WO2016157207A1 - Auto head and pin bar assembly - Google Patents
Auto head and pin bar assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2016157207A1 WO2016157207A1 PCT/IN2016/000073 IN2016000073W WO2016157207A1 WO 2016157207 A1 WO2016157207 A1 WO 2016157207A1 IN 2016000073 W IN2016000073 W IN 2016000073W WO 2016157207 A1 WO2016157207 A1 WO 2016157207A1
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- Prior art keywords
- capsule
- sets
- movable
- bar assembly
- shells
- Prior art date
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- 239000002775 capsule Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 215
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 51
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 6
- 238000009966 trimming Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000033001 locomotion Effects 0.000 abstract description 15
- 238000005304 joining Methods 0.000 abstract description 8
- 108010010803 Gelatin Proteins 0.000 description 5
- 229920000159 gelatin Polymers 0.000 description 5
- 239000008273 gelatin Substances 0.000 description 5
- 235000019322 gelatine Nutrition 0.000 description 5
- 235000011852 gelatine desserts Nutrition 0.000 description 5
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 5
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000001035 drying Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000004075 alteration Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007903 gelatin capsule Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000005259 measurement Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007598 dipping method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003028 elevating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000004519 grease Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010338 mechanical breakdown Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J3/00—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms
- A61J3/07—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use
- A61J3/071—Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use into the form of telescopically engaged two-piece capsules
- A61J3/077—Manufacturing capsule shells
Definitions
- the first and second sets of collets with the shells of the capsule bodies and capsule caps move horizontally towards the non-movable joiner block assembly 108.
- the first and second sets of ejector rods push the shells of the capsule bodies and capsule caps into the set of joiner blocks.
- the first and second sets of collets retract to their initial position.
- the capsules that are formed are pushed out of the set of joiner blocks by the first or second sets of ejector rods onto a conveyor belt which carries them out of the capsule manufacturing machine and into a container. Meanwhile, the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap are pushed into the greaser section by the adjacent pin bars from the table section.
- the pin bars have two rows of pins.
- the automatics section includes a movable pin bar assembly, two non-movable auto heads on each of capsule body side and capsule cap side, a non-movable joiner block assembly.
- the two non-movable auto heads are placed in a row for trimming and joining processes of the shells on the two rows of pins of the pin bars.
- the movable pin bar assembly acts as a center lift system that aligns the the pin bars to the two non- movable auto heads.
- the movable pin bar assembly's center lift is due to a ball and screw mechanism.
- Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B represents a schematic representation of the automatics section for the capsule manufacturing machine, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.
- the first and the second non -movable auto heads 304 and 306 allow setting of length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 for trimming process at an ease. This helps to minimize the time taken for each length setting and it in turn increases the productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine.
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
- Pharmacology & Pharmacy (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Medical Preparation Storing Or Oral Administration Devices (AREA)
- Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
Abstract
An automatics section for a capsule manufacturing machine includes a movable pin bar assembly, two non-movable auto heads and a non-movable joiner block assembly. The two non- movable auto heads include two sets of collets, two sets of knife bars and two sets of ejector rods. The non-movable joiner block assembly includes a set of joiner blocks. When the movable pin bar assembly reaches the end of its vertical upward movement, two sets of strippers which are positioned near to the two non-movable auto heads strip shells from pins of pin bars of a capsule body and a capsule cap. The two sets of collets receive the stripped shells and then they rotate against the two sets of knife bars to trim extended length of the shells. The two sets of ejector rods push the shells into the set of joiner blocks for joining to form a desired capsule.
Description
AUTO HEAD AND PIN BAR ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a hard gelatin capsule manufacturing machine More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatics section of the hard gelatin capsule manufacturing machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Pharmaceutical capsules are typically made of gelatin, which is a thermo-gelling material. A hollow cap shell and a body shell are attached to each other to form a capsule. Conventional capsule manufacturing machines include a dipping section, a drying section, a table section, an automatics section, and a greaser section which work in conjunction to manufacture capsules. Pins are mounted in series on a pin bar and these pins are dimensioned to form capsule caps and capsule bodies.
