JP2011011048A - Machine for filling capsule with pharmaceutical product - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products.SOLUTION: In the machine for filling capsules (2) with pharmaceutical products, the bottom (3) of each capsule (2) is moved to the front along a route (P) determined in phase with a dosing device (36). It transfers the pharmaceutical products from a tank (60) to the bottom (3), includes a cylinder (47), a piston (87) engaged with the cylinder (47), a spring (89) inserted between the cylinder (47) and the piston (87) in order to maintain the piston (87) in contact with a stop member (86) normally, and a tappet (44) conveyed by the cylinder (47) and engaged with a cam (41), and is adapted to move the cylinder (47) and the piston (87) with each other by the same movement rule.

Description

  The present invention relates to a machine for filling a capsule with a pharmaceutical product.

  In the pharmaceutical industry, machines for filling capsules with powdered pharmaceutical products are known, which are continuously movable along a predetermined path and adapted to receive the bottom of each corresponding capsule A conveyor device provided with a number of pockets; a rotating container containing a pharmaceutical product; and a dispensing wheel mounted for continuous rotation about its longitudinal axis.

  The dispensing wheel is provided with at least one dispensing device, which is primarily for transferring the product through a sampling station where a predetermined amount of product is sampled from the container and to the corresponding bottom. It is moved forward by the dispensing wheel along part of the path described above in phase with the corresponding pocket.

  The dispensing device comprises a cylinder and a piston that are axially displaceable under the bias of the actuator, the actuator being in turn extending first about the longitudinal axis of the dispensing wheel. And a second cam, a first tappet carried by the cylinder and engaged with the first cam, and a second tappet carried by the piston and engaged with the second cam. .

  Known machines for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products of the type described above have been extensively tried and tested, but two cams required to control the axial movement of the cylinder and piston. Should be manufactured with maximum accuracy and with relatively small tolerances and, therefore, mainly due to some disadvantages derived from being relatively complex and expensive. Have.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a machine for filling a capsule with a pharmaceutical product which does not have the drawbacks mentioned above and is simple and cost-effective.

  A machine for filling a capsule with a pharmaceutical product according to the invention is provided as described in the appended claims.

  The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent a non-limiting embodiment thereof.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the machine of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the machine of FIG. 1 with parts removed for clarity. FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the machine of FIG. 1 with parts removed for clarity. FIG. 2 is a first detailed schematic side view of the machine of FIG. 1 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 5 is a detailed schematic plan view of FIG. 4 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 3 is a second detailed schematic side view of the machine of FIG. 1 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 7 is a detailed schematic plan view of FIG. 6 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 6 is a third detailed schematic side view of the machine of FIG. 1 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 8 is a detailed schematic plan view of FIG. 7 with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a variation of the machine of FIG. 1 with parts removed for clarity. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the detailed variation of FIGS. 6 and 7 shown in two different working positions with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity. FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the detailed variation of FIGS. 6 and 7 shown in two different working positions with a cross-sectional portion and a portion removed for clarity.

  With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, reference numeral 1 generally indicates a machine for filling a capsule 2 with a pharmaceutical product, which is preferably adapted for use in laboratories and pharmacies for the production of small lots. ing.

  Each capsule 2 comprises a substantially cup-shaped bottom 3 and a closure cap 4 on the bottom 3 itself.

  The machine 1 comprises a box-shaped containment frame 5, which has a substantially parallelepiped shape, which consists of two substantially vertical side walls 6 which are parallel to each other. Two side walls 7 parallel to each other and perpendicular to the wall 6, a substantially horizontal bottom wall 8 perpendicular to the walls 6 and 7, and a top wall 9 substantially parallel to the wall 8 itself Therefore, the boundary can be determined.

  The machine 1 further includes a wheel train 10. Each of them, in turn, comprises a tubular uprights 11. And it has a longitudinal axis 12 substantially parallel to the vertical direction 13 and is accommodated within the frame 5 and protrudes from the outer top of the frame 5 through the wall 9 and against the frame 5 itself Thus, it is pivotally attached to the frame 5 so as to continuously rotate about the shaft 12.

