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US 4,028,024 AGranted
Manufacture of filled capsules or the like
OwnerStephen T. Morelandinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
From an extruder head a descending column of edible substance or medicament encased in a casing forming material of gelatin or dough is extruded. The casing forming material may be a single color or different colors on opposite sides. This column is pinched off by a pair of rotating wheels each having half cavities therein to form capsules or sticks of encased edible substance or medicament. The casing material is then hardened.
Claims25
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder means being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends, each endless device being a wheel rotating about an axis and having a periphery with the half-unit-cavities therein, the peripheries of said wheels meeting at a pinch-point on a line between said axes, each wheel including means associated with each half-unit-cavity for pushing the unit away therefrom after the wheel moves away from the pinch-point, the periphery of each wheel defining a rim surrounding the exterior of each pocket and extending radially outwardly from the portion of the wheel periphery to the outside of the rim, the rims of the wheels being in registry at the pinch-point, said molding means including means mounting one of the wheels for movement toward and away from the other wheel to adjust the pressure between the rims at the pinch-point;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for cooling the material, said cooling means comprising a foramenous conveyor and means operatively associated with said conveyor for directing cooling air through said conveyor.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder means being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening, said extruder means including an annular tube within said body above said opening and axially aligned with said passageway, said tube having an upper end and a lower end with the upper end communicating with said first means to receive said substance for discharge at the lower end, said body defining an annular opening about said tube adjacent the lower end of the tube, said annular opening communicating with said second means;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for hardening the material.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder means being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends, each endless device being a wheel rotating about an axis and having a periphery with the half-unit-cavities therein, the peripheries of said wheels meeting at a pinch-point on a line between said axes, each wheel including means associated with each half-unit-cavity for pushing the capsule away therefrom after the wheel moves away from the pinch-point, the periphery of each wheel defining a rim surrounding the exterior of each pocket and extending radially outwardly from the portion of the wheel periphery to the outside of the rim, the rims of the wheels being in registry at the pinch-point, said molding means including means mounting one of the wheels for movement toward and away from the other wheel to adjust the pressure between the rims at the pinch-point;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for hardening the material.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder means being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends, each endless device being a wheel rotating about an axis and having a periphery with the half-unit-cavities therein, the peripheries of said wheels meeting at a pinch-point on a line between said axes, the periphery of one wheel being larger than the periphery of the other wheel, said molding means including power means rotating said wheels at a common angular speed whereby the periphery of one wheel slips with respect to the periphery of the other wheel at the pinch-point;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for hardening the material.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder mens being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening, said body including a main body part having a first opening coaxial with said passageway and relatively large in diameter as compared to the size of the passageway, and a transverse opening intersecting said first opening, said transverse opening communicating with said second means to receive the material, a second body part extending into said first opening and closing the top of the first opening, said second body part having a nose of a diameter smaller than the first opening, said nose extending downwardly from the transverse opening, said second body part having an opening axially through said nose and communicating with said first means to receive said substance, and a third body part extending into the bottom of said first opening, said passageway being on the third body part, said third body part being adjustable up and down whereby its spacing to the second body part may be varied;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for hardening the material.
3 more elements
An apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance with a coating of ingestable material, said apparatus comprising:
- first means forming a source of said substance in fluid form under pressure;
- second means adjacent said first means forming a source of said material in fluid form under pressure;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom, said extruder means being connected to said first and second means for extruding a rod comprising a continuous core of said substance with a continuous coating of said material along a vertically downward path from said bottom opening;
- unit molding means subsequent said extruder means for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends, each endless device being a wheel rotating about an axis and having a periphery with the half-unit-cavities therein, the peripheries of said wheels meeting at a pinch-point on a line between said axes, each wheel including means associated with each half-unit-cavity for pushing the unit away therefrom after the wheel moves away from the pinch-point comprising:
- each wheel having radial bores intersecting the bottom of each cavity respectively,
- a pin positioned in each bore respectively and movable in the bore radially of the wheel, and
- each pin including means to restrict the radial movement of the pin to between a radial position at which the pin protrudes into the cavity and a radial position at which it does not protrude into the cavity;
- and
- means positioned below said molding means for receiving the individual units descending by gravity from the molding means and for hardening the material.
6 more elements
In an apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance in an ingestable coating material wherein forming means produces a rod of said material having a core of said substance which rod is moved along a path in a descending direction, the improvement comprising:
- unit molding means subsequent said forming mens for forming said rod into individual units and comprising two endless devices each positioned at a respective side of said path below said opening, each device having a surface with a sequence of half-unit-cavities therein which move past said path in a downward direction in timed relationship such that the half-unit-cavities of the two devices meet at said path to define a whole-unit-cavity, each half-unit-cavity comprising walls defining a pocket having sides and ends, the half-unit-cavities of one device moving at a different linear speed during that meeting than the half-unit-cavities of the other device whereby during that meeting there is a slip between the part of the devices surrounding the two half-unit-cavities.
In an apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance in an ingestable coating material wherein forming means produces a rod of said material having a core of said substance which rod is moved along a path in a descending direction, the improvement wherein said forming means comprises:
- first fluid supply means for said substance;
- second fluid supply means for said material adjacent said first fluid supply means;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom with said rod exiting from said bottom opening to move along said path, said body including a main body part having a first opening coaxial with said passageway and relatively large in diameter as compared to the size of the passageway, and a transverse opening intersecting said first opening, said transverse opening communicating with said second supply means to receive the material, a second body part extending into said first opening and closing the top of the first opening, said second body part having a nose of a diameter smaller than the first opening, said nose extending downwardly below the transverse opening, said second body part having an opening axially through said nose and communicating with said first supply means to receive said substance, a third body part extending into the bottom of said first opening, said passageway being on the third body part, said third body part being adjustable up and down to establish a position whereby its spacing to the second body part may be varied to thereby vary the quantity of material entering the first opening below said second body part, and retaining means engaging said third body part for normally maintaining the established position of the third body part with respect to the second body part.
In an apparatus for making units comprising an ingestable substance in an ingestable coating material wherein forming means produces a rod of said material having a core of said substance which rod is moved along a path in a descending direction, the improvement wherein said forming means comprises:
- first fluid supply means for said substance;
- second fluid supply means for said material adjacent said first fluid supply means;
- extruder means comprising a body having a vertical passageway open at the bottom with said rod exiting from said bottom opening to move along said path, said body including a main body part having a first opening coaxial with said passageway and relatively large in diameter as compared to the size of the passageway, and a transverse opening intersecting said first opening, said transverse opening communicating with said second supply means to receive the material, a second body part extending into said first opening and closing the top of the first opening, said second body part having a nose of a diameter smaller than the first opening, said nose extending downwardly below the transverse opening, said second body part having an opening axially through said nose and communicating with said first supply means to receive said substance, and a third body part extending into the bottom of said first opening, said passageway being on the third body part, said third body part being adjustable up and down whereby its spacing to the second body part may be varied to thereby vary the quantity of material entering the first opening below said second body part, said forming means including:
- an annular tube within said opening in said second body part, said tube having an upper end and a lower end with the upper end receiving said substance for discharge at the lower end, the lower end of the tube extending into said first opening below said second body part, said first member having a second opening above said first opening and of a larger diameter, said first member forming a shoulder at the juncture of the first and second openings, said tube having an external enlargement at the upper end thereof, said tube being positioned in the first opening with said enlargement resting on said shoulder.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.