Method and apparatus for orienting articles

Abstract

An apparatus for orienting pills has an upper assembly portion, a lower assembly portion, and a channel formed in the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion. Between the upper assembly portion and the lower assembly portion is a smooth-walled twist portion which twists to rotate the pills as the pills move from the upper assembly portion to the lower assembly portion to dispense the pills into blister packages in a desired orientation.

1 . An apparatus for orienting pills, comprising: 
 an upper assembly portion;    a lower assembly portion; and    a channel formed in said upper assembly portion and said lower assembly portion, said channel including a smooth-walled twist portion which twists to rotate said pills as said pills move from said upper assembly portion to said lower assembly portion.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said channel above said twist portion has a width that is less than a width of said channel below said twist portion.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said upper assembly portion and said lower assembly portion are of unibody construction.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said pills are rotated 90° by said smooth-walled twist portion.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said upper assembly portion is disposed at an angle to said lower assembly portion.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said upper assembly portion is substantially co-planar with said lower assembly portion.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a stop member at a bottom of said lower assembly portion which prevents said pills from leaving said channel.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said channel is one of a plurality of channels which rotates said pills 90°.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising an impeller with blades, said impeller rotates to sweep said pills into said channel.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising a circular member which rotates below said lower assembly portion, said circular member including locations into which said pills are situated before said pills are deposited onto a packing material.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said smooth-walled twist portion of said channel includes a guide on a fourth side.  
   
   
       12 . A packaging apparatus for placing pills in a specific orientation into blister packs comprising: 
 an upper assembly portion;    a hopper attached to said upper assembly portion and adapted to hold pills dispensed therein;    a lower assembly portion connected to said upper assembly portion and disposed at an angle to said upper assembly portion;    a channel formed in said upper assembly portion and said lower assembly portion, said channel including a smooth-walled twist portion which twists to rotate said pills as said pills move from said upper assembly portion to said lower assembly portion; and    an impeller disposed in said hopper of said upper assembly portion to urge said pills in said hopper into said channel of said upper assembly portion.    
   
   
       13 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said channel above said twist portion has a width that is less than a width of said channel below said twist portion.  
   
   
       14 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising a drum defining a series of locations for receiving pills from said lower assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising a conveyor carrying said blister packs at a predetermined linear speed, said drum carrying said pills received from said lower assembly portion rotates at a speed synchronous with said speed of said conveyer, wherein pills carried in said cavities of said drum are placed into said blister packs on said conveyer.  
   
   
       16 . The packaging apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said pills are rotated 90° by said smooth-walled twist portion.  
   
   
       17 . A method for orienting pills to be placed into blister packs, the method comprising the steps of: 
 inserting the pills into a smooth-walled channel defined by an upper assembly portion;    rotating the pills within the channel as the pills move from the upper assembly portion to a channel disposed in a lower assembly portion.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the upper assembly portion is disposed at an angle to the lower assembly portion.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the channel defined by the upper assembly portion has a width that is less than the width of the channel defined by the lower assembly portion.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said pills are rotated 90° by said smooth-walled twist portion.