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US 4,705,658 AGranted
Method for drying gelatin in the manufacture of hard shell gelatin capsules
AssigneeCapsule Technology International, Ltd.
InventorStephen Lukas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for drying gelatin in the manufacture of hard shell gelatin capsules. Pins on pin bars are dipped into the liquid gelatin and the pins are then irradiated with microwave energy until the gelatin dries. Thereafter, the pins are gradually cooled to ambient temperature and the gelatin capsule halves are then stripped from the pins in the conventional fashion.
Claims8
A method for drying gelatin on pins to form hard shell gelatin capsules comprising the steps of:
- irradiating the gelatin in a drying chamber with microwave energy for a time period sufficient to dry the gelatin,
- thereafter moving the pins to a substantially closed cooling chamber separate from the drying chamber so that the gelatin on the pins gradually cools to ambient temperature, and
- then stripping the solidified gelatin from the pins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.