Method and apparatus for retaining a formed compression dosage unit within a die cavity

An apparatus for forming a tablet from tableting feedstock comprising:

• a die including an elongate die cavity for accommodating said feedstock, said die cavity having an inner wall and at least one open end;
• and
• first and second die punches each having a tablet forming die punch surface;
• said first die punch being movably positionable within said die cavity and said second die punch being removably insertably positioned within said at least one open end of said die cavity, said die punch surfaces being in facing opposition;
• said die punches being relatively movable within said die cavity to compress said tableting feedstock into said tablet between said die punch surfaces and against said inner wall of said die cavity by said relative movement of said die punches to a tablet forming position;
• said first and second die punch surfaces include a central recessed portion and a raised perimetrical ridge and wherein said raised perimetrical ridges of said opposed die punch surfaces form a tablet edge for frictionally retaining said tablet against said inner wall of said die cavity so as to retain said tablet within said cavity upon said removal of said second die punch from said cavity.

A method of forming a low density tablet from tableting feedstock comprising the steps of:

• providing a die having a die cavity defined by an inner wall;
• depositing said tableting feedstock within said die cavity;
• positioning a pair of die punches within said die cavity to accommodate said feedstock between said die punches;
• moving said die punch toward the other said die punch to a tablet forming position to compress said feedstock into said tablet therebetween;
• maintaining said one die punch spaced from said other die punch in said tablet forming position so as to form said tablet with a tablet edge in retentive frictional contact with said inner wall of said die cavity;
• and
• removing said other die punch from said cavity while maintaining said tablet within said cavity.

A method of forming a low density tablet from tableting feedstock comprising the steps of:

• providing a die having a die cavity defined by an inner wall;
• depositing said tableting feedstock within said die cavity;
• positioning a pair of die punches within said die cavity to accommodate said feedstock between said die punches wherein each said die punch includes a die punch surface including a central recess and a perimetrical ridge;
• moving said die punch toward the other said die punch to a tablet forming position to compress said feedstock into said tablet therebetween;
• and
• maintaining said perimetrical ridge of one die punch surface spaced from the perimetrical ridge of the other die punch surface in said tablet forming position so as to form said tablet with a perimetrical reduced tablet edge in retentive frictional contact with said inner wall.

An apparatus for compressing tableting feedstock into a tablet comprising:

• a die including an elongate die cavity for accommodating said feedstock, said die cavity having an inner wall and at least one open end;
• and
• first and second die punches each having a tablet forming die punch surface;
• said first die punch being movably positionable within said die cavity and said second die punch being removably insertably positioned within said at least one open end of said die cavity, said die punch surfaces being in facing opposition;
• said die punches being relatively movable within said die cavity to compress said tableting feedstock and urge said feedstock into frictional engagement with a portion of said cavity inner wall wherein said compressed feedstock is retained in frictional engagement with said cavity inner wall upon removal of both said die punches from engagement with the compressed tablet.