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US 5,369,940 AGranted
Automatic filling system
AssigneePfizer Inc.
InventorSabrie B. Soloman
Life of this patent
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AssigneePfizer Inc.
InventorSabrie B. Soloman
Estimating the term…
An automatic filling system which inserts objects into containers includes a feed hopper. A conveyor conveys a plurality of the objects into the feed hopper. The feed hopper has a discharge station. A collection station is located at the discharge station for disposing the containers in a position for receiving the objects fed from the discharge station. The feed hopper includes a flat inclined disc which receives the objects from the conveyor. The disc is rotated at a sufficiently high speed to cause the objects to move under centrifugal force toward the periphery of the disc. The feed hopper further includes a cylindrical member having an annular wall disposed around the disc and having an upper edge located generally at the same elevation as the upper end of the disc so that objects moving toward the periphery of the disc are moved to the upper edge of the cylindrical member and are conveyed on the upper edge away from the upper end of the disc. The discharge station is located at the upper edge of the cylindrical member for depositing the objects in the containers at the collection station. A counting device in the feed hopper counts the number of objects being deposited in each container for preventing excess objects from being deposited.
An automatic filling system for inserting objects into containers comprising a feed hopper, conveying means for conveying a plurality of the objects into said feed hopper, said feed hopper having a discharge station, a collection station for disposing the containers at said discharge station for receiving the objects in each container, said feed hopper including a flat inclined disc disposed for receiving the objects from said conveying means, means for rotating said flat inclined disc for causing the objects to move under centrifugal force toward the periphery of said disc, said feed hopper further including a cylindrical member having an annular wall disposed around said disc and having an upper edge located at generally the same elevation as the upper end of said disc whereby the objects moving toward said periphery of said disc are moved to said upper edge of said cylindrical member and are conveyed on said upper edge of said cylindrical member away from said upper end of said disc, said discharge station being located at said upper edge of said cylindrical member for depositing the objects in the containers at said collection station, and counter means in said feed hopper counting the number of objects being deposited in each container.
An automatic filling system comprising a feed hopper for containing a plurality of objects, a discharge station, transport means for transporting the objects in a single line from said hopper to said discharge station, counter means in said feed hopper for counting the objects being transported to said discharge station, and said counter means directing a beam toward the line of objects, said counter means including a laser counter for directing a laser beam toward a photodetector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.