Intermittent rotating machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products

Abstract

An intermittent rotating machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products is provided with a conveying wheel having a plurality of pockets adapted to each receive and keep a respective capsule, and a hopper delimited by a bottom wall provided with a plurality of holes, each of which is obtained through the bottom wall to feed a powdery pharmaceutical product contained in the hopper within a respective capsule, and is closed at the bottom by a respective closing member vertically mobile between an opening position and a closing position of the hole.

1 . Intermittent rotating machine for filling capsules with pharmaceutical products, each capsule comprising a bottom and a cap for closing the bottom, the machine comprising a conveying wheel, which is mounted to intermittently rotate around a first rotation axis parallel to a substantially vertical direction, and is provided with a plurality of pockets arranged around said axis, wherein each of them receives a respective capsule, and is moved forward by the conveying wheel along a given path; and a dosing wheel which is arranged along the path to feed inside each capsule a given amount of a powdery pharmaceutical product, and comprises a hopper for containing the powdery pharmaceutical product limited by a bottom wall, which is mounted to intermittently rotate around a second rotation axis parallel to said first rotation axis, is provided with at least a group of holes formed through the bottom wall parallelly to said direction, and cooperates with a device closing the holes; and being characterized in that the closing device comprises, for each group of holes, at least a respective lower closing element, which is mounted below the relative holes, is moved forward around said second rotation axis together with the relative holes, and is mobile in said direction between a raised closing position and a lowered opening position of the holes. 
     
     
         2 . Machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each pocket comprises an upper seat to receive and keep the cap of a relative capsule and a lower seat, arranged below the upper'seat, to receive and keep the bottom of the capsule; the conveying wheel comprising at least a supporting element provided with said lower seats. 
     
     
         3 . Machine according to  claim 2 , wherein, when it is in its lowered opening position, each closing element is arranged at such a distance from the relative holes to allow the insertion of the supporting element between the closing element and the holes. 
     
     
         4 . Machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the conveying wheel comprises a disk provided with said lower seats, and a plurality of supporting arms mounted above the disk; each supporting arm being provided with at least an upper seat, and being radially mobile, with regard to the disk, between an advanced position, wherein the upper seat is aligned to a relative lower seat in said direction, and a retracted position, wherein the upper seat and the relative lower seat are mutually offset in the direction. 
     
     
         5 . Machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the closing device comprises, for each hole, a respective said closing element. 
     
     
         6 . Machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising an operating cam device to move the closing elements in said direction. 
     
     
         7 . Machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the dosing wheel is further provided with a compacting device comprising a plurality of upper compacting elements, cooperating with the closing elements and mobile in said direction, between a lowered position for compacting the pharmaceutical product contained inside relative holes and a raised position for disengaging the holes.