US774378A - Machine for decapping, filling, and recapping capsules. - Google Patents

Description

No. 774,378. PATBNTED N07. s. 19o-4. A. K. CARTER.

MACHINE POR DECAPPING, FILLING, AND RECAPPING'GAPSULES.

. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 1e, 1903. 11o-MODEL.

A. K. AR'I'BR. MACHINE FOR DECAPPING, FILLING, AND REGAPP APPLICATIUN FILED 00T, 16, 190s.

ING CAPSULES.

NO MODEL.

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. "117 i! muy w PATENTED NOV. 8. 1904.

ZSHBETS-SHEET 2.

` UNK-FED :.fSTATEs Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

vALviN KQ CARTER, oF sYRACUsE, N-Ew YORK.

MAC-HNE FOR DLECAPPING, FILLING, AND RECAPPING CAPSULES.

srnclrlcn'rlon forming part af Letters Patent No. 774,378, dated Navexaber s, 1904.

Application Hed-October 16,1903. Serial No. 177,280. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known'that I, ALVIN K. CARTER, of Syracuse, in the county, of Onondaga, in the `State of' New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Decapping, Filling, and Recapping Capsules, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings; isa full, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates toA improvements in machines for decapping, iilling, and'recapping capsules in which the empty capsules are placed promiscu ously in a suitable hopper and are then automatically fed one by one to a separating device where the bodies of the capsules are successively withdrawn from their caps and are automatically filled with powder or other material and afterward reinserted into Y their respective caps ready for the market.

' .miscuously into a hopper 1, having its sides and bottom-inclining.downwardlyhtoward an outlet-opening 2 iniits base, so that 'the cap-I svo The object is to render the operation of decapping, filling, and recapping continuous and automatic and as simple, expeditious, and reliable as possible.

In the drawings, Figure `1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a machine for carrying out the objects of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a detail'sectional view of portions of the two lower disks, showing the recapping and discharging plungers and their operating devices. Fig. 4 is a top plan of a portion of the hopper and the guide for thel capsules. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the main driving-gears for the disks. Fig'. 7 isadetail view of the cam and yoke for voperating the fillerplungers. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of the decapping mechanism. Y

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding' parts in all` the views.

The empty capsules, as a, are dumped prosules will gravitate into the opening, which is somewhat elongated 1n one direction and slightly greater in width than the diameter of the capsule-to cause the capsules automatically right themselves `lengthwise of the opening. This hopper may besupported in any desired manner, but isshown-as mounted rises from a supporting-base 4. At the botvice 5, having la series of radial arms 6, which engage' and feed the capsules one -by one upon faces of the arms being concave in cross-section, so as to facilitatethe rightingof the captator and feed device is also mounted upon 9, which is journaled in the basefl and is provided with adriving-pulley 10, to be connected to any source of power. (Not shown.)

The-guide or race 7 consists of 'a table or bed which inclines upwardly and laterally from the oase of the discharge-openingof the hopper and is formed with a lengthwise slot 11 of substantially the same width as-fthe diof the upper section or cap, and the capsules are thenjed one4 by one into the race with the 'lower edge of the cap riding on the upper faces of the walls of the slotll, and the loweil sections are thereby suspended and ride in the slot. At or near the outer end of the raceway the slot 11 is enlarged suiiicientto permit the capsule-caps to pass'therethrough-f e.,the ways upon which thelower edge of lthe cap -rides are cut away; but the distance between this enlargement 12 andthe feed device is suficien't to receive and hold the number of the capsules while being fed vto the'enlargement or discharge-opening of the raceway. An upright tubular guide 13 is held in vertical alinement with and beneath the enlarge- .ment 12 by an arm 14 of the standard 3 and receives the capsules `as they successively gravitate from the racethrough said enlarge- 'fm'ent The interior diameter ot' -this tube is' slightly greater than the diameter of the cap of the capsule, so that the 'capsules gravitate readily through the tube, 'which is suciently long vertical-ly to retain a definite number of the capsules in pan vupright position one upon the ot er The upper endv of the tube lies in a plane substantially coincident with the plane upon the upper end ofa standard 3, which and along a suitable/guide or race 7, the front' sules as they are fed to the race. This agitom of the discharge-opening is located a-continuously-revolving agitator and feeding dethe standard 3 and is driven by a belt 8 from a continuously-revolving maindriving-shaft ameter of the lower or smaller section of the capsule, but 'of less width than the diameter IOO raceway, so `that they may ride freely over the tube, and when the tube is filled with capsules the upper end of the upper capsule in the tube is in substantially the same plane and supports the capsule, .which may bein the enlargement of the race.

