Title of Invention

CAPSULE-PART CARRIER IN A FILLING AND CLOSING MACHINE FOR TWO-PART CAPSULES

Abstract A capsule-part carrier (25; 25a) in a filling and closing machine for two-part capsules (c), consists of a lower segment (21; 21a) for capsule lower parts (a) and an upper segment (22; 22a) for caps (b) . The segments (21; 21a, 22; 22a) are provided in each case with two stepped holes (23; 23a, 24; 24a) which are formed from hole sections (28, 29, 32, 33) and form a seat (30, 34; 34a) for the capsule lower part (a) and the cap (b) . The hole sections (28, 29) of the lower segment (21) contain a plurality of longitudinal grooves (35) which are connected to a vacuum source via a suction hole (27). Via the longitudinal grooves (35) the negative pressure present in the lower segment (21) can also act upon the upper segment (22) and the cap (b) . Instead of longitudinal grooves (35), separate through-holes (38) may also be provided, these being connected to the suction hole (27a).
Full Text

Capsule-part carrier in a filling and closing machine
for two-part capsules
Prior art
The invention relates to a capsule-part carrier in a filling and closing machine for two-part capsules in accordance with the preamble of Claim 1-Capsule-part carriers of this type are used in filling and closing machines, as are disclosed in DE-38 20 013, in order to separate the stored empty capsules into their capsule lower parts and capsule upper parts which are subsequently joined together again after the capsule lower parts have been filled. During the processing of capsules of certain size and quality, it has emerged that capsule lower parts, after having been separated from the capsule upper parts by means of negative pressure and after striking against their seats in the stepped holes of the lower segments, partially spring out of the lower segment again and as they do so hurl the associated capsule upper part out of the upper segment. This effect can be explained by the fact that the capsule lower parts, by striking against the seats of the stepped holes of the lower segments, become jammed in the region of the seats. The tension may then be released all of a sudden, with the capsule lower parts springing out of their seats. In particular, if in the process a capsule upper part has been hurled out of its upper segment, the capsule concerned can no longer be" closed or processed. In an extreme case this may even lead to a breakdown in operation.
Advantages of the invention
The capsule-part carrier according to the
invention in a filling and closing machine for two-part capsules having _the characterizing features of Claim 1

has, in contrast, the advantage that the capsule upper parts are drawn into their seats by means of the negative pressure acting on them from the lower segments, with the result that hurling of the capsule upper parts out of the upper segments is avoided.
Further advantageous refinements of the capsule-part carrier according to the invention emerge from the subclaims.
In the processing of what are referred to as pellets, or of sticky products, it has turned out to be particularly advantageous to form the additional recesses as separate through-holes. These through-wholes can be produced in a very simple manner and in the case of the products mentioned have the advantage that no product is able to adhere in the stepped holes of the lower segments and therefore impede, or even prevent, the insertion of capsule lower parts.
The design of the through-holes as stepped holes brings about an improvement in the suction effect of the capsule upper parts because of an increase in the flow rate on the side facing the capsule upper parts.
In order to apportion the suction effect for the capsule upper parts uniformly to all of the capsule upper parts in the upper segment, the through-hole is preferably arranged at the same distance from those stepped holes of the capsule lower parts and capsule upper parts which are associated with it.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the additional recesses are realized as longitudinal grooves formed in the wall of the stepped hole for the lower capsule parts. As a result, even the tendency of the capsule lower parrs to become jammed against the seats of the lower segments can at least be reduced• If, in spite of this, a capsule lower part should spring out because of becoming jammed, it is ensured that the associated capsule upper part would not be hurled out of the upper segment. This is achieved firstly by the -bearing surface of the capsule lower


the capsule upper parts, now also acting directly on che capsule upper parts, with the result that the capsule upper parts are drawn onto their seats in the upper segments,
Drawing
Two exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawing and are explained in more detail below. In the drawing:
Figure 1 shows a simplified plan view of a capsule filling and closing machine.
Figures 2 and 3 show simplified sections through part of a separating station during various operating phases,
Figure 4 shows a plan view of part of a lower-part segment,
Figure 5 shows a section through a lower-part segment, Figure 6 shows a section through part of a modified separating station, and
Figure 7 shows a plan view of a lower-part segment according to Figure 6.
Description of the exemplary embodiments
A machine for filling and closing capsules c, which consist of a capsule lower part a and a cap b placed on it, has a 12,part conveying wheel 20 which is rotated stepwise about a vertical axis and with the individual treatment devices being arranged at its stations 1 to 12 on the peripheral extent. At 1, the empty capsules c to be filled are loaded in an unordered manner and aligned and fed to the conveying wheel 20 in an ordered manner. After that, the caps b are separated from the capsule lower parts a at 2, and both parts are inspected by a testing device 15 to see

