Apparatus for enrobing tablets

An apparatus for enrobing whole medicine tablets of predetermined size and shape with a gelatin layer, said apparatus comprising:

• a linked track of die blocks with each block comprising at least one recess formed in a top surface thereof;
• means for driving said linked track for movement along an upper path and return along a lower path;
• a cylindrical rotary die having a cylindrical surface that at one point about the circumference of the die is adjacent to and in contact with said linked track, said rotary die having a plurality of recesses each of which is cooperable with a recess of similar size in said linked track to provide at said one point an enclosed cavity capable of loosely holding one of said tablets;
• a drive system for rotating said rotary die so that the rotary die moves in synchronism with the movement of said linked track;
• first feed means for delivering a first gelatin strip of selected thickness and composition to said upper path for generally linear movement therealong;
• second feed means for delivering a second gelatin strip of selected thickness and composition to said rotary die for movement along a circular path to said one point where the second gelatin strip meets said first gelatin strip;
• a vacuum applying system for causing portions of said first gelatin strip to be pulled against walls of the recesses in said die blocks, thereby forming tablet receiving depressions in the first gelatin strip at an upstream location along said upper path spaced from said one point;
• a timed tablet dispensing mechanism for dispensing individual whole, solid tablets into said depressions at a feeding location positioned between said upstream location and said one point, said tablets being dispensed so as to have a desired orientation in said depressions;
• and
• means for conditioning said gelatin strips before said strips reach said one point so that the strips have a predetermined deformability and adhesivity to the tablets and to each other;
• wherein each dispensed tablet moves with said first gelatin strip to and past said one point and a portion of said second gelatin strip is deformed and stretched in one of said recesses in said rotary die around the tablet into enrobing engagement with the tablet.

An apparatus for dispensing tablets into an elongate digestible web that is moving longitudinally in a tablet manufacturing machine, said apparatus comprising:

• means for feeding tablets so that said tablets are arranged in one or more rows and all have a desired orientation;
• one or more chutes that extend downwardly from said feeding means, one of said chutes being provided for each of said rows;
• a slide mechanism for dropping individual, properly oriented tablets onto an upper surface of said web, said mechanism being mounted to receive tablets deposited thereon from a bottom end of said one or more chutes, said mechanism including a tablet supporting bottom that extends generally horizontally and has an aperture for the or each chute, the or each aperture being dimensioned to permit single, properly oriented tablets to drop therethrough, and also a sliding feed member mounted to slide relative to said supporting bottom in a direction transverse to the longitudinal movement of the web and to thereby move one or more tablets transversely to a position directly over the or a respective one of the apertures;
• a drive device for sliding said feed member transversely first to a tablet dropping position and then back to a tablet loading position;
• and
• a control system for operating said drive device at correctly timed intervals so that properly oriented tablets are dropped onto said digestible web at desired locations thereon.

An apparatus for enrobing tablets in a gelatin or gelatin-like layer, said apparatus comprising:

• first and second linked tracks of die blocks with each block having at least one recess formed in an outer surface thereof;
• means for intermittently driving both of said linked tracks for movement of each along a continuous path and in synchronism with the other, wherein the continuous paths of the tracks run parallel to and immediately adjacent each other along a portion of each path;
• means for delivering a first gelatin or gelatin-like strip to the first linked track for movement along a section of the continuous path of said first linked track;
• a vacuum applying system for causing portions of said first strip to be pulled and stretched against walls of the recesses in the die blocks of the first linked track, thereby forming tablet receiving depressions in said first strip at a location upstream from said portion of each path where the tracks are adjacent each other;
• a tablet dispensing mechanism for dispensing properly oriented whole tablets into said depressions at a feeding location positioned upstream from said portion of each path where the tracks are adjacent each other, the tablets being dispensed when said first linked track is stopped;
• and
• means for delivering a second gelatin or gelatin-like strip so that the second strip is laid over said first strip when the first strip reaches said portion of each path where the tracks are adjacent each other;
• wherein each recess in each die block of one linked track is cooperable with a recess of similar size in a die block of the other linked track to provide an enclosed cavity capable of holding one of the tablets, said cavity being formed along the portions of the paths where the tracks are adjacent each other, and wherein portions of the second strip are stretched in the recesses of the die blocks of the second linked track when respective cooperating die blocks of both tracks engage each other so that tablets are enrobed by portions of both the first and second strips.