Capsule-sealing method and apparatus

An apparatus for sealing a two-piece ingestable capsule consisting essentially of a body member telescopically received into a cap member, the apparatus comprising

• a chamber having nozzle means for dispensing the contents of the chamber,
• supply means for supplying hot, moist air of a controlled consistency to the chamber,
• regulating means for maintaining the average pressure of the chamber slightly below that of the ambient atmosphere, and
• control means for causing a momentary increase in the pressure within the chamber to deliver the hot, moist air from the chamber through the nozzle means into a cap member adjacent thereto.

A method for sealing a two-piece ingestable capsule consisting essentially of a body member telescopically received into a cap member, the method comprising the steps of

• providing a chamber having a nozzle means for dispensing the contents of the chamber,
• supplying the chamber with hot, moist air of controlled consistency,
• regulating the pressure of the chamber that the average pressure is slightly below that of the ambient atmosphere,
• positioning a cap member adjacent the nozzle means,
• injecting a quantity of the hot, moist air into the cap member to prepare the interior surface thereof, and
• telescoping a body member into the cap member a distance sufficient to form a sealed capsule.

A method of sealing an ingestable gelatin capsule consisting essentially of a body member telescopically received within a cap member, the cap member having an internal coating of a lubricant, the method comprising the steps of

• positioning a cap member adjacent a dispensing outlet of a reservoir,
• supplying the reservoir with a controlled mixture of steam and air at a selected temperature and moisture content,
• regulating the pressure of the reservoir such that the average pressure is slightly below that of the ambient atmosphere,
• injecting the mixture of steam and air into the cap member in a quantity sufficient to disrupt the lubricant coating and soften the gelatin of at least a lower portion of the cap member, and
• mating the cap member and body member to form a sealed capsule, the softened lower portion of the cap member bonding to contiguous portions of the body member.

Apparatus for sealing a two-piece ingestable capsule consisting essentially of a cap member and a body member telescopically received therein, the apparatus comprising:

• a manifold having a flow outlet and at least one dispensing outlet,
• means for supplying a source of air to be injected into the cap member,
• means for mixing the air with steam to produce a hot moist air sufficient to soften the gelatin forming the cap, and
• means for flowing said hot moist air through the manifold at slightly less than ambient atmospheric pressure.