  The upright portions 11 have gears 15 keyed onto each upright portion 11 under the wall 9 and a longitudinal axis 17 parallel to the shaft 12, which is a known type (not shown) of an electric motor. A gear 18 adapted to and adapted to both an inlet gear (not shown) adapted on the outlet shaft of the intermediate gear 19 and an intermediate gear 19 mounted for rotation about its parallel longitudinal axis 20 in the direction 13. It is rotated about its axis 12 by an actuating device 14 comprising a drum 16 on which it is placed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the machine 1 is further provided with a pocket conveyor 21. It is then annularly formed around a plurality of sprockets 22, each fitted over a corresponding upstanding portion 11 over the wall 9, and provided with a plurality of pockets 23, which are directed upwards Cups having recesses that are uniformly distributed along the conveyor 21, arranged in the recesses facing upwards, each adapted to receive a respective bottom 3 and centered on the wheel 10 Is continuously moved forward by the conveyor 15 itself along a path P extending to

  With reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the wheel train 10 comprises a feed wheel (indicated hereinafter as 10a), which in turn has a capsule 2 fixed at the upper end of the corresponding upright part 11. A receiving hopper 24 and a feed tube 25 having a longitudinal axis 25 a parallel to the corresponding axis 12 and extending through the bottom wall of the hopper 24 are provided. It is then fixed to an operating shaft 26 coaxial with a corresponding shaft 12 housed in the corresponding upright portion 11 via a radial slot obtained through the corresponding upright portion 11. The shaft 26 protrudes out of the bottom of the corresponding upright portion 11 and performs a bias of the cam actuator 27 on the corresponding upright portion 11 so as to perform a linear movement in the direction 13 with respect to the hopper 24. Below, they are slidably coupled and angularly fixed.

  The device 27 is adapted to vibrate relative to the frame 5 about a cam 28 obtained on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16 coaxial with the shaft 17 and a fulcrum axis 31 transverse to the shaft 17. 5 and a hinge 30 that is hinged. And it supports a tappet roller 32 that is engaged in the cam 28 at an intermediate point and is pivotally mounted at one end of the crank 30 and parallel to each other. Coupling rollers 33 are provided that engage between the annular plates 34 and are fixed to the shaft 26 in a direction orthogonal to the corresponding shaft 12.

  A tube 25 is used for orienting each capsule 2 having a cap 4 disposed on the bottom 3, a stationary blade and an orientation blade (known and not shown) ) And it further cooperates with the substantially cylindrical sheet 35 obtained via the peripheral edge of the corresponding upstanding part 11 parallel to the direction 13. It extends over the conveyor 21 and is aligned with the tube 25 in the direction 13 itself and comprises a widened top adapted to hold the cap 4 and a narrowing bottom adapted to accommodate the bottom 3. To do.

  The orientation and opening of each capsule 2, the separation of each bottom 3 from the corresponding cap 4, and the feeding of each bottom 3 to the corresponding pocket 23 of the conveyor 21 is Which is carried out by a known sequence of operations, for example as described in US Pat. No. 4,615,165, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

  With regard to this consideration, it is worth noting that the machine 1 is dimensioned as required because the bottom 3 is evenly distributed along the conveyor 21 in a given distribution step. In other words, the bottom 3 is simply housed in several pockets 23, while the remaining pockets 23 are empty.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, the wheel train 10 is connected to the wheel 10a by interposing a transmission wheel (indicated below by 10c) and provided with a dosing device 36. And a dosing wheel (shown below as 10b). It in turn comprises a sleeve 37. And it is mounted in a corresponding upright portion 11 coaxial to the corresponding shaft 12, projects out of the corresponding upright portion 11 in direction 13, and carries a support bracket 38 adapted at its upper end. . The bracket 38 is provided with an adjusting screw 39 that is screwed through the bracket 38 parallel to the direction 13.

