A US2738827 A US 2738827A
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capsule
jaws
capsules
marking
sealing
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Frederick J Roll
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EDWARD R DAYTON
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EDWARD R DAYTON
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/345—Progressively making the joint, e.g. starting from the middle
    • B29C66/3452—Making complete joints by combining partial joints
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
    • A61J3/00—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms
    • A61J3/07—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use
    • A61J3/071—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use into the form of telescopically engaged two-piece capsules
    • A61J3/072—Sealing capsules, e.g. rendering them tamper-proof
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/18—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure using heated tools
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/78—Means for handling the parts to be joined, e.g. for making containers or hollow articles, e.g. means for handling sheets, plates, web-like materials, tubular articles, hollow articles or elements to be joined therewith; Means for discharging the joined articles from the joining apparatus
    • B29C65/7858—Means for handling the parts to be joined, e.g. for making containers or hollow articles, e.g. means for handling sheets, plates, web-like materials, tubular articles, hollow articles or elements to be joined therewith; Means for discharging the joined articles from the joining apparatus characterised by the feeding movement of the parts to be joined
    • B29C65/7879—Means for handling the parts to be joined, e.g. for making containers or hollow articles, e.g. means for handling sheets, plates, web-like materials, tubular articles, hollow articles or elements to be joined therewith; Means for discharging the joined articles from the joining apparatus characterised by the feeding movement of the parts to be joined said parts to be joined moving in a closed path, e.g. a rectangular path
    • B29C65/7882—Means for handling the parts to be joined, e.g. for making containers or hollow articles, e.g. means for handling sheets, plates, web-like materials, tubular articles, hollow articles or elements to be joined therewith; Means for discharging the joined articles from the joining apparatus characterised by the feeding movement of the parts to be joined said parts to be joined moving in a closed path, e.g. a rectangular path said parts to be joined moving in a circular path
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/306—Applying a mark during joining
    • B29C66/3062—Applying a mark during joining in the form of letters or numbers
    • B29C66/30621—Applying a mark during joining in the form of letters or numbers in the form of letters
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/54—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/54—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
    • B29C66/542—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/81—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/816—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the mounting of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps
    • B29C66/8161—General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps characterised by the mounting of the pressing elements, e.g. of the welding jaws or clamps said pressing elements being supported or backed-up by springs or by resilient material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/82—Pressure application arrangements, e.g. transmission or actuating mechanisms for joining tools or clamps
    • B29C66/822—Transmission mechanisms
    • B29C66/8225—Crank mechanisms
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/80—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof
    • B29C66/83—General aspects of machine operations or constructions and parts thereof characterised by the movement of the joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/832—Reciprocating joining or pressing tools
    • B29C66/8322—Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
    • B29C66/83221—Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
    • B41F17/00—Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
    • B41F17/36—Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/712—Containers; Packaging elements or accessories, Packages
    • B29L2031/7174—Capsules
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S53/00—Package making
    • Y10S53/90—Capsules

Definitions

  • This invention is directed to a novel method of and means for sealing and or marking soluble capsules, which may be made of gelatin or other suitable material, and used for taking medicine and drugs.
  • capsules are cylindrical in shape and are composed of two sections, each having a rounded end which fit into one another, in overlapping relation. Due to the fact that the capsules are taken internally, the two sections cannot be sealed with metal or any foreign material.
  • the marking is similarly complicated since there is not. much space and due to the nature of the capsule, it is difiicult to make effective markings for identification and information use. Therefore, thecapsules are generally sold unsealed and there is no assurance that the manufactured product has not been tampered with with respect to either quantity or quality or possibly exposed to some impurity.
  • medicines and drugs sold in these capsules are one of the few products sold and marketed without a sealed container and without the manufacturers marking such as trademark or identification marks. This is a very bad situation to exist especially in the medical. field where people are forced to rely on the reputation of. the manufacturer and pharmacist.
  • the present invention consists in a novel method of and means for sealing and or marking soluble capsules by heat and pressure.
  • a pair of heated elements as jaws, one or both of which have a marking die.
  • the jaws exert just enough pressure andare heated to the optimum temperature so that they will engage the capsule on the larger and smaller overlapped portions of the capsule so that the two portions will be effectively crimped and heat sealed together.
