Method Of Assembling A Multiple Compartment Hypodermic Syringe

Abstract

A liquid containing syringe barrel is first fully assembled including a valve in the discharge portion of the barrel, liquid above the valve, a plunger above the liquid, a plunger rod attached to the plunger and a piston cap on the discharge end of the liquid syringe barrel, and subsequently a second syringe barrel is engaged over the discharge end portion of the liquid containing syringe barrel, the piston cap retaining the second syringe barrel on the first or liquid containing syringe barrel. Said assembly of the two syringe barrels is then inverted to permit the filling of powder into the second syringe barrel which is subsequently capped and provided with a sheathed hypodermic syringe needle.

Description

The present invention comprises providing a first syringe barrel having one end open and a neck portion at the opposite end. Conveying said first syringe barrel in a vertical position with the neck portion lowermost to an assembling station where a valve is inserted through the open end into the syringe barrel to abut the neck portion. After the insertion of the valve, the first syringe barrel is conveyed to a second assembling station where a measured quantity of liquid is delivered through the open end of the first syringe barrel above the valve. From the liquid delivering station, the first syringe barrel is conveyed to a third assembling station where a plunger is inserted through the open end into the first syringe barrel to seal the liquid in said syringe barrel. From the third assembling station, the first syringe barrel is conveyed to a fourth assembling station where a plunger rod is attached to the plunger with a manipulating portion of the plunger rod extended exteriorly from the first syringe barrel through the open end thereof. At the succeeding fifth assembling station, a piston cap is engaged over the neck portion of the first syringe barrel and at the succeeding sixth assembling station, a second syringe barrel is positioned in vertical spaced alignment below the capped neck portion of the first syringe barrel. At the seventh assembling station, the second syringe barrel is moved over the first syringe barrel with the piston cap retaining the second syringe barrel on the first syringe barrel. At the eight assembling station, the assembled first and second syringe barrels are inverted and in said inverted position they are conveyed to a ninth assembling station where powder is delivered to the second syringe barrel through a neck portion of said second syringe barrel and against the capped neck portion of the first syringe barrel. At the tenth and eleventh assembling stations a pierceable cap is successively positioned on the neck portion of the second syringe barrel and crimped to said neck portion. Finally at the twelfth and thirteenth assembling stations, a hypodermic needle carrying cap is successively positioned over the pierceable cap and spun to the neck portion of the second syringe barrel.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the steps of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe by showing the elements involved;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the devices for performing the steps of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical-sectional view of a valve;

FIG. 4 is a vertical-sectional view of a plunger;

FIG. 5 is a view of a plunger rod; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical-sectional view of a piston cap.

In carrying out the method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe, there are provided devices or apparatus shown in FIG. 2 as comprising a hopper 4 for a plurality of first syringe barrels 5 having an open filler end 6 and a discharge neck portion 7. The syringe barrels 5 are delivered in a vertical position with the neck portion 7 lowermost to a vibratory feeder 8 conveying said syringe barrels 5 from station A to station B where valves v of resilient material, such as rubber, are inserted into the syringe barrels 5 by mechanism 9 to abut the neck portion 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the valve comprises a tubular body 10 closed by a transverse wall 11 provided with a slit 12 and the opposite ends of said body 10 arranged with liquid-sealing rings 13 to tightly and slidably engage the bore of the syringe barrel 5. The valves v are delivered from a hopper 14 to the vibratory feeder 8 and the mechanism 9.

After the valve v is inserted in the syringe barrel 5, said syringe barrel is advanced by the vibratory feeder 8 to a filling device 15, at station C, which will deliver a measured quantity of liquid l, such as a solvent, to the syringe barrel 5 against the valve v having the slit 12 closed by the resiliency of the material of said valve.

After the syringe barrel 5 received its measured quantity of liquid l, the syringe barrel 5 is conveyed by the vibratory feeder 8 to station D where plungers p are delivered from a hopper 16 to the vibratory feeder 8 relative to apparatus 17 for inserting a plunger p into the syringe barrel 5 through the open end 6 into proximity with the liquid l to seal said liquid l in the syringe barrel 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the plunger p comprises a rubber plug 18 having a recess 19 in the upper end and liquid-sealing rings 20 to slidably engage the bore of the syringe barrel 5.

From station D, the syringe barrel 5 is conveyed by the vibratory feeder 8 to station E where plunger rods r are delivered from a hopper 21 to a device 22 to insert a plunger rod r into the recess 19 of the rubber plug 18. As shown in FIG. 5, said plunger rods r comprise a rod 23 having a reduced screw-threaded end 24 to be threaded into the recess 19 and a knob 25 at the opposite end which is positioned exteriorly of the open end 6.