  The sleeve 37 is angularly fixed to the corresponding upright portion 11 and combined in an axially sliding manner to perform a linear movement in direction 13 relative to the corresponding upright portion 11 itself. And it vibrates with respect to the frame 5 around a cam 41 obtained on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16 coaxial with the shaft 17 and a lateral fulcrum shaft 43 with respect to the shaft 17 under the bias of the cam actuator 40. The frame 5 is provided with a crank 42 that is moved by a hinge. It is provided with a coupling roller 45 which supports a tappet roller 44 engaging its cam 41 at its midpoint and is pivotally mounted at one end of the crank 42 and two parallel to each other Between the annular plates 46 and fixed to the sleeve 37 in a direction orthogonal to the corresponding shaft 12.

  The device 36 has a longitudinal axis 48 parallel to the corresponding axis 12, a dispensing cylinder 47 fixed to the end of the upper sleeve 37, a dispensing cylinder extending into the cylinder 47 and fixed at the upper end of the actuation shaft 50. And a piston 49. The actuating shaft 50 extends into a sleeve 37 that is coaxial to the corresponding axis 12, projects out of the sleeve 37, and provides linear movement in direction 13 relative to the sleeve 37 itself under the cam actuating device 51. To perform, they are angularly fixed to the sleeve 37 and combined in an axially sliding manner.

  The device 51 comprises a cam 52 and a crank 53 which are obtained coaxially with the shaft 17 on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16, which oscillates with respect to the frame 5 about a fulcrum shaft 54 which is transverse to the shaft 17. 5 is supported by a tappet roller 55 disposed inside the cam 52 at a middle point. And it provides a coupling roller 56 pivoted at one end of the crank 53 and engages between two annular plates 57 parallel to each other and orthogonal to the corresponding shaft 12 It is fixed to the shaft 50.

  When the cam 52 height, measured parallel to direction 13, is greater than the diameter of the roller 55, the shaft 50 and piston 49 are in a raised position by a spring 58 disposed between the sleeve 37 and the shaft 50. The shaft 50 is normally maintained where the shaft 50 is placed in contact with the screw 39 and the piston 49 is placed at a predetermined distance from the lower end of the cylinder 47 defining the dosing chamber 59, The volume depends on the position of the screw 39 in direction 13.

  From the above description, the result is that the cylinder 47 and the piston 49 are usually moved in the direction 13 according to the same law of motion, simply under the bias of the device 40.

  The dispensing wheel 10b further comprises an annular container 60, which is adapted to receive the powered pharmaceutical product therein, is mounted over the corresponding sprocket 22, and the frame 5 itself In contrast, a corresponding upright portion 11 and a corresponding shaft 12 are attached to a frame 5 that is substantially parallel to the corresponding axis 12 and that rotates continuously about a longitudinal axis 61 that is different from the corresponding shaft 12. Pivotally coupled with an angular velocity substantially different from the angular velocity of the central sprocket 22.

  The eccentric assembly of the container 60 relative to the assembly defined by the corresponding upright portion 11 and the corresponding sprocket 22 determines the division of the circular trajectory of the dispensing device 36 about the corresponding axis 12. Thus, to the first segment, a dispensing chamber 59 faces container 60 and moves axially from container 60 to container 60 to sample a predetermined amount of pharmaceutical product from container 60 itself. Then, to the second segment, the chamber 59 faces the corresponding pocket 23 and delivers the newly sampled pharmaceutical product to the corresponding bottom 3.

  In contrast to the above description, the piston 49 is simply used to compact the pharmaceutical product contained in the chamber 59 and to unload the pharmaceutical product into the corresponding chamber 3 in the bottom 3. It is worth noting that it is moved relative to the cylinder 47 by. The movement of the piston 49 relative to the cylinder 47 is controlled by two plugs (not shown) inserted into the cam 52. One of them is fixed in direction 13 and controls the unloading of the pharmaceutical product from chamber 59, and the other can be adjusted in direction 13 according to the chemical and physical properties of the pharmaceutical product, Control the compacting of pharmaceutical products.

  The sampling of the pharmaceutical product from the container 60, its compacting into the chamber 59 and feeding it into the corresponding bottom 3 is, for example, European Patent No. fully incorporated herein by reference. This is performed by a well-known operation sequence described in Japanese Patent No. 08425148.7.

  From the above description, the cam 52 whose height is greater than the diameter of the tube 55 can be made in a relatively simple and cost-effective manner, and simply the plug (not shown) mentioned. Result should be made with high precision and small tolerances.