  • the operation of the jaws provides an indented band portion encircling the capsule. Suitable information maybe impressed within this band portion by means of suitable marking dies inserted within the jaws.
  • the same type jaws may be used separately or at the same time to mark another part of the capsule.
  • Automatic capsule feeding and ejecting means are also provided and all of the various operations are synchronized with. a set of cams mounted on a common drive shaft. s
  • the capsules are fed from a hopper or other feeding device to an indexing wheel which feeds them one at a time to the crimping position.
  • a stopping plate holds the capsule in position until the jaws engage, and when the jaws are retracted, the capsule is ejected by an air blast.
  • the operation of the indexing wheel, the stop plate and the jaws have a definite time sequence of operation which is determined by a plurality of synchronizing cams.
  • one object of the invention is to provide a novel method of and means for sealing and marking soluble capsules.
  • the invention generally comprises Another object of the present invention is to provide Another object of the. present invention is. to provide a novel method of and means for marking soluble capsules.
  • Another object of thepresent invention is to provide new and improved capsule sealing and marking apparatus including means, for automatically feeding and. ejecting the capsules.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved automatic capsule sealing and marking apparatus.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved capsule. sealing and marking apparatus comprising a pair of heated elements, one or both' having; marking .dies and associated capsule feeding and ejecting means.
  • Figures 1A, 1B andlC show capsules before and after sealing and marking, and the jaws which make the seal.
  • Figure 1A shows a typical capsule comprising two overlapped portions a and b.
  • Figure 1B shows the jaws in symbolic form
  • Figure 1C shows the capsule after it has been crimped, sealed and marked by the jaws.
  • Figure 2 shows a front view of the apparatus.
  • Figure 3 shows a top view of the apparatus.
  • Figure 4 shows a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.
  • 4A is a detail section on an enlarged scale showing a marking die.
  • Figure 5 is a cam sequence diagram.
  • FIG. 2 there are shown several views of the apparatus for carrying out my method. It is mounted on a main frame member 30 which supports the various elements.
  • the sealing jaws are shown at 10 and 10'.
  • the capsules are fed from a hopper 31 or other source down the feed tube 1 and into one of the holes 32, 33 etc. of the feeder Wheel 2.
  • the purpose of the feeder wheel is to feed the capsules to. the jaws one at a time and in a certain time sequence,
  • the feeder wheel has a number of holes equallyspaced apart, and it rotates to the next hole periodically thereby delivering one capsule at a time to the vertical tube 3.4
  • a fixed plate 22 is located between the feeder wheel 2and the upper end of the vertical tube 34. This plate 22 is shaped to support the capsules within the wheel 2 until the capsules reach a position over the said vertical tube 34. The capsules drop from the wheel ,2 past the plate 22 and into the tube 34 and are stopped in proper position by the stop plate 7. The jaws 10 are then actuated to heat and seal the capsule. The stop plate '7 is then moved to its other position causing the large aperture 61 to come under the capsule and the capsule is blown ,or drops out the bottom of'the tube 35. The jaws 10, 10'
  • heating coils 11, 11' are heated to proper temperatures by heating coils 11, 11'.
  • the current through the coils may be controlled by suitable means (not shown).
  • the purpose of the indexing wheel 2 is to feed the capsules one at a time to the sealing and or marking position leaving the upper portion of the tube 34 free of capsules. If the tube 34 were filled with capsules, it would be practically impossible to operate the stop plate 12 without shearing the capsules inhalf.
  • chronized namely, the movements of the indexing wheel 2, the jaws 1010', and the stop plate 7.
  • cams mounted on common drive shaft 40 which is driven by means of the motor 19 connected thereto.
  • the indexing wheel is driven by means of cam 17, cam follower 17' which is connected to shaft 41 which is spring loaded against the cam by means of spring 41', the cam 17 as shown in Figure 3 has one high portion for each revolution.
  • the cam shaft 41 has connected to it a link 42. comprising a small arm 43 which is pinned through a slot in the shaft 41.
  • the arm 43 is connected to member 45, Figure 4, which turns the shaft 45 connected thereto.
  • the shaft 45 is connected to wheel 2 through a clutch 46 of the type which is operative in one direction of rotation, for instance, a conventional sprag type override clutch. Alternatively a pawl and ratchet or other equivalent could be used.
  • the cam 17 drives the cam shaft 41 which turns the wheel 2 through the sprag clutch 46.
