GB937612A - Dispensing apparatus for tablets and other small unit products - Google Patents

Abstract

937,612. Packaging machines. WARD BLENKINSOP & CO. Ltd. April 21, 1960 [April 21, 1959], No. 13525/59. Class 94(1). [Also in Groups XIX and XXX] Apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of like small articles into a container comprises means for feeding the articles into conduit means along which the articles can slide freely, means operable alternatively for interrupting the flow of articles at either of two points in the conduit and means for withdrawing the lower interrupting means operable when the container is located beneath the lower end of the conduit, to allow a predetermined number of articles to pass to the container. As described, tablets are placed in a hopper 1 and pass via a conventional electromagnetic vibrator 15 to a smooth circular table 16 which is rotated to cause the tablets to pass via a shoot 21 to a second hopper 23. The hopper 23, which is rotated, is divided into four compartments, Fig. 2, each leading to a channel having an outlet to one of four circular tables 33-36, Fig. 1, disposed at different levels. The tables 33-36 rotate with the hopper 23 and cause the tablets to pass singly into conduits 41 which lead to a counting head 49 having four side-by-side channels. Each channel has stop rods 67, 69 slidably mounted therein, the sum of the distances between the rods 67, 69 for the four channels corresponding to the number of tablets required for the container. In operation, a container to be filled is inserted in the mouth 60 of a block 58 located beneath the ends of the channels, thereby actuating an arm 63 of a microswitch 64 to energize two solenoids (not shown). Energization of the solenoids causes the rods 67 to move to the right and the rods 69 to move to the left thereby allowing the desired number of tablets to fall into the container. When the container is removed from the mouth 60, the microswitch 64 is opened and the rods 67, 69 return to the position shown, thereby allowing the tablets in the channels to move downwards so that the lowest tablets contact the arms 69.