Apparatus for splitting articles
AssigneeGenentech, Inc.
InventorJacek Guzowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A splitting apparatus includes a splitter member with a plurality of blades, and a splitting guide configured to anchor articles so that an article to be split is anchored on a splitting guide when the splitter member is moved across the splitting guide. The apparatus includes a gate which is controlled by a gate controller that selectively opens and closes the discharge aperture positioned adjacent the splitting guide so that the split article can be discharged from the splitting guide. A staging platform is provided adjacent the splitting guide for aligning the articles to be split with the splitting guide and a staging advancer is provided to move articles from the staging platform to the splitting guide, and to discharge the split articles after splitting.
Claims32
An ampoule card splitting apparatus comprising:
- a splitting guide having a laterally extending interior channel structurally configured to receive an ampoule card having a plurality of individual ampoules, said channel having an inlet aperture at a first end thereof configured to receive the ampoule card and a discharge aperture at a second end thereof, said splitting guide having a cutting path extending generally perpendicular to said channel, said splitting guide having a groove extending along said cutting path and into said channel;
- a splitter member having a plurality of blades operatively associated with said splitter member, wherein said blades are structurally configured to split the ampoule card in said splitting guide along the cutting path when said splitting member is moved along the cutting path of said splitting guide and wherein said plurality of blades are provided in a non-rotational relationship with respect to said splitter member;
- and
- a splitter advancer operatively associated with said splitter member and structurally configured to move said splitter member along the cutting path of said splitting guide.
An article splitting apparatus comprising:
- a splitting guide having a laterally extending interior channel structurally configured to receive therein an article to be split, said channel having an inlet aperture at a first end thereof configured to receive the article and a discharge aperture at a second end thereof, said splitting guide having a cutting path extending generally perpendicular to said channel, said splitting guide having a groove extending along said cutting path and into said channel;
- a splitter member having a plurality of blades operatively associated with said splitter member, wherein said blades are structurally configured to cut the article received by said splitting guide when said splitting member is moved along the cutting path of said splitting guide and wherein said plurality of blades are provided in a non-rotational relationship with respect to said splitter member;
- a splitter advancer operatively associated with said splitter member and configured to move said splitter member along the cutting path of said splitting guide;
- and
- a rotating platform structurally configured to selectively rotate articles provided to the rotating platform before the articles are moved to said splitting guide.
A splitting apparatus comprising:
- anchoring means having a laterally extending interior channel for anchoring an ampoule card which includes a plurality of individual ampoules, said channel having an inlet aperture at a first end thereof configured to receive the ampoule card and a discharge aperture at a second end thereof, said anchoring means having a cutting path extending generally perpendicular to said channel, said anchoring means having a groove extending along said cutting path and into said channel;
- and
- splitting means for splitting the ampoule card anchored by said anchoring means along said cutting path, wherein said splitting means comprises a plurality of non-rotational blades.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.