Initially, a number of pin bars are immersed in a gelatin solution so that the gelatin solution sticks and takes the shape of the pins of the pin bars. The pin bars are of two types - one that takes the shape of the cap of the capsule and other that takes the shape of the body of the capsule. These pin bars are transported to the drying section with the help of an elevating mechanism. The drying section has an upper deck kiln and a lower deck kiln for drying the gelatin that is accumulated on the pin bars. The dried pin bars enter the table section from the lower deck kiln by way of a conveyor. From the table section, each pin bar from cap side and body side are pushed by a bar pusher into the automatics section. In the automatics section, the cap and body shells are stripped, trimmed and joined. The empty pin bars are then pushed by the adjacent pin
bars to the greaser section where grease is applied on the pins of the pin bars to remove the residual particles of the gelatin present on them.
It is well known in the art that the capsule manufacturing machine includes the automatics section as discussed above. FIG. 1 represents a block diagram 100 which illustrates various components of the automatics section for the conventional capsule manufacturing machine. In the existing capsules manufacturing machines, the automatics section includes a non-movable pin bar assembly 102, a non -movable joiner block assembly 108, a first movable auto head 104 and a second movable auto head 106. The capsule manufacturing machine consists of two parts substantially alike and operating in conjunction with each other. One of these parts produces the capsule bodies and the other part produces the capsule caps. The bar pusher of the table section pushes a pin bar of the capsule body and a pin bar of the capsule cap simultaneously to the automatics section of the capsule manufacturing machine. Thus, non-movable pin bar assembly 102 receives the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap from the table section of the capsule manufacturing machine. The non-movable pin bar assembly 102 is fixed to the base of the capsule manufacturing machine.
First and second sets of strippers are positioned below the first movable auto head 104 and the second movable head 106, respectively. The first and second sets of strippers reciprocate horizontally and move towards the non-movable pin bar assembly 102. The first and second sets of strippers are assigned to pins of the pin bars of the capsule bddy and the capsule cap to strip shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps from the pins. Each stripper of the first and second sets of strippers includes a pair of arms that are interconnected by a pivot and a spring is connected between the pair of arms. The opening and closing of the pair of arms is due to the pair of wedges. The pair of wedges is mounted on a holder bar that moves vertically up and down below the pair of arms of the each stripper. When the holder bar moves up towards the bottom of the pair of arms, the pair of wedges comes in contact with the pair of arms and then move towards each other which results in the opening of the each stripper. When the holder bar moves down away from the bottom of the pair of arms, the pair of arms comes back to their closed state due to the loaded spring.
The first movable auto head 104 and the second movable auto head 106 trim and join the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps, respectively. The first movable auto head 104 and the second movable auto head 106 include first and second sets of collets, first and second sets of knife bars and first and second sets of ejector rods, respectively. The first movable auto head 104 and the second movable auto head 106 simultaneously reciprocate vertically to the base of the capsule manufacturing machine. When the first movable auto head 104 and the second movable auto head 106 reach the end of their vertically downward movement, the first and second sets of collets co-axially align with the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap that are positioned horizontally in the non-movable pin bar assembly 102 respectively.
When the first and second sets of collets coaxially align with each pin of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap respectively, the first and second sets of strippers move horizontally towards the non-movable pin bar assembly 102 and engage with the each pin of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap, respectively. After the engagement with each pin, the first and second sets of strippers move horizontally away from the non-movable pin bar assembly which results in stripping of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps from the pin bars. The horizontal movement of the first and second sets of strippers away from the non-movable pin bar assembly 102 results in insertion of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps in the first and second sets of collets.
The first and second sets of collets are of tubular form and they are aligned with each pin of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap. The first and second sets of collets move horizontally towards the non-movable pin bar assembly 102 to receive the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps from the first and second sets of strippers, respectively. After receiving the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps, the first and second sets of collets retract to their initial position. The first and second sets of ejector rods are positioned inside the first and second sets of collets, respectively. The first and second sets of ejector rods set the length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps before they trim the extended length. The first and second sets of knife bars are positioned near the openings of the first and second sets of collets. The first and second sets of collets are rotated against the first and second sets of knife bars to trim the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps to a precise length.
