US 4,018,358 A · Cassette pill storing, dispensing and counting machine

Abstract

Different types of pills are stored in separate cassettes which may be operated by a dispensing machine for dispensing from the cassette into a vial. The dispensing machine provides a vacuum supply and a drive for operating a wheel in the cassette having a series of openings annularly arranged to pick up pills in the bottom of the cassette and carry them to a discharge opening under the vacuum pressure. A separator wall extending across the line of travel of the holes carrying pills deflects the pills through the discharge opening. A gauge is adjustable to overlie a portion of the openings in the wheel to vary the opening size so that only a single pill is carried by each opening. A photoelectric cell triggered by a fiber optic scanner at the discharge opening counts each pill. An agitator turns with the conveying wheel to break up pills bridged together. A switch is utilized to set an electronic counter to the number of pills desired. This counter then successively counts down until it reaches zero at which point the machine stops.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A cassette pill storing, dispensing and counting machine comprising:

a machine enclosure having one side wall on which a cassette for storing and dispensing pills is positioned, said one side wall having a vacuum source and a wheel driving means, said cassette including a pair of side walls, a pair of end walls and top and bottom walls defining a storage chamber,
a rotatable pill conveying wheel engaging said wheel driving means positioned in one of said side walls and including a plurality of openings providing communication between said chamber and the outside vacuum source annularly arranged around the wheel's axis of rotation for holding pills on said wheel under a vacuum from said vacuum source,
a discharge opening in communication with said chamber, and
a pill separator means positioned to operatively separate said pills from said wheel such that said pills are discharged through said discharge opening upon said wheel having conveyed said pills to said separator means, said wheel driving means having an annular rotating wall having an outer edge engaging said pill conveying wheel and being held in engagement by said vacuum applied to said wheel by said vacuum source.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cassette pill storing, dispensing and counting machine

Life of this patent

Cassette pill storing, dispensing and counting machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26