  2, 8 and 9, the wheel train 10 finally comprises a closed wheel (hereinafter denoted by 10d), which is a transfer wheel (hereinafter denoted by 10d) for receiving the cap 4 from the wheel 10a itself. A transfer wheel (hereinafter denoted by 10f) for receiving the bottom 3 connected to the feed wheel 10a and filled with the pharmaceutical product from the wheel 10b itself by interposing By doing so, it is further connected to the dispensing wheel 10b.

  The wheel 10 d has a substantially cylindrical sheet 62. It is then obtained along the peripheral edge of the wheel 10 d parallel to the direction 13. And it is moved forward by the wheel 10d itself around the corresponding axis 12 in the phase where each bottom 3 is fed by the wheel 10f and sent by the wheel 10e at each cap 4, and two thrusts opposite each other Cooperates with member 63. It extends parallel to the corresponding axis 12, is aligned with one another in direction 13, and is located on one side (hereinafter 63a) beyond the other (hereinafter 63b).

  The member 63b is fixed at the upper end of the sleeve 64. It is accommodated in a corresponding upright portion 11 coaxial to the corresponding shaft 12, protrudes from the outer bottom of the corresponding upright portion 11 and under the bias of the cam actuator 65, the corresponding upright portion itself. Are angularly fixed to the corresponding upright portions 11 to perform a linear movement in the direction 13 and combined in an axially sliding manner.

  The device 65 comprises a cam 66 obtained on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16 coaxial with the shaft 17. A rocker arm 67 hinged to the frame 5 to vibrate relative to the frame 5 about a fulcrum shaft 68 transverse to the shaft 17 provides a tappet roller 69 engaged with the cam 66 And a second arm provided with a coupling roller 70 mounted for rotation between two annular plates 71 parallel to each other. Fixed to the orthogonal sleeve 64.

  The member 63a is fixed to the upper end portion of the shaft 72. It then extends into a sleeve 64 coaxial to the corresponding shaft 12 and projects out of the sleeve 64 and provides linear movement in direction 13 relative to the sleeve 64 itself under the control of the cam actuator 73. It is angularly fixed to the sleeve 64 to perform and is combined in an axially sliding manner.

  The device 73 comprises a cam 74 obtained on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16 coaxial to the shaft 17 and a rocker arm 75, the rocker arm 75 being a frame about a fulcrum shaft 76 transverse to the shaft 17. The frame 5 is hinged so as to vibrate relative to the frame 5. It has a first arm provided with a tappet roller 77 that engages within a cam 74 and provides a coupling roller 78 that is mounted for rotation between two annular plates 79 parallel to each other. And has a second arm fixed to a shaft 72 orthogonal to the corresponding axis 12.

  Each cap 4 is moved within the seat 62 by a wheel 10e and the closure of each cap 2 is described in a known operating sequence and, for example, US Pat. No. 4,615,165, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The operation sequence is executed.

  When all the cams 28, 41, 52, 66, 74 are obtained in the drum 16 and the axis 17 of the drum 16 is parallel to the axis 12 of the wheel 10, the machine 1 has a relatively small dimension. And the drum 16 has a sufficient diameter to ensure the correct operation of the cam actuators 27, 40, 51, 65, 73.

  In the above description, it is worth noting that the machine 1 has a modular structure. The variant shown in FIG. 10 differs from that shown in the previous figure in that one of the walls 6 is removed and the machine 1 has at least one further adjustment comprising a support frame 81. A medicine module 80, which is generally similar to the frame 5, is removably combined with the frame 5, and is closed by the wall 6 itself, and a dispensing wheel 82, generally similar to the wheel 10b, and the wheel 10c, Two sets of transfer wheels 83 are provided that are generally similar to 10e and 10f, and disposed between the wheel 10b and the wheel 82.

  The wheels 82, 83 are provided with respective gears (not shown) generally similar to the gear 15, combined with each other and with the gear 15 of the wheel 10 b, and with respective sprockets generally similar to the sprocket 22. (Not shown) is further provided and engaged within the pocket conveyor 21.

