Film-enrobed unitary-core medicament and the like

A method of film enrobing article preforms such as medicine tablets as articles of manufacture, comprising the steps of

• (A) providing a pair of gelatin-base films of selected thickness and formulation which are elastic, plastic and self-adhering to the other film when at a predetermining temperature within a selected range of temperatures, the films each having obverse and reverse surfaces,
• (B) moving the films at essentially equal velocities along selected paths around and between a pair of matching coacting cylindrical rotary dies between which the film obverse surfaces are adjacent each other, the dies being essentially identical and each defining along at least one line circumferentially of the die a plurality of closely and uniformly spaced cavities in a surface thereof cooperable with the other die,
• (C) stretching the film over the die surfaces at and proximate a place of substantial coaction of the dies with each other,
• (D) at a location along the film paths proximate the place of die coaction, heating the obverse surface of the films to the predetermined temperature,
• (E) individually dispensing a complete article preform essentially at the place of die coaction into contact with the obverse surfaces of the stretched films at locations on the films which overlie corresponding ones of the die cavities for deformation of the films into the cavities around the preform and for transporting engagement of the preform by the films,
• (F) at the place of die coaction, forcefully contacting the films with each other peripherally around the preforms to cause each preform to be enrobed by and between the films, and sealing the films to each other peripherally around each preform, and
• (G) separating the enrobed preforms for the films to provide the articles of manufacture each of which comprises a single preform sealed within a coating of substantially uniform thickness comprised of two gelatin layers sealed together in substantially edge to edge relation.

A method of film enrobing article preforms, such as medicine tablets and the like, as articles or manufacture, comprising the steps of:

• drawing together under axial tension, and into surface-to-surface contact at a nip location, a pair of preformed films which are elastic, plastic and capable of adhering to each other,
• engaging at least one of the films with an article preform at a location on the film which is closely adjacent the nip between the films and at which the at least one film is free to deform laterally around the preform in response to such engagement so that the preform is taken up and drawn by the converging films to the nip,
• stretching the converging films at the nip around the preform and into contact with each along a line around the preform and substantially contiguous to it to enrobe the preform between the films,
• sealing the films together along the line, and essentially along the line,
• whereby there results a flangeless article of manufacture comprised of the preform which is enrobed in a coating of the film material.

A process for enrobing an article preform such as a medicine tablet with a substantially solidified polymer, the process comprising the steps of:

• drawing together at least two sheets of a substantially solidified polymer to form a nip between the converging sheets,
• dispensing a complete article preform into the nip of the converging sheets,
• sealing together the converging polymer sheets about the dispensing preform essentially along a line about and closely contiguous to the preform to enrobe the preform at least partially in the polymer, and
• separating the enrobed preform essentially along said line from the sheets.