Pill and capsule counter
AssigneeApothecary Products, Inc.
InventorsRobert N. Priebe, Terrance O. Noble
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device for rapidly counting and dispensing pills and capsules is provided. A movable plate with apertures and sizing guide fit inside a housing. The sizing guide has apertures corresponding to a particular size of pill or capsule, allowing the desired number of pills or capsules to be counted in a first section of the housing. When the excess pills or capsules are removed, the counted pills or capsules are transferred to a second section of the housing for dispensing into a prescription bottle by moving the plate and placing its apertures in register with the sizing guide apertures.
Claims8
A counter for pills and capsules comprising:
- (a) a housing comprising at least one chamber;
- (b) a movable plate positioned within the chamber and dividing the chamber into upper and lower sections, the plate movable from a first position to a second position, the plate having a plurality of apertures;
- (c) at least one sizing guide, the sizing guide having a plurality of apertures, the sizing guide fitting within the chamber and substantially aligned with and vertically displaced from the movable plate;
- wherein when the movable plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the apertures in the sizing guide are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and in the sizing guide are in register.
A pill and capsule counting system comprising:
- (a) a housing comprising at least one chamber, the housing adapted to receive a plate dividing the chamber into upper and lower sections;
- (b) a plate adapted to be movable from a first position within the chamber to a second position within the chamber, the plate having a plurality of apertures;
- (c) a plurality of sizing guides, the sizing guides having a plurality of apertures corresponding to a particular size of pill or capsule, wherein each sizing guide has a single size of apertures, the sizing guides adapted to fit within the chamber in substantial alignment with and vertically displaced from the plate;
- wherein when the plate is in the first position, the apertures in the plate and the apertures in the sizing guide are out of register, and when the plate is in the second position, the apertures in the plate and in the sizing guide are in register.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.