.The outer end of the slot 11 beyond the enlargement is open, so that when the tube 13 is filled the capsules may still continue to be fed along the race and beyond the enlargement, so that the end ones aresimply forced through the open end of the slot and maybe returned by hand or otherwise to the hopper.

The slot-11, feeding device 5, and raceway 7 constitute means for feeding and righting the capsules right side up with their caps uppermost, in which position they gravitate suc 'cessively into the guide 13.

Any capsules which may be fed forwardly bottom side up by the device are merely forced out through the slot 11 and fall beneath the raceway 7.

The sloping sidesand bottom which terminate in an elongated opening on Vthe base of the hopper cause the capsules to fall lengthwise u pon the radial wings of the rotary feeding device 5, in which position they are fed by the wings into the slot.11 of the race 7.

Directly beneath the lower open end of the tube 13 and in close proximity thereto is a horizontal rotary carrier 15, having a circular concentric row of openings 16, which are intermittently and lsuccessively brought `into registration with the lower end of the tube 13 as the carrier is rotated. This carrier is secured to an intermittingly-rotating upright shaft 17, which is driven from the main shaft 9 through the medium of gears 18 and 19 of any desired construction to cause the disk or carrier 15 to rotate step by step to successively register the openings 16 with the dis# charge end of the tube 13.

As seen in Figs. 1, 5, and 6, the gear 18 on the upright shaft 17 is provided with a number of. spurs or teeth corresponding to the number of openings 16 in the carrier, and the gear 19 on the main shaft 9 is provided with a single spur or tooth, whereby the disk 15. is rotated through an arc equal to the space between the radii drawn through the centers of adjacent openings 16 at each revolution ofthe main shaft, and these openings 16 are therefore successively centered with the tube and are temporarily held in this position during the remainder of the revolution of the main shaft by a spring-detent 18', Fig. 1. These openings are of the saine height or length as the caps of theapsules, and directly beneath the lower face of the carrier and in close proximity thereto is a fixed, plate 20,

havingan opening 21 alinedwith the discharge end of the tube 13 and just large enough to easily receive the lower section 'of the capsule,

but of iless diameter than the cap, so that as the capsules are discharged from thev tube into l the alined opening 16 the lower'edge of the cap rests on the top Iface of the plate 20, whilev the lower section of the capsule 4protrudes through the opening 21.` A second upright tube 22 is fixedly supported in an arm 23 of the standard 3 and is registered with the opening 21 in the plate 20, so that the lower section of the capsule in the opening 21 also projects into the upper end of the tube 22. At this point the capsules are decapped bya pair of continuously-rotating gripper-rollers 24, which are driven from YtheV main Vshaft 9 by a and force the same down through' the tube 22.

A second carrier 27 is secured tollthe upright shaft 17 some distance beneath the carrier 15 and is provided with a circular concentric row These openings 28 are successively registered with the lower end of the tube 2,2 and are of just sufficient size'to easily receive the lower sections of one of the capsules as it is discharged .from the tube 22, a fixed plate 29 being supported directly beneath the openings 28 to forni a stop and support for the lower capsule-sections. It is now evident that this decapping operation is performed while the disks 15 and 27 are at rest and that the caps are retained in the disk 15,' while the lower sec-4 tions are deposited into the disk 27. Now when the disks 15 and 27 are rotated one step, as previously described, another set of openings 16 -and 28 are brought into registration with the Atubes 13 and 22 and the operation just stated is repeated, while at the same time the caps and lower sections in the carriers are carried forwardly onel space or step and rest upon the plates 2O and 29. These capsule-sec tions are thus carried forwardly step bystep, and the lower sections, with their open ends uppermost, are brought into registration with the discharge-nozzles of a suitable filler which contains the powder to be deposited in the capsules. This filler comprises a hopper 30, having one or more (in this instance three) discharge-nozzles 31, in which are verticallyedly supported by a bracket 33, and the nozzles are spaced so that three of the lower sections of thev capsules are registered therewith at the saine time when the machine is in full operation.

guided in openings in the bracket 33 and are actuated downwardly into the nozzles when may be employed to actuate these plungers; but theyoke is preferably pivgted to the intermediate portion of a lever'35, which is fulcrumed at one end to a fixed support 37, and

of openings 28 in vertical alinement with and corresponding in number to the openings 1 6.

belt 25 and gears 26, said gripper-rollers be IOS IIO

movable plungers 32, the hopper being fix- 'lhe plungers are mounted on a yoke 34 and l the disks or carriers are at rest.. Any means its other end is connectedby' a link 38 to a' cam or eccentricl) on the main shaft 9, the throw of theV cam following soon after the shift of the carrier by the gear19 and is sufficient to forcethe plungers through the" nozzles, but not into the capsule-section. A limited quantity of the powder is fed bythetirst plunger nearest to the tube 22 to partially-lill the capsule alinedtherewith, and at the next 1o shift of the carrier more'powder is added to the same capsule by the second plunger, while at the next shift the' powder fed -by the third plunger is suilicient to till the capsule. This lling of the capsules by degrees is found to be more practicable than filling with a single stroke of a single plunger; butit is evident that the latter may be employed, if desired.

