# US 8,464,765 B2 · Machine for filling bottles with solid forms of pharmaceutical products, in particular capsules, pills, pastilles, and/or tablets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,464,765 B2 - Document ID: US8464765B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/439,925 - Filed: 2012-04-05 - Published: 2012-12-06 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2011-04-06 - Assignees: MG 2 - S.r.l. - Applicants: Angelo Ansaloni; Ernesto Gamberini - Inventors: Angelo Ansaloni; Ernesto Gamberini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8464765B2 ## CPC - B65B 5/103: {for packaging pills or tablets} - B65B 35/14: by agitators or vibrators - B65B 39/00: Nozzles, funnels or guides for introducing articles or materials into containers or wrappers - B65B 39/005: {transverse to flow direction} - B65B 39/007: {Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers} - B65B 65/08: Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine - B65G 27/02: comprising helical or spiral channels or conduits for elevation of materials - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A machine for filling bottles with solid forms of pharmaceutical products is provided with a conveying device for continuously moving forward a sequence of bottles along a given path, and a vibrating distribution plate, which is mounted along the path itself so as to continuously rotate around its own longitudinal axis, and has a plurality of feeding channels, each of which is wound in a helix around and along said longitudinal axis, and is moved forward in phase with a corresponding bottle to feed a given number of solid forms in the bottle itself. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A machine for filling bottles (2) with solid forms (3) of pharmaceutical products, in particular capsules, pills, pastilles, and/or tablets, the machine comprising a conveying device (4, 5, 7) for moving forward, one after the other, a plurality of bottles (2) along a given path (P); and a dosing device (4), which is arranged along the path (P), and comprises a plurality of feeding channels (23), each of which is suited to feed a given number of solid forms (3) into a relative bottle (2), and presents an inlet 24 for the solid forms 3 to be fed into the feeding channel 23 and an outlet 25 for the solid forms 3 to be discharged from the feeding channel itself; and wherein: the dosing device (4) comprises a vibrating distribution plate (21), which is assembled so as to continuously rotate around its own longitudinal axis (12), and presents said feeding channels (23); the feeding channels (23) are wound in a helix around and along said longitudinal axis (12); said outlets (25) are uniformly distributed along a peripheral edge of the distribution plate (21) and around said longitudinal axis (12); and the conveying device (4, 5, 7) comprises actuating means (11, 50) for continuously moving forward each bottle (2) along the path (P) in phase with a relative said outlet (25). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A machine according to claim 1, wherein the distribution plate (21) is delimited by a bottom wall (22) substantially shaped as a truncated cone, on which said feeding channels (23) are obtained. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A machine according to claim 1, wherein said inlets (24) are uniformly distributed along a central edge of the distribution plate (21) and around said longitudinal axis (12). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A machine according to claim 1, wherein the dosing device (4) comprises, for each feeding channel (23), a respective discharge duct (32) for feeding the solid forms (3), one after the other, from the relative outlet (25) into the relative bottle (2). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A machine according to claim 4, wherein at least part of each discharge duct (32) is obtained through the distribution plate (21) beneath the relative outlet (25). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) A machine according to claim 4 and comprising, furthermore, for each discharge duct (32), a respective interception unit (35, 44), which is mobile between a first operating position, in which the interception unit (35, 44) is arranged so as to allow the solid forms (3) to be fed along the discharge duct (32) and into the relative bottle (2), and a second operating position, in which the interception unit (35, 44) is arranged so as to prevent the solid forms (3) from being fed along the discharge duct (32) and into the relative bottle (2). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A machine according to claim 6 and comprising, furthermore, a counting device (46) for calculating the passage of a given number of solid forms (3) through each one of said outlets (25) and, for each discharge duct (32), respective actuating means (36, 45) for moving the relative interception unit (35, 44) between said first and second operating positions according to a signal coming from the counting device (46). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the path (P) extends around said longitudinal axis (12). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A machine according to claim 1, wherein the dosing device (4) comprises a dosing drum mounted so as to rotate around said longitudinal axis (12) and comprising, in turn, the distribution plate (21) and a pocket conveyor (18), which defines part of the conveying device (4, 5, 7), and is provided with a plurality of pockets (19), which are mounted beneath the distribution plate (21), are uniformly distributed around the longitudinal axis (12), and are suited to receive and hold, in each of them, a respective bottle (2). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A machine according to claim 9, wherein the conveying device (4, 5, 7) comprises, furthermore, an inlet conveyor (49, 52), which is suited to feed, one after the other, the bottles (2) to said pocket conveyor (18), and is shaped so as to order the bottles (2) with a distribution pitch which is substantially equal to the distribution pitch of the pockets (19) around said longitudinal axis (12).