  In addition, the module 80 comprises a further drum (not shown), which is generally similar to the drum 16 and provides a gear (not shown) that is combined with the gears (not shown) of the wheels 82, 83. And defines a portion of a cam actuator (not shown) that is generally similar to the devices 40, 51 and is adapted to move the cylinder 47 and the piston 49 of the wheel 82 in the direction 13.

  Each dispensing wheel 10b, 82 according to some variant (not shown) has a dispensing chute of the type described, for example, in Italian patent application BO2008A000598, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Suppressed and replaced by a dispensing assembly or by a known type of dispensing assembly that fills capsules 2, for example with tablets and / or liquid pharmaceutical products. The machine 1 according to the fitted dosing assemblies is operated intermittently or continuously by means of an electronic control unit.

The variations shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 differ from those shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in the following ways:
The bracket 38, screw 39, piston 49, shaft 50, and cam actuator 51 are constrained;
The cylinder 47 is provided with a rocker arm 84 that is hinged to the outer surface of the cylinder 47 so as to rotate relative to the cylinder 47 itself about a fulcrum shaft 85 transverse to the axis 48; and
The cylinder 47 is closed at the top by a ring nut 86 screwed into the cylinder 47 and is slidably engaged by a dispensing piston 87. It has an annular plate 88 that extends through a ring nut 86 and is attached to a piston 87 orthogonal to the axis 48, and the plate 88 allows the cylinder 47 and piston 87 to define a dispensing chamber 59. In order to do this, a spring 89 placed between the cylinder 47 and the piston 87 itself is normally maintained in a raised position placed in contact with the ring nut 86.

  The movement of the ring nut 86 along the axis 48 clearly makes it possible to selectively control the raised position of the piston 87 and thus the height and volume of the chamber 59.

  The piston 87 is used to compact the pharmaceutical product contained in the chamber 59 and by means of a cam actuator 90 comprising an actuating shaft 91 from the chamber 59 into the corresponding bottom 3. To unload, it is moved relative to cylinder 47 in direction 13. It is slidably engaged with the sleeve 37, is angularly fixed about the corresponding shaft 12, protrudes from the top outside of the sleeve 37, and is substantially cylindrical bell coaxial with the corresponding shaft 12. 92 has two arms 93 attached at the lower end of shaft 91 with its recess facing downwards, projecting radially outward from the lower end of bell 92, and the corresponding shaft 12 itself Is pivotally coupled to the shaft 91 by arranging a torsion spring 94 to vibrate relative to the shaft 91.

  One of the arms 93 (hereinafter 93a) supports a post 95 that extends down from arm 93a itself in direction 13 and along the path of cylinder 47 and corresponding piston 87 about axis 12. Arranged. On the other hand, another arm 93 (hereinafter 93b) supports the sleeve 96, which extends upward from the arm 91b, is closed at the top by a ring nut 97 screwed into the sleeve 96, and by a piston 98. It is closed at the bottom and extends through a ring nut 97 that is screwed into the nut 99 and is slidably coupled to the sleeve 96 and to the ring nut 97, and the nut 99 is connected to the sleeve 96 and the piston. The spring 100 inserted between 98 is normally maintained in a lowered position that is placed in contact with the ring nut 97.

  The movement of the ring nut 97 in direction 13 clearly makes it possible to selectively control the lowered position, ie the height of the piston 98.

  The device 90 is arranged on the frame 5 so as to vibrate about a fulcrum shaft 103 transverse to the shaft 17 with respect to the cam 101 obtained on the outer surface 29 of the drum 16 coaxial with the shaft 17 and the frame 5. A coupling roller 105 is provided that further comprises a hinged crank 102, supports a tappet roller 104 that engages within the cam 101 at an intermediate point thereof, and is pivotally mounted at one end of the crank 102. And is engaged between two annular plates 106 parallel to each other and fixed to a shaft 91 orthogonal to the corresponding axis 12.