'lhe operations of and mechanisms for de'- capping and filling the capsules have now Abeen zo described, and the next operation is to reinsert the filled capsule-sections into their respective caps. `In carrying out this latter operation a third carrier or disk 40 is mounted upon a rotary shaft 41 just above the lowerA 2 5` carrier 29 and is provided with a circular row of openings 42, which are successively brought into vertical alinement with the openings 28,' or, rather, these openings 28 and 42 are successively brought into registration with yeach other by each step-by-step'movement of the carriers and 27. The radii of the several carriers from their axes' to the center of the. openings are substantially equal and each car` rier is provided with the same number of openings 16, 28, and 42, while the intermittent movement of the carrier isthesame as for the other carriers and is effected'through the medium of. the intermeshing gears 43 on the shafts 17 and 41. The carriers 27 and 40 are arranged so that two adjacent openings of one carrier are brought into registration with two adjacent openings ofthe other carrier, as seen in Fig. 3. A third upright tube or guide 44 is interposed between the carriers 15 and 40 almost diametrically opposite to the tube 22 to conduct the caps from the carrier .15 to the carrier 40. Thefupper end of the" tube 44 is registered with an opening 45 in the plate 20, while its lower end is registered withone of the openings 42, which extend throughthe carrier 40, said openings and tube being suiiiciently large in diameter to permit the caps to readily and easily gravitate from the carrier 15 to the carrier 40. The openings 42 are of substantially the same depth as the length of the complete capsule, but are each formed with an air'v nular shoulder 46, about midway upon which the cap rests when received from the tube 44.

` The lower part of each of the openings -42.

tapers upwardly, so that -the'diameter of thel annulus 46 is slightly less than the inner'diameterof the cap which is in its upper part, the object of this being to slightly compress the upper end of the filled sectionof the capsule to permit it to enter the cap easily when forced upwardly,as presently described. Af-

ter the cap hasthus been deposited i'n the .opening of the carrier 40 all of the carriers are moved one step, which brings two of the' `openings of the carriers '29 and 40-in -aline- 7o l'ment at one side of the tube 44 and under a vfixed abutment or stop-47, which in this in` stance projects laterally, from the base of the tube 44. Y It is now understood that' one of these alined openings 42 contains a cap, while 75` the lower opening registered' therewith contains alilled lower section of the capsule, and that the head1 of the cap is directly underthe abutment 47.` Now while'the carriers are at rest in this position the filled capsule-section 8oA is forced upwardly through the. opening '42 and into the cap alined therewith by means r of a plunger 48', wh :h is actuated by a cam 49 on the main shaft through the medium of a lever 50, as seen in Fig. 3. The filled cap- 85 -sule has now been recapped, but remains in the carrier 40; and after two or more succes-v sive movements of the carriers, or as soon as v the recapped capsule is carried out of the way of the carrier 27, an additional plunger 51 is 9o operated to force the filled and recapped capsule out of the opening in the carrier 40. This plunger 51 is actuated by a cam 52 on the main shaft 9 through the medium of a lever 53, and as soon as the recapped capsule is ex- 95 pelled from the carrier 40 it is removed by a sweep 55, whichis also actuated by a cam 56 on the main shaft through the medium of a rock-shaft57, to whichthe sweep-is secured.

It-has now -been'shown' how a capsule is de- 10 capped, filled, and recapped successively as it passes through the machine, and itis evident that as each opening of the carrieris presented to the tubev 22 it receives a capsule-l section and carries it to the filler and that the filler-plungers as well as the recapping and expelling plungers operate during each period of rest. Y

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a'machine for decapping, filling and Lecapping capsules, a hopper and an upright guide at one side ot' the hopper, in combination with a race for the capsules leading from 1 15 the hopper to the guide, and a feeding device in the base of the hopper for feeding the capsules from said hopper and forcing them along the race.

2. 1n a machine for decapping, filling and 120 recapping capsules. a righting and feeding mechanism` comprising a-hoppcr having a disy charge-opening for the capsules, a raceway extending laterally from the discharge-opening and having a slot of less width than the dameter ot' the cap of the capsule and rotary means .movable in the opening of the hopper for feeding the capsules one by one intothe slot with their caps riding on. the walls of said slot. I 3o 3. In a machine for decapping, filling and recapping capsules, an upright guide, a racefway having a discharge-opening alined with the upper end of the guide, a hopper for the capsules and a rotary feeding device in the base of the hopper for feeding the capsules one by one into the raceway.