  • Suitable wheel indexing means are provided for the wheel 2, in that the wheel 2 has a number of indexing grooves 5051 etc. which are adapted to be engaged bythe spring loaded indexing stop so that the wheel 2 will stop in the proper position to discharge a capsule down the tube 34.
  • cam 16 actuates cam follower 16 which is connected to cam shaft 52, which is spring loaded by spring 52.
  • cam shaft 52 is connected to the jaw positioning shaft 53 by means of the bracket 54.
  • the cam shafts and positioning shafts 53 slide through holes in the main frame bracket 9.
  • the right hand jaw 10' is similarly actuated by cam 15, cam follower and cam shaft 55 which is spring loaded by spring 55 against the frame member 28.
  • the stop plate 7 is similarly actuated by cam 14 cam follower 14 and cam shaft 56 which is spring loaded by spring 56.
  • the stop plate 7 has a small hole 60 and a large hole 61.
  • the purpose of the large hole is to eject the capsules down the tube 35.
  • the small hole 60 is necessary when the stop plate is in its other position (not shown), to provide a passage to permit the air from the air blast tube 6 to go through the tubes 34 and 35.
  • the fourth line of Figure 5 shows that the feeder wheel arrives at the index position just as the stop plate closes so that a capsule is delivered from the feeder wheel during the portion marked index" so that the capsule will fall down against the closed stop plate 12. Note that the jaws are open at this time. The next operation is the closing of the jaws during the closed portion of lines 1 and 2 of Figure 5. Then the stop plate opens and shortly thereafter, the jaws open allowing the capsule to be ejected down the tube 35.
  • the indexing wheel delivers only one capsule at a time so that there is only one capsule in the tube 34 at any one time. If the tube 34 were filled with capsules, it would be practically impossible to operate the jaws and stop plate without fouling and damaging the capsules.
  • the capsules may be sealed without marking, or marked without sealing. Different size jaws may be inserted as desired. Various other modifications will oc cur to those skilled in the art.
  • Capsule treating apparatus comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule by instantaneously softening the outer portion and leaving a crimp in the inner portion, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, an index wheel adapted to feed said capsules one at a time from said hopper to said jaws, and means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it.
  • Capsule treating apparatus comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, an index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, and means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means to drive and synchronize said index wheel and said capsule holding means comprising a plurality of cams mounted on a common drive shaft said cams being connected to drive said index wheel and said holding means through a plu' rality of cams.
  • Capsule treating apparatus comprising capsule crimping means including a pair of heated jaws, capsule feeding means connected and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws and capsule ejector means connected to remove said capsules.
  • Capsule treating means comprising a pair of jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, and index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, stop plate means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means connected to heat said jaws.
  • Treating apparatus for medical capsules having telescoped portions comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper and feed capsules, an index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, and a stop plate to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means to drive and synchronize said index wheel and said capsule stop plate means comprising a plurality of cams mounted on a common drive shaft said cams being connected to drive said index wheel and said holding means through a plurality of cams mounted on a comon shaft.
  • Capsule treating apparatus comprising capsule crimping means including a pair of heated jaws, capsule index wheel feeding means connected and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws and capsule ejector means connected to remove said capsules.
  • Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other.
  • Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other and for simultaneously marking the capsule.
  • Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other.
  • Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other, and for simultaneously marking the capsule.

Description

March 20, 1956 Filed June 25, 1953 F. J. ROLL 2,738,827
CAPSULE SEALING AND MARKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 20, 1956 F, ROLL 2,738,827
CAPSULE SEALING AND MARKING APPARATUS Filed June 23, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m m m El k FIG. N 2
IN VEN TOR. FEEDER/CK J. ROLL United States Patent M 2,738,827 CAPSULE SEALING AND MARKING APPARATUS Frederick J. Roll, Huntington Station, N. Y., assignor of fifty per cent to Edward R. Dayton, Huntington Station,
, Application June 23, 1953, Serial No. 363,580
16 Claims. (Cl. 154-42) This invention is directed to a novel method of and means for sealing and or marking soluble capsules, which may be made of gelatin or other suitable material, and used for taking medicine and drugs.
