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US 11,034,117 B2Granted
Releasable punch dampener
OwnerRaymond A Virgen, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary tablet press has a rotating mold table and top and bottom punches, which can move reciprocally in punch guides, coaxially with the molds. The reciprocating motion of at least the bottom punches is cam-controlled and these punches are acted upon by a releasable punch dampener to prevent an overshoot of their movement and to ensure an action which is as free from wear. It is as maintenance-free as possible whilst maintaining constant damping of the bottom punches. The releasable punch dampener releases with one motion and has a linear release shaft with a release surface and a dampening surface.
Claims20
A rotary tablet press turret comprising:
- a bottom punch guide mounted in the rotary tablet press turret;
- a bottom punch coaxially mounted in the bottom punch guide that is cam-controlled and moves from a stroke to a return stroke and back;
- a releasable bottom punch dampener for dampening the movement of the bottom punch mounted in the rotary tablet press turret and transverse to the bottom punch guide, the releasable bottom punch dampener comprising:
- a linear release shaft;
- wherein the linear release shaft has a proximate end and a remote end;
- wherein on the proximate end is a release device to move the linear release shaft;
- wherein on the linear release shaft is a release surface;
- wherein adjacent to the release surface is a dampening surface;
- wherein on the linear release shaft is a spring engaging surface with a spring mounted thereon;
- wherein the spring is biased to engage the dampening surface with the bottom punch;
- wherein when the dampening surface is engaged with the bottom punch, the bottom punch moves from the stroke to the return stroke and back along the bottom punch guide;
- and
- wherein when the dampening surface is engaged with the bottom punch, the motion of the bottom punch is dampened to prevent an overshoot of the stroke or return stroke movement.
10 more elements
A rotary tablet press turret comprising:
- a bottom punch guide;
- a bottom punch coaxially mounted in the bottom punch guide that is cam-controlled and moves from a stroke to a return stroke and back;
- a releasable bottom punch dampener for dampening the movement of the bottom punch comprising:
- a linear release shaft;
- wherein the release shaft has a proximate end and a remote end;
- wherein on the proximate end the release shaft has a release device that moves the linear release shaft;
- wherein the linear release shaft has a release surface;
- wherein the linear release shaft has a dampening surface;
- wherein on the linear release shaft is a spring mounted on a spring engaging surface;
- wherein the releasable bottom punch dampener has an engaged position and a released position;
- wherein in the released position the release device is engaged causing the dampening surface to move away from the bottom punch and the release surface to be proximate but not touching the bottom punch;
- wherein the spring is biased to engage the dampening surface with the bottom punch;
- wherein when the dampening surface is engaged with the bottom punch, the bottom punch moves from the stroke to the return stroke and back along the bottom punch guide;
- and
- wherein when the dampening surface is engaged with the bottom punch, the motion of the bottom punch is dampened to prevent an overshoot of the stroke or return stroke movement.
12 more elements
A rotary tablet press turret for a bottom punch comprising:
- a bottom punch guide mounted in the rotary tablet press turret;
- a bottom punch coaxially mounted in the bottom punch guide that is cam-controlled and moves from a stroke to a return stroke and back;
- a dampener opening in the rotary tablet press turret;
- wherein the dampener opening peripherally intersects and is transverse to the bottom punch guide;
- a releasable bottom punch dampener for dampening the movement of the bottom punch mounted in the dampener opening, the releasable bottom punch dampener comprising:
- a linear release shaft;
- wherein the release shaft has a proximate end and a remote end;
- wherein on the proximate end the release shaft has a release device that moves the linear release shaft;
- wherein the linear release shaft has a release surface;
- wherein the linear release shaft has a dampening surface;
- wherein on the linear release shaft is a spring mounted on a spring engaging surface;
- wherein the releasable punch dampener has an engaged position and a released position;
- wherein in the engaged position the spring acts on the spring engaging surface to cause the dampening surface to engage with and dampen the bottom punch;
- wherein in the released position the release device is engaged causing the dampening surface to move away from the bottom punch and the release surface to be proximate but not touching the bottom punch;
- wherein the spring is biased to the engaged position;
- wherein the release surface is a concave cutout surface approximately larger radius of curvature as the bottom punch shaft;
- wherein the concave cutout is circumferential;
- wherein the dampening surface is curved;
- wherein the spring engaging surface is an opening in the remote end of the release shaft in which the spring is nested;
- wherein between the proximate end of the release shaft and the release surface is a shoulder;
- wherein the dampener opening has an opening proximate end and an opening remote end;
- wherein the opening proximate end is at the exterior of the turret and engages fixedly with a mounting device;
- wherein the mounting device has a longitudinal opening and the release shaft is moveably engaged in the longitudinal opening;
- wherein the mounting device has a shoulder engaging surface that engages with the releasable bottom punch dampener shoulder, thereby holding the releasable bottom punch dampener in the dampener opening while allowing longitudinal motion of the releasable bottom punch dampener;
- and
- wherein the spring is a compression spring with one end mounted on the spring engaging surface and the other end mounted on the dampener opening remote end.
23 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.