Capsule Salvage Machine

Abstract

A machine for stripping capsules from a strip package having a backing sheet and a pocket sheet has a pair of rollers. One roller is for contact with the backing sheet and the other roller is for contact with the pocket sheet. The rollers are driven in opposite directions to advance a strip package through the rollers and rupture the pockets in the pocket sheet to release the capsules which are carried away by a chute leading to a conveyor.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known to package capsules such as pharmaceutical capsules in strip packages having a backing sheet such as cardboard, and a pocket sheet of, for example, polyvinyl chloride, providing a pocket portion to confine each capsule between the pocket sheet and the backing sheet. Defects such as, for example, a ruptured pocket or a missing capsule, occur with some frequency in such packaging requiring its rejection. The present invention by providing for the ready stripping of the capsules from the strip package results in very large savings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A machine for stripping capsules from a strip package having a backing sheet and a pocket sheet has a roller for contact with the pocket sheet and a roller for contact with the backing sheet. Advantageously the roller contacting the pocket sheet has a diameter in the range of from about 20 percent to about 125 percent of the maximum diameter of the capsules, said roller diameter being generally in the range of from about 0.5 inch to about 0.1 inch. The roller contacting the backing sheet has a diameter which is substantially greater than the maximum diameter of the capsules advantageously at least six times the diameter of the roller contacting the pocket sheet and may be as much larger as is convenient. The rollers are driven in opposite directions to advance a strip package through the rollers to rupture the pockets and release the capsules. The linear speed of the outer peripheries of the two rollers is substantially the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right side elevation of a machine in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the rollers illustrating the stripping of a capsule from a pocket;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a strip package containing capsules;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 2 with the cover removed;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken on the plane indicated by the line 6 -- 6 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the roller portion of the machine as shown in FIG. 6, partially broken away.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIG. 1, a machine 2 in accordance with the invention has a base 4 on which is mounted an electric motor 6 controlled by a switch 8. As best seen in FIG. 5, motor 6 drives a pulley 9 carrying a belt 10 which is connected to a pulley 12 fixedly secured to shaft 14 journaled in frame 16 mounted on base 4. Shaft 14 drives sprocket 18 carrying chain 20, which in turn is connected to sprocket 22 which is fixedly secured to metal roller 24, which is journaled in frame 16. Roller 24 has a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the capsules to be salvaged.

A gear 28 fixedly secured to shaft 14 drives gear 30 fixedly secured to shaft 32, which is journaled in frame 16. Shaft 32 drives a sprocket 34, which drives a chain 36 which in turn drives sprocket 38 fixedly secured to shaft 40 journaled in frame 16 and carrying a rubber roller 42. The gearing is such as to provide for the rotation of the outer periphery of roller 42 at the same linear speed as the outer periphery of roller 24.

A cover 46 mounted on base 4 and frame 16 covers the above detailed moving parts. Cover 46 has an opening 48 (see FIG. 6) which is partially closed by a flap 50 pivotally secured to the top of cover 46 at 52 and having a downwardly extending deflector portion 54. Flap 50 also has an opening 55 (FIG. 4). A guide plate 57 secured to cover 46 extends to a position close to roller 42.

A chute 56 extends downwardly from a point adjacent roller 24 to a belt conveyor indicated at 58. Chute 56 has a screen portion 59 to permit any material spilling out of a damaged capsule to drop through in order to keep conveyor 58 clean. Below rollers 24 and 42 is an opening 60 (FIG. 7) in base 4. A waste container 62 (FIG. 1) is positioned below opening 60.

Operation

The above described machine is employed in salvage operations with strip packages, such as package 62 shown in FIG. 3, which has a backing sheet 64 and a pocket sheet 66 adhered thereto and providing pocket portions 68 for the containment of hard gelatin capsules 70. A salvage operation to recover the capsules is necessary when the package is damaged, for example, by having an opening such as 72 in a pocket.

With switch 8 on and motor 6 running, a strip package 62 is inserted through opening 55 in flap 50 with the pocket sheet facing in the direction of chute 56. The package is advanced downwardly to enter the lower edge thereof between driven rollers 24 and 42. By the operation of motors 6, pulley 9, belt 10, pulley 21, shaft 14, sprocket 18, chain 20 and sprocket 22, roller 24 is rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 6 tending to pull the package 62 downwardly. Similarly, shaft 14 also drives gear 28, gear 30, shaft 32, sprocket 34, chain 36, sprocket 38, and shaft 40 to rotate roller 42 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6.

As roller 24 engages a pocket 68, it urges the capsule 70 against the pocket 68 placing the pocket under sufficient tension to rupture it. When the pocket ruptures, the capsule pops away from the backing sheet into chute 56 in which it travels by gravity down to conveyor 58 on which it will normally be inspected and, if satisfactory, recovered for repackaging. When all the capsules 70 have been stripped in this manner from package 62 and the package has completed its passage through rollers 24, 42, it drops through opening 60 into waste container 62.

The above described embodiment is intended to be illustrative and not limiting.

Claims

We claim:

1. A machine for stripping capsules from a strip package having a backing sheet and pocket sheet comprising:

a roller for contact with the pocket sheet,

a roller for contact with the backing sheet,

the diameter of the first mentioned roller being in the range of from about 20 percent to about 125 percent of the maximum diameter of the capsules,

the diameter of said second mentioned roller being greater than the diameter of the first mentioned roller, and

means to rotate said rollers to advance the package through the rollers.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the diameter of the second mentioned roller is at least six times the diameter of the first mentioned roller.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 1 in which the outer peripheries of the rollers are driven at substantially the same linear rate of speed.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 2 in which the outer peripheries of the rollers are driven at substantially the same linear rate of speed.