Many drugs and medicines are sold in the form of individual doses contained in individual gelatin capsules. When the medicines are taken, the capsule is swallowed and dissolves due to theheat and moisture of the body. There capsules are cylindrical in shape and are composed of two sections, each having a rounded end which fit into one another, in overlapping relation. Due to the fact that the capsules are taken internally, the two sections cannot be sealed with metal or any foreign material. The marking is similarly complicated since there is not. much space and due to the nature of the capsule, it is difiicult to make effective markings for identification and information use. Therefore, thecapsules are generally sold unsealed and there is no assurance that the manufactured product has not been tampered with with respect to either quantity or quality or possibly exposed to some impurity. In other words, medicines and drugs sold in these capsules are one of the few products sold and marketed without a sealed container and without the manufacturers marking such as trademark or identification marks. This is a very bad situation to exist especially in the medical. field where people are forced to rely on the reputation of. the manufacturer and pharmacist.
The present invention consists in a novel method of and means for sealing and or marking soluble capsules by heat and pressure. a pair of heated elements, as jaws, one or both of which have a marking die. The jaws exert just enough pressure andare heated to the optimum temperature so that they will engage the capsule on the larger and smaller overlapped portions of the capsule so that the two portions will be effectively crimped and heat sealed together. The operation of the jaws provides an indented band portion encircling the capsule. Suitable information maybe impressed within this band portion by means of suitable marking dies inserted within the jaws. The same type jaws may be used separately or at the same time to mark another part of the capsule. Automatic capsule feeding and ejecting means are also provided and all of the various operations are synchronized with. a set of cams mounted on a common drive shaft. s
More particularly, the capsules are fed from a hopper or other feeding device to an indexing wheel which feeds them one at a time to the crimping position. A stopping plate holds the capsule in position until the jaws engage, and when the jaws are retracted, the capsule is ejected by an air blast. The operation of the indexing wheel, the stop plate and the jaws have a definite time sequence of operation which is determined by a plurality of synchronizing cams.
Accordingly, one object of the invention .is to provide a novel method of and means for sealing and marking soluble capsules.
The invention generally comprises Another object of the present invention is to provide Another object of the. present invention is. to provide a novel method of and means for marking soluble capsules.
Another object of thepresent invention is to provide new and improved capsule sealing and marking apparatus including means, for automatically feeding and. ejecting the capsules.
Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved automatic capsule sealing and marking apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved capsule. sealing and marking apparatus comprising a pair of heated elements, one or both' having; marking .dies and associated capsule feeding and ejecting means.
An apparatus which is suitable for carrying out my method of sealing and, or marking soluble capsules is represented in the accompanying drawings:
Figures 1A, 1B andlC show capsules before and after sealing and marking, and the jaws which make the seal.
Figure 1A shows a typical capsule comprising two overlapped portions a and b.
Figure 1B shows the jaws in symbolic form, and,
Figure 1C shows the capsule after it has been crimped, sealed and marked by the jaws.
Figure 2shows a front view of the apparatus.
Figure 3 shows a top view of the apparatus.
Figure 4 shows a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2. j I
4A is a detail section on an enlarged scale showing a marking die.
Figure 5 is a cam sequence diagram.
Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4, there are shown several views of the apparatus for carrying out my method. It is mounted on a main frame member 30 which supports the various elements. The sealing jaws are shown at 10 and 10'. The capsules are fed from a hopper 31 or other source down the feed tube 1 and into one of the holes 32, 33 etc. of the feeder Wheel 2. The purpose of the feeder wheel is to feed the capsules to. the jaws one at a time and in a certain time sequence, The feeder wheel has a number of holes equallyspaced apart, and it rotates to the next hole periodically thereby delivering one capsule at a time to the vertical tube 3.4
' which feeds the capsules to the sealing position. A fixed plate 22 is located between the feeder wheel 2and the upper end of the vertical tube 34. This plate 22 is shaped to support the capsules within the wheel 2 until the capsules reach a position over the said vertical tube 34. The capsules drop from the wheel ,2 past the plate 22 and into the tube 34 and are stopped in proper position by the stop plate 7. The jaws 10 are then actuated to heat and seal the capsule. The stop plate '7 is then moved to its other position causing the large aperture 61 to come under the capsule and the capsule is blown ,or drops out the bottom of'the tube 35. The jaws 10, 10'
are heated to proper temperatures by heating coils 11, 11'. The current through the coils may be controlled by suitable means (not shown).
The purpose of the indexing wheel 2 is to feed the capsules one at a time to the sealing and or marking position leaving the upper portion of the tube 34 free of capsules. If the tube 34 were filled with capsules, it would be practically impossible to operate the stop plate 12 without shearing the capsules inhalf. I
The capsules fall down the 'tube 34 by gravity but if desired for faster operation, they=may also be assisted by a continuous air blast through the air tube 6. i
There are three maififuiicti'onsiwhich must be syn- Patented Man 20, .1956
chronized namely, the movements of the indexing wheel 2, the jaws 1010', and the stop plate 7.
These operations are all synchronized by means of cams mounted on common drive shaft 40 which is driven by means of the motor 19 connected thereto. The indexing wheel is driven by means of cam 17, cam follower 17' which is connected to shaft 41 which is spring loaded against the cam by means of spring 41', the cam 17 as shown in Figure 3 has one high portion for each revolution. The cam shaft 41 has connected to it a link 42. comprising a small arm 43 which is pinned through a slot in the shaft 41. The arm 43 is connected to member 45, Figure 4, which turns the shaft 45 connected thereto. The shaft 45 is connected to wheel 2 through a clutch 46 of the type which is operative in one direction of rotation, for instance, a conventional sprag type override clutch. Alternatively a pawl and ratchet or other equivalent could be used.
The operation, therefore of the indexing Wheel move ment is as follows:
The cam 17 drives the cam shaft 41 which turns the wheel 2 through the sprag clutch 46. Suitable wheel indexing means are provided for the wheel 2, in that the wheel 2 has a number of indexing grooves 5051 etc. which are adapted to be engaged bythe spring loaded indexing stop so that the wheel 2 will stop in the proper position to discharge a capsule down the tube 34.
The left and right hand jaws and 10' are similarly driven by cams 16 and 15. Cam 16 actuates cam follower 16 which is connected to cam shaft 52, which is spring loaded by spring 52. The cam shaft 52 is connected to the jaw positioning shaft 53 by means of the bracket 54. The cam shafts and positioning shafts 53 slide through holes in the main frame bracket 9.
The right hand jaw 10' is similarly actuated by cam 15, cam follower and cam shaft 55 which is spring loaded by spring 55 against the frame member 28. The stop plate 7 is similarly actuated by cam 14 cam follower 14 and cam shaft 56 which is spring loaded by spring 56.
The stop plate 7 has a small hole 60 and a large hole 61. The purpose of the large hole is to eject the capsules down the tube 35. The small hole 60 is necessary when the stop plate is in its other position (not shown), to provide a passage to permit the air from the air blast tube 6 to go through the tubes 34 and 35.
The sequence of operations will be described in connection with the cam sequence diagram of Figure 5. Referring to Figure 5, the upper two lines of the diagram show that both left and right jaws close together for about 120 of rotation of the drive shaft. The next line of Figure 5 shows that the stop plate 1 is open for approximately 80 of rotation, and that it opens somewhat before the jaws open.
The fourth line of Figure 5 shows that the feeder wheel arrives at the index position just as the stop plate closes so that a capsule is delivered from the feeder wheel during the portion marked index" so that the capsule will fall down against the closed stop plate 12. Note that the jaws are open at this time. The next operation is the closing of the jaws during the closed portion of lines 1 and 2 of Figure 5. Then the stop plate opens and shortly thereafter, the jaws open allowing the capsule to be ejected down the tube 35.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that the indexing wheel delivers only one capsule at a time so that there is only one capsule in the tube 34 at any one time. If the tube 34 were filled with capsules, it would be practically impossible to operate the jaws and stop plate without fouling and damaging the capsules.
If desired the capsules may be sealed without marking, or marked without sealing. Different size jaws may be inserted as desired. Various other modifications will oc cur to those skilled in the art.
I claim:
1. Capsule treating apparatus comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule by instantaneously softening the outer portion and leaving a crimp in the inner portion, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, an index wheel adapted to feed said capsules one at a time from said hopper to said jaws, and means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it.
2. Capsule treating apparatus comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, an index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, and means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means to drive and synchronize said index wheel and said capsule holding means comprising a plurality of cams mounted on a common drive shaft said cams being connected to drive said index wheel and said holding means through a plu' rality of cams.
3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said jaws are provided with marking dies adapted to impart suitable markings on said capsules at the same time they are crimped.
