Machine for filling bottles with solid forms of pharmaceutical products, in particular capsules, pills, pastilles, and/or tablets

Abstract

A machine for filling bottles with solid forms of pharmaceutical products is provided with a plurality of discharge ducts, each of which feeds a plurality of the solid forms from a containing tank into a corresponding bottle and cooperates with a deviating device, which is movable between a first operating position, in which the deviating device is arranged so as to allow the solid forms to be fed along the discharge duct and into the bottle, and a second operating position, in which the deviating device is arranged so as to prevent the solid forms from being fed along the discharge duct and into the bottle.

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), comprises a tank ( 21 ) for containing the solid forms ( 3 ), and is provided with a plurality of discharge ducts ( 32 ) of the solid forms ( 3 ) from the containing tank ( 21 ) into relative bottles ( 2 ); and being characterised in that it comprises, furthermore, for each discharge duct ( 32 ), a respective deviating device ( 35 ), which is mobile between a first operating position, in which the deviating device ( 35 ) 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 deviating device ( 35 ) is arranged so as to prevent the solid forms ( 3 ) from being fed along the discharge duct ( 32 ) and into the relative bottle ( 2 ). 
     
     
         2 . A machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each deviating device ( 35 ) is defined by a portion of the relative discharge duct ( 32 ) which is mobile between said first and second operating positions. 
     
     
         3 . A machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each deviating device ( 35 ) comprises a deviating member, which is mobile inside the relative discharge duct ( 32 ) between said first and second operating positions, and an opening, which is obtained trough the discharge duct ( 32 ), so as to discharge the solid forms ( 3 ) outside of the discharge duct ( 32 ) itself when the deviating member is arranged in its second operating position. 
     
     
         4 . A machine according to  claim 1  and comprising, furthermore, a recirculating device ( 27 ) for recirculating in the tank ( 21 ) the solid forms ( 3 ) which are discharged outside of each discharge duct ( 32 ) when the relative deviating device ( 35 ) is arranged in its second operating position. 
     
     
         5 . A machine according to  claim 4 , wherein the recirculating device ( 27 ) comprises a collecting container ( 28 ) suited to receive the solid forms ( 3 ) discharged outside of the discharge ducts ( 32 ) when the relative deviating devices ( 35 ) are arranged in their second operating positions, and feeding means ( 29 ) for transferring the solid forms ( 3 ) from the collecting container ( 28 ) to the tank ( 21 ). 
     
     
         6 . A machine according to  claim 1  and comprising, furthermore, a counting device ( 46 ) for calculating the passage of a given number of solid forms ( 3 ) along each discharge duct ( 32 ) and, for each deviating device ( 35 ), a respective actuating means ( 36 ) suited to move the deviating device ( 35 ) between said first and second operating positions according to a signal coming from the counting device ( 46 ). 
     
     
         7 . A machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the counting device ( 46 ) comprises a detecting device ( 48 ;  90 ), which is mounted along each discharge duct ( 32 ), so as to detect the passage of each solid form ( 3 ) along the discharge duct ( 32 ) itself, and an electronic control unit ( 47 ), which is connected to the detecting devices ( 48 ;  90 ) and to the actuating devices ( 36 ), so as to move each deviating device ( 35 ) to its second operating position when the number of solid forms ( 3 ) fed through the relative discharge duct ( 32 ) is equal to a value stored in the electronic control unit ( 47 ). 
     
     
         8 . A machine according to  claim 1  and comprising, furthermore, a collecting store of the incomplete solid forms ( 3 ); each deviating device ( 35 ) being mobile, furthermore, to a third operating position, in which the deviating device ( 35 ) is arranged so as to prevent the solid forms ( 3 ) from being fed along the relative discharge duct ( 32 ) and into the relative bottle ( 2 ) and to allow the solid forms ( 3 ) to be fed to the collecting store. 
     
     
         9 . A machine according to  claim 8 , wherein each discharge duct ( 32 ) is provided, furthermore, with a measuring device ( 90 ) for measuring the weight of the solid form ( 3 ) fed each time along the discharge duct ( 32 ) itself; the deviating device ( 35 ) being moved to the third operating position, when the weight of the solid form ( 3 ) measured by the measuring device ( 90 ) is lower than a given threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . A machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each discharge duct ( 32 ) is provided, furthermore, with a stop device ( 43 ), which is mobile between a stop position of the solid forms ( 3 ) along the discharge duct ( 32 ) and a release position of the solid forms ( 3 ) into the relative bottle ( 2 ).