US3784006A - Dragee sorting apparatus - Google Patents

Dragee sorting apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3784006A
US3784006A US00266959A US3784006DA US3784006A US 3784006 A US3784006 A US 3784006A US 00266959 A US00266959 A US 00266959A US 3784006D A US3784006D A US 3784006DA US 3784006 A US3784006 A US 3784006A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
dragees
rollers
roller
feed hopper
type sorting
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00266959A
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English (en)
Inventor
H Braun
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Roche Diagnostics GmbH
Original Assignee
Boehringer Mannheim GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19712133968 external-priority patent/DE2133968C3/de
Application filed by Boehringer Mannheim GmbH filed Critical Boehringer Mannheim GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3784006A publication Critical patent/US3784006A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/04—Sorting according to size
    • B07C5/06—Sorting according to size measured mechanically
    • B07C5/065—Sorting according to size measured mechanically with multiple measuring appliances adjusted according to different standards, for example length or thickness, which detect the shape of an object so that if it conforms to the standard set by the measuring appliance, it is removed from the conveyor, e.g. by means of a number of differently calibrated openings
    • 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
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/906—Pneumatic or liquid stream feeding item
    • 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
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/914—Diverse sequential feeding steps
    • 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
    • Y10S209/00—Classifying, separating, and assorting solids
    • Y10S209/92—Vibratory feed conveyor