When the first movable auto head 104 and the second movable auto head 106 reach the end of their vertically upward movement, the first and second sets of collets coaxially align with the non-movable joiner block assembly 108. The non-movable joiner block assembly 108 is positioned above the pin bar assembly and it has a set of joiner blocks. The set of joiner blocks are through-bores that allow the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps to join together. The first and second sets of collets with the shells of the capsule bodies and capsule caps move horizontally towards the non-movable joiner block assembly 108. The first and second sets of ejector rods push the shells of the capsule bodies and capsule caps into the set of joiner blocks. When the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps are joined together to form desired capsules, the first and second sets of collets retract to their initial position. The capsules that are formed are pushed out of the set of joiner blocks by the first or second sets of ejector rods onto a conveyor belt which carries them out of the capsule manufacturing machine and into a container. Meanwhile, the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap are pushed into the greaser section by the adjacent pin bars from the table section.
In the automatics sections of the existing capsule manufacturing machines, auto heads move up and down, which requires frequent alignment of collets with fixed joiner blocks. In other words, the settings are frequently required to be changed to ensure this alignment, which is a time consuming process and the entire capsule manufacturing assembly come to a halt during this alignment. This hampers the productivity and production volumes. Therefore, there exists a need for an automatics section that minimizes these alignment settings of the collets with the fixed joiner blocks thereby increasing the productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine. In the automatics sections of the existing capsule manufacturing machines, the motion of all the components are due to mechanical cams and linkages. Since the capsule manufacturing machine runs continuously, the wear and tear on the mechanical cams and linkages is very high and it disturbs the final accuracy of the motion. Also mechanical breakdowns reduce productivity to very large extent. Therefore, there exists a need for an automatics section that minimizes maintenance costs and mechanical motions.
In light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need for an automatics section that does not have any disturbances during the operation of joining the shells of the capsule bodies and the caps and that overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages of the prior art automatics sections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above mentioned automatics sections used in conventional capsule manufacturing machine. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an automatics section includes a movable pin bar assembly, two non-movable auto heads and a non-movable joiner block assembly. The two non- movable auto heads include a plurality of collets, a plurality of knife bars and a plurality of ejector rods. The movable pin bar assembly receives a pair of pin bars from a table section of the capsule manufacturing machine. The movable pin bar assembly reciprocates vertically and at one end of its vertical movement, it receives the pair of pin bars from the table section and at other end of its movement, it allows plurality of strippers to strip shells of capsule bodies and capsule caps from pins of the pair of pin bars of the movable pin bar assembly. The plurality of strippers places the stripped capsules into the plurality of collets. The plurality of collets is of tubular form and they are rotated against the plurality of knife bars to trim the length of the capsule shells. The plurality of ejector rods helps to set the length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps. The non-movable joiner block assembly includes a plurality of joiner blocks which are of through-bores. The plurality of collets moves towards the plurality of joiner blocks and the plurality of ejector rods pushes the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps into the plurality of joiner blocks for joining of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps to for desired capsules The capsules that are formed are pushed on to a conveyor placed next to the non-movable joiner block assembly by the plurality of ejector rods.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the pin bars have two rows of pins. To operate on these pin bars in the capsule manufacturing machine, the automatics section includes a movable pin bar assembly, two non-movable auto heads on each of capsule body side and capsule cap side, a non-movable joiner block assembly. The two non-movable auto heads are placed in a row for trimming and joining processes of the shells on the two rows of pins of the pin bars. The
movable pin bar assembly acts as a center lift system that aligns the the pin bars to the two non- movable auto heads. In another embodiment, the movable pin bar assembly's center lift is due to a ball and screw mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. Such discussion is for purposes of illustration only. Modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention, set forth in the appended claims, will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. Terminology used throughout the specification and claims herein is given its ordinary meaning except as more specifically defined:
Fig. 1 represents a block diagram of various components of an automatics section for a conventional capsule manufacturing machine according to an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure;
Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B represents a schematic representation of the automatics section for the capsule manufacturing machine, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 3 represents a block diagram of various components of the automatics section for the capsule manufacturing machine in an embodiment, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "an article" may include a plurality of articles unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, in order to improve the understanding of the present invention.
There may be additional components described in the foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings. In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such design from the specification.
Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention utilizes a combination of system components which constitutes a fixed auto head and vertically driven central pin bar lift assembly for a capsule manufacturing machine. Accordingly, the components and the method steps have been represented, showing only specific details that are pertinent for an understanding of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
FIG. 2A and Fig. 2B represents a schematic representation of an automatics section 200 for the capsule manufacturing machine. The capsule manufacturing machine consists of two parts substantially alike and operating in conjunction with each other. One of these parts produces a capsule body and the other produces a capsule cap. A bar pusher (not shown) of a table section pushes a pin bar of the capsule body 220 and a pin bar of the capsule cap 222 simultaneously to
the automatics section 200 of the capsule manufacturing machine. The automatics section 200 includes a movable pin bar assembly 202, a first non-movable auto head 204, a second non- movable auto head 206 and a non-movable joiner block assembly 208. The movable pin bar assembly 202 is a center lift system that reciprocates vertically to base of the capsule manufacturing machine. When the movable pin bar assembly 202 reaches the end of its vertically downward movement, it receives the pin bar of the capsule body 220 and the pin bar of the capsule cap 222 from the table section of the capsule manufacturing machine. The movable pin bar assembly 202 has two guided portions 228a and 228b to guide the received pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222 from the table section to a greaser section of the capsule manufacturing machine. After receiving the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222, the movable pin bar assembly 202 moves vertically up. In an embodiment, the vertical lift of the movable pin bar assembly 202 is due to a rack and pinion mechanism. In another embodiment, the vertical lift of the movable pin bar assembly 202 is due to a ball and screw mechanism.
First and second sets of stripper jaws (not shown) are mounted to the first non-movable auto head 204 and the second non-movable auto head 206, respectively. The first and second sets of stripper jaws (not shown) reciprocate horizontally and vertically as they move towards the movable pin bar assembly 202. The first and second sets of stripper jaws are assigned to pins of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222, respectively to strip shells of capsule bodies and the capsule caps from the pins.
When the movable pin bar assembly 202 reaches the end of its vertically upward movement, it coaxially aligns with the first and the second non-movable auto heads 204 and 206. The first and second sets of strippers then move horizontally towards the movable pin bar assembly 202 and engage with each pin of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222, respectively. After the engagement with each pin, the first and second sets of strippers move horizontally away from the movable pin bar assembly 202 which results in stripping of shells of capsule bodies and capsule caps 224 and 226 from the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222.
The first non-movable auto head 204 and the second non-movable auto head 206 include first and second sets of collets 210 and 212, first and second sets of knife bars (not shown) and first and second sets of ejector rods 214 and 216. The horizontal movement of the first and second sets of strippers results in insertion of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 from the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222 in the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212. The first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 are of tubular form and aligned with each pin of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222. The first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 move horizontally towards the movable pin bar assembly 202 to receive shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 from the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222 by the first and second sets of strippers, respectively. After receiving the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226, the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 retract to their initial position. The first and second sets of ejector rods 214 and 216 are positioned inside the first and second sets of collets respectively. The first and second sets of ejector rods set the length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 before trimming of their extended length. The first and second sets of knife bars (not shown) are positioned near the openings of the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212. The first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 are rotated against the first and second sets of knife bars to trim the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 to a precise length. The first and second sets of knife bars (not shown) reciprocate longitudinally towards and away from the openings of the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212. The movement of the first and second sets of knife bars results in trimming of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226.
The first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 of the first non-movable auto head 204 and the second non-movable auto head 206 coaxially align with the non-movable joiner block assembly 208. The non-movable joiner block assembly 208 is fixed to the base of the capsule manufacturing machine and it allows the movable pin bar assembly 202 to move vertically up and down around it. The non-movable joiner block assembly 208 has a set of joiner blocks 218 which are through-bores and they allow the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 to join together. The first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 containing both the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 move horizontally towards the
non-movable joiner block assembly 208 and the first and second sets of ejector rods 214 and 216 push the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 into the set of joiner blocks 218. The shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps (224 and 226) are joined together to form desired capsules. After joining of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226, the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 retract to their initial position. The capsules that are formed are pushed out of the set of joiner blocks 218 by the first or second sets of ejector rods 214 and 216 onto a conveyor belt (not shown). The conveyor belt carries the capsules that are formed out of the capsule manufacturing machine and into a container. Meanwhile, the pin bar of the capsule body 220 and the pin bar of the capsule cap 224 are pushed into a greaser section by the adjacent pin bars from the table section.