  In use, shaft 91 is lowered in direction 13 by cam 101 and crank 102. It is from the container 60 through the pharmaceutical product sampling station so that the dispensing device 36 allows the piston 98 to lower the piston 87 and thus the piston 87 to compact the pharmaceutical product in the chamber 59. As it moves, the dispensing device 36 has the pharmaceutical in the corresponding bottom 3 so that the strut 95 lowers the piston 87 and thus allows the piston 87 to unload the pharmaceutical product outside the chamber 59. When moving through the product unloading station.

  Following the contact of the piston 87 with the strut 95 and the piston 98, the bell 92 will rotate the corresponding shaft 12 against the bias of the spring 94 to avoid sliding between the piston 87, the strut 95 and the piston 98. On the other hand, when the piston 87 is removed from the column 95 and the piston 98, the bell 92 is moved back to its initial position by the spring 94 itself.

In addition, note the following:
At the unloading station of the pharmaceutical product in the corresponding bottom 3, the rocker arm 84 is moved to the locked position of the piston 87. There, the volume of the chamber 59 is substantially zero by a cam 107 secured to the frame 5 (FIG. 12);
During the transfer from the unloading station to the sampling station for the pharmaceutical product from the container 60, the rocker arm 84 is maintained in its locking position;
Upstream of the sampling station, the rocker arm 84 is normally moved by the cam 108 to the releasing position of the piston 87. In that position, piston 87 is lifted again by spring 89 to form chamber 59 (FIG. 11); and
The cam 108 is normally located in the forward operating position (FIG. 11), where the cam 108 engages the rocker arm 84, moves it from its released position, and is retracted resting. position) (not shown). Thus, the cam 108 does not engage the rocker arm 84, thereby avoiding the formation of the chamber 59. At that time, in order to avoid the dispensing device 36 from sending the pharmaceutical product into the empty pocket 23, the pocket 23 (each time taken into account) is empty and free from the corresponding bottom 3.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Machine, 2 ... Capsule, 3 ... Bottom, 4 ... Closing cap, 5 ... Frame, 6 ... Side wall, 7 ... Side wall, 8 ... Bottom wall, 9 ... Top wall, 10 ... Wheel row, 10a ... Feed wheel, 10b ... dispensing wheel, 10c ... transmission wheel, 10d ... closing wheel, 10e ... transfer wheel, 10f ... transfer wheel, 11 ... upright part, 12 ... longitudinal axis, 13 ... vertical direction, 15 ... gear, 16 ... drum, 17 ... Longitudinal axis, 18 ... gear, 19 ... intermediate gear, 20 ... longitudinal axis, 21 ... conveyor, 22 ... sprocket, 23 ... pocket, 24 ... hopper, 25 ... tube, 26 ... actuating shaft, 27 ... cam actuating device, 28 ... Cam, 29 ... outer surface, 30 ... crank, 33 ... coupling roller, 34 ... annular plate, 35 ... cylindrical sheet, 36 ... dispensing device, 37 ... sleeve, 38 ... support bracket , 39 ... adjusting screw, 40 ... cam actuator, 41 ... cam, 42 ... crank, 43 ... fulcrum shaft, 44 ... tappet roller, 45 ... coupling roller, 46 ... annular plate, 47 ... dispensing cylinder, 48 ... longitudinal Shaft, 49 ... dispensing piston, 50 ... actuating shaft, 51 ... cam actuating device, 52 ... cam, 53 ... crank, 54 ... fulcrum shaft, 55 ... tappet roller, 56 ... coupling roller, 57 ... annular plate, 58 ... Spring, 59 ... dispensing chamber, 60 ... container, 61 ... longitudinal axis, 62 ... cylindrical sheet, 63 ... thrust member, 64 ... sleeve, 65 ... cam actuator, 66 ... cam, 67 ... rocker arm, 68 ... fulcrum Shaft, 69 ... tappet roller, 70 ... coupling roller, 71 ... annular plate, 72 ... shaft, 73 ... cam actuator, 74 ... cam, 75 ... rocker 76, fulcrum shaft, 77 ... tappet roller, 78 ... coupling roller, 79 ... annular plate, 80 ... dispensing module, 81 ... support frame, 82 ... dispensing wheel, 83 ... transfer wheel, 84 ... rocker arm , 85 ... fulcrum shaft, 86 ... ring nut, 87 ... dispensing piston, 88 ... annular plate, 89 ... spring, 90 ... cam actuator, 91 ... actuating shaft, 92 ... cylindrical bell, 93 ... arm, 94 ... spring , 95 ... strut, 96 ... sleeve, 97 ... ring nut, 98 ... piston, 99 ... nut, 100 ... spring, 101 ... cam, 102 ... crank, 103 ... fulcrum shaft, 104 ... tappet roller, 105 ... coupling roller, 106: annular plate, 107 ... cam, 108 ... cam.