4.' In a machine for decapping, filling and recapping capsules, mechanism for separating the capsule-sections including a pair of rotatable rollers engaging and drawing one part of the capsule from the other.

5. In a machine for decapping, filling and recapping capsules, a holderfor the cap and register the bodies of the capsules with the rollers, whereby the rollers engage and draw the body from the cap, and holding means for the caps.

8. In a machine of the class described, a lfixed vertical guide for the empty capsules, mechanism to feed the capsules into the guide with the caps uppermost', and decapping mechanism includinga pair of rollers for engaging the body of the capsule to draw the same from the cap, and holding means for the cap.

9. In a machine of the class described, a carrier rotating step by step and operating means therefor, in combination with mechanism to feed the empty capsules one by one to the carrier at each movement,.rotating rollers engaging and withdrawing the bodies ofthe capsules from their caps, and operating means for the rollers.

10. In a machine for automatically decapping, filling and recapping capsules, the combination with mechanism for feeding the empty capsules, decapping mechanism including rotating gripping-rollers and operating means therefor, mechanism for filling the body of the capsule, and additional mechanism for reuniting the capsule-sections.

-11.` In a machine -for automatically'decapping, filling and recapping capsules, a decapping mechanism including a pair of grippingrollers for engaging and drawing the body of the capsule from the cap, a filler mechanism, means for conveying the body of the capsule from the decapper to the filler, and mechanism for reuniting the capsule-sections Y 12. In a machine for automatically decapping, filling and recapping capsules, a decapping mechanism including a pair of grippingrollers, mechanism to feed the empty capsules one by one to the decapping mechanism, -a

filler mechanism, a recapping mechanism, and means to convey the capsules consecutively from the decapper to the filler and then to the decapping mechanism.

13. In a machine for .automatically decapping, fillingand recapping capsules,the combination of two carriers rotating together step by step, operating means for the carriers, mechanism for feeding the empty capsules one by one to one carrier, mechanism separate from the carriers for separating the capsulesections and conducting the body to the'other carrier, means to hold the cap in the first-named carrier, mechanism for filling the body at a subsequent movement of the carriers, and additional mechanism for reuniting vthe filled capsule after a further movement of the carriers.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combination of an upright guide, means for feeding empty capsules into the guide, a rota'ry carrier movable step by step and provided with a series of openings which are successively registered with the lower end of the guide for receiving the capsules,a gripping device at the upper end of the guide for engaging and drawing the body of the capsule from the cap, means to hold the cap in the carrier, a second upright guide with which the openings of the carrier are successively registered, a second carrier rotatable step by step and having a series of openings registrable with the lower end of the second guide, means to actuate the carriers simultaneously, mechanism flor filling the capsule-bodies as they are advanced to one position, and mechanism for reuniting the body to the cap when the carriers are advanced to another position;

15. In a machine for decapping, filling and IOO recapping capsules, mechanism for separating y the capsule-sections, mechanism for filling the capsules, and mechanism for reuniting the capsule-sections in combination with two carriers separate from the capsule-separating mechanism and movable step by stepfor carrying the capsule successively to the separator, filler mechanism and reuniting mechanism.

16. In a machine for decapping, filling and recapping capsules, two rotary carriers one above the other and having a common axis, each carrier being provided with acorresponding number of openings, means to rotate the carriers step by step, means for feeding the empty capsules into the-openings ofthe upper` carrier, mechanism for withdrawingthe4 bodies of the capsules from their caps-whilel in the upper carrier,.a fixed guide for conducting the bodies from the withdrawingmechanism to the openings in the lower carrier, a powder- Vcontaining hopper betweenl the carriers and having an outlet withv which the .openings in the. lower carrier lare successivelyvregistered to permit the powder to enter the body of the capsule, and mechanism for reuniting the -capsule-sections after the filling operation.4 u

17. In a machine for decapping, filling and recapping capsules, two horizontal rotating carriers arranged one above the other and each having a corresponding number of openings, mechanism for feeding the empty capsules into the openings of the upper carriers, i mechanism separate from the carriers fordrawing the body of the capsule from the cap while in the upper carrier, a fixed guide for conducting the bodies of the capsules to the openings in the lower carrier, mechanism for filling the body of the capsules while in the lower carrier, a third carrier having openings movable into registration with those in, the upper and lower carriers, a guide for conducting the caps from the upper carrier to 15 H. E. CHASE, MLDRED M. No'r'r.

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