4. Capsule treating apparatus comprising capsule crimping means including a pair of heated jaws, capsule feeding means connected and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws and capsule ejector means connected to remove said capsules.
5. Capsule treating means comprising a pair of jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper for capsules, and index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, stop plate means to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means connected to heat said jaws.
6. Treating apparatus for medical capsules having telescoped portions comprising a pair of heated jaws adapted and shaped to crimp together the telescoped portions of said capsule, capsule feeding means comprising a hopper and feed capsules, an index wheel connected to said hopper and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws, and a stop plate to hold said capsule in position for said jaws to close on it, and means to drive and synchronize said index wheel and said capsule stop plate means comprising a plurality of cams mounted on a common drive shaft said cams being connected to drive said index wheel and said holding means through a plurality of cams mounted on a comon shaft.
7. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said jaws are provided with marking dies adapted to impart suitable markings on said capsules at the same time they are crimped and sealed.
8. Capsule treating apparatus comprising capsule crimping means including a pair of heated jaws, capsule index wheel feeding means connected and adapted to feed said capsules one at a time to said jaws and capsule ejector means connected to remove said capsules.
9. The method of treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, consisting in applying local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other.
10. The method of treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, consisting in applying local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other and for simultaneously marking the capsule.
11. The method of treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, consisting in applying local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other.
12. The method of treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, consisting in applying local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other, and for simultaneously marking the capsule.
13. Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other. i
14. Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for sealing their contacting surfaces to each other and for simultaneously marking the capsule.
15. Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other.
16. Apparatus for treating a filled soluble two-member capsule having closed ends and intermediate telescoped tubular portions, comprising heated jaws shaped and operable to apply local heat and pressure around the said telescoped tubular portions for crimping and sealing their contacting surfaces to each other, and for simultaneously marking the capsule.
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,861,047 Colton May 31, 1932 2,077,653 Westin Apr. 20, 1937 2,200,971 Sonneborn May 14, 1940 2,374,504 Salfisberg Apr. 24, 1945 2,508,197 Singer May 16, 1950 2,602,755 Silvernail July 8, 1952 2,627,213 Nye Feb. 3, 1953 2,691,474 Olson Oct. 12, 1954 2,696,245 Fischer Dec. 7, 1954
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Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2867147A (en) * 1954-09-27 1959-01-06 Olin Mathieson Manufacture of electric blasting caps
US2940234A (en) * 1957-01-14 1960-06-14 Smith Kline French Lab Capsule sealing apparatus
US2958366A (en) * 1956-03-05 1960-11-01 American Viscose Corp Heat sealing apparatus
US3172933A (en) * 1959-11-18 1965-03-09 Flax Valer Method of manufacturing thermoplastic tubes
US3302559A (en) * 1965-09-09 1967-02-07 Emery I Valyi Method and apparatus for printing on the surface of plastic hollow objects
EP0116743A1 (en) * 1983-02-18 1984-08-29 Warner-Lambert Company Apparatus for and method of sealing capsules
EP0129445A1 (en) * 1983-06-20 1984-12-27 Cosden Technology Inc. Process for forming tamper-resistant tamper-indicative capsules
EP0152517A1 (en) * 1984-02-22 1985-08-28 Warner-Lambert Company Apparatus and method for sealing capsules
US4543138A (en) * 1983-07-07 1985-09-24 Eli Lilly & Company Capsule-sealing method and apparatus