In an embodiment, the first and the second non-movable auto heads 304 and 306 are aligned with the set of joiner blocks 218 of the non-movable joiner block assembly 308 at the start of the operation of the capsule manufacturing machine. Therefore, the automatics section 300 eliminates the need for setting of alignment of the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 with the set of joiner blocks 218. This helps to increase productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine.
In an embodiment, the first and the second non -movable auto heads 304 and 306 allow setting of length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps 224 and 226 for trimming process at an ease. This helps to minimize the time taken for each length setting and it in turn increases the productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine.
In another embodiment, the automatics section 200 is a servo-driven section. In yet another embodiment, the first and second sets of strippers could be positioned below the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap 220 and 222, respectively on the movable pin bar assembly 202. In yet another embodiment, the non-movable joiner block assembly 208 is grounded to the base of the capsule manufacturing machine on two legs. The movable pin bar assembly 202 reciprocates vertically on the two legs of the non-movable joiner block assembly 208.
In the automatics section 200 of the capsule manufacturing machine, the alignment setting can be done at start of the operation. The first and second non-movable auto heads 204 and 206 and the set of joiner blocks 218 are non-movable, hence there is no need to set the alignment frequently. Therefore, the automatics section 200 eliminates the need for setting of alignment of the first and second sets of collets 210 and 212 with the set of joiner blocks 218. This arrangement reduces the time for alignment setting and it also helps to increase productivity of the capsule manufacturing machine. All the components of the first and second non-movable auto heads 204 and 206 are servo driven which allow the capsule manufacturing machine to manufacture capsules with precise measurements up to microns. The cutting and joining processes are precisely controlled by servo motors which reduce the offsets in the measurements of the capsule sizes. The perfect length of capsules and major defects on the capsules shall be eliminated.
Fig. 3 represents a block diagram 300 of various components of the automatics section for the capsule manufacturing machine in an embodiment. In an embodiment, a pin bar is designed such that it has two rows of pins arranged on it. The capsule manufacturing machine consists of two parts substantially alike and operating in conjunction with each other. One of these parts produces the capsule body and the other produces the capsule cap. To operate on multiple rows of pins of the pin bar, the automatics section includes a movable pin bar assembly 302, first non- movable auto heads 304a and 304b, second non-movable auto heads 306a and 306b and non- movable joiner block assemblies 308a and 308b. The first non-movable auto heads 304a and 304b include first and second sets of collets, first and second sets of knife bars and first and second sets of ejector rods. The second non-movable auto heads 306a and 306b include third and fourth sets of collets, third and fourth sets of knife bars and third and fourth sets of ejector rods. The non-movable joiner block assemblies 308a and 308b include first and second sets of joiner blocks. A first and second sets of strippers are positioned near to the first non-movable auto heads 304a and 304b and the second non-movable auto heads 306a and 306b respectively. As mentioned above in description of FIG. 2, a pin bar of the capsule body and a pin bar of the capsule cap with two rows of pins each enter the automatics section from the table section of the capsule manufacturing machine. When the movable pin bar assembly 302 reaches the end of its vertically upward movement, the first set of strippers moves horizontally towards the movable pin bar assembly 302 and strips the first row of the shells of the capsule bodies and the caps from
the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap. The first and second sets of collets receive the stripped shells of the capsule bodies and the caps and they are rotated against the first and second sets of knife bars to trim the extended length of the shells. The first and second sets of ejector rods push the trimmed shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps into the first set of joiner blocks for joining of the shells to form desired capsules. The capsules that are formed are pushed out onto a first conveyor belt which carries them out of the capsule manufacturing machine and into a container. Meanwhile, the pin bar of the capsule body and the pin bar of the capsule cap are pushed further into the movable pin bar assembly 302 by the adjacent pin bars from the table section.
