Method for filling bottles with a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles and an apparatus for actuating the method

An apparatus for filling bottles with a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles configured so as to carry out the method of the preceding claims and comprising:

• a plurality of descent channels of pharmaceutical articles which are configured to receive the pharmaceutical articles internally thereof, and to cause to fall by gravity said pharmaceutical articles;
• an accumulation container, arranged below the descent channels and having, superiorly, an entry mouth, for receiving the pharmaceutical articles from the descent channels and, inferiorly, having an unloading conduit, for unloading pharmaceutical articles internally of a bottle positioned in a conveying line beneath the unloading conduit, wherein the accumulation container is conformed in such a way as to comprise:
• a first accumulation chamber and a second accumulation chamber adjacent to one another;
• a first unloading mouth, inferiorly of the first accumulation chamber, and communicating with the unloading conduit;
• a second unloading mouth, inferiorly of the second accumulation chamber, and communicating with the unloading conduit;
• a first closing element, activatable to open/close the first unloading mouth;
• a second closing element, activatable to open/close the second unloading mouth;
• a separating wall, arranged so as to mutually separate the first accumulation chamber and the second accumulation chamber in a zone at the entry mouth of the accumulation container and beneath the descent channels, and divide the entry mouth into a first entry section, for the first accumulation chamber, and into a second entry section, for the second accumulation chamber, so that the first entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a first group of the descent channels and the first accumulation chamber can accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a first bottle, and so that the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a second group of the descent channels and the second accumulation chamber can accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a second bottle, wherein the separating wall is movable and positionable with respect to the descent channels inclusively:
• into a first position (P1), in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a same number of descent channels, and at least into a second position (P2, P3), in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive articles from a different number of descent channels with respect to one another, the apparatus further comprising:
• sensor means, which are positioned and which are configured in such a way as to provide a datum relative to the number of pharmaceutical articles present internally of each descent channel and falling into the first accumulation chamber and into the second accumulation chamber;
• blocking elements for opening and closing the descent channels, the blocking elements being arranged and configured to be activatable to close the descent channels which are in communication with the entry sections of the two accumulation chambers once that internally thereof the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a bottle has been reached, and to be activatable to open the descent channels to enable the pharmaceutical articles to fall from the descent channels into the two accumulation chambers in order to newly accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles for filling successive bottles.

An apparatus for filling bottles with a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of descent channels configured to receive pharmaceutical articles and cause the pharmaceutical articles to fall by gravity;
• an accumulation container arranged below the descent channels, the accumulation container having an entry mouth for receiving the pharmaceutical articles from the descent channels and an unloading conduit for unloading pharmaceutical articles internally of a bottle positioned in a conveying line beneath the unloading conduit, wherein the accumulation container is conformed in such a way as to comprise:
• a first accumulation chamber and a second accumulation chamber adjacent to one another;
• a first unloading mouth below the first accumulation chamber and communicating with the unloading conduit;
• a second unloading mouth below the second accumulation chamber and communicating with the unloading conduit;
• a first closing element selectively activatable to open/close the first unloading mouth;
• a second closing element selectively activatable to open/close the second unloading mouth;
• a separating wall arranged to mutually separate the first accumulation chamber and the second accumulation chamber in a zone at the entry mouth of the accumulation container and beneath the descent channels, and divide the entry mouth into a first entry section, for the first accumulation chamber, and into a second entry section, for the second accumulation chamber, so that the first entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a first group of the descent channels and the first accumulation chamber can accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a first bottle, and so that the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a second group of the descent channels and the second accumulation chamber can accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a second bottle, wherein the separating wall is movable and positionable with respect to the descent channels inclusively:
• into a first position (P1) in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive pharmaceutical articles from a same number of descent channels, and at least into a second position (P2, P3) in which the separating wall is positioned so that the first entry section and the second entry section can receive articles from a different number of descent channels with respect to one another,
• the apparatus further comprising:
• a sensor positioned and configured to provide a datum relative to the number of pharmaceutical articles present internally of each descent channel and falling into the first accumulation chamber and into the second accumulation chamber;
• blocking elements for opening and closing the descent channels, the blocking elements being arranged and configured to be activatable to close the descent channels which are in communication with the entry sections of the two accumulation chambers once that internally thereof the predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles to be inserted in a bottle has been reached, and to be activatable to open the descent channels to enable the pharmaceutical articles to fall from the descent channels into the two accumulation chambers in order to newly accumulate a predetermined number of pharmaceutical articles for filling successive bottles.