Apparatus for splitting articles
AssigneeGenentech, Inc.
InventorJACEK GUZOWSKI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A splitting apparatus includes a splitter member with a plurality of blades, and a splitting guide configured to anchor articles so that an article to be split is anchored on a splitting guide when the splitter member is moved across the splitting guide. The apparatus includes a gate which is controlled by a gate controller that selectively opens and closes the discharge aperture positioned adjacent the splitting guide so that the split article can be discharged from the splitting guide. A staging platform is provided adjacent the splitting guide for aligning the articles to be split with the splitting guide and a staging advancer is provided to move articles from the staging platform to the splitting guide, and to discharge the split articles after splitting.
Claims41
An ampoule card splitting apparatus comprising:
- a splitting guide configured to receive an ampoule card which includes a plurality of individual ampoules each having a longitudinal axis such that the longitudinal axis are aligned substantially parallel to a cutting path;
- a splitter member including a plurality of blades, wherein said blades are configured to split an ampoule card in said splitting guide along the cutting path when said splitting member is moved along the cutting path;
- and
- a splitter advancer configured to move said splitter member along the cutting path.
An article splitting apparatus comprising:
- a splitting guide configured to receive an article to be split and to align the article with a cutting path;
- a splitter member including a plurality of blades wherein said blades are configured to cut an article received by said splitting guide when said splitting member is moved along the cutting path;
- a splitter advancer configured to move said splitter member along the cutting path;
- and
- a rotating platform configured to selectively rotate articles provided to it before the articles are moved to said splitting guide.
A splitting apparatus comprising:
- anchoring means for anchoring an ampoule card which includes a plurality of individual ampoules such that a longitudinal axis of said individual ampoules is substantially aligned along a cutting path;
- splitting means for splitting an ampoule card anchored by said anchoring means along said cutting path.
A method for splitting ampoule cards comprising the steps of:
- aligning a first ampoule card which includes a plurality of individual ampoules, such that a longitudinal axis of each individual ampoule is substantially parallel with a cutting path;
- splitting the first ampoule card by moving a splitting member along the cutting path to a first position, such that the article is split into a plurality of smaller elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.