Definitions

  • Cl B07c comprising a perforated surface adjustable in tilt and [5 8] Field of Search 209/85, 107, 75, oscillatable and disposed to receive the dragees to be 209/73; 221/10; 222/193; 302/34; 200/6121, sorted and, disposed therebelow, (b) roller-type sort- 61.2 ing means comprising a plurality of substantially parallel rollers wherein adjacent rollers rotate in opposite [56] References Cited directions and wherein the spacing between said rol- UNITED STATES PATENTS lers is steplessly adjustable.
  • the instant invention relates to apparatus for sorting dragees, tablets, capsules and the like according to diameter and thickness.
  • dragees In recent years there has been a growing trend towards the use of high-output package fillings machines for the packaging of dragees, capsules and tablets containing pharmaceuticals (hereinafter collectively referred to as dragees). To assure trouble-free operation of these machines the dimensions of the dragees must be as uniform as possible. In the production of dragees, however, it is inevitable that some of them will be off-size, and consequently the dragees have to be sorted according to diameter and thickness before they are packed. Also, fragments of dragees, and doubles (two tablets stuck together in the sugarcoating process), also have to be sorted out. The removal of defective dragees must be effected not only to prevent trouble in the packaging machines but also to forestall consumer complaints.
  • dragee sorting machines are commercially available, they have to be operated largely by hand or they are only semi-automatic in operation.
  • the subject of the present invention is a fully automatic, technically simple dragee sorting machine of high output, which requires relatively little place, and satisfies all precision and reliability requirements. It is suited' not only for the sorting of dragees, but also of dragee cores and tablets according to diameter and thickness.
  • the apparatus of the invention consists basically of a combination of two parts into one compact unit, namely a plate sorter and a roller-type sorter, and is conveniently explained with reference to an illustrative device shown in the drawings in which:
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the entire apparatus.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the eccentric drive.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the rollers in the roller sorter.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the manner in which the dragees are guided in the roller sorter.
  • FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the arrangement of the major items of the apparatus.
  • perforated plate sorter-4 with adjustable tilt and actuated by two eccentrically mounted shafts is disposed above and in operative engagement with a roller-type sorter 13 with steplessly variable roller spacing.
  • the perforated plate sorter is provided with a feed hopper 3 which contains a resilient deflector or a helical plastic housing 5 and a pneumatic conveyor tube 1 coming from a container 2 holding a supply of the material being processed.
  • the level of material in the feed hopper 3 is controlled by a level detecting switch 6 through a magnetic valve 7 in the compressed air line running to the pneumatic conveyor tube 1.
  • the one eccentric of the perforated plate sorter is mounted on the shaft of the driving motor, while the second eccentric is driven through a chain transmission at the same speed, the eccentric connecting rods 8 being carried in pivotally mounted ball sleeves and provided with threaded ends wwhereby the tilt of the perforated plate is controlled.
  • Both the roller sorter and the perforated plate sorter are provided with discharge funnels and guides which are equipped with shutters 28.
  • the apparatus furthermore contains openings in the machine frame and rails equipped with rollers for palletized transport containers.
  • the roller sorter contains riders l8 and channel-shaped guides 20, which consist preferably of Plexiglas and which are adjustable according to the size and weight of the dragees being sorted.
  • FIG. 1 shows the pneumatic conveyor tube 1 by which the dragees are delivered from the supply container 2 to the feed hopper 3 of the perforated plate sorter 4.
  • a resilient deflector or a helical plastic housing 5 is located in the feed hopper.
  • the level control switch 6 is connected to a solenoid valve 7.
  • the perforated plate sorter 4 is driven through the two eccentric connecting rods 8; cf. FIG. 2.'ln the upper half of the perforated plate, where the holes are somewhat smaller than in the lower half, the dragees of excessively small diameter drop through the funnel 9 into the reject container 10.
  • FIG. 1 also shows the funnel 21 through which the toothin dragees drop into the reject container 22.
  • Dragees with the correct thickness are delivered by the chute 23 into container 24, and the too-thick dragees are delivered through funnel 25 into the reject container 26. All containers run on rails 27.
  • the funnels and chutes have shutters 28.
  • the roller sorter is fastened to the frame of the perforated plate sorter only by the two bolts 29.
  • the compressed air (3 to 5 atmoshperes gauge grgssure) is carried in the outer jacket to the bottom end of the tube and there it is turned about by and fed into the inside tube.
  • the suction developing in the inside tube carries the dragees through the inside tube into the feed hopper.
  • the resilient deflector or a helical plastic housing 5 in the feed hopper prevents the pills from colliding at high velocity with the hopper wall upon emerging from the pneumatic conveyor tube and being shattered.
  • the level control switch 6 opens a solenoid valve 7 in the compressed air feed line to the pneumatic conveyor tube whenever there are too few pills in the feed hopper, and closes the valve when a sufficient supply is present in the hopper.
  • the pills slide from the feed hopper, whose lower orifice is a few millimeters above the perforated plate, across the perforated plate sorter 4.
  • the perforated plate sorter is vibrated by means of the two eccentric connecting rods 8.
  • One eccentric connecting rod is mounted on the motor shaft, and the second eccentric rod is mounted on a shaft which is driven by the motor through a chain drive.
  • the eccentric connecting rods are carried in pivotally mounted ball sleeves and have threaded ends whereby the tilt of the perforated plate can be varied.
  • Driving the perforated plate by two eccentrics allows the vibrations to be made stronger at the upper end of the perforated plate than at the lower end, or vice versa. In this manner the amount of time the material spends on the perforated plate may be adjusted as desired.
  • the output of the perforated plate sorter can be adjusted by regulating the size of the gap between the feed hopper and the perforated plate and by regulating the angle of tilt of the perforated plate.
  • the output of the roller sorter is determined by the tilt of the rollers. if the tilt is too great, the pills will spill over one another.
  • the Plexiglas riders with the adjustable loading weights keep the pills from spilling over one another.
  • the pressure of the Plexiglas riders may be controlled in accordance with the'weight and the diameter of the pills. In this manner the sorting channels may be set steeper to achieve a greater output from the sorter. After passing the Plexiglas riders the pills are preventing from spilling over one another by the channel-shaped'guides.
  • the spacing of the sorter rollers is adjusted such that the too-thin pills are sorted out in the upper area, the good ones in the middle area and the too-thick ones in the bottom area.
  • Palletized aluminum containers may be used as the reject containers for transportation within the factory. No great amount-of effort is needed for the removal of the filled aluminum containers from the machine, since they ride on rails 27' which may also be provided with rollers.
  • One pillow block of each pair of sorting rollers is affixed with set screws to a round rod; the second pillow block of each pair is mounted on a spindle having a fine thread.
  • the threaded spindle is rotated by means of a knob the roller spacing in all of the sorting channels is simultaneously and uniformly adjusted.
  • roller sorter Since 7 the roller sorter is fastened to the frame of the perforated plate sorter by means of only two bolts 29, the two sorters may be readily separated if desired by removing the bolts.
  • the roller sorter and the perforated plate sorter are interlocked electrically, i.e., when the roller sorter is shut off the perforated plate sorter is simultaneously shut off. Each sorter may also be operated separately as desired.
  • Apparatus for sorting dragees according to diameter and thickness to the dragees which apparatus-comprises, in combination, (a) plate-type sorting means comprising a perforated surface adjustable in tilt and oscillatable and adapted to receive dragees and sort same into groups passing over and through said perforated surface and, disposed therebelow, (b) roller-type sorting means adapted to receive sorted dragees that pass through the perforations in said perforated surface for further sorting and comprising a plurality of substantially parallel rollers wherein adjacent rollers rotate in opposite directions and wherein the spacing between said rollers is steplessly adjustable.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising feed hopper means adapted to supply said platetype sorting means with dragees to be sorted, wherein said feed hopper means isprovided with resilient dragee deflector means.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 additionally comprising a dragee supply container and pneumatic con veyer tube means communicating therewith and leading to said feed hopper means wherein, disposed in said feed hopper means, there is provided a control switch capable of regulating'the amount of dragees fed into said hopper means, through solenoid valve means controlling the compressed air flow to said pneumatic conveyer tube.
  • said perforated surface of said plate-type sorting means is in two sections, an upper and a lower section, the upper section having perforations somewhat smaller then those of the lower section, the respective hole sizes being such that the smaller-than-tolerance dragees drop through said upper section into a reject container and the acceptable dragees pass principally through said lower section ontosaid roller-type sorting means.
  • roller-type sorting means comprises (1) rider means between each set of counter-rotating rollers, which rider means adjustably depress the dragees into the groove between said rollers, and additionally, (2) channel guide means disposed between said rollers to properly align the dragees with respect to said roller means.
  • Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein one of said rotating surfaces is driven by the shaft of a motor and the other rotating surface is rotated at the-same speed by said motor through a chain drive.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Combined Means For Separation Of Solids (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)
US00266959A 1971-07-08 1972-06-28 Dragee sorting apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3784006A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19712133968 DE2133968C3 (de) 1971-07-08 Vorrichtung zum Sortieren von Dragees

