# US 4,393,717 A · Apparatus for testing medicinal tablets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,393,717 A - Document ID: US4393717A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/222,825 - Filed: 1981-01-06 - Granted: 1983-07-19 - Earliest claimed: 1981-01-06 - Assignees: Burroughs Wellcome Co. - Inventors: Donald L. Mason; Warren A. McAllister - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393717A ## CPC - G01B 11/06: for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} - G01B 7/06: for measuring thickness {(measuring during the manufacture of coatings C23C14/54)} - G01N 3/08: by applying steady tensile or compressive forces (G01N3/28 takes precedence) - G01N 33/15: Medicinal preparations {; Physical properties thereof, e.g. dissolubility} - G01N 33/0077: {Testing material properties on individual granules or tablets} - G01N 33/0078: {Testing material properties on manufactured objects} - G01N 2203/0087: Resistance to crushing - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Apparatus for testing medicinal tablets for thickness, diameter and hardness wherein there is a support for receiving and supporting tablets for testing one at a time, a gauge movable relative to the support to measure the thickness, a gauge movable relative to the support to both measure the thickness and breaking strength, a sweeper movable relative to the support to clear the crushed tablets therefrom and control circuitry including a computer for controlling the sequence of operations and recording the values measured. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for testing medicinal tablets for thickness, diameter and hardness comprising a support for receiving tablets one at a time for testing, means movable relative to the support in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the tablet to measure the thickness of the tablet, means movable relative to the support in a direction at right angles to the thickness of the tablet to measure the diameter of the tablet, said latter means being further movable to crush the tablet to thus measure the hardness, and means for effecting reciprocal movement of the aforesaid means in sequence and for repeating said sequence of operation for a predetermined number of tablets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the support comprises a flat, unyielding, horizontal, smooth surface and a flat, unyielding, smooth vertical surface and wherein the first means is movable perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal surface and the second means is movable perpendicularly with respect to the vertical surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second means are, respectively, a thickness gauge and a ram, the third means comprises power-operable devices for effecting reciprocation of the first and second means to, respectively, advance the gauge into engagement with the tablet to measure its thickness and then retract from it, advance the ram into engagement with the tablet to measure the diameter, crush it and then retract from it and means movable relative to the horizontal surface following retraction of the ram to sweep the crushed tablet from the support. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the last-named means is a scraper provided with right-angularly disposed surfaces which, respectively, have scraping contact with the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the support. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said scraper is reciprocal and there is means for effecting its reciprocation in the sequence of operation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the means for effecting reciprocation of the gauge and ram comprise double-acting cylinder and piston assemblies. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the piston rods extend from the pistons through the opposite ends of the cylinders, the gauge and ram are fixed to the extremities of the rods at one end and there is means fixed to the extremities of the rods at the other ends for determining the measurements. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the piston rods extend from the pistons through the opposite ends of the cylinders, the gauge and ram are fixed to the extremities of the rods at one end and there are sensing means at the other ends of the rods for determining the measurements. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the means at the other ends comprise diodes mounted to the rods for movement therewith and stationarily supported photopotentiometers supported to be traversed by the diodes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein there is a pressure transducer connected to the cylinder containing the ram operable by the change in pressure when the tablet fails to register the breaking pressure. ### Claim 11 Apparatus for testing medicinal tablets for thickness, diameter and hardness comprising a support for receiving tablets one at a time, a gauge supported for reciprocal movement perpendicular to the support to measure the thickness, a ram supported for reciprocal movement relative to the support at right angles to the reciprocal movement of the gauge to measure the diameter and hardness and means for delivering tablets from a predetermined group of tablets onto the support one at a time comprising an inclined trough supported with its lower end above the support, means for delivering tablets to the upper end of the inclined trough and means for vibrating the trough. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the means for delivering tablets to the upper end of the trough comprising a part containing a hole of such size as to permit tablets to pass through positioned above the upper end of trough and means for supplying a quantity of tablets from a predetermined number through the hole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the means for delivering tablets to the upper end of the trough comprise a stationary part containing a hole of such size as to permit tablets to pass through, a rotary carousel provided with a plurality of tubular containers spaced peripherally thereof open at their top and bottom ends with their lower ends adjacent the stationary part, rotatable relative to the part to position the lower open ends of the containers successively above the hole, means for effecting rotation of the carousel and means for controlling operation of the last-named means to stop each container in succession above the hole in the part. ### Claim 14 Apparatus for testing tablets comprising a stationary structure defining a smooth, flat, unyielding surface, a mobile structure defining a smooth, flat, unyielding surface, movable relative to the stationary surface to gauge a tablet deposited between the surfaces of the structures, one of said structures embodying sensing means operable at the gauging position to measure a physical property of a tablet deposited between said surfaces and means responsive to the sensing means to store the measurement of each individual tablet of a predetermined group of tablets, average the measurements, record the range of measurements, and record the out of line measurements, a dispenser for receiving a predetermined number of tablets, an inclined chute for guiding tablets gravitationally received from the dispenser for deposit at gauging position, and means for vibrating the chute to cause the tablets to be deposited one at a time, means operative in response to the presence of more than one tablet at gauging position to disable the vibrating means, clear the tablets from gauging position and then enable the vibrating means. ### Claim 15 Apparatus for testing tablets comprising a stationary platen having a flat planar surface, means for depositing tablets to be measured one at a time on the surface, means defining a stationary surface perpendicular of the surface of the platen and means supported above the platen for movement parallel to the platen relative to the stationary surface, said last mentioned means being determinative of the diameter of the tablet resting on the surface and embodying means for effecting recording of the diameter of the tablet, said means supported for movement parallel to the platen enables means determinative of the force required to crush the tablet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said last-named means comprises a pressure transducer.