Rotary die support and insert die member devices and methods for encapsulation technologies

Insert die members for use with a pair of rotary die supports, a pair of gel ribbons, and a fill material to form gel capsules, with the pair of rotary die supports being adjacent to one another and rotating towards one another in opposing rotary directions, with each of the rotary die supports having an exterior surface, and with the exterior surface of at least one of the rotary die supports being shaped to define one or more outwardly facing apertures, with each of the insert die members comprising:

• a) an outer surface to extend into a respective one of the apertures and securely engage a respective one of the rotary die supports in selectively removable relation;
• b) an inner surface shaped to define one or more outwardly facing cavities;
• and
• c) a contact rim to substantially abut the exterior surface on an opposing one of the rotary die supports, and/or the contact rim of an opposing one of the insert die members securely engaging an opposing one of the rotary die supports, with the ribbons substantially juxtaposed therebetween;
• wherein, with the aforesaid rotation of the rotary die supports, each of the ribbons moves in a respective one of the rotary directions to between the adjacent pair of rotary die supports, and each said contact rim is in turn brought into the aforesaid substantial abutment;
• wherein a single web of gel material is formed from the ribbons, with the cavities of the insert die members forming encapsulated pocket portions therewithin;
• and wherein the encapsulated pocket portions are filled with the fill material.

A method of using a fill material, a pair of gel ribbons, a pair of rotary die supports and one or more insert die members to form encapsulated pocket portions in a web of gel material, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) extending an outer surface of one of the insert die members into an outwardly facing aperture which is defined by an exterior surface of one of the rotary die supports, with the outer surface securely engaging said one of the rotary die supports in selectively removable relation;
• b) rotating the pair of rotary die supports in opposing rotary directions;
• moving the pair of gel ribbons in the opposing rotary directions to between the pair of rotary die supports;
• and bringing a contact rim of said one of the insert die members into substantial abutment with the exterior surface on an opposing one of the rotary die supports, and/or with the contact rim of an opposing one of the insert die members securely engaging the opposing one of the rotary die supports, with the ribbons substantially juxtaposed therebetween;
• and
• c) forming the web of gel material from the ribbons, and forming the encapsulated pocket portions within the web using outwardly facing cavities which are defined by an inner surface of each of the insert die members, with the encapsulated pocket portions filled with the fill material.