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3784006A true US3784006A (en) 1974-01-08

Family

ID=5813016

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00266959A Expired - Lifetime US3784006A (en) 1971-07-08 1972-06-28 Dragee sorting apparatus

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US3784006A (it)
BE (1) BE785861A (it)
CH (1) CH540725A (it)
FR (1) FR2248090B1 (it)
GB (1) GB1344592A (it)
IT (1) IT962413B (it)
NL (1) NL7209474A (it)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4859120A (en) * 1987-01-16 1989-08-22 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Pneumatic conveying system
US20160264273A1 (en) * 2015-03-13 2016-09-15 NPK Packaging, LLC Automatic Grading, Sorting and Packaging System

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB392295A (en) * 1932-02-10 1933-05-18 George Magnus Leslie An improved apparatus for grading fruit
US2343042A (en) * 1942-03-30 1944-02-29 Barry Company Classifying machine
US2422036A (en) * 1944-09-30 1947-06-10 Hotpoint Inc Apparatus for gaging and assorting bullet cores according to size and shape
US2615567A (en) * 1948-05-29 1952-10-28 Gen Electric Sorting apparatus
US2710712A (en) * 1951-02-13 1955-06-14 Nat Machinery Co Nail handling apparatus
US2962565A (en) * 1959-01-15 1960-11-29 Albers H Michael Level control device

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB392295A (en) * 1932-02-10 1933-05-18 George Magnus Leslie An improved apparatus for grading fruit
US2343042A (en) * 1942-03-30 1944-02-29 Barry Company Classifying machine
US2422036A (en) * 1944-09-30 1947-06-10 Hotpoint Inc Apparatus for gaging and assorting bullet cores according to size and shape
US2615567A (en) * 1948-05-29 1952-10-28 Gen Electric Sorting apparatus
US2710712A (en) * 1951-02-13 1955-06-14 Nat Machinery Co Nail handling apparatus
US2962565A (en) * 1959-01-15 1960-11-29 Albers H Michael Level control device

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4859120A (en) * 1987-01-16 1989-08-22 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Pneumatic conveying system
US20160264273A1 (en) * 2015-03-13 2016-09-15 NPK Packaging, LLC Automatic Grading, Sorting and Packaging System

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT962413B (it) 1973-12-20
CH540725A (de) 1973-08-31
DE2133968B2 (de) 1976-10-21
FR2248090A1 (it) 1975-05-16
DE2133968A1 (de) 1973-01-18
GB1344592A (en) 1974-01-23
NL7209474A (it) 1973-01-10
BE785861A (fr) 1973-01-05
FR2248090B1 (it) 1980-03-14

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