Exit chute for pharmaceutical tablet press machine

In combination a pharmaceutical tablet press and a tablet exit chute, said tablet exit chute comprising:

• (a) a first exit chute portion comprising an elongate conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be secured to said tablet press for receiving tablets formed thereby;
• (b) a second exit chute portion comprising a conduit housing having a first end and a second end wherein said conduit housing first end is adapted to be removably secured to the second end of said elongate conduit to form an extended tablet pathway, said conduit housing defining an aperture therein wherein rejected tablets can be diverted to pass therethrough and accepted tablets allowed to pass through said conduit housing and out of the second end thereof;
• (c) an air-actuated gate mounted to said conduit housing and adapted to be selectively moved from an open reject position wherein tablets are diverted through said aperture to a closed accept position wherein tablets are allowed to pass through said conduit housing and out of the second end thereof, said selective movement being in response to signals from said tablet press, and wherein said air-actuated gate acts to default to said open reject position;
• (d) circuit means electrically connecting said air-actuated gate and said tablet press and including sensor means for detecting whether said air-actuated gate is in a correct accept or reject position, said circuit means serving to stop said tablet press during the tablet press operation when a fault in the position of said air-actuated gate is detected;
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• (e) a transition conduit that is removably secured to the second end of said conduit housing for directing tablets to a selected dispensing site.

A tablet exit chute for a pharmaceutical tablet press, said tablet exit chute comprising:

• (a) a first exit chute portion comprising an elongate conduit having a first end and a second end, said first end being adapted to be secured to the tablet press for receiving tablets formed thereby;
• (b) a second exit chute portion comprising a conduit housing having a first end and a second end wherein said conduit housing first end is adapted to be removably secured to the second end of said elongate conduit to form an extended tablet pathway, said conduit housing defining an aperture therein wherein rejected tablets can be diverted to pass therethrough and accepted tablets allowed to pass through said conduit housing and out of the second end thereof;
• (c) an air-actuated gate mounted to said conduit housing and adapted to be selectively moved from an open reject position wherein tablets are diverted through said aperture to a closed accept position wherein tablets are allowed to pass through said conduit housing and out of the second end thereof, said selective movement being in response to control signals from the tablet press;
• and
• (d) circuit means electrically connecting said air-actuated gate to the tablet press and including sensor means for detecting whether said air-actuated gate is in a correct accept or reject position, said circuit means serving to stop the tablet press during the tablet press operation when a fault in the position of said air-actuated gate is detected.