The second set of non-movable auto heads 306a and 306b are positioned besides to the first set of non-movable auto heads 304a and 304b. The second set of non-movable auto heads 306a and 306b are at a lower height compared to the first set of non-movable auto heads 304a and 304b so that they align with the second row of pins of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap. When the movable pin bar assembly 302 reaches the end of its vertically upward movement, the second set of strippers moves horizontally towards the movable pin bar assembly 302. The second set of strippers strips the shells of the capsule bodies and the caps from the second row of pins of the pin bars of the capsule body and the capsule cap. The third and fourth sets of collets receive the stripped shells of the capsule bodies and the caps and they are rotated against the third and fourth sets of knife bars to trim the extended length of the shells. The third and fourth sets of ejector rods push the trimmed shells of the capsule bodies and the caps into the second set of joiner blocks for joining of the shells to form the desired capsules. The capsules that are formed are pushed out onto a second conveyor belt which carries them out of the capsule manufacturing machine and into the container. Meanwhile, the pin bar of the capsule body and the pin bar of the capsule cap are pushed into the greaser section by the adjacent pin bars from the table section.
The present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Although selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it may be understood that various substitutions and alterations are possible. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various
substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. An automatics section for a capsule manufacturing machine, the automatics section comprising: a movable pin bar assembly for collecting a plurality of pin bars from a table section in a first position, wherein the movable pin bar assembly reciprocates vertically from the first position to a second position around a non-movable joiner block assembly; first and second sets of strippers for stripping shells of capsule bodies and capsule caps on the plurality of pin bars when the pin bar assembly is in the second position; a first non-movable auto head and a second non-movable auto head co-axially align with the plurality of pin bars when the movable pin bar assembly is in the second position, wherein the first non-movable auto head and the second non-movable auto head comprising of: first and second sets of collets for receiving the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps from the first and second sets of strippers respectively; first and second sets of knife bars for trimming extended length of the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps in the first and second sets of collets respectively; first and second sets of ejector rods for ejecting out the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps in the first and second sets of collets respectively; and a set of joiner blocks of the non-movable joiner block assembly for allowing the first and second sets of collets to join the shells of the capsule bodies and the capsule caps to form desired capsules when the pin bar assembly is in the first position.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the desired capsules in the set of joiner blocks are pushed on to a conveyor belt which carries the desired capsules of the capsule manufacturing machine to a container.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the desired capsules are pushed on to the conveyor belt by either of the first and second sets of ejector rods.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the movable pin bar assembly has two guide portions to guide the plurality of pin bars from the table section to a next section of the capsule manufacturing machine.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the movable pin bar assembly is centrally lifted based on a ball and a screw mechanism.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the movable pin bar assembly is centrally lifted based on a rack and a pinion mechanism.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the first and second sets of collets reciprocate horizontally towards and away from the movable pin bar assembly.
The claim 1 of the automatics section, the first and second sets of knife bars reciprocate longitudinally towards and away from openings of the first and second sets of collets.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN1103MU2015 | 2015-03-28 | ||
| IN1103/MUM/2015 | 2015-03-28 |
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| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2016157207A1 true WO2016157207A1 (en) | 2016-10-06 |
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN2016/000073 WO2016157207A1 (en) | 2015-03-28 | 2016-03-28 | Auto head and pin bar assembly |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| WO (1) | WO2016157207A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN107225718A (en) * | 2017-07-28 | 2017-10-03 | 浙江大之医药胶囊有限公司 | A kind of capsule die turnover mechanism |
| CN108926487A (en) * | 2017-05-27 | 2018-12-04 | 兰州平山机械制造有限公司 | Hard Capsules production demoulding fixed length notch fitting all-in-one machine |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5609010A (en) * | 1992-08-07 | 1997-03-11 | Warner-Lambert Company | Encapsulation method |
| US6000928A (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1999-12-14 | Technophar Equipment & Service Limited | Capsule making machine having improved pin bars and air flow characteristics |
-
2016
- 2016-03-28 WO PCT/IN2016/000073 patent/WO2016157207A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5609010A (en) * | 1992-08-07 | 1997-03-11 | Warner-Lambert Company | Encapsulation method |
| US6000928A (en) * | 1997-04-03 | 1999-12-14 | Technophar Equipment & Service Limited | Capsule making machine having improved pin bars and air flow characteristics |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN108926487A (en) * | 2017-05-27 | 2018-12-04 | 兰州平山机械制造有限公司 | Hard Capsules production demoulding fixed length notch fitting all-in-one machine |
| CN107225718A (en) * | 2017-07-28 | 2017-10-03 | 浙江大之医药胶囊有限公司 | A kind of capsule die turnover mechanism |
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