Apparatus For Filling Tubes With Piles Of Disc-Shaped Articles, Such As Pills

An apparatus for filling tubes with piles of disc-shaped articles, such as pills, the articles (3) being released intermittently one after another and in a substantially vertical orientation by at least a supply unit (1), characterized in that it comprises:

• two functional elements (5h, 5j), hinged at a horizontal axis (K) thereof and made to oscillate, in phase relation with a release of the articles (3) from the supply unit (1), between a loading region (C), in which the functional elements (5h, 5j) are near to an outlet section (SU) of the at least a supply unit (1) and are mutually arranged such as to provide at least a corresponding seating (6) for receiving and retaining a relative article (3) released by the supply unit (1) and a disengagement region (D) of the article (3), at which the functional elements (5h, 5j) are rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal hinge axis (K), in order to enable a gripping of the article (3) by gripping organs (11);
• the gripping organs (11) being mobile in a predetermined operating direction in order to remove the article (3) borne by the functional elements (5h, 5j) into the relative disengagement region (D), and to release the article (3) internally of a corresponding tube (10) in phase relation with the movement of the functional elements (5h, 5j).