The syringe barrel 5 is then conveyed from station E to station F by the vibratory feeder 8 and a rotating table 23 to receive a piston cap 24 of resiliant material, such as rubber, having the closed end or bottom provided with a pair of holes 25 on diametrically opposite sides of a protuberance 26 to plug up the opening in the neck portion 7 and sealing rings 27, as shown in FIG. 6. The caps 24 are delivered from a hopper 28 by a chute 29 to the syringe barrel 5 on the rotating table 23 at station F.

The completely assembled syringe barrel 5 is conveyed by the rotating table 23 from station F to station G where a second syringe barrel 30 is positioned in vertical spaced alignment below the neck portion 7 by a chute 31 delivering said syringe barrels 30 from a hopper 32. The stringe barrels 30 have a bore to snugly fit the sealing rings 27 of the caps 24. The syringe barrel 30 is provided with an open end 33 and a neck portion 34 at the opposite end, and the syringe barrels 30 are delivered and positioned in vertical spaced alignment with the syringe barrel 5 with the open end 33 uppermost.

The syringe barrels 5 and 30 are conveyed in vertical spaced alignment with each other by the rotating table 23 from station G to station H, where the syringe barrel 30 is moved onto the syringe barrel 5 to a predetermined distance to provide a space between the cap 24 and the neck portion 34. The sealing rings 27 will retain the syringe barrel 30 on the syringe barrel 5.

The connected syringe barrels 5 and 30 are conveyed by the rotating table 23 from station H to station I where said connected syringe barrels 5 and 30 are inverted and delivered to a vibratory feeder 35 which conveys the inverted syringe barrels 5 and 30 to a rotating table 36 which conveys said inverted syringe barrels 5 and 30 to a filling device 37 at station J where medicament m in powder form is delivered to the syringe barrel 30 through the neck portion 34. The amount of powder delivered is limited by the space in the syringe barrel 30 between the cap 24 and the neck portion 34.

From station J, the assembled or connected syringe barrels 5 and 30 are conveyed by the rotating table 36 and rotating tables 38 and 39 to station K where a pierceable closure cap 40 is positioned on the neck portion 34 at the delivery end of a chute 41 receiving said pierceable closure caps 40 from a hopper 42.

From station K, the assembled syringe barrels 5 and 30 are conveyed by the rotating table 39 to station L where a crimping device 43 secures the pierceable closure cap 40 to the neck portion 34.

After the pierceable closure cap 40 is secured to the neck portion 34, the rotating table 39 delivers the assembled syringe barrels 5 and 30 to a vibratory feeder 44 which conveys said assembled syringe barrels 5 and 30 to station M where a chute 45 delivers assembled sheathed hypodermic needles 46 and mounting caps 47 from a hopper 48 onto the pierceable closure cap 40.

From station M, the vibratory feeder 44 conveys the assembled syringe barrels 5 and 30 to station N where a spining device 49 secures the mounting cap 47 to the neck portion 34.

From station N, the vibratory feeder 44 delivers the fully assembled multiple compartment hypodermic syringe to a suitable depository, not shown.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe which comprises providing a first syringe barrel open at one end and having a neck portion at the opposite end, inserting a valve into the first syringe barrel through the open end thereof and against the neck portion of the first syringe barrel, delivering a measured quantity of liquid to the first syringe barrel through the open end thereof, inserting a plunger into the first syringe barrel through the open end thereof to retain the liquid in the first syringe barrel, connecting a plunger rod to the plunger through the open end of the first syringe barrel, and applying a piston cap to the neck portion.

2. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 1, providing a second empty syringe barrel open at one end and having a neck portion at the opposite end and having a bore of a diameter to form a tight sliding fit with the piston cap on the neck portion of the first syringe barrel, positioning said second syringe barrel in vertical spaced alignment below the first syringe barrel with the neck portion of the second syringe barrel lowermost, and raising the second syringe barrel onto the first syringe barrel with the piston cap of the first syringe barrel spaced from the neck portion of the second syringe barrel and retaining the second syringe barrel on the first syringe barrel.

3. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 2, reversing the vertical positions of the first and second syringe barrels with the second syringe barrel uppermost.

4. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 3, filling the second syringe barrel with powder through the neck portion thereof.

5. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 4, positioning a pierceable closure cap on the neck portion of the second syringe barrel.

6. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 5, securing said pierceable closure cap to the neck portion of the second syringe barrel.

7. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 6, positioning an assembled sheathed hypodermic needle and mounting cap on the pierceable closure cap secured to the neck portion of the second syringe barrel.

8. Method of assembling a multiple compartment hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 7, securing the mounting cap to the neck portion of the second syringe barrel.