US4609417A (en) * 1984-03-26 1986-09-02 Microdry Corporation Capsule sealer and method of sealing
US4667455A (en) * 1982-12-21 1987-05-26 Morrow John A Method and apparatus for sealing capsules
US4677812A (en) * 1984-05-29 1987-07-07 Capsule Technology International, Ltd. Method for sealing tamper-evident capsules
US4866906A (en) * 1983-09-02 1989-09-19 Capsule Technology International, Ltd. Device for producing tamper evident capsules
US9340004B2 (en) 2011-10-06 2016-05-17 Bio Capsule Pharmaceutical And Nutritional Products (Pty) Ltd. Method and apparatus for manufacturing a capsule
US9456987B2 (en) 2013-04-03 2016-10-04 Binutra, Inc. Capsule with internal diaphragm

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US1861047A (en) * 1929-05-13 1932-05-31 Parke Davis & Co Sealed capsule
US2077653A (en) * 1933-06-29 1937-04-20 Stokes Machine Co Tube closing machine with heated jaws
US2200971A (en) * 1939-03-04 1940-05-14 Stokes & Smith Co System for making, filling, and sealing containers
US2374504A (en) * 1944-10-31 1945-04-24 Ivers Lee Co Sealing and crimping rollers for packaging machines
US2508197A (en) * 1947-01-15 1950-05-16 Chatham Pharmaceuticals Inc Method of preparing pharmaceutical packages
US2602755A (en) * 1951-01-02 1952-07-08 Dow Chemical Co Thermoplastic compositions of water-soluble cellulose ethers
US2627213A (en) * 1949-11-04 1953-02-03 Norman H Nye Apparatus for making thermoplastic resin bags
US2691474A (en) * 1953-06-15 1954-10-12 Edward A Olson Method of and apparatus for forming a fluid-tight seal in thermoplastic material
US2696245A (en) * 1950-12-23 1954-12-07 Gen Mills Inc Method and apparatus for sealing cartons

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1861047A (en) * 1929-05-13 1932-05-31 Parke Davis & Co Sealed capsule
US2077653A (en) * 1933-06-29 1937-04-20 Stokes Machine Co Tube closing machine with heated jaws
US2200971A (en) * 1939-03-04 1940-05-14 Stokes & Smith Co System for making, filling, and sealing containers
US2374504A (en) * 1944-10-31 1945-04-24 Ivers Lee Co Sealing and crimping rollers for packaging machines
US2508197A (en) * 1947-01-15 1950-05-16 Chatham Pharmaceuticals Inc Method of preparing pharmaceutical packages
US2627213A (en) * 1949-11-04 1953-02-03 Norman H Nye Apparatus for making thermoplastic resin bags
US2696245A (en) * 1950-12-23 1954-12-07 Gen Mills Inc Method and apparatus for sealing cartons
US2602755A (en) * 1951-01-02 1952-07-08 Dow Chemical Co Thermoplastic compositions of water-soluble cellulose ethers
US2691474A (en) * 1953-06-15 1954-10-12 Edward A Olson Method of and apparatus for forming a fluid-tight seal in thermoplastic material

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2867147A (en) * 1954-09-27 1959-01-06 Olin Mathieson Manufacture of electric blasting caps
US2958366A (en) * 1956-03-05 1960-11-01 American Viscose Corp Heat sealing apparatus
US2940234A (en) * 1957-01-14 1960-06-14 Smith Kline French Lab Capsule sealing apparatus
US3172933A (en) * 1959-11-18 1965-03-09 Flax Valer Method of manufacturing thermoplastic tubes
US3302559A (en) * 1965-09-09 1967-02-07 Emery I Valyi Method and apparatus for printing on the surface of plastic hollow objects
US4667455A (en) * 1982-12-21 1987-05-26 Morrow John A Method and apparatus for sealing capsules
EP0116743A1 (en) * 1983-02-18 1984-08-29 Warner-Lambert Company Apparatus for and method of sealing capsules
EP0129445A1 (en) * 1983-06-20 1984-12-27 Cosden Technology Inc. Process for forming tamper-resistant tamper-indicative capsules
US4543138A (en) * 1983-07-07 1985-09-24 Eli Lilly & Company Capsule-sealing method and apparatus
US4866906A (en) * 1983-09-02 1989-09-19 Capsule Technology International, Ltd. Device for producing tamper evident capsules
EP0152517A1 (en) * 1984-02-22 1985-08-28 Warner-Lambert Company Apparatus and method for sealing capsules
US4609417A (en) * 1984-03-26 1986-09-02 Microdry Corporation Capsule sealer and method of sealing
US4677812A (en) * 1984-05-29 1987-07-07 Capsule Technology International, Ltd. Method for sealing tamper-evident capsules
US9340004B2 (en) 2011-10-06 2016-05-17 Bio Capsule Pharmaceutical And Nutritional Products (Pty) Ltd. Method and apparatus for manufacturing a capsule
US10046549B2 (en) 2011-10-06 2018-08-14 Combocap, Inc. Method and apparatus for manufacturing a capsule
US9456987B2 (en) 2013-04-03 2016-10-04 Binutra, Inc. Capsule with internal diaphragm

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