that they are present and sound. At 3, the caps b are brought out of alignment with the capsule lower parts a, so that the filling can be placed into the capsule lower parts a at 4, 5 and 6. At 7, capsule lower parts a and caps b which are found to be faulty are ejected. At station 8, the caps b are brought back into alignment with the capsule lower parts a and at 9 and 10 are brought together with the capsule lower parts a. At 11, the correctly filled and closed capsules c are ejected and taken away. Finally, the holders of the conveying wheel 20 are cleaned at 12 before they are again filled with empty capsules at 1.
12 segments 21 for capsule lower parts a are attached at identical angular spacings around the circumference of the conveying wheel 20 which is rotated stepwise. Furthermore, other segments 22 for the caps b are arranged above the segments 21 on the conveying wheel 20 in a manner such that they can be raised and lowered and also displaced radially. The lower segments 21 have vertically aligned stepped holes 23 for the capsule lower parts a, and the upper segments 22 likewise have vertically aligned stepped holes 24 for the caps b. The stepped holes 23 and 24 are, for example, arranged congruently in the segments 21, 22 in two rows of six in each case.
The machine described thus far is generally known and can be modified in a variety of ways in order to adapt it to specific requirements. Essential to the invention is the formation of the capsule-part carriers 25 which consist in each case of a lower segment 21 and an upper segment 22 and which, can be fastened to the conveying wheel 20 in an interchangeable manner in order to process capsules of different sizes.
As emerges from Figures 2 and 3, in the region of the separating station 2 the two segments 21, 22 are arranged in alignment and at a short distance one above the other and above a suction plate 26. The suction plate 26 has, for each of the stepped holes 23, 24, a suction hole 27-,which is connected to a vacuum source


between the two hole sections 28/ 29. As can be seen from Figure 5, the seat 30 has a radius r matching the shape of the capsule. In order additionally to reduce the tendency of the capsule lower parts a to become j ainined or damaged, instead of the radius r it is possible, and also preferable, for a conical seat to be formed. The upper stepped holes 24 have two hole sections 32, 33. One hole section 32 has a diameter matching the diameter of the cap b, while the hole section 33 has a smaller diameter matching the capsule lower part a. Here too, a seat 34 is therefore formed between the two hole sections 32, 33 and is used here to retain the cap b.
As can be seen from Figure 2, the capsules c are supplied to the separating station 2 with the capsule lower part a protruding downwards, with the result that the cap b sits on the seat 34, and the capsule lower part a protrudes from the upper segment 22 into the hole section 28 of the lower segment 21, If, corresponding to Figure 3, a vacuum is then applied via the suction hole 27, the capsule lower part a is drawn away from the cap b and onto the seat 30, as a result of which the two capsule parts are separated from each other and can be supplied to subsequent treatment stations.
In order to prevent the capsule lower parts a from springing out of the lower segments 21 and to prevent the consequences thereof, the lower segment 21 is formed in a special manner, for which reference is made to Figures 4 and 5* It can be seen there that four additional longitudinal grooves 35 arranged at uniform angular spacings- are formed in the two hole sections


29, different groove depths of the longitudinal grooves 35 are produced, the longitudinal grooves 35 in the hole section 2 9 having a greater groove depth than in the hole section 28. The essential thing is that the longitudinal grooves 35 mean that there is always a continual connection between the suction hole 27 and the upper side 36 of the lower segment 21, irrespective of the position of the capsule lower part a. Furthermore, the bearing surface of the seat 30 for the capsule lower part a is reduced by the longitudinal grooves 35.
If, when the vacuum is applied to the suction hole 27, a capsule lower part a is drawn in the direction of the seat 30, the air simultaneously flows around the circumference of the capsule lower part a via the longitudinal grooves 35, so that a negative pressure is also present at the upper side 35 of the lower segment 21 in the region of the longitudinal grooves 35. If the capsule lower part a is separated from the cap b, this has the consequence that the negative pressure prevailing in the capsule c because of the separation is vented via the longitudinal grooves 35 and at the same time the cap b is also drawn onto its seat 34 because of the negative pressure. If, in spite of the reduced bearing surface of the seat 34, the reduction being as a consequence of the longitudinal grooves 35, the capsule lower part a should spring back into the upper segment 22, hurling of the cap b out of the upper segment 22 is prevented by the negative pressure drawing the cap b onto its seat 34.
The above-described capsule-part carrier 25 can be modified in a variety of ways without deviating from The concept of the invention. It is therefore conceivable in particular to use a different number of