Claims (9)

A machine for filling a capsule (2) with a powdered pharmaceutical product,
Each capsule (2) comprises a bottom (3) and a cap (4) for closing said bottom (3),
The machine is
A conveyor device (21) for continuously moving each bottom (3) forward along the determined path (P);
A tank (60) containing at least a pharmaceutical product;
At least a dispensing wheel (10b) mounted for continuous rotation about the first axis of rotation (12);
At least a dispensing device (36) comprising two dispensing members (47, 87) engaged with each other and via a sampling station of a determined amount of pharmaceutical product from said tank (60) To the first place, forward by the dispensing wheel (10b), and in some path (P) synchronized with the relevant bottom (3) for transporting the pharmaceutical product into the bottom (3) Said at least the dispensing device (36) moved along;
An operating device (40, 90) for moving a dispensing member (47, 87) in an axial direction in a direction (13) parallel to the shaft (12), the first cam (41) and the first said Said actuating device (40, 90) comprising a first tappet (44) supported by a dispensing member (47) and engaged with a first cam (41);
A stop member (86);
Pushing means (89) for moving and normally holding the second dispensing member (87) in contact with the stop member (86);
The two dispensing members (47, 87) are movable in the direction (13) by the same law of motion under the thrust of the first tappet (44), and the second dispensing member Defined when the member (87) contacts the stop member (86) and the dispensing chamber (59) has a determined volume;
The actuating device (40, 90) further comprises a first actuating member (98),
The first actuating member (98) is attached to the sampling station to move the second dispensing member (87) relative to the first dispensing member (47) and a dispensing chamber ( 59) The associated impact around the second axis of rotation (12) parallel to the direction (13) under the thrust of the second dispensing member (87) in order to make the pharmaceutical product compact inside A machine that is movable in the direction (13) and mounted to swing with respect to the action of the absorber (94).   The machine according to claim 1, wherein the position of the stop member (86) in the direction (13) can be adjusted to selectively control the volume of the dispensing chamber (59). The first actuating member (98) is movable in the direction (13) starting from its initial position;
Machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein adjusting means (97) are provided to selectively control the initial position of the first actuating member (98) in a direction (13) depending on the type of pharmaceutical product.   The actuating device (40, 90) moves the second dispensing member (87) relative to the first dispensing member (47) and the dispensing chamber (59) on the associated bottom (3). Any of the preceding claims comprising a second actuating member (95) mounted in correspondence with said portion of path (P) and said direction (13) for unloading a pharmaceutical product from A machine according to item 1.   The actuating device (40, 90) is supported by at least the second cam (101) and the first and second actuating members (98, 95), and the first and second in the direction (13). 5. The machine according to claim 4, further comprising at least a second tappet (104) engaged with the second cam (101) to move the actuating member (98, 95).   The second actuating member (95) moves around a third rotational axis (12) parallel to the direction (13) under the thrust of the second dispensing member (87) and The machine according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the machine is mounted to swing against the action of the shock absorbing device (94). A locking device (84) that is selectively movable between a locking position and a releasing position of the two dispensing members (47, 87);
When the locking device (84) is in its locked position, the dispensing chamber (59) has a volume substantially equal to zero and the locking device (84) is in its released position. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, sometimes having a determined volume different from zero.   Any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first dispensing member (47) is a cylinder and the second dispensing member (87) is a piston engaged with the cylinder. The machine according to item. A drum (16) mounted to rotate about a fourth axis of rotation (17) parallel to said direction (13);
Machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each said cam (41, 101) is formed on an outer surface (29) of said drum (16).

Images