longitudinal grooves 35 or a different geometrical form of longitudinal groove; ultimately, both are determined in an individual case by the manufacturing options and the operative capability, It-'ie alao conceivable not to form the longitudinal grooves rectilinearly, but, for example, as spirals or such that they run obliquely. Finally, it would be possible also to form longitudinal grooves in the upper segment 22. If these longitudinal grooves are subjected to compressed air from the upper side of the upper segment 22, the described effect may possibly further increase.
In the case of the second exemplary embodiment, illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, of the invention having the capsule-part carrier 25a, the lower stepped holes 2 3a of the lower segments 21a do not have longitudinal grooves 35, but rather additional suction holes 38 which are aligned with the lower stepped holes 23a and are at a distance therefrom. The additional suction holes 38 are formed as through-holes and stepped holes. The additional suction holes 38 have a first section 39 which faces the respectively upper segment 23a and is of relatively small diameter, and relatively small length, and a section 40 which faces the suction plate 26a and is of relatively large diameter and a relatively large length in relation to. the said diameter. In this ,arrangement, the section 40 is connected to the suction hole 273 of the suction plate 26a. In the embodiment' illustrated in Figure 1, an additional suction hole 38 is arranged in each case between four stepped hole 23a, so that the latter are in each case at the same distance from the additional suction hole 38. As can be seen from Figure 6, the suctions holes 38, if they are aligned with the suction plate 26a, cause a negative pressure to be produced in the suction hole 38, this negative pressure acting in particular also on the stepped holes 24a of ,he upper segment 22ar and in the process drawing capsule upper parts b, which are situated in the stepped holes 24a, on to their seat-34a.


formed as a plurality of recesses or obliquely arranged holes, resulting in a smaller distance between the additional suction hole 38 and the assigned stepped holes 23a. As in the first exemplary embodiment, the seats 30a in the lower segment 21a can likewise each have a conically formed seat instead of the radius r.




Capsule-part carrier (25; 25a') in a filling and closing machine for two-part capsules (c) , having a first segment (21; 21a) for holding capsule lower parts (a) and a second segment (22; 22a) for holding capsule upper parts (b) , stepped holes (23; 23a, 24; 24a) for holding the capsule lower parts (a) and the capsule upper parts (d) being formed in the segments (21/ 21a^ 22; 22a), and the stepped holes (23; 23a, 24; 24a) for separating the capsule parts from one another being arranged in congruence and interacting with vacuum suction holes (27/ 27a) which, for the purpose of separating the capsule parts, are operatively connected to the first segment (21; 21a) in order to suck the capsule lower parts (a) into the stepped holes (23; 23a) of the first segments (21; 21a), characterized in that at least one additional recess is formed in the stepped hole (23; 23a) of the first segment (21; 21a), which recess transfers the negative pressure prevailing in the vacuum suction hole (27; 27a) past the capsule lower parts (a) to the stepped holes (24; 24a) of the second segments (22; 22a).
2. Capsule-part carrier according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one additional recess is formed as a separate through-hole (38) in the first segment (21a),
3. Capsule-part carrier according to Claim 2, characterized in that the separate through-hole (38) is formed as a stepped hole, the section (39) having the smaller diameter being arranged on that side of the first segment (21a) which faces the second segment (22a).
4. Capsule-part carrier according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the separate through-hole (38) is in each case at the same distance from those stepped holes (23a) of the first segment (21a) which are associated with it.


6. Capsule-part carrier according to Claim 5, characterized in that when a plurality of longitudinal grooves (35) are present they are arranged at uniform angular spacings on the wall of the stepped hole (23) 10 Filling and closing machine having capsule-part carriers (25; 25a) according to one of Claims 1 to 6,
8- Capsule-part carrier in a filling and closing machine for two-part capsules substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

205-mas-2000-abstract.pdf

205-mas-2000-claims filed.pdf

205-mas-2000-claims grand.pdf

205-mas-2000-correspondence others.pdf

205-mas-2000-correspondence po.pdf

205-mas-2000-description complete filed.pdf

205-mas-2000-description complete grand.pdf

205-mas-2000-drawings.pdf

205-mas-2000-form 1.pdf

205-mas-2000-form 19.pdf

205-mas-2000-form 26.pdf

205-mas-2000-form 3.pdf

205-mas-2000-form 5.pdf

205-mas-2000-other documents.pdf


Patent Number 210659
Indian Patent Application Number 205/MAS/2000
PG Journal Number 50/2007
Publication Date 14-Dec-2007
Grant Date 08-Oct-2007
Date of Filing 13-Mar-2000
Name of Patentee M/S. ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Applicant Address 30 02 20,D-70442 STUTTGART.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 REINER WURST 30 02 20,D-70442 STUTTGART.
PCT International Classification Number B 65 B 43/42
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA